Super Human Vision
by Adrian Hanft, (3 comments)
Unlike going to the dentist, I kind of like getting an eye exam. I have been to the eye doctor many times before, but today I found the test to be harder than normal. The question I am pondering is whether or not an eye exam is harder for a graphic designer (or any occupation that depends on constantly being critical of what you look at) than the average person.
This is what happened at my exam: I aced the depth perception and color blindness test, but I could have spent much longer looking at the test books. I love finding the numbers in the field of colored dots, and who doesn’t like wearing 3d glasses? Then, I went to the next room to look at the chart with the letters. I knew that if I had a little more time, I could have made out every line, but I felt rushed. I found myself thinking how nice the type looked out of focus. It was like I had my very own Photoshohp blur filter and I could control the blur by squinting and relaxing my eyes.
Then I go to the next room to see the doctor and she gives me the “Is this better or worse” test. These were my answers: 2 is better than 1, 3 is better than 2, 1 is better than 3. We repeated this loop a few times until the doctor said, “we are going in circles, here.” After a couple more laps around, I think she decided for me. Has this happened to anyone else? I was having trouble answering the simple question because I was thinking something like this: 1 is slightly sharper than 2, but 2 seems to have a little more contrast. What font is that? 1 is slightly larger, but 2 seems to have a bit more space between the letters. Is the backlighting a different intensity than the other one? I think my thumb and finger may have been instinctively doing the “zoom in” key command. By the end of the test I was confused and less than confident that I would be getting an accurate prescription.
So why was I struggling? How can a person who makes his living with his eyes have so much trouble with a routine eye exam? Am I so used to setting type at 1600% on my monitor that I can’t concentrate on tiny type?
Here is the conclusion I came to: As designers, we trust and understand what we see because we are constantly testing our vision. We habitually question and dissect everything our eyes fall upon. Our jobs depend on it, and it is part of what we love about our work. As a result, we have developed a highly sensitive and very large visual vocabulary. Is it any wonder, that we struggle when we are asked a loaded question like “is this better or worse?” How can our answer be anything but “Whoa. I don’t want to rush to make that decision.” Then we enjoy the process so much that we feel uncomfortable when we are pressured to answer.
In the end, I got my prescription and ordered some new glasses. In a final stroke of irony, the sight in both my eyes improved from my last checkup two years ago. I asked if this was normal, and the doctor said yes. Apparently it is normal for our vision to fluctuate. Just another reason for us designers to continue to not trust our eyes.
Comments (3)
Michael Dogan said:
I myself have a similar story, but the difference was mine involves color.
You learned very early what the colors in our lives are. You learn the rainbow and you learn the color wheel all in early elementary. But for me, color was never so finite as it was for others.
I remember vividely being asked by my teacher in grade 2 if the card she held was “red.” I couldn’t answer directly. Then, as is now, I took into account all the shades involved, all the hues and saturations. Is it red? is it more violet? is it more brown?
I have always been like this, not color blind, but simply analyzing what is red, or blue or magenta. Personally, I’m glad. It’s one of the reasons why I knew this was the profession for me. Oh, and one more thing. If a client says it’s red, then it’s red!
Posted on May 2, 2005
Kyle said:
Adrian, I’m right there with ya! The better/worse routine always makes we sweat—I can never make up my mind in time, asking myself much of those same questions! “Better” and “worse” are just way too general of terms. Eye exams are always really fun, and educational. I think my last one (two weeks ago) was an hour by the time I did all the different tests and everything. The stereo glasses were a new test this time.
I have worn reading glasses (light prescription, they tell me) for a year now. And when I forget them to bring them to work, I start to leave on-monitor group decisions to the rest of the group. I feel like an old fart who can know longer use 1600x1200 or 1680x1050, but needs 1152x870 or God forbid 1024x768 on a big monitor.
Posted on May 2, 2005
Adrian said:
Good. Maybe I am not crazy after all.
Michael, I do that, too. The color that I see differently that many people is between yellow and orange. Orange to me is yellow to most people. I wonder how much our perception of color is influenced by our first teachers in school. Hmm.
Kyle, you old geezer! I am trying contacts again. I must forget to blink when I am looking at the computer screen. My eyes get so dry. I would rather where glasses than use eye drops, though.
Posted on May 2, 2005