Shallow waters, or “Balenciaga vs H&M” ⋅ EV #011

Patterns make our lives easy. Visual stereotypes and cliches are patterns, too. They make our thinking process easy.

Easy things are tempting. That’s why we love simplicity. But with time, a simple and easy information bores your mind, so it becomes alert to peculiarities that break the pattern.

Here's a story that inspired me to write about patterns.

One of the teams, I helping right now, builds a p2p local-first collaboration tool for small groups. As a part of the rebranding kickoff last year, I guided them through the process of defining the design taboo. We reviewed the visual designs of 14 alternative products that people might consider instead of their product. 11 of them use happy faces in their visuals — laughing people at work, in the office, in coffee shops, you name it.

“Right! We don’t want laughing faces on our landing page. It feels corporate and overused”, the team spoke in one voice.

I smiled: “Have you seen Triangle of Sadness?”
“No”
“There is one scene…”

I googled “triangle of sadness balenciaga vs h&m” and screenshared the YouTube tab. Here it is, 2 min to watch: Triangle of Sadness - Exclusive sneak peek \(DK subs\)

It is a perfect example of stereotypes at work. (To shake off the stereotype above, H&M has recently shifted to a grumpy-neutral look too, which does not make them an exclusive brand anyway.)

Visual stereotypes are shallow waters of our perception. They reflect the industry’s easy thinking patterns. They will make you look like one of the pack, perfectly fitting in, but they will not make you stand out.

To stand out, go deeper and explore what’s beyond the first-second associations. You will find treasure there — your true personality and a timeless brand image.

Good luck diving deeper!
Ira