Barking up the wrong tree
Fri Jul 11th, 2008In a recent post
Personally, I couldn’t agree more with this quick snippet of daily insight. All too often designers are asked to “Make it bigger” & “Make it louder”, and as much as these tactics work to some degree, a level of tact, poise, and quite simply, respect for the end user (customer or consumer) is the most effective long-term approach
My own experience with “Barkers” happens a bit closer to home. North Beach in San Francisco. Walk along Columbus Avenue and you’ll be accosted by any number of Barkers on your stroll. Have I been to a single restaurant fronted by a Backer in my many trips into the city by the bay? Nope. Where do I go? A little, quiet, quality spot around a quiet corner. Dark, warm, and comfortable. The noise is on the inside, coming from the crowd of diners conversing, not Barkers trying to drag me in with “Bigger” & “Louder” messages.
When designing a ad, website, brochure, or application we need consider the holistic experience we’re trying to provide our customer, as well as the context or baggage they carry with them. Tourists. They’re likely tired, hungry, and want a nice relaxing environment to reflect on the days sights, sounds, and purchases. Give them a memory equal to their experience of the day.
Where does barking ultimately leave a business. Likely attracting the wrong kind of customer. Or at least one that doesn’t interest me as a business owner. Perhaps someone like this guy or this guy. Yeah, they’re funny to look at, but you wouldn’t want to hang out with them too long!
I suppose the same goes for dogs. In particular, mine. A barking dog does not attract people, it scares them away. I wish my own dog would learn that simple rule! :)