Epilogue: Availability and affordances of information from information surfaces

Abstract

Visual communication and aesthetics as yet have not been studied from an ecological point of view, or so it seems. The papers of this volume comprise a first attempt to define the scope and direction of questions to be raised, the “tools” available, and critical items to be kept in mind. Most of the contributors agree that Gibson’s ecological approach to visual perception provides a useful basis to initiate valuable conceptual criticism of visual communication and aesthetics as traditionally defined, and interesting suggestions for empirical research. Authors disagree, however, on how and how far traditional concepts and methodology might still be needed to fully understand the presumptive non-perceptual aspects of visual communication and aesthetics.