Rules and Context

For instance, let’s look at a couple of instances where not all of the rules impact any given attempt at communication.

Rule
On a monitor, white text on a black background is more difficult to read and makes for a less comfortable experience than dark text on a light background.

Mitigating Context
There is only a small amount of copy.

When the context is such that one only needs to read small snippets of copy, the degree of contrast involved becomes less important (or not important). For instance:

So while it would generally be a bad idea to present an article online with white text on a black background, using that combination for a short sequence of bulleted statements, a short blurb, a small paragraph, etc… is generally fine and could be quite effective in the overall communication.

Rule
Images are more visually compelling than text.

Mitigating Context
Images saturate a composition.

A humans’ visual attention is most efficiently captured with an image, as we see here. The image is far more compelling than the text copy:

However, in the next example, the context is such that images saturate the area to the point of monotony, so by contrast the text is more compelling:

So I hope that these simple examples help to illustrate (no pun intended) that while communication is beholden to the rules of human perception, those rules are beholden to context. I suggest you look for other examples of communication fundamentals seemingly contradicted, yet still effective. When you find them, work to understand the relevant context and how it manipulates the rules. Work to understand how the designer arrived at the specific design choice(s).

It’s not enough to understand the rules (fundamentals) of artistry. You’ve got to have a clear understanding of the relevant context(s) in order to be able to make design choices.