Artifact :30 Spot

My portion of this design project that I helped put together with Chris Sossman with the :30 spot.  We wanted to create a video that would grab the attention of the older people living in this area.  Something we found in researching how to advertise to an older demographic is that elderly people do no like being portrayed in a stereotypical way.  They also don't like commercials that are too "weird".  So when coming up with the idea for this commercial we tried to stay away from that kind of thing.  We decided to film the commercial at Troys house, which is in a nice and quiet neighborhood.  We used one of his neighbors as the women in need of help cleaning up her junk.  We felt that both the neighborhood and the lady we used in the video stayed away from the stereotypes that elderly people are normal shown in.  In the video itself we wanted to show the contrast of a messy garage and then show how clean and nice and tidy it looked after Troy was finished cleaning it out.  There is a a nice smooth transition between when the garage is cluttered and messy to Troy blowing out the last of the dirt and debris left over after cleaning it out.  Something that Troy specifically wanted show in the video was how he can take something that is stressful and overwhelming and completely change it around for his customer.  At the end of the video we included his logo and his number, the font in the logo as well as the number is the same as what will be on his truck wrap, on the website and on facebook.  As well as the colors of black and white.  Throughout the video as well you see the name of Troys business either on his truck or on his shirt.  I felt like it was a little difficult to use the visual communication techniques we learned, and things like the Gestalt principles in a video.  Especially in a 30 second commercial.  We did our best to incorporate what we could into this video, while still making it visually pleasing to an older audience.

Design Evaluation

When trying to think about products that I buy specifically based on the design of the packaging I immediately thought about the gum I tend to buy.  For whatever reason I am drawn to 5 gum, and I am pretty sure it has almost everything to do with how it is packaged.  Honestly I am not a huge fan of the way it tastes or its texture.   

When comparing these two brands of gum, you can see very distinct differences in the designs of the packages.  I would argue that both packages have good qualities in them.  There is nothing wrong with the Winterfresh package, however the 5 gum brand clearly has a more artistic and high end design.  In doing a little research I found that the Winterfresh brand gum sold far less product then the 5 gum did in past years.  Based on my own personal opinion I am led to believe that that is due to the brands unique design.

The 5 gum has always had the "cool" factor associated with its brand.  Over the past years since this brand was developed there have been a number of commercials that have promoted that idea.  The packaging holds true to that persona.  From the sleek black paper case that holds the individual pieces of gum, to the individually and colorfully wrapped sticks themselves.  The case itself has different physical textures on it.  You can feel some of the text is raised so that it stands out from the background.  The flap has raised bumps that help you open and close it.  There is a lot of negative space on the package as well, which gives it a very professional and "grown-up" look.  The 5 on the outside of the case shows an example of the Gestalt closure principal, because our mind makes the 5 out from the figure that divides the color and the black.  Inside, the individual sticks of gum are wrapped in a very bright foil.  Something as well that stands out to me is how when you open the package the inside of the case is a more matted black as opposed to the shinier outside.  This is significant because it adds to contrasting shiny wrapped sticks of gum.  The over all feel of this design is almost like opening a a jewelry box,  the jewel in this case being the 5 gum.

The Winterfresh design to me looks a little out dated, and very simple.  It doesn't have nearly that same "cool" feel as the 5 gum.  Its blue packaging however does fit the product.  The icy blue color gives it a different cool feel.  The Winterfresh design is definitely fitting for what it's selling.  Its gum, its not anything fancy.  Its only purpose is to be breath freshener, and its design sells that for sure.  It's not trying to be anything more than what it is, but because of that people tend not to reach for it on the shelf.

Contrast, Balance, Harmony

http://www.ejphoto.com/joshua_tree_page.htm

First off, I recognize that this picture is a bit of a photography cliche.  It is perfectly balanced and boringly symmetrical.  However, I chose this image for very specific reasons.  I love the Joshua tree.  This website features many great images of these trees from the Joshua tree national forest in California.  I chose this particular image because I felt that it perfectly demonstrated the ideas of contrast, harmony, balance, and the Gestalt principal.

This picture is full of examples of contrast, from the extreme contrast between the silhouettes of the trees and the background of the sunset, to the contrast between the size and shapes of the trees.  This is one the main reasons I chose this pictures over the others.  The contrasts force the viewer to focus on the unique shape and natural design of the trees.   These trees have a very distinct look, and removing their color and light while illuminating the outline with the soft glow the setting sun allows the eyes to fully appreciate their beauty.

One of the things about this picture that makes it so pleasing to look at is how balanced it is.  You could almost cut the image down the middle from top to bottom and have the two haves be identical.  Its rare to come across a Joshua tree that is symmetrical, most of these trees tend to be very lopsided and abstract in their appearance. This image takes these trees and lays them out in a way that feels balanced.

Texture is another important part of this picture.  These trees are extremely rigid and rough.  This is very easy to feel with the contrast of the dark branches against the blue and orange background.  You can see the sharp spikes that cover this tree very easily this way.

The Gestalt principal says that an image has a figure and a ground.  The figures in this image are the trees, the ground is the beautifully lit sky.

The color in this piece is absolutely breath taking to me.  I spent many evenings in the California desert watching as the sun went down behind these beautiful trees.  I didn't take this picture, but I have seen this scene so many times, and this picture captures it so perfectly.

Visceral Response

I am easily captivated by images that reveal things that the naked eye cannot normally see.  This image in particular causes me to have a number of emotional responses.  One of the first things that my eye is drawn to is the detail of the form of the glowing glass envelope inside this halogen light bulb.  The way the light reflects off the imperfect and rounded corners and edges of the rectangular prism is beautiful to me.  I am deeply moved by the color that this image has.  The amber glow that is put off by the bulb causes me to feel a warmth.  I can almost sense the heat being put off from this picture.

The majority of the space in this image is unoccupied.  True negative space can be seen at the far right edge of the image as bottom of the light bulb fades into complete blackness.  This allows for the focus of this picture to be the electrified tungsten filament.  The filament being at the center of the image, and also being surrounded by they almost perfect circle created by the outside of the lightbulb, draws my eye right to it.

There is a tremendous amount of contrast in this picture as well.  The outside edges are almost completely black.  As my eye moves closer to the center the light becomes more and more intense until the very center appears to be completely white.  This stark contrast adds a lot to the overall feel of the image.  It almost gives me the feeling that the bulb is just barely beginning to light up, and the darkness is being pushed away.  It is a very comforting feeling.