Yucca Brevifolia

My Joshua Tree series-of-thoughts-in-relatively-close-proximity happened after I had read "Ideology and the Map." The article prompted me to think more clearly about filtered messages, and consider that the majority of everything you see/hear is structured by some entity with its own unique agenda.

I couldn't help but think about legal contracts. Legal writing may put the facts right there in front of you, but is often structured to be a very difficult read. Even after trudging through it you may feel uneasy about your interpretation.

There enters the need for a highly-paid professional! I'm not hostile toward attorneys, by the way. This is merely an observation from getting my property & casualty insurance license a couple of years ago. I had to learn a few different legal contracts, and it was at times quite tricky!

Joshua Tree

I had one earlier today as I was driving in very slow traffic near my home in Mt. Pleasant, SC ( I went home for the weekend). There is a large new luxury housing development going up on the main drag near my house, and of course this will bring even more traffic to the area. The developer is very large, very wealthy, and basically builds anything/anywhere it wants in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

I noticed that a new sign was put up in front of the job site. The new sign had the development's name in fairly small text for a road sign and a lame looking palmetto tree as part of a logo. Underneath this logo were very large letters claiming the company to be a major contributor to a local charity. Give me a break! This company bullies the "little guy" all the time, and I am not buying their claim to be a generous practitioner of philanthropy.

So my complaint stands as not only is the sign ugly, it is also insulting to everyone who opposed its approval by our town government.

My Joshua Tree Embarrassment

I was walking in the Hendrix Center today to get lunch and took a second glance at a sign/ad that read, “Free Oil Change”. At first I thought, “I want a free oil change!” Then I thought, “Wow, talk about drawing me in as a consumer.” The sad part is the ad was hand written (poorly) with black magic marker on green paper. It was taped to the bottom of a rickety old desk and behind that desk was a Chevron salesperson. This guy saw me take a second glance and attacked me with his pitch. I soon declined the salesman after being able the read in between the lines of the offer, which concerned obligation and down payment issues. The ad’s purpose worked like a charm in regards to catching my attention. The bait snagged me, but the salesperson couldn’t reel me in. After declining the salesman, gave more thought to the situation and what had just happened. Normally I would go about my day, not even giving a second thought to the ad, but now I realize the true effectiveness of an eye catching quote. The quote worked without any digital design work on the ad. This almost embarrasses me.

Banking Websites

PSECU
ING Direct

I chose to analyze two banking websites that serve a similar purpose (one on a local level, the other on a national level). The first site, PSECU (Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union) is for residents of Pennsylvania who have an account with the credit union. Previously, the site was only used by state employees who had an account, but recently, the credit union has expanded and anyone in Pennsylvania can join. PSECU’s homepage makes good use of Williams’ principles of alignment, proximity and, to an extent, repetition. The site designer used boxes to separate different sections of the site’s first page and the boxes are aligned such that they create a few distinct vertical lines. All of the text is left-aligned and grouped so that similar information is together. Although the site does use a good deal of white space, I think the same amount of white space could be used more effectively if positioned differently. The site serves its purpose (I use it on a daily basis), but it does poorly what the other site does so well. In terms of contrast, particularly as compared to ING Direct’s site, PSECU’s website is incredibly weak. There really isn’t even an attempt at contrast in the use of color, typeface or font styling.

When you first visit ING’s site, it has a bold homepage with starkly contrasting colors on the left side and the bottom. The bright orange contrasts well with the dark blue and the contrast forces your eye to the white space in the middle where you are presented with an offer for a low mortgage rate or high interest rate. The simplicity of the homepage allows the user to locate what he needs immediately without wading through a lot of links or other text. The site repeats the circular orange graphic both on the homepage and throughout the entire site. The navigation system remains constant on each page you link to. The text for each of the three links on the homepage is right aligned to an orange circle which is on the edge of the blue area on the left. The shape of the white space on the homepage, the orange graphics, the bullets organizing more detailed information, the color scheme and the use of the logo on each page presents a good example of repetition.

I think it’s important to consider the scope of each of these businesses. Although PSECU’s site is lacking in some of Williams’ basic design principles and may not be doing a good job of attracting members to join through the homepage, this bank is working on a much smaller scale than ING is. In addition to its website, PSECU has physical locations that bankers can visit. The same cannot be said for ING Direct. Customers (from many different locations within the United States) perform all of their transactions through this company online, over the phone or through the mail. While I don’t have statistics, I think it’s safe to assume that a lot (perhaps most) of their business is done through their website. An aspect of ING that it prides itself on is the fact that doing business this way eliminates the operational costs of other banks and it seems logical that some of those savings go into making the electronic banking—and the website—they offer as easy as possible.

Week 2- Post 2 DPA vs Art Department- a slaughter

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/art/toc/index.htm

http://www.fx.clemson.edu/showcase.html

It may seem that I could be a bit biased on the subject of these two sites (since I am a DPA student), but I’ll try to be as “fair and balanced” as possible. Also, take note that I was a Studio Art major in undergrad. I’ll start with the Clemson Digital Production Arts website. A while ago I viewed this site to get as much information as possible about the DPA program before starting. It was very convenient not only for reasons of giving me what I was looking for exactly, but giving me much more. It gives a broad overview of the program and what it takes to get accepted. The site is nicely laid out with a visual theme of high-tech art in orange and purple that seems to represent the department and the university very well. Not long after, visiting I was viewing some of the department's 3D animated productions and going over the DPA course sequences. It is also nicely spaced and requiring a minimal amount of scrolling throughout the site.

A few years ago, I came across the Clemson Art department site and was turned off immediately. This was during a time when I new I wanted to purse more than undergraduate studies in a higher learning environment, but wasn’t quite sure what to strive for. This site is intended to represent the artists of a university and it looks like a visual nightmare. The site itself is disproportioned where the navigational buttons are given too much room and the information section requires a large amount of scrolling down the page. The viewer has to select the link on the left side and then move over to the right side to scroll down. One of the first things I wanted to do was view some of the students work (in an attempt to determine the schools credibility as an art school. This was no easy task, but was eventually able to stumble across for student art work that was placed n exhibit in 1998 (horribly outdated). The site’s color scheme is primarily black and yellow, which does work well- not so much because it not the universities theme, but because it is a bit hard on the eyes. Last, but not least, the site is always sectioned off by two separating bars, one horizontal and one vertical. At least, there is a new and hopefully better Clemson Art Department site under construction. Lets hope it gives Clemson University Artists a bit more justice.

Dos Urales - My 2 URLs

1001 Fonts
http://www.1001fonts.com/font_details.html?font_id=2607
This page has nice contrast between the text and their respective backgrounds. All of the color choices work well in making this page easy to look at. There is a repetition of rectangular shapes all throughout this page. From the top of the page left for ads to the site name, links, navigation, content and comments. The alignment works for the majority of the page. There are proximity issues despite all the good things I can say about this page. The comments left at the bottom of the page didn’t receive as much thought and planning as the rest of the design. The post/comment and the text specifying the person that wrote it should have a better association. There is a stair step, indention going on, but there should be more space between the postings so that visually they separate from each other. Also, the navigational links at the top of the page should be aligned side by side or given a visual break to separate the words from each other. Because of how they are grouped, Home Contact appears to be one link although the two words lead to separate pages.


PC WORLD.ca
http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/420b93020a010408016cf4f9d5ac4e46/pg1.htm
This site has a lot of information coming at the reader all at once. The purpose of the page is to discuss the top 10 new things you can do with Photoshop CS3, but the ads dominate the page. The moments where this page exhibits good contrast, your eye is being drawn to everything other than what brought you to the site in the beginning. This site is more focused on getting you to check out one of their sponsors than what the alleged purpose of the page is for. The repetition seen here is good contrast, all of which are ads and very little contrast in the photoshop discussion. I must say, there is a better display of contrast between the comments left on this page than the previous url I talked about. The article is aligned well and reads decently. There are some alignment issues in the ads like the HP color printer ad on the right side of the page with everything centered. This page also does a better job with the proximity of the posts displayed at the bottom of the page. It is very easy to see what text belongs to whose post unlike the previous page I critiqued.

website comparison

http://www.rush.com/v4.html



http://www.pearljam.com/



I chose to use two of my favorite rock bands' URLs as examples. First of all the band "Rush" has a nice site that uses extremely creative graphics. For example, as soon as you select your bandwidth, numbers flash in the middle of the screen and countdown seemingly at random, arrows fly through the air and a snake crawls across the road in tribute to their latest CD "Snakes and Arrows". Simultaneously, the music of the first song from their new CD cranks out and you experience bit of a jolt. I found the site to have great artwork throughout as you navigate from the different menu items such as tour dates, news, etc. Text alignment looks good and the photos of the band members are quite interesting and well placed. Rush has a thirty-year reputation of being an intelligent and hard rocking trio of master musicians and their site has a mysterious quality to it, which like the band, has been part of their very loyal fan appeal. One complaint is that the text is fairly small and a bit of a strain to read.



"Pearl Jam", has not quite as visually pleasing a web page, but does include some interesting artwork. It is very similar to the Rush site with its well organized placement of menu items and related text alignment. However, the text is a bit small. The unusual artwork is thought provoking and as with everything Pearl Jam, it is on the abstract side. That fits well with this band as they strive to be mavericks and tend to write unusual yet powerful music and lyrics. Like Rush, Pearl Jam are also master musicians who push themselves harder than most bands. The site would benefit from more photos of the band, and I would like to see some humorous antidotes describing the band members' road and studio experiences. Finally, unlike Rush the PJ site does not launch into an opening theme song to set the mood for the viewer.

Craigslist Vs. GoogleBase... FIGHT!

http://www.craigslist.org/

http://base.google.com/

I see a lot of merit in both GoogleBase and Craigslist. They both allow for the user to "drill down" through layers of data to find/advertise goods and services. They both have *vast* resources. However, I am most fascinated by the drastically different approachs they take in designing their interfaces.

First, look at Craigslist. I found my current abode on Craigslist, and it was easy! Craigslist, in my opinion, is a great example of "mastering style and breaking the rules." It's a hodge-podge of various alignments, NO graphics to speak of (unless you go further into the results), and a fairly -bland?- color scheme. There's hardly any contrast, so you might think it would be ineffectual. There is definitely repetition. but GUESS WHAT? Craigslist makes a cool $25 million every year, and has won such awards as "50 coolest web sites"-Time Magazine, #1 Most Efficient U.S. Job Site, Wall Street Journal, #4 Highest Internet Traffic (Career Sites) - Alexa Research, and dozens of other equally impressive awards.

It clearly gets the message across to its viewers, and after a few minutes on the site you will quickly get the navigational rhythm down. I could not think of a way to improve this site. At first I thought that adding some graphics would be helpful, but then I realized it would suck a ton of bandwidth off of their server. Besides, Craigslist is supposed to be minimalist. It's genius. You don't pull graphics off their server until you are looking at a prospective apartment, car, instrument, etc.

The "audience" for Craigslist is over 25 million visitors a month, and it obviously serves them well. It's a perfect visual display for fast-loading, precise research. People want results quickly, and this site does just that. I think that Craigslist succeeds with its implementation of proximity, and the ability to display a huge amount of information at once.

Now onto GoogleBase.

What a lovely landing page! Consistent alignment reigns supreme, with clean graphics and decent contrast. There's certainly more contrast here than at Craigslist. It's a simple interface, and of course makes use of the classic Google search bar. (However, there is something about Craigslist's hundreds of links that makes searching fun!) It is really easy to find the information you need here, as the page is not cluttered. Items are grouped together (proximity) in easy-to-understand clusters, and make it relatively easy to find what you want. Furthermore, there is plenty of elegant whitespace, which lends to great readibility. One thing that they do not emphasize on GoogleBase is the fact that it's free. This, in my opinion is something that needs to be brought out more!

For the less web-savvy, GoogleBase would work beautifully.

oh...I don't know if you've seen this, but it's quite amazing:
http://www.googlefight.com
(It creates a "fight" based on a number of search results in Google.
try making a fight with Craigslist and GoogleBase! ;)

Joshua Tree Moment

While I cringe at the mere thought of the Barton and Barton reading, it reminded me of a Joshua Tree moment I'd experienced recently. Specifically, three weeks ago, I was a worried out-of-state student who feared getting lost on the Clemson campus. I only had the memory of the abbreviated happy parents/naive freshmen tour I'd taken earlier this year and three completely different maps to rely on for directions. The tour was useless, so I chose the map strategy.

I couldn't figure out why the one map that made the most sense to me had foliage covering most of the places where the buildings were supposed to be. It wasn't until I compiled information from all three maps did I understand where the various locations were. The Barton and Barton text called this method the Synchronic Perspective.

Joshua Tree Moment

I can't really think of an exact moment when I've become more cognizant of visual design flaws recently other than to say that one trait I've become aware of is that less really can be more. I think a lot of the flyers, billboards and posters around campus in particular try too hard to say too much. Similar to my comments about aiming your message at a targeted audience I think constructing a visual message is all about the overall impression one gets of the object. Sure, aligning texts and creating a balanced piece is important, but what really makes or breaks a document is the overall impression gained from viewing it. And the biggest way to prevent a viewer from knowing the most important facts of a message is to clutter the document with too much text and/or images.

2 URL's

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/mapc/
http://www.facebook.com

I selected the first sight, because I agree that it has a number of problems, many of which have already been articulated in earlier posts. Specifically I feel as though it has a "boring vibe" (which I realize is far from a technical term), largely because of the large amount of text and difficulty in navigation. I really feel as though it should contain more testimonials from students in the program, and a better description of what it means to be a part of the MAPC family. The site gives a good amount of facts about the program (classes, requirements, etc.), but does very little to make it seem like fun and a good program to be a part of.

The facebook selection I realize might seem odd. However, anyone who frequents the site knows that in the last six months or so it has exploded with applications of all sorts including random quote generators, e-gifts and the like. I think this is an example of facebook trying to hard to be innovative and it shows in the aesthetic appeal of the site. It now lacks balance and relevant information is increasingly more difficult to locate because of all the excess content.

Joshua Tree Moment

With the number of times a week I have to access the Graduate School website, I have begun to notice the design flaws that break all of the basic principles, and I now have a better understanding as to why so many people call to ask questions. The Clemson Graduate School website I think is entirely confusing, and when you look at it trying to identify the basic principles that usually define a good site, they’re far and few in between. There are issues with proximity, alignment, repetition and contrast, as well as design centered issues, all of which are obvious on the homepage. It feels entirely cramped as there is little use of white space and the colors purple and orange are used excessively. Whereas the color purple for links is repetitive, their size and weight is not. The links are centered in the left navigation menu which makes it look disorganized. What stands out to me the most is that the site is trying to appeal to two very different audiences: it is trying to recruit students, and yet, it also tries to serve the interests of current students, but it never quite satisfies either way. It is also confusing as most people would assume the “Welcome” page would be the home page, but it’s not, and there is no link for the homepage until you realize that the logo is the link.

Based on this, I would have to say that I am really starting to focus on and notice good and bad examples of user-centered design. It just makes things much more appealing and much more practical. If you can get inside the head of your audience and find a target audience, you will be much more successful and organized than trying to please the masses. What I think I am starting to really understand is that you do not need to reinvent the wheel, especially with websites. The "L" shape and the tabs created by Amazon were (are) excellent methods and it is entirely possible to conceptualize what one considers a cluttered or disorganized site as organized and elegant if you can look past the design flaws and better understand what the designer is trying to accomplish and more importantly, which target audience he is trying to reach.

My Joshua Tree Moment

Since reading William's book I have become ridiculously aware of people's tendency to center advertisements. All over campus I see fliers, much like those we discussed in class, that are centered simply because students are not aware of any other options. However, this problem goes beyond the Clemson campus. As I was driving through Easley earlier today, I couldn't even keep track of all of the center-justified billboards. There were billboards for car dealerships, gyms, agencies, and countless other products/organizations that could have created more interesting advertisements had they simply played around with alignment a little more. These Joshua Tree moments have definitely dissuaded me from using center alignment when creating an advertisement.

I chose to compare and contrast two clothing stores, Chadwick's and Land's End.

Chadwick’s

With the picture of the beach and the emphasis on the word clearance, it is obvious Chadwick’s is having a summer clearance sale. The main objective is immediately recognized. All of the boxes are aligned, except for the middle one which is noticeably not and somewhat distracting. The site uses the color red to denote sales and clearance items as seen in the large text in the middle box, the red arrow in the navigation bar, the clearance catalog, and the flash advertisement. This is a good use of a repetitive visual cue. Although the color choice for the 20% coupon is a little hard to read, the words “Special Offer” are in all caps to contrast with the lowercase text throughout, and the blue and purple colors are certainly contrasted between the red and yellow advertisements. The navigational links are in all caps as not confuse them with the other text. There is a contrast of sans serif vs. serif fonts which gives it an overall nice balance. Everything is centered, so there is no strong and defined alignment which could potentially cause the eyes to jump over the screen, but with the red letters dominating in size and space on the page, there is a clear focal point.

In regards to the audience, Chadwick's is evidently a women's clothing store. The colors and fonts are very effeminate, and the items are dress, jackets, shoes, skirts, etc. Even the little shopping bag icon is cute and appropriate. I think it is very easy to navigate and it takes little time or effort at all to find what is that you want to shop for. The search engine is conveniently located, and what I probably like best, is that all of the important information is available the moment you get to the screen without having to scroll.

Land’s End

Based on the color palette, the picture, and of course the large text with the word “autumn” in the left side panel, Lands End is obviously launching its fall line; same with Chadwick’s, the immediate objective is easily identified. The banner, the navigational links, and the center box do not align which gives it an odd look. There is no strong definite line for the eye to travel. However, in the left side column, they apply the alignment principle and it is very easy for the eye to skim down the page. The decorated print in the left hand column is just enough to really make the text pop. The contrast of serif fonts to sans serif fonts in that same left column are nice visual cues to denote text from links. The rules of proximity are employed as all of the “New Arrivals” are separated from the usual clothing which is found in the top navigational links. The color palette creates just enough contrast to pull in colors from the picture and create a very nice appeal. Although I think it is easy to distinguish the top navigation links, I think they should have used all caps or even a background color to make them pop off the page; I think they tend to get lost amongst the banner especially since they are the same color.

With the amount of information that Land’s End has to display, they do a nice job of making it easy for the user to navigate. Creating different sections makes it less of a hassle for the user to navigate the site as they can clearly see what link they need to press to get there. Although they sell men’s and women’s clothing, clearly, this is directed more towards women based on the colors, the image, and the overall feel. I think the picture should have at least included a picture of a male and female because they would have better been able to advertise popular items for both sexes, as opposed to just the women. I think at a first glance, most viewers would assume that Land’s End was primarily a women’s clothing store based on its current appearance.

Both sites do a nice job of using white space to better display their information. They did not try to place color everywhere, which gives it a cleaner, more professional and elegant look.

Post 2: URLs

http://stuaff.clemson.edu/redfern/
http://stuaff.clemson.edu/redfern/medserv/content/women_faq.php

I chose to evaluate two websites that are very beneficial to Clemson students, the Redfern Health Center and the Women’s Clinic websites. Some of the strengths of the Redfern Health Center’s website were its organization. You can clearly see what site you are on based on the contrast of colors from white to purple in the banner at the top of the page. The text it flush right allowing the viewer to see the other commonly used “Division Links,” helpful links regarding the Redfern Health Center, and "Hot Topics" associated with the Redfern Health Center. The use of white space is effective in that although there are a lot of links on the page it doesn’t seem too cluttered. Some of the weaknesses the Redfern Health Center website has are that the links are not clearly detected and that you have to scroll down to view the entire page. The links are all colored in purple, however some of the text mixed with the links are in black and look like links but are not. This is confusing because there is not enough contrast between the color of the links and text. The other weakness of scrolling down the page to view the entire page is problematic. One of the most important links, “After Hours Care” is hidden until you scroll down. I believe if you need urgent care when the Health Center is closed that would be one of the first links you’d like to see on the website, instead of a link about insurance. I also feel the graphics are nice to look at but if they wanted to use optimal space the graphics could go.

The second URL I chose was the Women’s Clinic website, which might I add was difficult to get to from the Redfern Health Center website. The Women’s Clinic website’s strength includes its conciseness. There are essential questions listed on the site and answered brief and accurately, such as essential information like hours of operation and a telephone number. You do not have to scroll down to see the entire page. And like the Redfern Health Center page, the contrast of the purple banner and the white space allows the viewer to know exactly what page they are looking at. Some of the major weaknesses of this site is that it does not specifically say what sort of services the Women’s Clinic provides. It says that it offers a wide range of services but it does not specifically say what kind. If a student needed a service in particular they would have to call the women’s center and request more information. This is particularly unfortunate because the people who use this service are young and possibly embarrassed or are too scared to ask for certain services like pregnancy tests or a test for STDs.

When comparing the two websites they both have similar strengths. They have a good use of contrast in the banner and the contact information is apparent on both pages. When the main audience of students look at these pages they can easily find the information/links without having to read too much. In terms of weaknesses, both websites are not specific enough in the information they provide. Its nice for a busy college to student to glance at the page and find links and brief information, but when it comes to a student’s health when they are far from home they are going to want to know a lot more about the services the Health Center and Women’s Clinic provide than information on "faculty/staff" and "parents and visitors."

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/mapc/
http://www.clemson.edu

The first site I picked was the MAPC site. I was talking to Dr. Taylor the other day about maybe doing something different with it. When I first came to this site I noticed that it was difficult to navigate. You have to click a lot of different things to find what you are looking for. The hardest thing to find was the cognates. I still click on a bunch of different things trying to find it because I can never remember where it is. And the weirdest thing to me is all the pictures on the front are of random people. They are stock photos not people who are actually in the program. I feel like in a program that is so focused on design and writing our website should be amazing. We have so many talented students that it seems silly that our site looks like it does. I guess it's not horrible but it could be so much better. It's just not pretty. And the font is so little and there is so much text. I honestly didn't read much of it even when I was applying for admissions.

I also chose Clemson's site. People who weren't here before probably didn't ever see the old site, but it was pretty bad. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw the new site. It's so much easier to navigate and it looks so much better. There is a lot more color and images on this site. They also organized things so it's easier to find what you are looking for. You can also tell that they thought about what people who are looking at the site need. At the top of the homepage is everything you use the most like webmail, mycle, sis, the a-z index. It makes it easier to get to where you want to go. If you click on Current students the first thing you is the latest inside clemson story. They want students to see the latest campus news immediately. The prospective student page has all the links you would want on the side. They are in nice looking icons too. One thing I really like about the new website is all the pictures of students and quotes from them. I like how the pictures change every time you click on it too. And the homepage always has some interesting photo about the university. Overall it's a much better looking site and much easier to navigate.

Joshua Tree Moment

I think that the biggest revelation I had from this week’s reading was about white space. I never realized that the reason certain designs appealed to me was because the designer used the blank spaces of the design just as effectively as the printed parts. An example a white space revelation I had related to the new designs for the Publix brand of canned vegetables. Publix is the grocery store I frequented in Florida – here’s a link to a website (not run by Publix, run by nerds) where you can see the packaging: http://www.publixpackaging.com. The cans are nearly all white – the only real information on the front of the can is the name of the vegetable and a simple image of the contents. Two weeks ago, when I set foot in a Bi Lo for the first time, I was lost in the vegetable aisle. I realized in that moment that I missed the white cans that stood out so well from the cluttered, colorful cans of the other brands. After reading the Non-Designer’s Design Book, I’ve realized that the appeal of the design was the part that was left alone – the white label of the can. Now I’m noticing white space (or a lack thereof) everywhere.

http://www.fearsandkahn.co.uk/main.htm
http://www.metroretrofurniture.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?cat=111

These sites are both for companies that sell vintage furniture. The first site, Fears and Kahn better represents the design principles from the reading. The second site, Metro Retro Furniture, decidedly does not.

The homepage for Fears and Kahn is very well done – the page fits into the window and does not require any scrolling. The design is very simple, but well placed. An image of a representative piece of retro furniture draws your eye to the center of the page where the contact information is given. The designer used repetition when he or she placed the links at the top of the page – each one is a circle with letters inside with centered text describing the link underneath. The homepage is nicely laid out and gives the site a good first impression, especially since the designer left plenty of white space to keep the page from seeming crowded.

Once you follow the links, you are brought to pages that are as carefully thought out as the homepage. On the “furniture” page for example, the links from the homepage still appear at the top, but the main focus of the page is the images of the furniture. Repetition is used again – each image appears in a grey outline like the link circles at the top of the page. In this instance, the borders are necessary because they help separate the white backgrounds of the images from the white background of the page. Instead of overloading the page with images, the designer only placed 12 images on each page – you must click an arrow to bring up the next set. This is also useful because it allows the eye to rest on each image before the next set is brought up – sometimes scrolling vertically through a page causes the images to blend into each other, so for a site like these where there are only a few images, this system is helpful. The pages are also free from extra information – the designer placed the emphasis on the furniture, not the price. If you click on one of the images, a pop-up window appears that gives you the information about the piece.

The Metro Retro Furniture website, on the other hand, is terrible. Nothing about the design of the website represents the product. Nearly all of the text appears in Times New Roman and in arbitrary colors, which does nothing to provide contrast. There is barely anything on the page and yet you still need to scroll down to see the poorly organized information. The other pages are as poorly designed as the homepage. To see an actual piece of furniture, you have to click on at least two links. There are no pictures to indicate which link to choose. To use this website, you must be looking for a specific brand and style, which as a consumer, I can tell you is not common when searching for vintage furniture. The text of the page is emphasized over the images – which is extremely problematic because it is much easier to determine if you want to buy the furniture by looking at it rather than reading about it. Many of the individual pages for the furniture are laid out in a table, which is extremely distracting and makes the page seem even more cluttered than it really is.

The irony of this situation is, however, that when shopping for vintage or antique items, the best tactic is to look for the website that is cluttered or poorly designed. As a consumer, you want to look for the people who don’t seem to know what they’re doing – a professional-looking website means professional furniture sellers, which means that they know exactly how much their furniture is worth, so you probably won’t get much of a discount.

Dr. Fishman look here

Hi Dr. Fishman-
This is the post/message reminding you that Mike and I do not have a second presentation date. I am not sure when would be a good time for us to again, but we are open to suggestions. Let us know.

Thanks,
Ali

Movies, Movies, Movies!

The purpose of these two websites is to provide movie reviews, trailers, plot summaries, and more for the general public.

The first, http://www.imdb.com/, utilizes all of Williams’ ideas. We see contrast on the left-hand side of the screen with royal blue print against the white and tan background, and we also see contrast elsewhere with the repeated used of bold text. Repetition is present in the use of one strong blue color, repeated bullets, and formatting patterns. Also, the IMBD logo and the same navigation menu are present on each page of the site. A strong alignment is seen with the navigation menu and with the side menu. Also, the designers created a strong alignment by using a strong flush-left alignment with each part of the body text. The proximity of this site is probably the strongest feature of this site. All of the information is neatly organized under headings and subheadings, and the navigation features make this information easily accessible.

While this website uses all of the principles Williams suggests, there is so much clutter on the screen that the information seems to get lost. There are numerous ads on each page, which not only take up a lot of space, but also take the viewers attention away from the information the page was designed to convey. Also, the many movie ads/photographs adversely affect the site’s overall unity by taking away from the impact of the main logo. Finally, a varying the size and font of the type could have added to the contrast of the page and made it look more interesting

The second website, http://www.filmcritic.com/, also uses all of Williams’ ideas. The use of contrast is very strong on this particular site because the dark maroon color stands very strong against the white background. Contrast is also present, to a lesser extent, at the top and bottom of the page where the designers placed a black navigation bar bordering the maroon one. The repetition of this site is seen in the continual use of maroon, similar formatting patterns/bullets, the repetition of the navigation bars, and the “filmcritic.com” logo on each page. Pretty much every aspect of this page is aligned with some other part of the page, although there are some exceptions in regards to the advertisements. The use of flush-left type helps the alignment principle, as well. Finally, the proximity of this page is fairly decent, as the information is organized in sensible categories.

As with the other website, this site uses all of the principles but still has serious issues. First of all, although the information is grouped well in regards to proximity, the designers seemed to use the same amount of space between a great deal of the information. Had they used different spacing throughout the site, the information could have been presented even better. Also, like the other site, the ads of this website take away from the overall unity of this page and the repetition that could be present if only one strong logo were used. In addition, the designers could have pushed the concept of contrast a little further by using different fonts and type size.

Out of both of these sites, I think that the first one is better. Based on my initial comparison of these two sites, the first one seems much more clutter-free because the designers leave slightly more white space. Also, the first site’s organization makes the information easier to obtain, while the blue-on-white (with the tan navigation boxes) contrast pops more than the maroon-on-white contrast for some reason. However, both of these sites could improve the repetition aspect of design by incorporating a stronger logo. In addition, each page would benefit from ridding themselves of or significantly redesigning their ad placement, which greatly disrupts both pages.

Well Here are the points at least

1. Shriver's research clearly relates that visuals in brochures and advertisements for drug education are key to capturing adolescents' and young adults' attention. Repeatedly, the students emphasized how the pictures or lack thereof either persuaded or disuaded their acceptance of the given material.

2. The most readily accepted anti-drug brochure was that of that of the consequences of smokeless tobacco use. The reason for this success was the author's tendency to show his reader through words exactly what would happen to them if they used chewing tobacco rather than merely just state facts. The author also did this by communicating his message using an appropriate tone, which was readily accessible to his younger audience. This just shows us the importance of understanding who you are trying to reach.

3. Williams tells us to use type other than Times New Roman, Ariel, and Helvitica. I never realized how truly boring these fonts were until she pointed it out. By simply changing the font of several of her examples, Williams dramatically altered the appearance of the given advertisement, making it much more visually appealing.

FSU vs. Clemson URLs :)

I could outright say that I am a Seminole fan, or I could simply bash everything there is to say about Clemson's webpage; yet, being that I like both Florida State University and Clemson, I will be fair in my comments. With that being said, I will briefly compare and contrast the effectiveness of both web layouts.

First, let's look at FSU (www.fsu.edu). Although the font and scale nicely match the seal image, the name itself is a bit small. In contrast, the name "Clemson", found at the top of the page at www.clemson.edu, is clearly the focus of the page, thus signifying its importance to the audience. On the other hand, FSU does a better job of utilizing white space than Clemson (which really isn't white in this case). For example, the seven links on the left appear to visually stop almost at the same point as the comments made on the opposite, right side of the screen. This uncluttered area creates the desirable white space discussed in Williams' book.

Furthermore, when comparing the two sites, Clemson's page appears to be too wordy. The actual proximity used on the Clemson front page is fine, but all the wording and captions don't leave much for the viewer's imagination. Conversely, FSU's scant detailing doesn't overwhelm the audience; rather, it almost entices viewers to look more into the site. Because of all the text used, the Clemson page also requires more scrolling.

The FSU site does a great job with alignment and makes sure that even the pictures line up with the text. Unfortunately, Clemson web designers left out that detail when placing the various text sections and the graphics. Lastly, repetition is very important in web layout; however, the A-Z index, current date, and college location are all shown twice on the home screen of the Clemson page. This is redundant.

Both pages effectively communicate the obvious: these are two universities. The audience will neither have problems understanding the purpose of the sites nor feel that the information presented is irrelevant. I will close in saying that while FSU's site is almost perfect, the dark colors on the sides and boring square/rectangular layout makes this page cold and sterile. Clemson's site, with its mismatched alignment and redundant features, seems light, cheerful, and welcoming.

Week 2 -- 3 points and a ?

Denaturalizing the Act of Production
- In order to reduce the ideology of the producer being engrained in the map, there should exist some way of understanding how/why the map came to exists as seen by the viewer.

Denaturlizing the Act of Reception
- The map should communicate how it is to be used/interpreted to insure that it is read correctly.

- Readers/viewers need to be in are more realistic than symbolic relation to their surroundings and what's presented on the map. (Landmarks as opposed to street names)

What would be a good way for viewers to remove the ideology from the map and still get the important information being conveyed?

The Map and Drugs

Barton and Barton bring up an interesting outlook on the influences of maps. However, I don't believe there can be a solution. In recent history, the world has "grown smaller" due to advance in communication and travel. However, the majority of the human population is dependent on maps to shape their view of parts of the world, for no other reason than they will never visit. This makes borders and names all-the-more important as a location's very recognition of existence is in jeopardy with a map-making mistake.
Also, we must realize that maps are not intended to provide all the information pertaining to a place. Maps are used for specific reasons. If I'm sightseeing, it's acceptable for a map of Paris to exaggerate it's sites and attractions over towns and villages in the countryside. If I'm using a map for war, it's acceptable for the map to limit itself to terrain and locations of strategic value. Therefore, maps are different, not only for the different perspective of who made the map, but for the varying perspectives of those who use the maps.
Lastly, a map is a representation. By it's very definition, a representation cannot nor will not be actual in its details. To avoid Borges dilemma of mapping an empire with a map the size of that empire, maps are miniature representations and must leave certain things aside. This is why a topographical map is different from a tourism map.

Shriver points out many things that would appear to be obvious, except that we do not look for them unless pointed out. Three things stood out to me especially.
1) Convincing a target audience takes more than a simple understanding of the material.
2) Graphics used must appeal to the target audience if it is sought to hold its attention.
3) You cannot undermine the intelligence of your audience by assuming ignorance on the subject.

My questions:
In the situation presented by Shriver, are graphics used for brochures "dumbed-down" on account of the author's unwillingness to admit that the subject matter is public in nature?

3 Points and a Question

I wasn't certain if I should post three points and a question to myself considering I am presenting this information in class. I pray I was correct in not posting, but I'm worried - so here goes!

-Williams states that newspaper ads that typically get the most attention have fewer headlines and more white space. In one of my past desktop publishing classes, our teacher advised that we avoid white space in our designs. It is interesting how rules change depending on the visual.

-Shriver's article points out the importance of using appropriate pictures and diagrams. As seen from student responses, they found much of the information to be too obvious and others as irrelevant.

The Barton and Barton excerpt features a Giddens quote stating, "...ideology performs such service with a Janus face - it privileges or legitimates certain meaning systems but at the same time dissimulates the fact of such privileging."

Question: Is there a general rule of thumb to abide by when adding contrast to a visual? At what point does a visual have too much contrast and look crowded or tacky?

My Apologies

I thought the posts were going to be all about the required reading. I've just now looked into the MAPC disk (didn't even know what that was). Now there's communications for you.

Regarding Williams'-
There is one key element that everyone's technical observations haven't covered and its another key element to design.

Be brave! Be bold! pg. 35 This pushes the ordinary to a step above.

sorry again, no more from me right now.

Incredibly Late Post 1

Two things before I begin answering the question. First, I had thought that I would post last in an effort to challenge myself, but, after reading both the prior posts and the syllabus, I've come to two conclusions: I am surrounded by some highly intelligent individuals and I have waited too long to post. I'm not sure if this will count for much, but I felt the need to contribute, even if not for my own welfare.



In reading all of your posts, I've seen a recurring theme dealing with subliminal messaging. From the posts of politics to fast food chains, subliminal messages were, for once, obvious. I'm hoping to bring my background to the table now. In sports publications, the epitome being Sports Illustrated and ESPN, it is very common for columnists and writers to include pictures with their writings. The paramount realization here is that the majority of people don't read magazines. Instead, they "thumb through" them. If I, as a sports writer create a noticeable title claiming that Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals is a great role model for children, I will have convinced the majority of readers by no other means than by including pictures of Pujols with his family and signing autographs for kids. Readers will see the pictures and read the captions, thus understanding the basic point of the article. This is how visual rhetoric can work in the sports field.


I didn't see as many posts concerning the "make or break" topic, so I'm not sure if we were supposed to post on both. I will for the sake of debate. I had originally wanted to post on the iPhone commercial displaying the ease of use for sporadic thoughts, beginning with watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and ending with calling for reservations at a seafood restaurant. However, the iPhone has been used. Instead, I want to talk about TV commercials I've seen for Devry and ITT Tech. Has anyone else noticed that these ads contain people talking about how their life has reached a "dead end"? There life is standing still. Now move forward to later in the ad. These same individuals are traveling, actively moving around as we the viewers listen to how these institutions can "jump start" our lives. The visual pictures may not necessarily display the classes, but it presents an appeal to those "not doing anything with their lives."

3 Points and a Question

Shriver
- Shriver points out that the students were as likely to consider who wrote the message (and presumably their background, bias, position, etc.) as they were to consider the message itself.

Barton
- In reference to Trieb (1980), maps rules of inclusion include, "an optimistic world view" that seeks to draw visitors. It might also be deduced from this that maps certainly have economic implications and/or agendas.

- Maps fail to include descriptions or indicators of desirable and undesirable living conditions. (Trieb, 1990).

1 Question
- What more can be said of the way in which maps influence economic factors of a region, i.e. trade routes centuries ago, and real estate trends and commerical development today?

Week two points + question

1. Maps are constructed in times of war to aid armies in efforts to accurately identify and defeat opponents. But when victory is declared, new maps are drawn to indicate new borders and territorial claims; Thus, religious ideology and claims of supremacy are often implied.



2. Very detailed maps are more impressive to the naked eye, however, a very basic map may be more useful to viewers and affect an ideology more efficiently.



3. Cartography encompasses more than an eye for detail and skillful use of scale. It also requires consideration of social implications in regard to citizens who view and use maps.



Question: Does the US federal government promote ideologies through its map production efforts? How about state governments?

Week 2: Discussion Posts

Schriver/Williams
1. When authoring any kind of publication with text, graphics or both, it’s important to consider the intended audience in order to effectively communicate the message. This also ties in with Williams’ points about the design structure of the document. By using her four basic principles of contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity, the designer is able to create material that a reader will gravitate toward.

Barton & Barton
2. Maps, just as newspaper articles, websites, etc, are created by authors with inherent biases that cannot be separated from the design or interpretation of the visual representation. Maps should not be seen as merely “factual” but instead as a “semiological system.”
3. Maps can empower/disempower (depending on the status of the author and the reader) based on Barton and Barton’s idea of inclusion and exclusion.

Question: If the decision itself to map or not to map has “ideological implications,” then is Peters’ notion of an ideology-free map (or any visual display of information for that matter) even in the realm of possibility?

Week 2: Barton & Barton, Schriver

1. “The hierarchization of space” is one of “the representational strategies used to legitimate dominate interests” (Barton). It is important to define what he meant by “space” in terms of the ideology of the map: centering, placement on top, and order. It seems that in modern times, space is utilized to create aesthetics and a hierarchy; not meaning to legitimate dominate interests, but overall organization and usability/comprehension. In the Schriver article, all of the brochures are considered visually boring and they abide by the centering, placement on top and order conventions observed on the map. More so, the students were astute enough to realize that even as the intended audience, they were in most cases seen as the “Others.”

2. The hegemonic process plays a dual role in attempting to maintain the dominant elements within a culture – this dual role is best seen through the rules of inclusion and the rules of exclusion. I view this as a symbiotic relationship; one cannot exist without the other. The visual representation of the nonhegemonic groups are seemingly nonexistent as they are absent from “organization charts” and from “maps” as Harley states. In an effort to be in tuned with “the otherness of the Other,” it in effect excludes the hegemony that was once represented. If this in fact occurs, although Mathes and Stevenson can be admired for their “egocentric organization chart,” which “adopts the perspective of the traditionally disempowered,” it must be asked, is this in itself a form of “exploitative domination?” Shifting perspective does not undermine the ideology. The dissimulative nature will always exist. The only benefit to a more inclusionary visual design practice is that it decentralizes the cultural domination and opens it to different perspectives.

3. Peter’s certainly sticks his neck out with such a bold claim that a map “entirely free of any ideology” could possibly exist. I only point this out as a means of reflection: someone actually thinks that this is possible. Clearly, there is disconnect in regards to how maps (or I suppose you could extend it to any representation of information) visually display information. Tufte is clearly an advocate of maps in regards to their ability to display numerous bits of information in such a limited area, but cares nothing about the ideology of the visuals; he rather provide textual messages for the viewer that instruct him/her how to interpret the information instead of having a visuals serve as “objective” artifacts (Did you notice how Schriver employs Tufte's practice of placing references and notes alongside the relevant course material? It did make a difference!). There is no way to produce an object that is free from ideology, just as we can presume there is no way to create an “objective” artifact. So, is the “difficult unity of inclusion” even a possibility?

Discussion posts week 2

Non-Designer’s Design Book
1) Eliminate Times New Roman, Arial/Helvetica, and Sand from font choices.
Shriver
2) Students took direct offense to what they felt the author inferred about them in the “Don’t Lose a Friend to Drugs” brochure.
Barton and Barton
3) Cartographers use “representational strategies” to show “dominate interests.” Examples include, on Islamic maps Mecca is at the center and on Christian world maps “Jerusalem is placed as the ‘true’ centre of the world” (Harley).

Question: How do we come up with new map design methodologies when there is always going to be bias?

Discussion Posts

From Barton and Barton:
1.) The author suggests choosing the postmodernist idea of “less is a bore” over the modernist idea “less is more”
2.) Meanings are not fixed and stable – the movement of contradictions should be allowed.
3.) One solution to the denaturalization of maps: design maps that do “frankly proclaim themselves as sign systems.”

Question: What ideological factors enter into the published map of Clemson University?

Ideology and the Map

Three things from the reading:

1. We tend to look at not only what is emphasized on the map but what is excluded from the map.
2. Maps can be distorted to create privilege, hierarchy and clarity.
3. Maps are already a collage to some extent because of the numbers, letters and images, but the authors believe maps need more than that.

Question: When comparing the two London maps, the authors state that the second map sacrificed geographic accuracy for readability, and that the clarity of the new map is obtained through distortion. They mention that this clarity gives the map viewer a false sense of the city of London by making the city appear more organized. Do you think this is true? Is it worth the "sacrifice" to make the map easier to read?

When I saw this question about when a visual image made or broke a message for me the first thing I thought of was those commercial for the headache medicine called Head On. The product is supposed to relieve your headache by just rubbing it on your forehead. Well the commercial is really annoying and they say “just apply directly to the forehead” over and over. It was definitely one of the most annoying commercials I had seen on TV.

But then a few months later I saw another commercial for this same product. A girl was making fun of the commercial by reenacting it sarcastically. Then she said “I hate your commercials Head On… but I love your product.” I thought that was a really clever way of remedying the problem. I assume they got a lot of negative response to the commercial and they chose to make fun of themselves. It definitely surprised me, and I think I would be more likely to try their product after the second commercial.

Visuals play a major role in communication and advertising. Some other people have discussed brands in their posts as well, but I think brands play an important role in communication because it’s something people recognize. They can immediately recognize the logo of a certain brand. And for clothing, a lot of brands are sold based on their logo. How many people buy Nike clothing just because they want to have the little check mark on it? It’s a way of showing everyone that you are wearing Nike, and it makes for extra advertising for the company because if someone sees you wearing it they may decide to go out and buy it.

Something I think has become more important than a logo is commercial advertising. People seem to recognize and relate to commercials a lot more. I noticed that a lot of times my friends and I say “oh did you see that commercial?” With as much TV as Americans watch these days it seems to be the biggest and best way to advertise, and people always seem to remember the funny commercials. Plus the commercials get repeated. You may see one commercial 3 or 4 times during a show.

Great commercial makes the point with visual humor.

The visuals of the the cavemen in the Geico promotions are hilarious. In particular, I enjoy the one in which the caveman is using the airport's people mover with his vintage wooden tennis racket and stylish leather briefcase in tow. This visual accompanied by a catchy tune playing in the background make me laugh every single time I see the commercial. The image of the caveman with his modern yuppie look, being annoyed (he folds his arms to indicate anger) by a fellow caveman's face on a Geico poster that basically claims his caveman race is not intelligent, gives me the impression that this company is different from the others and deserves consideration. I also appreciate the fact that the company allocates enough resources to create a commercial that is entertaining. It is a nice change from the traditionally boring insurance commercials which take a fairly serious approach to persuasion.

Fashion from an Unfashionable Guy

There is one product on the market that “broke” me, but seems to have “made” it’s message for so many others (particularly in the Clemson area- I have found). In this case the product is the visual message and, for me, that message is, “if you are going to wear Crocks you are going to look a bit odd in the foot region. They look like a cross between bright rubber clogs and Swiss cheese shoes. Crocks are, in my opinion, the ugliest piece of footwear that I have ever seen, next to what the Spice Girls used to wear. I would never buy them. I’d don’t consider myself by any means a fashion sensible guy, but I do have my limits. My mother and father have a pair of Crocks. My sister and girlfriend own at least on pair each. They all say the same thing, “They look ugly, but they are so comfortable.” This is a case where form falls way short of function. Of course, this is my opinion. Seeing Crocks was enough for me not to ever want to buy them. Crocks broke me…they broke me bad.

More details on posting and leading discussions

Greetings everyone. I received a few questions asking details on the weblog posting and the leading of discussions, so I wanted to post my response here, so everyone could read it:

OK, as far as the posts go, you want to note three points that you thought were significant, and that no one else has yet listed. My goal is that by the time everyone has posted 3 things that are important, most of the highlights will be there, listed on the weblog, for your consideration (and later review.)

As for the class discussions, it actually depends on the reading. For some of them, going over the major points and explaining things that your classmates were confused about will be fine. For others, particularly the more practically (as opposed to theoretically) based readings, you might want to have more of a workshop (where you have some activities that illustrate the points) or even a demo. Some of my very favorite class discussions have been where there is a mixture of practical and theoretical and the discussion leaders **used** the practical stuff to make the handouts about the theoretical stuff. When they did that, they could show how it worked even while they were concentrating on other content. That was an excellent use of the time.

Ideology and The Map

3 Points From the Reading:

1) Maps are significant in what they exclude; perhaps more than what they include!

2) Ideology helps to give validity to various groups and causes. Content displayed on a map has to be vetted by someone, and this is often done by a powerful group/organization. This selective inclusion of content makes a map an ideologically-structured entity.

3) It would be difficult to fully implement "map as collage" because of the concept of palimpsest. So many things may have happened over time in a given area that it could be a herculean task to sort them all out. A given area may have had numerous changes socially, economically, and architecturally over many years - perhaps layer on top of layer - so it could be tough to find a good, relevant tidbit for your map. This is compounded by the fact that one system or structure could have been razed to the ground, erased, and then built over again.

A Question for the discussion leaders:

What would you put in a map of the Clemson area that would exemplify "map as collage?"

iPhone ads

Although I don’t have an iPhone, the television commercials that played non-stop leading up to its release certainly “made” the message for me. The simplicity of the ad is rare in comparison to other cell phone ads that are indistinguishable from one another. The ads feature a hand holding the phone and using some of its many features (phone, internet, ipod, e-mail viewer, the rotating screen, camera, touch sensitive screen). The uniqueness of the commercials represents the uniqueness of the product and its capabilities. I seriously considered buying an iPhone and did a lot of research to find out how the actual product lives up to the coolness of the phone in theory. Every time I read a person’s negative experience with AT&T’s wireless coverage and the fact that the iPhone as a phone is less than extraordinary (and in fact does even get service in some locations http://www.slate.com/id/2169620/pagenum/2), the digital, print and television ads reeled me back in. I would forget that the iPhone lacks a lot of simple features that other cell phones have—voice dialing, video capture, sending picture messages to other cell phones, etc. For me, the visuals in the commercials have stayed with me far longer than the text in the articles I’ve read and I think that’s partly due to the revolutionary nature of the product itself, but can also be attributed to the way the ads present the phone and its capabilities.

Post 2

A visual that has successfully broken the message for me is the commercial on Rozerem, the insomnia medication. This commercial attempts to reach viewers by featuring four characters who talk about the drug: Abraham Lincoln, a talking beaver, a ghostly "aqua man", and a man who suffers from insomnia. These commercials generally start out with honest Abe telling the insomniac that "We miss you", implying he hasn't slept for awhile. Granted, I rarely have difficulty sleeping, which may explain why the concept of this commercial goes right over my head. Yet, I have come to understand that clouds and sheep are typically associated with sleep and dreams - not the sixteenth president of the United States!

Perhaps the advertisement creators attempted to present things that various people could dream about. Maybe their intentions were for the scholarly to relate to Lincoln, children to associate themselves with the beaver, and the scared to relate to the aqua man (which would explain why they couldn't and wouldn't want to go to sleep.) At any rate, the board executives of that drug company were sold on the idea of this commercial and the representative who thought of the ad is probably thankful that they did. However, I, as the consumer, am lost to how the visuals relate to the general idea and rate this commercial very poorly.

Post 2: "made" the message

After reading Ali’s post on Nivia Cream and how the models chosen “broke” the message for her, I started thinking about what advertisements I’ve seen that really “made” a message and sold the product to me. I immediately thought of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. Dove has taken a new approach to society’s ideals of beauty and used women of all ages, shapes, and ethnicities to promote Dove products. It was really refreshing to see on TV and in print a model that was not 16, Caucasian, and flawless. The commercials and advertisements depicting every day looking people definitely sold Dove to me as a product I want to support, plus I feel the campaign sends a message we should be socially conscious of. The link below is the best Dove commercial I have seen and truly makes a point about how the visuals we see in advertisements are not necessarily always accurate:
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909

IKEA

I have put together a fair amount of pre-fabricated furniture in my day. I have been hired by numerous friends and relatives to do this, as I am quite good at it. Perhaps this stems from my elementary school years: I was quite the Lego enthusiast. Often, when you buy this pre-fabricated particle board furniture, you are confronted with a bewildering assortments of screws, bolts, boards, and directions in Chinese. I happen to have the tedious personality that revels in these sorts of tasks. Regardless, it requires extreme patience - and even a bit of improvisation - to put those things together. It took me a full four and a half hours of concerted effort to assemble my current desk at home.

If you have ever bought or assembled furniture from Ikea then you already know where I am going with this post.

Ikea is kind of like a Chic-Euro-Wal-Mart-Lego store. They set up dozens of display rooms which allow an up-close examination of their products. If you see a chair, mobile, lamp, et cetera that you like, you jot down its respective product code. You conclude your shopping by walking through their warehouse and grabbing the (usually) unassembled product off the shelf. You check out, buy a pretzel, and then go home.

When you go home and open the product up, you are confronted by a simple set of directions, a few easily-recognizable pieces of hardware, and often a one-time-use torque wrench or screwdriver. It's a delight. In fact, it's SO MUCH FUN that Ikea furniture dominates maybe 40% of my and my wife's barn-apartment. Ha!

Please take a look at this link. It leads to assembly instructions of many of Ikea's products, and I think their simplicity is brilliant! Click on either of the "Billy Shelves." (which require you use some of your own tools) Since Ikea is a major international company, I guess it behooves them to have clear, universal visuals like this. It changed the entire way I look at these instruction manuals, and now I don't think I can ever go back to the awkward visuals of other manuals. Ikea "made the assembly message" of my furniture very clear. I think that this is a very important message, and designing manuals like Ikea is the sort of work I'd like to do after graduating!

Considering the money that Ikea saves by not assembling their furniture, I'm sure they value the clarity of their manuals very highly.

Stupid Nivia Cream

One of the commercials I loath on television these days is Nivea’s advertisement for their “Goodbye Cellulite Cream.” The commercial, as the name clearly states, advertises Nivia’s new cream that ability to “visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite” with their new L-Carnatine substance. The sole reason I hate this commercial is due to the advertisers’ choice of models to sell this product. Call me crazy, but how can a size zero model effectively advertise a cellulite cream when she has clearly never had an ounce of cellulite on her body? These advertisers’ use of such models illustrates that they have no idea who their target audience is (or at least should be), which makes them lose credibility in my mind. Instead of making me say, “Oh, awesome this is a new cream to help me get rid of my jiggly thighs,” I am angry at the commercial for even suggesting that the women they portray need to use this cream. And instead of making me want to buy this cream, this ad makes me concentrate on our society’s obsession with stick-thin women. Thus, the commercial was lost on me because of the visual representation these advertisers’ chose to use to sell their stupid cellulite cream. (Bah! It still makes me mad.)

Visuals as a sales tool.

This week's reading reminded me of my past work experience in the factory automation sales and consulting field. Visual aids were always an integral part of the sales and customer retention process. These aids encompassed a variety of media such as pamphlets, binders, fliers, and DVDs. The materials were basically used to advertise particular products and detail technical specifications and tolerances. However, to truly set yourself apart from the competition a manufacturer's rep needed to provide potential and existing customers with high quality printed or digitally recorded materials that were pleasing to the eye. Being that I worked as an independent contractor that represented several companies simultaneously, I observed that some of my clients invested substantial resources in order to provide me with outstanding visual sales aids while others tried to get by with sub par efforts.

Most of my customers (manufacturing engineers, project managers, and technicians) took great pride in the machinery that they purchased, designed, integrated, operated or maintained. They could be impressed by an aesthetically pleasing description and photo of a seemingly sterile product such as a new 100-ton hydraulic press. In turn, they would likely be quite unimpressed by the same machine's promotion with blurred text and amateur digital photography. In my opinion, if price and specifications were close between a competitor's product and mine, then the quality of my printed or digital sales materials could be the deciding factor. In other words, my customer would consider the whole package before choosing a vendor. The visuals used to try to convince him to choose my client's product over a competitor's were a vital component of that package.

Post 1 - Logos/Branding

In a society where we are constantly bombarded by images, visuals have come to play an increasingly important role in persuasion on a number of different levels. Print, television and digital advertisements are used to appeal to the senses of viewers as consumers and to establish a legitimacy and superiority over other brands or products. Logos and branding are especially important as visuals with the power to influence audiences. For example the Macintosh apple has come to represent simplicity and enforces the idea that the company prides itself on hassle-free electronic equipment. Although that isn’t always the case in reality, audiences have come to associate the logo and the message it embodies with the company and thus the company’s hardware and software. On top of the creative and visually appealing nature of everything Mac, the repetition of the logo, the visually similar television commercials with the same simple white backdrop and the same actors portraying Mac and PC and the theme that runs through their print and digital advertising campaign serves to persuade audiences that Macs are so different—and better—from anything else on the market.

On the other hand, because visuals are so important in first impressions, they have the power to turn people away from products or services because of their lack of appeal or inconsistencies in an overall advertising campaign. I previously worked for a company that sold electronics to schools and the website that customers saw was not consistent with our level of service, our catalogue or any other form of advertising that we distributed. While I do not know exactly how much business we lost, I do know that people were skeptical of the website because it did not look legitimate, did not have the company name anywhere in the URL and the logo used on the website was different from what the customers were used to seeing and associating with the company. Visuals automatically force viewers to make assumptions about the company in general and this can either help to establish or damage that company’s credibility.

Corporate Branding

I'm fascinated by how much energy a company may put into it's brand. A corporation like McDonald's puts serious time and money into cultivating their letterhead, magnets, slogans, fonts, etc. In many cases an entire corporation will count on that image - their brand - to instill in the public a "familiar face." I worked at USAA Insurance before starting the MAPC program and will confess that they were very serious about using only approved, compliant forms and images.

A few months ago I asked my uncle, a high-level executive, about why Coca-Cola would want to spend such a huge amount of time and effort on advertising. I was implying: "We all know about Coke by now, give it a rest!" He responded by saying that if Coke stopped its advertising, Pepsi might gain another percent or two in the market. That would equate to...well...BILLIONS of dollars!

Every ad impression (one person viewing one ad) is valuable. The idea is that when you leave campus, and stop at the BP station to purchase a cold drink, you don't have to think; Coke it is! Does this seem like propaganda to you? I'm not sure how I feel about this, especially when you factor in freedom-of-speech issues. It is interesting to me that Coke, Pepsi, and other institutions get signed contracts of exclusivity with our school districts.

I believe that even if you know nothing about the science/psychology of advertising, you can't help but deduce that it is of paramount importance for these companies to get their logos, symbols, and color schemes in your face. Often. This is what will bring you into a Starbucks in Seattle, Miami, or Romania. Once you have experienced a product, and had an O.K. experience, you'll be more likely to gravitate to it. Even if there is a better product next door!

My whole point in this post: The frequent repetition of familiar, unchanging visuals can subconsciously drive purchasing decisions.

Thought you might find this interesting:
Forbidden City Starbucks Closes

Post 1: What rhetorical roles do/should visuals play?

As some of the previous posts have pointed out visuals play an important role in advertisement and persuasion, however one aspect we have not touched on is credibility. When trying to sell a product there can be a lot of fluff written or spoken about the product, but having a visual to back it up allows a product to reinforce its legitimacy.

For example, before and after photos and spokespeople can make a product legitimate. Kirstie Alley is the spokeswoman for Jenny Craig and has given Jenny Craig some credibility. Jenny Craig can be grouped into a number of diet programs that promise the same results. The difference with the Kirstie Alley campaign is that Jenny Craig made Alley’s before photos available on their commercials, website, and anyone could have access to a tabloid and see what Alley looked prior to Jenny Craig. Once Alley lost all the weight she appeared on Jenny Craig commercials and website, as well as her appearance on Oprah. Alley appeared on Oprah in a bathing suit and proved the weight she lost was real. The visuals Jenny Craig used in the Kirstie Alley campaign provided credibility that other diet programs do not have.

Post 2 - "Make or Break" Visuals

Visuals played a very important part in my decision buy my computer. I was drawn to the Apple product line in the post-iPod era, after Steve Jobs rejoined Apple and started revamping the entire line. The products became just so much...cooler. The commercials appealed to me instantly. The ads featured people I could identify with, people who adhered to my sense of cool, standing against a blank white background and just talking about how they loved their Apples, especially since they didn’t “crash.” Although the idea of the non-crashing computer was a big selling point, especially if it wouldn’t plague me like the horror of a HP laptop I owned, the simplicity of the commercials and the appearance of the actors definitely played into my decision.

The commercials drew me to the brand, but the overall attention to design detail sold me on the Apples. I can attest that Apple does make an excellent product (I feel so smug when my boyfriend’s Dell desktop spontaneously combusts) but the thing I love most about my computer is that the design marries technology and art. Even though my computer has its occasional struggles, the fact that I can slide my cursor into a corner and all of the windows arrange themselves neatly onto my desktop still makes me smile.

Visual Persuasion and the Campaign Ad

I’d like to add another element of visual persuasion that has not yet been mentioned in the posts. As we approach an election year, our TVs will be inundated with more and more campaign ads. The political campaign is another example of how visuals can make or break a persuasive argument. We are all familiar with the “standard” negative campaign ad – the black and white still images, the severely edited newspaper headlines, all changing to color as the new candidate who will save the day is mentioned – not only from the actually ads, but also from the numerous times it has been lampooned on comedy outlets. These persuasive are not subtle, but their visual design is very simple. These ads appeal to the basic visual principles of human sight and employ the four basic principles of design that were mentioned in this week’s reading in The Non-Designer’s Design Book.

The use of contrast is obvious in the color scheme of the ad. Words are also incorporated into the ad – not only spoken, but also written and repeated to drive the point home. Even alignment and proximity come into play – during the negative part of the ad, the words or quotations are thrown across the screen at odd angles or randomly rise out of the screen. When the candidate the ad is promoting is mentioned, the words take on a font or color scheme that is more pleasing and often employ font size and positioning to properly emphasize the candidate and his or her message. Although I couldn’t tell you how statistically effective these ads are, I know that they are common and that they are often used in local elections where the general population may be unfamiliar with either of the candidates. These ads use the basic human reactions to design to appeal to the informed and encourage them to form emotional opinions that are based on distorted or exaggerated fact.

Post 2: You Broke it!

Well, once upon a time, N.C. State had a horrible website. I mean to the point that if you were a prospective student finding out information regarding academic programs, tuition fees, financial aid, etc. was a full day project. The site was disorganized, unattractive, and poorly constructed. It lacked a hierarchical structure; important information was lost to frivolous and unnecessary filler comments, and the user was forced to think on every page questioning if something was a link or if the title he selected would take him to the information he wanted to know.

The overall online visual presentation was not impressive and really impacted me in a negative way. If it was going to be that difficult to collect what should have been easily accessible and readily available information, I could not imagine how disorganized the institution was internally. To me, their first impression was one of disorganization and chaos, and it certainly impacted my overall opinion of the school, and the type of education I could have expected to receive. The confusion that ensued from their website made me question how serious they were about attracting the right caliber students or any students at all for that matter (which is unfortunate as N.C. State does have a reputation of being a good school). Their donor and athletic links were easy enough to find, but anything regarding academics was a challenge. It affected me enough to decline their acceptance offer.

In all fairness, as I am not trying to disrespect the school, they have recently updated their website and given it a much cleaner and more professional look and feel. I think their present online presence would not only attract but instill confidence in prospective students that they were an established and credible institution.

Persuasion, Color, and Food

To answer, “what role(s) do(es) visuals play in persuasion?” in just two paragraphs lets use restaurant logos for example. There’s a reason why MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Sonic, Hardee’s, Bojangle’s, Denny’s, Pizza Hut, and numerous other “food stop” locations have red and yellow in their logos. Yellow and red are colors that are supposed to make the human subconscious think of food. You might also notice that Subway, Quizno’s Subs, and Blimpie (which are places that are thought of to be a bit healthier) often use either yellow or red in conjunction with a ‘green’ for many of their restaurant themes. Many people like to fill the tops of their healthy submarine sandwiches with vegetables. The green helps symbolize the fact that sub sandwich joints have vegetables and are supposed to be good for you. Notice that I’ve only pointed out the visual colors of persuasion used my restaurants. There are endless other factors to take into account.

Since I’m already on the restaurant kick, have you noticed how the new Subway logo font is in italics as compared to the previously very vertical logo font. Maybe Subway is trying to say, “Hey, we’re just as fast as those other guys!” Many viewer don’t even realize how persuasive a visual can be. Visuals can make or break a theme and add an extra kick to influence. The concepts of color scheme and font choice only brush the notion of visual persuasion.

Visuals Make or Break, Post 2

I think the Internet is a place where visuals make or break a decision for me. I love to play golf, but there are a lot of golf course in the world and golf isn't always cheap. So before I play a new course I'll visit the course's website. One thing people who don't play golf don't realize is that just because a course is in a nice neighborhood or costs a lot of money and has rich members does NOT make it a fun course to play. So a lot of times I'll use the pictures of the course, the score card that is available and pictures of the clubhouse to determine if it is a fun place to play. If a course doesn't have a website that provides pictures there's a good chance that I won't be willing to go pay 5o or 60 bucks to see what its like. It might seem trivial, but golf is a very aesthetic sport and if a course isn't appeal to look at it just isn't as much fun.

The Role of Visuals in Rhetoric, Post 1

When I first read this prompt I initially thought about the role visuals play in the rhetoric employed by the advertising world. If one were to look at advertisements from 40 or 50 years ago they would look significantly different than they do today. Older ads were filled almost entirely with copy and very little artwork. This is in stark contrast to the ads we see today, which in some cases consist entirely of artwork and almost no copy whatsoever. I think one of the reasons that this is the case centers around differentiation. 50 years ago people were more willing to read all the copy on an ad, assess it, and form an opinion. Today people's attention spans are much shorter, so an ad must use its visual appeal to differentiate and make an impact quickly, before it gets passed over. In this way I think visual appeals are central to many forms of rhetoric.

In regards to what role visuals should play, I think that is largely a question of the medium in which they're being presented. In advertising, as mentioned above, I think it is perfectly acceptable to use visuals to enhance the appeal of the message. In contrast, if that same visual is used in place of a description that truthfully explains the product or service (I'm thinking claims of false advertising here, i.e. infomercials make products look much better than they are, etc.) then I believe that visuals should not be the central aspect of a rhetorical appeal. Ultimately though, what role they should play is an ethical decision, which is another post unto itself.

Visual Persuasion

Missouri is nationally known as the "Show-me" state; yet, the "show-me", or convince-me, mentality has been adopted on a much larger scale and for many different reasons. As a matter of fact, many companies have answered the consumer call to “show-me” by using visuals as a means of persuasion. Visuals are indeed an effective means of persuasion because sight draws on the audience’s remaining four of five human senses as reinforcement: taste, touch, sound, and smell.

The fast food industry certainly has this concept down to a science. For instance, the Hardee's fast food chain has a highway billboard that shows an over-sized, succulent-looking, vibrantly-colored burger on a white backdrop with the word “THICK” in bold lettering. As opposed to possibly filling the billboard with small print explaining the process of how they make their burgers delicious, Hardee's marketing strategists chose to exaggerate the size of the sandwich as a means to connect it with the word thick. Hungry consumers translate thick to what they see in the picture as being a high quality meal, which may be an improvement if the last burger they had was flat and distasteful. Furthermore, seeing the burger, with its green crispy lettuce and bacon, soft sesame seed buns, smooth melted cheddar cheese, and a sizzling, savory patty of livestock persuades the driver that he or she will get this same quality when he or she orders at Hardee's. Thus, by using visuals, companies like Hardee's are able to successfully influence their audiences.

Clarification on discussion leading/readings explication

Greetings,

Just to clarify (because some checked to be sure) you are claiming weeks, not individual readings. You guys are doing it correctly :-)

Let me know if you have other questions. Posting them here is best because that way everyone gets to see the answer.

--T. F.

Shock Value

The other posts mentioned how visuals contribute to an author’s ability to convey a certain message to his/her audience or summarize a particular idea through a visual means. But, if we dig deeper, we can see that there are numerous ways of creating visuals to convey a certain message. One of the most interesting rhetorical roles that visuals can be used for is that of shock value: those gruesome, sexual, eerie, and just plain out gross visuals that we all want to look away from, but are perversely attracted to. This particular type of visuals is often very effective because of this perverse attraction to see something out of the ordinary or even taboo; we look at a shocking image, commercial, advertisement, etc. because human nature drives us to do so. Thus, an effective advertisement is born because the authors/designers have made an advertisement that grabs people’s attention (regardless of the means), which is the first step in selling a product of idea.

I encountered the perfect rhetorical usage of shock value several times during my undergraduate years at Penn State. Every fall a radical pro-life group came to campus with numerous over-sized pictures of aborted fetuses and signs reading “Pictures of Genocide Ahead.” The signs grabbed people’s attention because it’s not every day that one gets to see pictures of genocide happening in the world today. The pictures conveyed the group’s message through blood and gore, which inevitably made the whole idea of abortion more real. Regardless of one’s standpoint on the issue of abortion, those images made an impact merely because of their shock value, and, therefore, the group’s means of conveying their ideas was effective because it reached a very broad audience having several different standpoints on the matter.