Ad-nalysis #1 - Pilot ExtraFine Pens

Of all the realms of design, advertisement probably has the largest passive influence on society -- from billboards to blatant product placement, advertisements heavily influence what we buy and where we get it. And unless you spend all day in a windowless room with nothing but a straw bed (one that isn't copyrighted, of course), there's no escaping their grasp.

It's no surprise, then, that the best ads use clever visuals to stand out and spark audience interest. Through the use of effective visual hierarchy, these ads for Pilot's ExtraFine-tipped pens definitely make their marks.

First is the eye-catcher. The full-body graphic immediately draws attention to the whole of each advertisement. Placed against a white background, the entire figure stands out. The few colors used (primarily yellow, blue, and black) jump out, also providing a stark contrast against the plain white.

By using Lego characters, a familiarity is established with the audience, a majority of which have probably played with the popular toys. This mental bond allows views to quickly notice the pieces that shouldn't be there -- unfamiliar dark scribbles that cover the characters' bodies. It is the unfamiliar that causes intrigue and thus leads the audience to take a closer look, only to realize that the marks are actually finely-detailed tattoos. With the knowledge that Legos are not very big, the intricacies become more brilliant. Finally, in conjunction with the macro photography that blurs the background while focusing on the fine lines, the tattoos truly stand out.

Secondary visual cues then lead viewers to notice that there is yet another entity on the page: in either top corner lies a thin pen, sporting the text "Pilot ExtraFine." The final connection is made between product and ad: Pilot ExtraFine pens have tips thin enough to draw such delicate lines on objects so small.

Many ads try to promote their product name by stating it in large, bold, in-your-face text. This ad's success lies in its ability to avoid such tactics; by exploiting the natural tendencies of visual perception, it shouts its message loud and clear.

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Seen any interesting ads around? Leave a suggestion in the comments below!

Source: http://www.chrisrawlinson.com/2010/07/pilot-extrafine-lego-tattoo.

Double-Take

“I remember going on a raid one time in which the counterfeiter and the local enforcement officials seemed to know each other very well. He said hello. He actually served tea to us when we went and seized the product and carted the product off."

- Dan Chow

Law Professor, Ohio State University

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When the Apple iPhone first debuted in 2007 at the hefty sum of $600, no one really minded the price. It was a piece of breakthrough technology, and those who could afford it were sure that their dollars were well spent. The iPhone 3G then appeared in 2008 for $400, and in 2009, the 3GS for $500.

Meanwhile in China, the iOrgane "Wang TouchCool Orange F4" sold for the equivalent of about $200 in 2008, mere months after the iPhone 3G's release.

How's that for legitimate?

Counterfeit Chinese products are starting to become a stereotype, and with good reason -- name a product, any product, and there are sure to be one or more Chinese knockoffs that seem exactly the same as the original.

Some counterfeited designs, especially those in the technology fields, are amazingly accurate. In a few cases, the ripped copies are even on par with their originals in both look and functionality, such as the LG Chocolate. After the phone was first released in Korea, it took LG a few months to develop a working model for Chinese consumers. Before the months were up, Chinese counterfeiters had already manufactured and started selling their own "Chocolates," so realistic that buyers were convinced that the LG version was the fake.

Even outside the realm of electronics, China's counterfeit processes can create products that trick quality-assurance robots. "Callaway" golf clubs, sold by the bundle in Donguan, China, were taken to the actual Callaway's California-based headquarters to be put to the test.. and passed. They looked like carbon copies of the real thing. Only when a saw was taken to the head was it made obvious that the "titanium" driver was actually two steel pieces welded together to form a flimsy imposter.

As we get even further away from electronics (which seem to be China's strongest and fastest counterfeit operations) however, cheap ripoffs are much more prevalent. Take the Harry Potter series, for example: a collection that most kids nowadays are quite familiar with. The Chinese have taken what is essentially fan fiction to sell as new novels in the series, among them Harry Potter and the Waterproof Pearl, Harry Potter and the Golden Armor, and Harry Potter and the Showdown.

So what's all this have to do with design?

Pablo Picasso was once said to have noted, "Good artists copy; great artists steal." Replace "artists" with "designers," and these words of wisdom still bear relevance. As wizened and revolutionary a man Picasso was.. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean it like this.

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Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/26/60minutes/main595875.shtml, http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/10/24/chinese.iphone.copy.seen, http://www.11points.com/Books/11_Amazing_Fake_%27Harry_Potter%27_Books_Written_In_China, http://www.geckoandfly.com/785/the-perfect-fake-electronics-a-catch-me-if-you-can-scenario, and http://www.apple.com.

Nothing More Than Small Talk

"Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate on nothing."

- Oscar Wilde

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Design.

It's that stop sign on the street corner. The poster on your wall at home and the ads on the sides of buses. It's the way the Brooklyn Bridge glows at night, and the rickety building that should've collapsed years ago. Design is pictures, design is words. Design is a language -- a conversation.

They say art is the universal language because anyone can view and enjoy it as long as their eyes still work, but art is not design. While art is meant to be appreciated (and although design embraces artistic aspects), design is meant to be understood. Regardless of form, all languages share the same function: to communicate. Design is no exception.

Every design has a purpose -- where art remains ambiguous, design speaks out.

Take websites, for example.

A well-designed website is navigable and aesthetically pleasing, providing visitors with an experience that fits the message. When you visit a site such as that of Spoon Graphics, the welcoming "Hello" in clear, sans-serif Helvetica is an eye-catcher. So what's this guy do? Easy: "I design stuff." Oh, okay, you think to yourself. Awesome.

Logically, the next few thoughts may then wander towards what this Chris Spooner designs, why he does it, who he is, or maybe even how and where he does his thing. This is where visual hierarchy comes into play.

The exchange between a visitor's thoughts and website presentation is much like contacting customer service over the phone. Using gestures and reading facial expressions is impossible -- a website relies on common sense and visual hierarchy to lead you relevant information.

For Spoon Graphics, moving previews and large, bold text in the center (a natural point of interest) draw immediate attention, and thus contain the "who" and "what." The high-contrast bar at the top takes secondary precedence, and includes other big points of interest via "about," "portfolio," and "contact" links. Additional information is then found in smaller text near the bottom for those truly interested.

But this conversation doesn't have to be a one-on-one experience. In addition to having a conversation with the audience, designs can converse with each other. They share ideas, borrow from one another, and revisit topics from the past every once in a while.

Only through communication can designs build on ideas, pull insight from a network and, through collaboration, become something amazing.

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Examples of sites with poor design (for comparison) can be found at http://politics.freesitenow.com/basilmarceauxforgovernor/page1.html and http://www.siphawaii.com. For an ironic example of how good artists don't necessarily make good designers, take a look at http://art.yale.edu.