Design as a Conversation

The goal of good design is to capture a consumer's attention and convey the designer's message.  Essentially the the designer relies on the consumer to be an active participant in the design, even if that consumer does not realize his or her role in the conversation that designers initiate.  It is crucial for design to engage a viewer, elicit a response, and begin a metaphorical (or sometimes literal) conversation.

Take billboards as an example.  Some, like the following, use direct questions to convey a message.

Somewhat unrelated: it looks like it says "miff" rather than "miss"...

Its hard to avoid a direct question, as well as to read a direct statement (such as "BUY OUR PRODUCT" and not think about its implications).  This kind of advertising is direct and almost forces the consumer to confront that which the billboard asserts.

This one is actually a little scary.

I think the most effective advertisements are ones that don't assert a specific viewpoint that is easy to shrug off or blatantly disagree with ("Buy your product.  No, don't tell me what to do").  Billboards that convey a feeling more so than a blatant message often elicit a more insightful, emotional connection with the viewer. Say you see a billboard that says "iPods starting at $149" with a picture of an ipod.  The best response that design can receive is either from someone who is already in the market for a music player, or someone who really likes the way the ipod looks.  But imagine driving past the following billboard:

Look how much fun she's having.

Now you react to the mood of the billboard before realizing what it is selling to you.  The designer effectively engaged the viewer, evoked a response, and made the viewer into a consumer.  Emotional responses are stronger than commands.

Conversations between designers and consumers aren't just important, they are inherent to design as a concept.  Even if you aren't selling a product or advertising for a specific service, etc., it is essential that design is engaging, convincing, and emotional.

All images were found through Google Images.  The final image is credited to Laughing Squid on flickr.