The ballot. The last opportunity to influence.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
With the US election on the tips of everyone’s tongues right now (US citizen or not), it’s the humble ballot that’s the final link in the all-important voting decision.
In a climate of social media and resultant scepticism over voting behaviour, it’s interesting to review ballot papers of old to see how their physical design has been used to subtly (and not so subtly) attempt to shape and manipulate voting behaviour as well.
Design really does have the power to influence our thoughts and behaviour, given careful thought – or a devious mind. Let’s use that power responsibly.
Need creative inspiration? Take a walk.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
With lockdown continuing (or restarting) for many around the globe, our physical and mental health remains front of mind… Enter the superpower of walking.
Ok, so we’re probably all in agreement that some regular exercise and movement is good for our health but the boffins at Stanford University have scientifically proven that creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter.
The greats have intrinsically known this truth. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche remarked in 1889 “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Wise words Fred.
As people in a creative industry, we know the problem-solving power of movement first hand. We’d extend walking to any form of gentle exercise where you can go on auto-pilot and let the brain wander. Concepts have been regularly nailed during gentle bike rides on wide forest trails by us over the years.
But let’s face it, at the end of the day we’re all creative thinkers and problem solvers, regardless of job title. So, escape from the tyranny of Zoom or Teams, get moving and see what your brain can untangle along the way.
Designing the face of a virus
OUR PERSPECTIVE
We’ve all come to recognise it at a glance, the spiky sphere of the Covid virus has now gone from ‘what’s that?’ to iconic shortcut for 2020’s global pandemic. It’s the power of design writ large.
The spiky and unnerving blob was actually ‘designed’ by Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins, two medical illustrators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. And is not a real life magnified medical image as you might have first thought.
Its design is part of a conscious public health delivery mechanism to create a face for (at the time it was designed) a relatively new and dangerous problem.
Designing something that projects the right feeling perfectly is no mean feat. Striking the right balance of unease, seriousness, and visual interest was critical in its purpose to help drive people back to the CDC site to keep updated on the current situation.
It further demonstrates the power of design and visual communication to help deliver vital messages with simplicity, efficiency and impact.
