VISUAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AS THE INSTRUMENT OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATIONS (IVANO-FRANKIVSK CITY EXPERIENCE)

Abstract

Increasing paces of life, intensification of city planning and urbanization processes generate new tasks for the visual communications systems, solutions to which are strategically important for the effective functioning of urban spaces. It’s hard to overestimate the effectiveness of the informational field as of a formative parameter of an urban environment. Due to incorrect integration, visual sources may have absolutely destructive impact on the architectural field, contradict artistic authenticity and compositional appeal of the environment. If executed correctly, on the other hand, can activate the area, make it more holistic and harmonious. Quality transformations of the informational space can facilitate the functioning of the individual as part of the urban organism, reinforce one’s effectiveness in environmental exploration, minimize negative optical stimuli and form a positive experience from the urban interactions. When abstracted from the communicative functions of visual informational sources, their spatial, formative, plot-forming properties (which are the main means of the urban environmental transformations) come to the forefront. Global transformations of urban environment take place as a result of qualitative changes in the following essential categories: visual activity; dynamism; structure; aesthetics. Visual activity is determined by the number of optical and content accents and the power of their stimuli in a specific area. The tools that proved to be the most effective in achieving informational object’s visual activity are color, scale, shape. Depending on the level of visual activity of the environment, the degree of individual’s cognitive environmental perception varies. Dynamism as a vector of urban transformations is achieved by organizing the visual communicational systems on a ground of basic compositional accuracy – by using rhythm, asymmetry, contrast, etc. Construction of informational object’s rhythmic rows both in open spaces and on the facades of buildings is one of the simplest and most effective ways of artistic and compositional environmental organization. The concept of “structure” in urban visual-communicative environment is revealed through the definition of informational objects’ constructive function, their ability to arrange, integrate, divide and zonate space. Person’s necessity for systematization, summarization of perceived information is the basic instinct in the environmental explorations. That is why the urban environment must obey the principles of functional zoning, clear allocation of spatial landmarks, creation of composite axes, etc. However, due to global urbanization and increased city planning development, these requirements are often ignored, the process of forming urban structures is spontaneous. Under such circumstances, the spatial plasticity of the visual informational objects plays a crucial role. The aesthetic principle accumulates all of the artistic and compositional methods of forming the urban communicative space, but differs in particular appeal to the emotional and psychological perception at the levels of the unconscious, sensual. While the basis for the informational environment’s aesthetic organization are objective spatial, compositional, coloristic, stylistic parameters, the decisive touches are the subjective categories of beauty, harmony, climate, comfort etc.