POSTER TEXT – Attraction/stimulus

Its important for any designer to know what gets attention and how to use it for any type of work. The aim of most design is to get noticed and attract attention, and if it cant do that, it has failed especially in advertising. When looking at visual language in public spaces it is vital that this is understood by the designer on how to get to through to an audience.

Attraction

Attracting attraction may be composed of three main elements, namely unusual, emotionally salient and involuntary neuro-biological stimulus.

Involuntary biological stimulus can be counted as things that make us react in particular ways that we cannot control because our inbuilt instincts. The stimuli may include sound, image, physical objects, all of which will make us react in particular ways, to either engage us with it or change our attention.

In our current days, we are overwhelmed with all kinds of stimulus everywhere we go, a lot of which is produced by people, for attracting and convincing people of particular messages. Most of this we see from Advertisements.

“The purpose of advertising is to convince people that products are of use to them in one way or another. If people agree, they will buy them. However, advertising must do its job very quickly; it doesn’t have the time or the space to go into detail or explanations.” - Richard F. Taflinger, PhD -1996

Visual stimulus

Visual stimulus, is the most effective way of attracting peoples attention. As humans we are more receptive to visuals as, we have a much greater “Visual Memory” then we do for the stimuli areas. (Whitfield - 2008)

“For one, Advertising uses a lot of Sex, as it is the second strongest of the psychological appeals. 1^st is self-preservation. Its strength is biological and instinctive, the genetic imperative of reproduction.”
- Richard F. Taflinger, PhD -1996

This may fall under methods of advertising, which use arousal as a means of gaining attention towards an advertisement. This can be done in few ways. Some examples are

1• The display of attractive people, desired objects.

2• The use of colour, and shapes

Within each element there is reaction: “stimulus=reaction” - Ranulfo Romo & Emilio Salinas – 1999

 

There is apart of our brains called the Aymgdala, which is the central system of decision making, mostly in response to fear and what will be harmful to us. In other words, it is the part of our brains that make decisions for us, and reacts before we do.

 

In terms of looking at advertising, the brain also makes decisions quickly on how an ad is viewed.

If there is something within the ad that imposes any kind of threat, even on a deep subconscious level, bias can be formed, often turning the ads message against its self.  - Bar, Moshe, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour

Colour also plays a major influence on our judgment. Colour can manipulate perception on a range of levels, such as scale, form, taste.

Some preferences of colours are due to the upbringing of cultural learning, as well as sex and age. In the way of advertising, it is important to know what colours will attract your audience.

This can also be affected by whats known as “optimal stimulation level” which involves different groups of people and their (sensation seeking) needs. (Marie-Christine Lichtlé 2007)

People who may have a high sensation need will react strongly to vivid and colourful image.
Eg:• Young people prefer warm / vibrant colours and visuals such as red, yellow or orange.

Warm colours are more stimulating which marketers will often use to create arousal hence advancing attention drawn to advertising using sound, colours, rapid moving images.

Cooler colours are less stimulating which would be more attractive to people that don’t seek stimulation as much.

Eg: Older people prefer cool / calmer colours such as blue and green.

 

References

 Marie-Christine Lichtlé – The effect of an advertisement’s colour on emotions evoked by an ad and attitude towards the ad, – International Journal of Advertising 2007, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p37-6  - EBSCOhost database Communication & Mass Media – Viewed 2 April 2008

Tamara Deswart -01.27.2007: Colours play a role in our emotions.
Viewed 3 April 2008

http://www.tamaranda.com/documents/33.html

Bar, Moshe, 2007 – TO GET INSIDE THEIR MINDS, LEARN HOW THEIR MINDS WORK. – Advertising Age; 11/26/2007, Vol. 78 Issue 47, p16-17, 2p – EBSCOhost database – Communication & Mass Media Complete – viewed 6 April 2008

Petronio A. Bendito, Aspects of Visual Attraction: Attention-Getting Model for Art and Design, Journal of Visual Literacy, Spring 2005 ,Volume 25, Number 1 67-76, EBSCOhost database Communication & Mass Media Complete, item: AN 17604476

Leone, Christopher, D’Arienzo, Justin, Dec2000 - Sensation-Seeking and Differentially Arousing Television Commercials. – Journal of Social Psychology;, Vol. 140 Issue 6, p710-720, 11p – Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection – viewed 6 April

Richard F. Taflinger, PhD -1996 – Taking ADvantage
You and Me, Babe: Sex and Advertising – viewed 19 April 2008 – http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~taflinge/sex.html

Activity and reactivity – Ranulfo Romo & Emilio Salinas – 1999
Sensing and deciding in the somatosensory system
Current Opinion in Neurobilogy, 9: 487-493 – viewed 12 April 2008
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:4NR02z2cRcEJ:www.lce.hut.fi/teaching/S-114.4762/ActReact1.ppt+involuntary+neurobiological+stimulus.&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&client=safari

Alan Whitfield – 2008, National Institute of Design Research
Lecture: The hunter gatherer brain, viewed 31 March