Compare and Contrast Design

These displays fall under the catogory of exhibit. When I first started looking for these window displays it was overwhelming the amount of contrast and creativity.  Even within the displays themselves there are sub categories lighting, motion, clothing, shoes electronics, holiday etc... So believe or not this is my narrowed down comparisons.  The Category I chose to analyze is apparel.

Good designs...

This first display is an interactive window display for a street wear label WeSC.  Please follow this link to watch a demonstration of the interactive store front: 

 http://vimeo.com/18740420

I think that this interactive window display demonstrates the elements of
Simplicity, and
 Figure Ground Relationship 
which are 

elements that are perceived as either figures (distinct elements of focus) or ground (the background or landscape on which the figures rest).

along with 
Uniform Connectedness 
which by definition is

elements that share uniform visual characteristics are perceived as being more related than elements with disparate visual characteristics.

Common Fate
Humans tend to perceive elements moving in the same direction as being more related than elements that are stationary or that move in different directions. This is one of my favorite displays that I came across.  First of all it absolutely grabs your attention, and it demonstrate 

The Law of Proximity very well.

Closure is represented here as well as the Law of Continuity. When looking at a complex arrangement of individual elements, humans tend to first look for a single, recognizable pattern. I think this demonstrates this very well. The metal stakes that frame the shoes are also similar to them and so it has continuity as well.

 This demonstrates the Law of Prägnanz, it is a display window for shoes in europe.

Humans tend to interpret ambiguous or complex images as simple and, along with the similarity of this display.

 Again the Law of Prägnanz is how

humans tend to interpret ambiguous or complex images as simple and complete. This image demonstrates that by leaving the un seen pieces of the the women and the ice cream for your imagination, it does not take away from the closure but that you really do know exactly what is missing.  Therefore it has Simplicity in it as well.

This is an add for the clothing store Anthropology.  The clothing is very well framed by the horns and the lighting. The Law of similarity is represented by the time period pieces and the style of the clothing. The Law of Continuity is also shown here,it is when

elements are arranged on a line or curve are perceived to be more related than elements not on the line or curve. Other elements represented here are, Closure, Pragnaz, Common

Fate, and Figure ground relationship.

Bad design...

 These are examples of bad design.  They almost hurt to look at because there is so much confusion going on. Gestalt principle seems disregarded completely. There is no law of similarity, no simplicity, no law of proximity nothing goes together it is just a lot of noise.  There are no lines to draw your eyes in any direction and no depth or quality to these designs.