Inside Freelance Design

Issue #78
June 05, 2008

Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Graphic Design and the Psychology of Persuasion
• Quick Tip: Zip or StuffIt… What Difference Does It Really Make?
• EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

Design and Extreme Insight Into Human Psychology
How “Cute” Can Sell
By Sandra J. Blum

Achieving a high response rate depends so much on what my friend Karen Rice-Gardiner – Director of Creative Services, National Geographic Society – calls “extreme insight into human psychology.”

The people who succeed in this business – copywriters and designers – have that insight… in spades.

Direct-marketing designers distinguish themselves by what I’ve been calling the “aesthetics of value” – triggering response through a sharp and knowledgeable integration of commerce and aesthetics. When I was interviewing direct-mail designers for my book Designing Direct Mail that Sells,it really struck me how much the designers brought to the party in terms of how they could get into the heads of their audience to devise a visual strategy. Plus, they could leverage a repertoire of styles from “insane to plain,” and a dip into a kitchen sink load of tricks.

Today and in coming articles, I want to take a look at a few tricks of the trade in light of psychological insights. For instance, “cute” can kill in marketing copy. Being clever with words, using puns, or showing off verbal gymnastics never works to convince the prospect to buy.

But cute can be leveraged tactically in design. In times of economic uncertainty, you start seeing beaucoup successful efforts featuring cute – cute babies, cute kids, cute kittens, cute puppies. And for all sorts of products and services.

My guess why? It makes you feel good fast, and almost can’t miss in gaining attention:

“The human cuteness detector is set at such a low bar, researchers say, that it sweeps in and deems cute practically anything remotely resembling a human baby or a part thereof, and so ends up including the young of virtually every mammalian species, fuzzy-headed birds like Japanese cranes, woolly bear caterpillars, a bobbing balloon, a big round rock stacked on a smaller rock, and a colon, a hyphen, and a closed parenthesis typed in succession [producing :-) the smiley emoticon.]

Whatever needs pitching, cute can help. A recent study at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at the University of Michigan showed that high school students were far more likely to believe antismoking messages accompanied by cute cartoon characters like a penguin in a red jacket or a smirking polar bear than when the warnings were delivered unadorned.” The Cute Factor by Natalie Angier, “Science Times,” The New York Time

Here is an example of successful use of the “cute” factor:

Brian Carnahan, Vice President and Publisher of Oxmoor House, said, “The Smile and say ‘Cheesecake!’ package by designer Alice Taus and copywriter Melanie Dexter was a dynamite combination of offer, copy platform, and design. And the cute kid on the outer is a great hook.”

In fact, this jumbette and its cookie-premium predecessor (also by Taus and Dexter and also using a cute kid on the outer) beat everything tested against them for Southern Living’s recipe annual from September 2002 to December 2007.

Cute kids on the outers have been big winners for other Southern Living books, according to Carnahan. Yes, Southern Living’s 3 million plus audience tends to skew to the Southeast and be traditional, but there were many possible design choices for a cookbook package leading with the premium. It was Taus’ insight that led her to the perfect photo. As she said, “Who could resist?”

Once you open the package, though, cute kids are nowhere to be found. The cute kid photo did its job: It got the envelope opened.

If cute lizards can sell insurance, cute kids can surely help sell cookbooks. I think the evidence says it pays for us to put the power of “cute” into our trove of insights and tricks. You could think of cute as an automatic attention-grabber. But, of course, it depends on where you go with the attention once you’ve got it. You have to prove value fast.

[Ed. Note: Sandra J. Blum, President of Blum & Co. in Fairfield, CT, specializes in the creation and production of direct-response programs for clients whose products range from computers to design magazines.

Sandra brings experience in graphic design, copywriting, and all aspects of direct-mail strategy, including list selection, mailing services, and print buying. Her clients have included AC Nielsen, Aetna, Biography Magazine, Harlequin Enterprises LTD, the International Monetary Fund, J.P. Morgan Chase, National Geographic Society, Pitney Bowes, Price Waterhouse, Smithsonian, Tufts University Media, and VNU.]

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Quick Tip: Zip or StuffIt – File Compression Made Easy
By Marlena Lansdale

File compression is an indispensible tool in every graphic designer’s tool kit. If you plan on emailing large files – like PDFs for proofs, fonts, or graphics – file compression makes the task manageable.

But Macs and Windows use different file-compression programs. Macs use a program called StuffIt, and Windows uses a program called Zip. So before sending a compressed file, make sure you know whether the recipient uses a Mac or Windows.

Here’s an example of how problems can arise. A client sent me Mac fonts – in a Zip file – for a project I was working on. Although those fonts were for the Mac, I could not open them because the Mac system software I was using couldn’t uncompress the Zip file.

Things are a bit simpler now on the Mac side. If you are running a Mac using OS X 10.3 or newer, the system software will uncompress Zip files. Just control-click on the file and choose “Open with Archive Utility.”

If you run Mac system software OS X 10.2 or older, including OS 9, use Smith Micro Software’s free StuffIt Expander to do the job. You can download this valuable utility at http://my.smithmicro.com/mac/stuffitexpander/download.html.

If you’re on Windows, you can get a free version of StuffIt Expander that will let you expand StuffIt, Zip, and other compressed files in Windows at http://my.smithmicro.com/win/stuffit.html.

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EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

• A Great Opportunity for the Kid at Heart: Jada Toys, Inc. designs and manufactures high-quality radio-controlled cars. They have an opening for an entry-level graphic designer. You’ll work on a variety of design projects, from marketing materials to decals for the toys. You must be able to meet hard deadlines, prioritize in the face of multiple projects, and work well in a team environment. Experience with the Adobe Creative Suite is required. Send your resume and work samples to ben@jadatoys.com.
• High-End Gift Manufacturer in South Salem, NY Needs a Talented Designer: Michel Design Works manufactures and distributes gift items, including bath and body products, stationery, and home décor pieces. They need a full-time designer equally capable of designing marketing materials and beautiful packaging. You’ll work with a small team in a charming cottage just one hour from New York City. Send your resume, salary history and requirements, and work samples to bmichel@micheldesignworks.com.
• Specialty Ad Agency Needs Designer With Direct-Response Experience: Competitive Edge Specialty Manufacturing Company is an agency in Des Moines, IA that serves specialty products companies. They’re looking for a designer who can tackle a variety of projects, including direct mail, space ads, display materials, and more. Send your cover letter and resume to M. Neary at hr@compet.com.

COMING NEXT ISSUE:

• 4 Unexpected Ways to Immediately Improve Your Bottom Line
• Quick Tip: Spice Up Your Pictures With These Free Effects

* ABOUT INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN *

Inside Freelance Design is a FREE bi-weekly newsletter from American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.

© 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc.

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