visual communication, um lecture

Visual communication

Maastricht University

Maastricht, 26 April 2011 Martijn Kagenaar

1. A close watch

Dairy factory

Spiritual gift shop

Bargain: leek

Interpolis. Glashelder.

2. Design works

Usability: Steve Jobs

Orientation: Paul Mijksenaar

Readability: Gerard Unger

Image •  Visual system 30% brain (UM, 2011) •  Efficient value transfer (SWOCC, 2008) •  Global claim on magenta (T-Mobile, 2007)

€ •  Profit increase +20% (Erasmus/TU Delft, 2010) •  Top-of-class 82% vs 56% (BoozAllen, 2005) •  Flexa / Senseo (EFFIE, 1997/2002)

Strategy •  Less competition on price (CDI, 2007) •  More innovation (Premsela/TNO, 2005) •  Design Value Index (Red Dot, 2009)

Positioning & profiling in the year 1350

Positioneren en profileren in the year 1650

Mulisch: ʻReduce the noise, enlarge the riddleʼ

How to create distinctiveness •  Advertising: painkiller

– Short term

– Direct effect – Competitive

•  Design: multi-vitamin – Long term –  Indirect effect – Constructive

Distictiveness is not enough •  Organisations also need

– Structure

– Consistency – Hierarchy – Efficiency

–  Internal pride

Visual communication •  Not the noise, but the function

– Attention

– Recognition – Associations – Structure

– Appreciation

3. Our brain

Neuro-esthetics •  Our visual system is active

– Constancy

– Abstraction – Completion

“We do not first see and then define, we define first and then see.” Lippman 1922"

‘Information’ often contra-productive

•  Pension – The more information, the fewer switches

•  Calories on menu – No effect for non-diets, weight watchers eat more

Now

Later

Perception Thought Decision Behavior

The smart unconscious

The Great Misunderstanding •  Convince with facts •  Rational human being •  But information is NEVER neutral

So, let’s bury "the triplet Knowledge-Attitude-"Behavior.

4. Design tradition

Kandinsky (1912): ʻColor and shape directly affect the soulʼ

Picasso (1937): ʻMy paintings should have an impact.ʼ

NL: ‘form follows function’ •  De Stijl

– Clear, no compromise, well-structured

– Not ‘arty’ but functional

•  PTT – Dept. for Esthetic Design – Piet Zwart

– Ootje Oxenaar

De Stijl: ʻNothing can copy reality better than a photograph.ʼ

The eternal dilemma

How much unity? How much variation?

Pierre Bokma

“Acting always is an escape from replay. Every show must be the first one.”

5. Case study: Zuyd

Zuyd: big, diverse and superb •  14,000 students, 1,500 employees •  50 bachelor programs, 9 domains

– Health care, technical, economics, management, administration, arts, ICT, chemistry, education

•  75% above average, often Nr. 1

Zuyd, the brand

Ambitious

Open Inspiring

Entrepreneurial

Together we create the future

Responsibility & personal attention

Competent

01 / Vrijstaand logo / beeldmerk, woordmerk en pay-off pagina 1

02 / Toepassingen vrijstaand logo / schoudertassen pagina 4

ToneelacademieMaastrichtHogeschool

Zuyd

6. What can we learn from this?

We are machines •  Visual communication: long term instrument •  Searching for

– The soul of an organisation

– The way to make that visible – And to keep it vivid

•  Sharp ideas, wide applications

“Focus, then shoot”

idea

situation

statement

search

Increasing application

idea

system

structure

sketch

The unconsious is in charge •  Only use visual communication when fully

aware – Take your time – Too important for competitions/pitches – NO MATTER OF TASTE

•  And: don’t forget the nucleus succumbus

An idea ≠ a pile of announcements

visual communication, um lecture

Education

presentatie huisstijl

positioneren en proleren

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image visual system

machines visual communication

design tradition

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