First Impressions

As this is my first blog, it seemed like an appropriate time to write about first impressions. After all, one of the major concerns of design is first impression.

image via flicker.com/333bracket

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a noble sentiment, but almost no one follows that advice. Out of a hundreds of books (or cereal boxes, or candy bars, or video games), what would draw you to a particular one? First impressions, of course! Every single day—whether your realize it or not—you are metaphorically judging books by their covers.

When one steps back and asks "What drew me to this particular object?" they are beginning to think like a designer. One of the major tasks of a designer is to attract their audience to a certain product. A designer can easily captivate, seduce and shock their target market, often without their realization. What they think was fate, chance, or coincidence that drew them to a single book out of thousands, is actually the carefully crafted work of a skilled designer. First impressions are important.

People are able to improve the first impressions they make upon others in a number of ways. One major way to enhance one's first impression is by dressing the way one would like others to perceive them. For example, when going to a job interview, and interviewee would wear clothes that are designed to look professional, put-together, and business-savvy. People often underestimate the multitude of things their clothes say about them, but that is a topic for another post.

Judgement of anything is gleaned almost entirely through the first impression. When marketing a product, one would want to make every possible effort to ensure that their product makes a better, more impactful first impression than any of their competitors. This is where the designer becomes essential.

The goal of the designer is to tell the audience everything they want them to know about a particular object almost instantaneously. Designers have essentially mastered the art of the first impression.