There is so much accessibility, functionality, and easy-to-understand usability in Facebook that it rendered websites for brands a little bit obsolete. Virtually everything you can do on a brand’s webpage can be recreated, faster, on Facebook: there’s no need for a domain, no need to pay a web designer to design your page, and no need to encourage people to click four or five extra times to get what they need.

More importantly, that’s where the people are. 

Facebook gives you a page. 

You populate it with things for sale, brand values, and contact information. 

Your audience, who is likely already on Facebook, takes it from there. 

Easy. 

However, as with most things during 2020, the pandemic brought Facebook’s physical limitations forward. 

Brands sought out different platforms for virtual experiences that went beyond the function-first approach of Facebook and other socials. 

Zoom. Hangouts. Houseparty. 

The difficulties of hosting virtual events on an ephemeral platform are obvious. What people needed was different to a social media platform, or a way of communicating. They needed a whole world. 

Enter, the website. 

Websites: A Functional Explanation

In the absence of other things – going outside, meeting friends, travelling, anything that has to do with people – websites have stepped in to give people a taste of the possibilities of indoor experiences. Some websites have made themselves into virtual cities and stalls. Others are built around gamification. Even more others change frequently, not just the design, but also the functionality. 

For people whose primary internet usage for the past seven years has been Facebook, the possibilities of websites has more than tripled what they can do on the internet. Not to mention, it’s also shown them something that is easily forgotten: the possibility of web design itself. 

In the early days of web design, it was all about what you could do with this new technology. As we became more familiar with it, websites grew sleeker and more sparse. Doing things ‘just because’ gave way to doing things in a way that would maximise profitability. 

The internet grew up. 

Web Design 2021

And then COVID-19 happened. 

Facebook and other socials started to struggle. 

And the web slid back a few years. 

Right now, we’re in the midst of a 90s resurgence. Nostalgia is a powerful incentive in any case, but coupled with what’s happening around us in 2021, no wonder people want escapism in any way they can find it. 

Web is an excellent way to provide that escapism, and talk about your brand. 

Why Web?

Web is really the only medium where brands can directly interact with their fans, and one of the only mediums where they can have a little fun. With a captive audience desperate for any sort of engagement, this is an excellent opportunity to capitalise on the current situation and create brand design that really stands out. 

More importantly, that entertains and informs. 

With websites, a key facet of design is that you need to reward people for taking the time to visit your web-page, particularly if there’s no reason for them to do so. Web allows an opportunity to engage with and explore the brand without the pressure to purchase, and the space to take in a different side of the brand. 

Any side of the brand. 

Web in 2021 is a blank slate. Everything else on the web is so structured – so Facebookized – that the slightest step out of the norm feels like a big luxury, something that comes around only rarely. 

Tips for Web Design in 2021

• Maximise every aspect of the browser. From customised messages in the tabs to hidden links, good web design can create a miniature world on the web that allows deeper access to your brand than a Facebook page or a simple brand page. 
• Experiment. With web design, nothing is forever unless you want it to be. Print campaigns and newspapers are permanent; web design is fluid, and can be done just ‘for fun’ without the risk that, ten years from now, it’ll be dated.
• React, interact, act. Websites allow you to use aspects of your brand voice that could go unheard in Facebook or a corporate website. Allowing your brand’s personality to shine through can help hold your audience’s attention. They’ll remember a fun web-page that they spent a few minutes on. 
• Design to brand. Use hidden links and easter eggs if you have to, but bring your brand’s personality and voice forward through every part of the design. 

This isn’t to say these are the only tips, or that Facebook cauterised web design. 

It’s the opposite. In the 15 – 20 years of the internet, we’ve honed and created a way of displaying information and an easily-understood visual language that is almost universally recreated. Now that the mold has been set, it’s the perfect time to break it, stand out, and speak above the crowd. 

What’s next for websites post-pandemic?

There are people who might say that the age of the website will end when lockdown does. 

That isn’t strictly true. 

While websites might experience a dip in their newfound popularity, they won’t go back to pre-pandemic levels if a website is done well. With web, there are no real limitations on what you can do. 

Put simply: 

You can sell a pair of shoes on Facebook. 

But to make people drool over your shoes, allow them to try them on virtually, make shoe-shopping fun, you need a website. The web, as they say, is forever. 

The post Facebook Killed Website Design appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

If the last few decades have taught us anything, it is that we should be doing what we can today rather than leaving it until tomorrow. If we don’t, never mind; it’s not the end of the world – oh… wait. Some of our best-laid plans can often go askew, and that could prove to be a boon. If these unexpected, life-changing (or world-changing) curve-balls don’t prompt us to be agile and quickly react in full force as one collective voice, then we don’t know what will. Reactive agility is the backbone of every revolution – design-related or otherwise. 

Reactivity does not work in a vacuum. It can only work successfully when reactive supports that which has been planned for.

Design that is well established does not need to change based on the time in which an audience consumes it. Products and services naturally go through their own life cycles that are governed by emerging technologies and cultural shifts. But the core of everything we do – our identity – merits the groundwork of a well-thought-out strategic blueprint that is equipped to creatively adapt to the times while maintaining its integrity.

Developing timeless design is much simpler than anyone thinks; it is far from being easy, but it is straightforward. It starts and ends with unequivocal commitment. Explicit commitment is the bedrock of every successful relationship and that is something that (though intangible) can be felt by the individuals who identify with a brand to the point where they feel like they own part of it. This is probably the closest we get to ‘magic’.

But what do we mean by commitment? We are referring to the soul-searching process we go through when building and committing to an identity along with every visual element we deliberately choose to call our own. Sometimes it might take a few false starts – not everything works out fine on the first try. Some relationships don’t work from the get-go; some need tweaking and sometimes they might need to be thrown out of the window to rebuild over the mistakes of the past.

We see the success of visual commitment in brands like Omega or National Geographic. Every article of design these brands produce strikes a sublime balance of functional form and approachable exclusivity. National Geographic makes a simple but bold statement through its minimal yellow square that literally frames the subjects they are highlighting. This essential element works so well that some think that the viewers might miss it – but they do not miss it at all. The visual aspect of these brands take on the trends of the times in their application, but the strong core elements anchor the visual changes back to the original design DNA.

Timeless means looking back at the classics and extracting their core to fit the past, present, and future. Our recent work with The Athenaeum Spa saw us building upon the design legacy tied to the Corinthia Hotel brand. From the core logo to every bit of collateral, every material, ink, and foil were hand-picked to fulfill one purpose – uplifting guest’s lives by carving out time to themselves. The mark we created was built to live as part of the Corinthia heritage, yet still keeping a voice of its own. This then evolved into seamless patterns which were embossed on boards and stitched onto robes. Through the subtle application of these core elements, we created a strongly-branded experience that is almost invisible at first glance, but evident the moment you look for it. It is more about feeling than it is about seeing.

Another example that comes to mind was the journey Switch embarked on with eCabs to build their refreshed brand and design. Even though the company had been on a constant evolution, eCabs required the final step in the progression of its visual voice that would stand the test of time. Stripping any unnecessary ornamentation and reducing the kit of design elements to leave the bare fundamentals to reaffirm eCabs’ identity was essential. Design-wise, eCabs has to ooze functional and beautiful ‘mass production and mass adaptation.’ It’s a bit like Bauhaus. The amazing thing about that design movement is that the fundamentals they produced almost live in a time-vacuum – they are visually relevant (and, importantly, look good) within any context at any time in history, from their origins until today. And they will likely do so until the end of time.

We future-proofed the eCabs visual language for any opportunity related to mobility and beyond. And time has shown us that the decisions we took are already fulfilling their purpose. During times that challenged us to be reactive on a daily basis, the solid foundations we built for the brand made adapting and reacting a walk in the park. Part of us – secretly – can’t wait for the next curve-ball life throws at us and we’ll be there, hand on the holster, ready to fire back.

The post There’s no Time like the Timeless appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

Where it all began

It was a nippy December evening; two designers were ending the day by ogling ‘award winning sites’ and ‘design trends for 2016.’ They came across a particular site. One fell in love with its conceptual nature. “These guys (The agency) had the balls to publish such a website, and the client should have been pretty cool about it too!” he said. The other designer looked un-amazed and emphasized on how unnatural the navigation was. Conceptual for the sake of being conceptual. He thought it wasn’t that good at all.
Queue the age old argument. Form or Function? Which follows what?
Naturally, I threw myself onto Forms’ side; after all, I’m a self-proclaimed illustrator at heart. The debate went on and on, as these discussions normally do. Later that evening, I sat myself down in the thick red chair, popcorn and Kinnie in hand, and watched The Force Awakens.
Yellow text rolled over a starry sky, an imperial destroyer crossed the screen, the camera panned down to the planet Jakku, and a ball-shaped droid whizzed all over the screen. BB-8!
“That’s it!” I told myself. The perfect example of form dictating function lay before my very own eyes!
NOTE! I am by no means implying that we designers should take a superficial approach to every project we work on. Far from it. Very, very, far from it. I just think we need to start closing our eyes a little more, and dream of new, uncharted worlds of our own, rather than clad pre-existing frameworks and design the expected, in the name of function. Taking BB-8’s three body components as a guide to my argument on Form being more important than function.

1. BB-8’s Head – Not just a pretty face.

You can’t argue against BB-8 not being one big cute ball of fun. Whoever designed this droid made sure that the robot looked good, moved good and sounded good. He’s (She’s?) got so much visual personality that you inherently forget that you’re looking at a robot. Coming up with the technology to practically build BB-8 was done after the initial, ‘impossible’ design was produced.
Pretty faces help. Like all great bits of design, be it an LP cover artwork or app on your phone, the first thing that makes you pick up the album or ‘click a button’ is the look of the cover or button itself. We should constantly strive to create a prettier world, and build function around our visual goals.

2. BB-8’s Body – AKA. The Chicken or the Egg?

It goes without saying that form should co-exist with function, though which part should we tackle first? Many might say function, as it is the backbone of our creations – yet it is imagination that drives innovation. The current BB-8 design was based off an old R2-D2 sketch, back before Star Wars was even a thing. The design was shelved as a result of technical shortcomings 30 years ago; however, the ‘impossible’ form brought about a new technology. We’d have a very different BB-8 had they decided to design ‘Function First’ (if we’d have a BB-8 at all). Form should give rise to function, we’re here to inspire aren’t we?
As Tobias Van Schneider puts it, “Often the secret lies right there, in the beginning that looks a lot like your own beginning of a new project. It’s the phase we can all identify with…”
The first stage is the most crucial stage of any project, that’s where we decide how we’re going to tackle the problem or challenge. Thinking about how it’s going to look and feel, even if it feels impossible, will lead you to discover new approaches to giving life to your ideas.

3. BB-8’s Thumbs Up – Be awesome.

Character is something that dies out when function dictates form; who said that you can’t give character to the most rigid accountancy firm in the world? There’s no doubt that the art and the science of design need to work together, but as thought leaders we need to slowly (but surely) detach ourselves from what we know works. Having R2-D2 return as the primary droid in Star Wars would have left every fan satisfied, though dreaming up and giving life to BB-8 left everyone surprised. And we all love surprises, don’t we?

We might not always have to re-invent the wheel, but in this droids case, a ball made more sense.

The post Form before Function: 3 things BB-8 taught me about thinking 'visual-first' appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

1. Explore!

Like great voyagers we need to survey and scavenge around to gain a good understanding of our surroundings. Be it by getting in touch directly with the client, marketing executive or supplier, take the lack of a clear direction as a great way to develop or create new relationships. We’re in the communication industry after all.

2. Boldly go where no man has gone before

The design world needs its Marco Polos and Captain Kirks; people who are defined by their discoveries rather than by who they are. Incomplete briefs may be the perfect excuse to be experimental, and let your creative process take you through routes you wouldn’t have thought of going through before. There’s a fine line between creating cool stuff for the sake of being different and creating unconventional design pieces in hope of creating a more engaging piece of communication.

3. Learn new languages

One of the more thrilling things about exploration is meeting the natives. If you venture far enough from your homeland (metaphoric comfort zone) you’ll encounter new cultures and people (a metaphor for new mediums, in this case). More often than not, we as creatives tend to list two or three disciplines we’re best at.
“I’m an illustrator at heart, but love editorial design too!” That’s two ‘languages’ – it’s time to become a polyglot! There’s absolutely no reason why a 3D artist shouldn’t develop 2D illustration skills; or editorial design or storyboard creation for that matter. Be a Jack of all trades, master of SOME.

4. Free time. Prototype to build better understanding!

I’m sometimes asked what hobbies I have, and I seriously struggle to find anything else to say other than “Well, I keep designing stuff at home.” Experimentation in the workplace may sometimes be a little challenging, yet find time to work on your own personal projects. It’s up to us to find a couple of extra hours to develop and innovate new ideas and tools. Be it designing t-shirts or attempting to create a typeface from scratch, working on projects you’re the boss of should be the thing you crave to do once you’re out of the studio – no matter how far-fetched your ideas are. As Tobias Van Schneider eloquently puts it, ‘Side projects should be stupid.’

5. Document every step of your journey

We might remember the names of great explorers, but their names would be nothing hadn’t they recorded their journeys and the sights, sounds, and locations they discovered on the way. We’re probably all guilty of this, in one way or another. Rarely do we spend a few extra minutes documenting our design decisions, findings, or thoughts. More often than not, these little discoveries could be the fruit of happy accidents, or even little ideas that could be taken further on your next project. The same way Columbus came across America by chance, your next happy accident could lead to you pioneering the next big design trend.

In the end, the thing that matters the most is tackling a lack of brief like a boss.
Turn obstacles into challenges, limitations into strengths, and frustrations into stimulants. Not knowing where to begin will help you think differently. But most importantly, clients, (please) write a good brief.
Who needs stock imagery when you can draw some yourself? All the images used in this blog post come straight from the steady hands of the author himself.

The post The top 5 secrets for becoming a design conquistador appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.