Page 34 - aem_may_16
P. 34
BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES
Three ‘neuroscience’ tricks behind
Instagram’s new logo
Instagram, the photo sharing app, has launched a new signs, websites and packaging, I recognize in it three
logo. Early reactions are dividing fans, but I believe it will familiar techniques:
become well-loved in the long run as it uses some clever
neuroscience tricks to appeal to our subconscious 1. Visual saliency
minds.
The new Instagram logo has what neuroscientists call
Logos, particularly those of mega-popular apps like In- high visual saliency. This is a quality of images that
stagram, become a familiar part of our lives. Changing grabs our attention and makes us look at them. One of
them carries the risk of losing all that mental capital. Gi- the drivers of visual saliency is high levels of color con-
ants of the web don’t have physical presence, like shop trasts in an image. The thick white line of the camera
fronts; their logos and visual look have to do all the on the logo against the rich colorful background creates
work. They have to appeal to us, be comfortable to look high levels of eye-catching visual saliency.
at, and emotionally engage us. To get that level of global
appeal, with a design that might have to last years, it’s 2. Propositional density
not enough that a logo just appeals to us consciously, it
must also have appeal to our subconscious minds. The logo also has another important quality: high prop-
ositional density. This is when a design is able to con-
Instagram’s old logo, the one that looked like an old vey a lot of meaning with as little detail as possible.
camera, was an example of a design aesthetic – skeu- Images with high propositional density are easy on the
omorphism – that’s now falling out of favor. Skeu- eye, but intriguing to the mind. Or, more specifically,
omorphic logos look like their real world counterparts. intriguing to our subconscious mind. Designs that are
For example, address books that look leather bound, simple on the surface appeal to our brains as they feel
note apps that look like lined paper. These probably familiar (something we like), but simplicity alone can be
played a role in acclimatizing users to the world of boring. By adding in layers of meaning it makes a de-
smartphone apps, making them feel comfortable with sign.
ditching real world objects in favor of using smartphones
for almost everything. Now that people are comfier with The logo depicts a camera, but in the most minimal
that, design can move on. way, with just a square, a circle, and a dot. However,
true to its earlier logo, it’s not a contemporary camera,
The new design is flatter, slightly more abstract, and as it’s an old style 1970s/80s Polaroid type camera, carry-
someone who applies neuroscience research to de- ing connotations of nostalgia, childhood, family photos,
34 Asian eMarketing - May 2016: The impact of Social Media & Storytelling, Native & Contextual Advertising, on Content Marketing
34
Three ‘neuroscience’ tricks behind
Instagram’s new logo
Instagram, the photo sharing app, has launched a new signs, websites and packaging, I recognize in it three
logo. Early reactions are dividing fans, but I believe it will familiar techniques:
become well-loved in the long run as it uses some clever
neuroscience tricks to appeal to our subconscious 1. Visual saliency
minds.
The new Instagram logo has what neuroscientists call
Logos, particularly those of mega-popular apps like In- high visual saliency. This is a quality of images that
stagram, become a familiar part of our lives. Changing grabs our attention and makes us look at them. One of
them carries the risk of losing all that mental capital. Gi- the drivers of visual saliency is high levels of color con-
ants of the web don’t have physical presence, like shop trasts in an image. The thick white line of the camera
fronts; their logos and visual look have to do all the on the logo against the rich colorful background creates
work. They have to appeal to us, be comfortable to look high levels of eye-catching visual saliency.
at, and emotionally engage us. To get that level of global
appeal, with a design that might have to last years, it’s 2. Propositional density
not enough that a logo just appeals to us consciously, it
must also have appeal to our subconscious minds. The logo also has another important quality: high prop-
ositional density. This is when a design is able to con-
Instagram’s old logo, the one that looked like an old vey a lot of meaning with as little detail as possible.
camera, was an example of a design aesthetic – skeu- Images with high propositional density are easy on the
omorphism – that’s now falling out of favor. Skeu- eye, but intriguing to the mind. Or, more specifically,
omorphic logos look like their real world counterparts. intriguing to our subconscious mind. Designs that are
For example, address books that look leather bound, simple on the surface appeal to our brains as they feel
note apps that look like lined paper. These probably familiar (something we like), but simplicity alone can be
played a role in acclimatizing users to the world of boring. By adding in layers of meaning it makes a de-
smartphone apps, making them feel comfortable with sign.
ditching real world objects in favor of using smartphones
for almost everything. Now that people are comfier with The logo depicts a camera, but in the most minimal
that, design can move on. way, with just a square, a circle, and a dot. However,
true to its earlier logo, it’s not a contemporary camera,
The new design is flatter, slightly more abstract, and as it’s an old style 1970s/80s Polaroid type camera, carry-
someone who applies neuroscience research to de- ing connotations of nostalgia, childhood, family photos,
34 Asian eMarketing - May 2016: The impact of Social Media & Storytelling, Native & Contextual Advertising, on Content Marketing
34
