Design Evaluation

What do you think about when you first look at this advertisement? I feel comfortable to say you most likely feel like the woman is being directly compared to a horse - something no one wants. This is all due to poor design. 

My initial question was, "Is this shampoo for humans or animals?" The name "Mane 'n Tail" and the image of the horses insinuates a shampoo for animals, but upon further research it's not for one or the other, it's for both:

"The original horse to human crossover shampoo that provides fuller, stronger, longer, healthier hair."

Now who wouldn't want to use the same shampoo their horse uses on its coarse, flea-attracted mane and tail? Better yet, if you look closer, the shampoo bottle is also for the body - 3 in 1! I'm sure anyone would agree with me in saying that as badly as I hope to never use the same shampoo my horse uses, I sure as heck don't want to use the same body wash. Horses don't exactly smell like roses. If the shampoo and conditioner isn't already bad enough, the "Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker" is for humans to use on their hoofs hands as a moisturizer. 

Taking a look at more literal design concepts, the design team did do one thing (arguably) right: they used complimentary colors. The orange against the navy creates some sort of contrast, but it's strongly overruled by the confusion in the product name and logo. Maybe if the design team made the bottles a bit more sleek and not so plain Jane, I might be able to talk myself into believing that this shampoo is indeed for humans, too.

Take a look at the design above. Don't you feel better already? 

It's much easier to take literal design concepts into consideration here. The colors are what initially caught my attention. Even though they aren't necessarily complimentary colors on the color wheel, they still compliment each other in their hue and shade. Each color is bright and each color has a shine to it. One of my favorite parts of the bottles is that the names of the shampoo sets are unique to their own. A few of the clever names are: body envy, color me happy, and hello hydration.

Not only are the colors and names of the products attractive, but also the shape of the bottles. The shampoo and conditioner bottles are shaped so they fit beside each other much like a puzzle piece. It hints that a customer can't purchase just one or the other but must purchase both because they are a pair.

Even the "Herbal Essences" motto is written with design concepts in mind:

"Dive into the world of Herbal Essences, with products that stimulate the senses, clean and care for your hair, and wrap your body in luscious fragrance."

While it may not come right out and specify that this shampoo is for human use, there aren't any pictures of horses or mystifying names that confuse the customer. 

Well, at least now.

The "Herbal Essences" product that was once named, "Bee Happy" is now named, "Honey, I'm strong." It seems as if the "Herbal Essences" design team caught onto was what the design team for "Mane 'n Tail" did not: humans do not want to be treated with any products related to animals (or insects in this circumstance).

For my own curiosity, I researched the "Bee Strong/Honey, I'm Strong" collection to find out why the product had any reference to bees. The following was stated on us.herbalessences.com:

"Did you know honey is nature's golden elixir? Once a luxury reserved for kings and queens, honey has been revered for centuries as a natural healing remedy and beauty secret for the hair."

Perhaps if "Mane 'n Tail" explained the relation of humans to horses a little more like that, then I'd take a second look at buying their product. But, perhaps not.

Contrast, Balance and Harmony

Photo Credit: Hans J. Hansen

 

This photo was quick to catch my eye as I was searching for a picture that created contrast, balance and harmony.

 

The contrast can be most easily seen in the color; the bright orange boat complements the bright blue water. Similarly, if the top of the image stopped just below the white rim of the top of the boat, the contrast would not be nearly as significant. Contrast can also be seen in the texture; the cracked wood of the boat is quite the opposite of the smooth, rippled water that it sits on.The texture works so well that I can feel the broken edges of the boat against my hand and the refreshing water beneath it. One way to look at this is in the highlights of the water and the shadows of the boat. Another way this photo depicts contrast is in the shapes; the triangular point of the tip of the boat is striking in relation to the subtly rippled water.

 

The photo is symmetrically balanced, with the boat being centered in the image. The size and position of the boat also create balance and harmony. If the photographer took the image directly head-on, rather than angled above the boat as he did, the boat would appear much smaller, drastically lessening the contrast, balance and harmony.

 

Though the contrast, balance and harmony is easily explained by principles, it can also be explained by its psychological, social and cultural context. When I first looked at this photo, my visceral response was absolute awe. Normally, a photo of an ordinary boat wouldn't mean anything to me, but this photo immediately struck me as different. With it's rough edges, I saw love and laughter; the boat carried family on many fishing trips, where grandpa would take his grandchildren out for a day of fishing and tell tall tales of his life. Even though the title of the photo is "Fishing boat", even if I didn't know the title, I would still imagine the boat the same because it's weathered surface puts it in into physical context. Clearly, the boat wouldn't be able to withstand the turbulent sea or a long excursion in billowing water. Instead, the boat is one that was taken out for day trips, only a few hours at a time. It wasn't used by the culture of men dedicated to the fishing industry but instead a culture of family dedicated to bonding through love—the love of one another and the love of fishing.