On a much subtler note, the site for the German film Tannbach takes a more layered approach to figure/ground. To emphasize the human relationship in the film, the designer makes the two people sharp against a blurred rustic background. Through the use of color and typography, the actual interface becomes the “primary figure” with the couple becoming the “secondary figure”. As a result, the user visually connects with the couple but still understands how to navigate the site.
It’s a fairly clever implementation of a simple Gestalt principle and shows that you don’t need to interpret the meaning as just
“make a menu pop out against a blurry background.”