Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe and Ways of Seeing Image Frequencies
Q: Who is in the image above?
A: Marilyn Monroe.
Click on the image to see a larger version, then click back here.
Q: Who is in the new, larger image?
A: Albert Einstein.
Would you be surprised to find out the two images are the same image at different sizes? Open the big version again and step back 6+ feet from your monitor. Marilyn again.
As the folks from Think Eyetracking say:
This is more than a cool optical illusion; it’s an insight to something very important about the way humans’ code information visually.
Human brains encode different visual frequencies when looking at objects from afar compared to up close. Humans see more detail, or high spatial frequencies up close, and see less detail, or low spatial frequencies from further away. This is why, when we look at the image up close we see Albert Einstein, and when we look at it from afar we see Marilyn Monroe.
So when you’re designing an ad, make sure you know where people will see it. A bathroom print ad, displayed on the stall door or wall, presents itself to our eyes very differently than a billboard. A TV ad is different than a web video, even if they’re seen at the same resolution.
Food for thought next time you’re designing an ad.
Tags:
Albert Einstein, billboard ad, image, Marilyn Monroe, optical illusion, print ad, seeing, testing, Think Eyetracking, usability, visual frequencies
More AdHack Goodness? Subscribe!
AdHack Blog by RSS | 
AdHack Blog by Email
AdHack Ad Creative Marketplace
AdHack is the marketplace for ad creative. We connect Ad Buyers and Ad Creators and help them both win.
No Comments Yet