Design @ Work
Ever wondered why the icon for online cart resembles the actual cart in the shopping mart? or why do we find packs of gum just before we reach the cash counter of a grocery store?
Long time back I knew a fabulous art director his simple principle while designing an ad was to make sure he is in control when the viewer is looking at the ad in the newspaper next day. Sanjay Sharma (the said art director, creative head) knew very well how to manage the eye movement of the viewer.
The principles remain pretty much the same when signages for a subway is designed or when someone designs a shopping mall. Nothing is left for chance. Nothing in the consumer journey is random, it’s always the result of hours of customer understanding and putting it to good use by design.
When one designs a ecommerce website why is it that the most beautiful products are to be seen first isn’t it the same as the show window of a retail store.
There is a lot for us to learn from the offline media which can be implemented in the virtual life and vice versa.
Like how the icon of the shopping cart had been picked by online and redesigned to make the customers journey easy towards payment for the purchase. similarly how can the offline store start collecting the purchase history by a customer and make suggestions accordingly.
Many of the restaurants & hotels give us a small complimentary drink even before we order or checkin, it ensures two things
1. that you get a glimpse of the product at no cost
2. the customer is a bit under obligation and generally tends to sit down and order some food
Some go to an extreme and create a signature drink which is short sweet and complimentary the purpose is very simple it creates a memory hook and the customer becomes your word of mouth channel when he goes out and describes that special exotic drink to few more friends. None of this is coincidental it’s all a thought through design strategy.
Cities often go the other way and create a fiasco with their design strategy, they don’t realise what should be high point, how to make the city more tourism oriented, they make great campaigns for tourism but when the tourist lands up for him finding the desired places often becomes a pain. We stop at getting tourists, but that’s just the job of communication & advertising, design can do lot more. A well design city information strategy can make sure the tourists have a great time visiting the city and goes back as a brand ambassador for the same.
But for all this before someone jumps into the design one needs to define the purpose.
One needs to be observant.
One needs to be intuitive.
One needs to be purpose driven.
It’s critical for people to understand that design does not work in isolation. & design is not based on personal whims but instead on user understanding.
