brandondawson.org Drupal Website Developer and Consultant

A design rumination…

It's clear what joke the original creator of this image is making.

Less clear is why this formula "just works".

What images and moods does this convey to you? For me, the busy cityscape and washed out colors imbued by the "vintage effect" (more likely a simple hue/saturation adjustment) gives a feeling of wear and weariness that the modernist Helvetica typeface just soaks up and makes its own.

The selection of image, tone, and type conveys a realistic and frank appraisal of its subject matter. Without reading the words, I'd expect some kind of PSA or "Company Image" message.

Think about what this approach could do for example, for BP, whose image has been suffering (and rightfully) for the ham-handed and authoritarian way it's been handling its corporate image in the wake of the disastrous Gulf oil spill.

Imagine the text in this image said "We're sorry. And we're committed to doing better." Imagine that frank admission coming paired with a comprehensive, real and honest re-engagement with the public on the company's part. Think about how that would make you feel about re-appraising BP.

Yes, there are certain well-worn tropes in the design field, but some of them exist for a reason. Something as simple as "a bad photo with a vintage effect and Helvetica slapped all over it" can be a game-changer.

That's the wonderful thing about the design trade, but it's a double-edged sword: a company that tries to fake a good public relationship with savvy design alone risks having all that expensive messaging rendered moot or worse, made the subject of culture-jamming and subvertising spoofs. (See some examples of the ongoing subvertising of BP here and here.)