A popular tenet of post-modernism insists that there are no original ideas; that at this moment in society, it is impossible for humans to create something entirely new. People simply reproduce other ideas with a minor spin, and call them their own. This concept makes sense when you consider how Facebook is just an updated version of MySpace or when Milli Vanilli Blamed it on the Rain.
But is this correct? Was Shepard Fairey’s image of Obama simply infringing upon the original photographer’s work?
I would argue that no, it wasn’t, because the public’s reaction was clearly to Fairey’s art and not Mannie Garcia’s snapshot, with the influence tied to an expressive feeling and Fairey’s ability to connect with viewers on an emotional level.
Consider the public’s perception of Kleenex and Band-Aid. Do we not know that they are actually tissue paper and adhesive strips in disguise? Yes, we do, but people do not connect with objects, they connect subconsciously with a lifestyle, with a brand.
Whenever I have the opportunity to hand one of my business cards to somebody new, a sense of excitement fills me up. 9 times out of 10, people adore this piece of collateral because it is highly stylized and lacks any conventional business protocol (there is only iD’s logo and my email address present). The 1 in 10 is appalled by the presumptuous nature of its design. I have even been told that I ‘cannot’ hand out a business card that omits so much information. Point being, people have a reaction to this branding vehicle. Even a negative reaction lets me know that all people will remember my business card tomorrow among the dozens they collected from the networking event the night before. And so begins the branding process to a new client or alliance.
At identifiDesign, we understand that the poor economic environment has businesses in a pinch for extra cash. There is a high level of competition for a diminishing level of demand, and spending money on a marketing project isn’t always in the budget. Besides, there are 10 online companies out there that can create a logo for under $50, and they can even turn the project around in 48 hours. But do you really want your company’s story, voice, and emotion to be created in 2 days?
A new company often has but one interaction to influence a potential investor/customer before that business/individual makes a preliminary decision on whether or not they are interested. So if you are in the process of starting a new venture and are considering the $50 logo, remember the first impression that you will be revealing and the control you could have over it. Call a trained designer and take a first step towards success.
Tags: branding, graphic design, identity
