• write down the meaning of perception;
• write down the three types of perception filters; and
• match examples of specific perception filters to their respective type of perception filter.

Perception is the process of gathering information through our senses, organizing and making sense of it.

Previous experience and learning,

attitudes and interests,

needs and feelings,

and the current situation all affect perception.

All people do not "see" the same thing when looking at a visual image.

Perception differs from individual to individual due to a variety of personal, socio-economical, and cultural differences.

Age, gender, race, and past experiences are examples of personal perception filters.

Young children, teenagers, and adults "see" things differently.

As they grow and develop, children learn to see and comprehend relationships and themes from visuals instead of simply seeing individual objects and shapes.

Socio-economic filters include occupation, level of education, environmental factors, and family upbringing.

Cultural filters include language,

For example, Eskimos have many unique words describing different kinds of snow. Not just adjectives that go in front of a standard word for snow, but totally different words.

customs,

belief systems,

and historical perspective.

Every characteristic of an individual influences what that individual chooses to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

How information is interpreted to create meaning for an individual is also influenced by his/her unique make-up and background.

Perception is part of the process of understanding visual images

Creating effective visual images depends on the appropriate use of design elements and design principles.

Try this exercise. Look at each umbrella image. Is the message of each image different? If so, what makes the message different?

Here are three more umbrella images. How do these images compare to each other? How do these images compare with the three previous ones?

What happens when the image of the umbrella includes a person? What changes about the visual message? Are there differences between these two images? If so, what are they?