by Annie | Dec 24, 2009 | Adchievements, Typographically Speaking
When I decided to venture into the field of digital design, my mom’s main worry was that my college degree in psychology was completely unrelated to design. But in fact, the two fields are inextricably intertwined. Color and typography both have emotional underpinnings, and the subliminal messages behind logos and ads often play mind tricks on uninformed consumers. Take menu design, for example. Did you know that restaurants (along with the menu engineers and menu consultants they hire) spend hours and hours painstakingly obsessing over every element on their menus? Pictures, no pictures, size of text, fonts, colors, adjectives, price display, and spacing are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to designing an effective menu. Researchers have found that the following can subconsciously massage consumer wallets: 1. Remove dollar signs and cents from prices. Dollar signs remind people of money they don’t want to spend. Cents remind people of pennies they don’t want to deal with. 2. Choose the right colors. Apparently, red and blue stimulate your appetite, while gray and purple make you feel full. 3. Use descriptive menu labels. Packing in adjectives, geographic markers, and even relative names (e.g., Aunt Sally’s Famous Potato Salad) will make dishes sound more appealing. 4. Remove pictures. Imagination always trumps even the best picture a camera can take. 5. Employ the art of contrast. Place an expensive item at the top of the menu, and suddenly everything else seems more affordable. So you decide: which restaurant would you spend more money at? Restaurant A: Restaurant B: For more information on the psychology behind menu design, check out...
by Annie | Dec 23, 2009 | Logoland
When it comes to logos, are you a believer in evolution or, perhaps, intelligent design? Just as people change and technology develops, corporations evolve over time. Companies often adapt their logos to stay in touch with their clients, but too much change can alienate their audience and change their brand identities. Though logos start out as just sketches on paper, they eventually embody the values and vision of the organizations they represent, so even minor tweaks here and there can cause lasting ripples. Let’s take a step back in time and take a look at the evolution of some logos we all know and love. 1. Apple 2. Firefox 3. Starbucks 4. Volkswagen 5. Canon 6. IBM 7. Wal-Mart 8. Morton Salt 9. UPS 10....
by Annie | Dec 21, 2009 | Typographically Speaking
Most articles, reports, and papers we read these days are written in 12-pt. Times New Roman. The few creative ones might venture into Arial or, God forbid, Comic Sans. In the old days, type designers cast fonts in lead, or, more recently, in wood. Back then, typography was a specialized occupation. However, the Digital Age has made type design available for anyone with computer access. If you’re ready to take a crack at type design, head over to FontStruct, which features a free font-building tool. Arrange geometrical shapes in a grid to create your own font. Then download your new font and use in any Mac or Windows application. Give it a...
by Annie | Dec 18, 2009 | Adchievements
The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most heavily ad-littered times of the year. Between Black Friday and last-minute Christmas shopping, these few weeks often fill store fronts, circulars, and online banners with holiday ads as retailers hope for looser consumer wallets. Here are some ads that have taken a creative and fresh outlook on age-old holiday...
by Annie | Dec 16, 2009 | Other
Looking for a great gift but strapped for cash? Here’s a gift idea that’s easy, inexpensive, and useful! Step 1: Obtain a can. Larger ones are better. I saved the green bean cans I used for our Thanksgiving feast. Eat, give away, or save contents of the can. Clean out the can and make sure there are no sharp edges. Step 2: Cover with pretty papers. You can keep the label on the can so you’re gluing paper to paper rather than paper to metal. You can find fun papers in art and crafts stores, or you can design the papers yourself. Step 3: Fill with potting soil and small plant. Both soil and plants can be found in most home improvement stores or garden stores. You can also add a little whimsy by including a witty, personalized tag. Ta-da! Quick, easy, and gentle on the wallet. Lots of variations possible, so have...
