Are you aware you come in contact with a few hundred to many thousands of graphic design messages daily? Nailing down an exact number is no easy task to accomplish. Let’s just say it’s a lot!
Take a moment and think of an advertisement you’ve recently seen. Got one in mind?
Why do you remember it? What were the qualities that made this message stand out from the endless parade of other messages and designs you’ve come in contact with? Is it possible you formed some sort of connection with the message? Did the visual, design or message touch you on an emotional level? Working as a visual communicator one of our goals is to make the audience laugh, cry… feel something.
This leads me to yet another life lesson: most of our decisions are based on our emotions.
Every facet of your design solution needs to secure an emotional connection with the viewer. It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to communicate. Without establishing this vital, emotional connection, there isn’t much of a chance your message is getting through to anyone. How do you go about successfully building this connection? We’re going to explore a few methods, specifically your choice and placement of typography, imagery, what you say and how you say it.
Emotive Typography: Can you see the words that are coming out of my mouth?!
When we speak, the tone of our voice adds expression. The speed of the words spoken offers a sense of urgency or lethargic feeling. A point is emphasized by raising the pitch of our voice or by stretching out the enunciation of a word. We are tuned into these subtle differences for they help us understand the meaning of the message being spoken. Typography is the visual treatment of written language to enhance visual communication. Similar to the expressivity of spoken words, a range of emotional tones of voice can be conveyed through the treatment of typographic form, such as typeface, weight and color. (1) Just like verbal cues in spoken communication, we rely heavily on visual cues to understand the written message.
When we speak, the tone of our voice adds expression. The speed of the words spoken offers a sense of urgency or lethargic feeling. A point is emphasized by raising the pitch of our voice or by stretching out the enunciation of a word. We are tuned into these subtle differences for they help us understand the meaning of the message being spoken. Typography is the visual treatment of written language to enhance visual communication. Similar to the expressivity of spoken words, a range of emotional tones of voice can be conveyed through the treatment of typographic form, such as typeface, weight and color. (1) Just like verbal cues in spoken communication, we rely heavily on visual cues to understand the written message.
Emotive typography communicates your message without asking the viewer to read a single line of text. Your typography choice and placement subliminally establishes the intent of the message. The instant the viewer sees the design they understand the tone of the message and can begin to relate to it. To elicit this point, refer to the image below. So I ask you as you reference the image, which garage door of the three featured would you choose not to park in front of? All three doors say the same thing: “No Parking” yet only one expresses the sentiment emotively. I get the sense if I park in front of door number two the owner of the garage will hunt me down and do some major damage! There is power the middle door’s message because of how it emotes the message.
The characteristics of a typeface are important when it comes to communicating a message and how well a typeface supports the mood of an image. Many designers utilize “classic” typefaces, those that have stood the test of time as a result of their proportion, balance and are readable. Classic typefaces possess visual qualities that have survived changes in fashion and don’t posses trendy qualities. Decorative/novelty typefaces are not considered classics because they tend to be ornamental and visually overwhelm a design. If you use a novelty face, use it in small quantities and mix it with a classic typeface for text. (2)
When selecting a typeface, here are criteria to consider:
• Idea: Each typeface has a distinct personality. The typeface chosen should support the message.
• Content: Readers need to be able to understand the message. A typeface must be readable, legible and appropriate for the subject of the content.
• Audience: Who comprises your audience? Determine the demographics, geographics and psychographics for these affect how you select and design with type.
• Integration with images: If type and image are components of a design, then they are in a relationship with each other. What is the nature of the relationship? Will the type and image share the defining characteristics? Will they contrast? Will one be neutral?
• Context and media: How will the type be seen? Will it be on screen? Is it a small monitor or large one? Will it be viewed from a distance (outdoor) or close up (magazine)?
Imagery. You know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand customers, I mean words.
There’s a reason Fabio sells more romance novels than Pee-Wee Herman. Visuals of a strong male physique appeal directly to the romance novel aficionado. Your designs must highlight the aspects of your product, brand or service that customers want and need. It is imperative you determine what these aspects are and develop visuals to support them. (6)
Use imagery like a visual slap in the face or punch in the gut. In many cases, the viewer scans content. A strong visual is one sure-fire way to get them to sit up, take notice and stop at your design for a moment. If developing a series of messages (posters, ads, brochures, etc.) try varying the visuals in each design. Doing so will keep the viewer engaged each time the message is seen. If you repeat the same visual over and over again, it will become redundant and certainly lose its original communicative power.
Below are design examples supporting the use of strong visuals to communicate the message. Each image is unexpected, stops you in your tracks and gets you to take notice.
Visuals and Words UNITE: The dynamic duo.
Are your visuals and words teaming up and communicating the message together? If yes, the visuals and verbiage rely on each other to get the point across to the viewer. The established partnership is stronger than what the individual elements could ever be standing alone. Use visuals and words to connect your intended audience to your message.
When teaming up visuals and words keep in mind in most cases, the line or the visual is the “star” of the design and the other takes a supporting role. If both command viewer attention you risk creating visual confusion. Confusion occurs because the elements act independently of each other and not in concert. This fighting for visual attention also causes a lack of visual hierarchy. To establish visual hierarchy ask yourself “what do I want the viewer to see first, second, third in the design” and then place the elements accordingly. Try to get the visuals and words to work cooperatively and complement each other. (2)
Below are design examples supporting visuals and words working together to communicate the message. Pay close attention to how the visuals and words are actively engaging each other. They are not separate elements in the design! Always get your type and image to dance and not go to separate ends of the "dance floor."
Vernacular: You say eether and I say eyether, You say neether and I say nyther; Eether, eyether, neether, nyther…
David Ogilvy, often referred to as “The Father of Advertising” (3) said, “If you’re going to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.” (4)
Dictionary.com defines vernacular as the native speech or language of a place or the plain variety of language in everyday use by ordinary people.
Speaking in the vernacular means addressing the consumer at the level of their existing knowledge in a way they relate to and easily understand. You can't connect with your intended audience if you don't know much about them. Knowing them helps you shape your message in a way that's most likely to get attention and keep it. (5) What you say and how you say it is extremely important if you hope to make that connection. What will they listen to? How far can you push them until they dismiss the message? Are you trying to connect to a new consumer that doesn’t know much about your product or brand or a returning consumer who is comfortable with your brand? What you say and how you say it is extremely important if you hope to make that connection.
Does the following ad campaign for Nordstrom featuring artist Ruben Toledo’s black-and-white painted faces, bodies and walls have a better chance connecting with a fifty year old electrician working on a high rise in Texas or a twenty year old woman attending NYU in New York City? Get my point? Want to make a connection? Learn what gets your intended audience’s attention. Learn what motivates them, what they say, how they say it, and talk to them in their language!
I’ve said it before and will continue to do so... If graphic communication is expected, it is boring. If it is boring, no one pays attention to it. If no one pays attention, you have not communicated anything. For other words of wisdom please reference my blog post: Things I’ve learned about visual communication during my lifetime. (http://dezignrogue.blogspot.com/2011/09/things-ive-learned-about-visual.html)
Press emotive buttons through effective use of concept, typography, imagery, what you say and how you say it. Bring attention worthy ideas to life through these methods and you are well on your way to making an emotional connection. Establishing an emotional connection is key to your message breaking through the endless parade of designs your audience comes in contact with on a daily basis.
Below are resources that might help you to delve deeper into the information presented above.
Creating an Emotional Connection is Key to Building Telecommunication Brands through Advertising-Sprint vs. T-Mobile
http://www.marketingcrossing.com/article/220082/Creating-an-Emotional-Connection-is-Key-to-Building-Telecommunication-Brands-through-Advertising-Sprint-vs-T-Mobile/
Advertising and creating the emotional connection
http://wmpoweruser.com/advertising-and-creating-the-emotional-connection/
Blog Resources:
(1) http://www.sigchi.org/chi96/proceedings/videos/Wong/yyw_txt.htm
(2) http://www.robinlanda.com/Books_Advertising_By_Design__Content.htm
(3) http://advertising.about.com/od/profiles/p/David-Ogilvy-Cbe.htm
(4) http://ezinearticles.com/?Copywriting-Tips-for-the-Creative-Copywriter&id=6580702
(5) http://totalcommunicator.com/vol2_4/knowaudience.html
(6) http://www.seaberrydesign.com/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-customers/
No comments:
Post a Comment