No matter whether something is considered good or bad design, if it gets people to think about it—or better yet evokes an emotional response—it often becomes memorable. Now if it succeeds in getting viewers to think, or purchase, and/or act in a desired way, that’s winning the lottery of design’s true purpose.
It’s more challenging than ever than ever to make these things happen. There’s a ton to distract us and there are only so many ways a person is willing to connect to it all before tuning it out. But the best works stand the test of time. A great example: before the Super Bowl started, someone in my circle mentioned they were looking forward to seeing Bud’s commercial.
The “best” and “worst” Super Bowl ads will often get equal amounts of attention. People anxiously await the most entertaining ad and walk away with a few other opinions. (Personally I loved the Bud Lite Hold and He Gets Us – Love Your Enemies ads the best this year, even if I don’t fall in the typical target markets of either. And I really loved the advertising innovation of Miller Lite and Coors Light – The High Stakes Beer Ad and how they embraced a multi-brand approach in a creative way.)
There’s great power in creativity. In addition to the message, the very placement in time where it’s found can be what makes it so impactful. Few have the marketing budget to place a ad during the Super Bowl so finding the perfect twist of timing and place is imperative. But have you noticed that both “good” and “bad” design grab viewers’ attention? Sometimes the thing that makes someone say, “Wait, what…?” is the very thing that engages the thought process.
Graffiti is like that, whether from modern or ancient times. The art form dates back to Paleolithic times and, in places where its ancient forms are still visible, it still gets of attention. While not necessarily marketing as we define it today, it may well have conveyed information to others; or maybe it was simply the creators’ art form; and sometimes we just can’t be sure. The significance or validity of more modern examples of graffiti can get lost in the very places where it’s found because it’s considered vandalism; occasionally it inspires us enough to call it a mural.
Another example: the work of the fabulous artist and illustrator, Ralph Steadman, didn’t always meet my personal tastes. When I fist encountered it, I thought it was messy, unrefined and unfinished. It wasn’t until I began seeing it’s significance in movie posters and books that I came to realize how relevant (and oddly beautiful) it could be. His lettering, while not tidy in any way, certainly expresses a message. The seemingly unrefined quality of his style is actually quite consistent when looking at his body of work as a whole.
It’s the distinct lack of sameness that grabs our attention. Adding new twists like those found in the Super Bowl ads (thank you Coors and Miller Lite), challenging people’s firm beliefs (“He Gets Us,”) and encouraging us to find a better behavior (Bud Lite, thank you for encouraging a simple idea that can seem so hard in the moment): all of these things provide the unique ideas that get people talking, thinking and/or acting. Building on that day after day, month after month, year after year helps a brand stand the test of time so that the conversation continues.
I too embrace the twists of creativity. My graphic design is typically neat and tidy but can also include a little “grunginess” or “wonkiness” (like my lettering); sometimes the juxtaposition of content embraces extremes (like the logo I designed for Sweet Radish); even the simple act of relief block designs (with their inherent chunky look) printed on the elegance of silk creates the perfectly imperfect look I’m going for.
The great Picasso, whose life and body of work exhibit multiple extremes of creative expression, was quoted as saying, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” And the door is always open to create new rules or allow old ones to evolve into better ones. This idea has become a running theme in my creative approach over the years. It’s nearly always easy to create predictable design solutions and there are certainly times that’s what is asked for. But I really love the opportunity to translate an idea in an unexpected way, thus paving the way for others to look more closely and take notice. I love finding that twist. What ideas have caused you to take notice? I’d love to hear about them!