Diseñar para Conocer: El Diseño Gráfico Como Herramienta de la Caracterización Gráfica de Elementos de la Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao.

Abstract

This degree project aims to create a graphic characterization that serves to interpret the visual elements present in the cultural idiosyncrasies and environment of the Paloquemao market square in Bogotá. To achieve this, five key visual aspects of the place (color, contrast, repetition, horizontality, and texture) are analyzed, identified through a process of observation and photographic recording. Photography will be used as a fundamental tool, first to document and visually understand the square, and second, to serve as the basis for the creation of a series of five posters. Each poster will seek to translate the aforementioned visual characterization (texture, color, etc.) by simplifying the overload of elements in the environment, thus generating a quick and massive reading, fixing certain messages or images in the collective memory (Meggs & Purvis, 2009). Supported by the author (Munari, 1996), who seeks to explore how visual signs work and how to communicate messages effectively, addressing clarity, structure, and synthesis in communication. Paloquemao Square, with more than 50 years of history as a center for the exchange of food and various products offered to the population of Bogotá, presents a visually rich scenario, understood from the perspective of graphic design as the high density, variety, and complexity in the interaction of the basic visual elements, which are: Abundance and diversity of points (details, focal elements). Multiplicity of lines (structural, movement, contour). Wide range of visual and tactile textures. Vibrant, contrasting, and often unexpected color palettes (Wong, 1995). Dynamic compositions (repetition, rhythm, tension, complex balance) that arise from the spontaneous arrangement of stalls, products, and people. This project observes how the interaction between vendors, buyers, products, and the layout of the space itself generates a particular visual dynamic. The analysis will consider not only the overall composition, but also specific elements such as posters, signs, and other graphic manifestations present, understood as an integral part of the market's visual identity.