Chapter 6 Simplification and complication

Status: idea generation phase

Future research ideas

6.1 Why Prägnanz is more than simplification

The Google Quick Draw Dataset is ideal to test on large scale whether the ‘best’ example is indeed different from the most ‘simple’ example.

6.2 Relation with recognition performance and aesthetic appreciation

What are the cognitive consequences of simplification and complication? In future work, I aim to investigate whether the removal of unnecessary details and the exaggeration of distinctive features (such as in cartoon objects, see Figure 6.1) lead to better recognizability of the visual object in question.

In addition, it is relevant to study the relation of simplification, complication and recognition performance with aesthetic appreciation. Future research may investigate under which conditions icons and cartoon figures may lead to higher appreciation than photorealistic images.

Figure 6.1: Illustration of cartoon objects. Image retrieved from www.pngkey.com.