Clarity and Simplicity in Your Marketing
From an interview with Steven Soderbergh:
BLVR: What is the hardest thing about filmmaking?
SS: I will say, and coming from someone who’s made some of the movies and TV I’ve made, it may seem disingenuous—but the hardest thing in the world is to be good and clear when creating anything. It’s the hardest thing in the world. It’s really easy to be obscure and elliptical and so f*cking hard to be good and clear. It breaks people. Because you don’t often get encouragement to do that, to be good and clear.
Ah, clarity. Another one of my favorite quotes is from the martial artist Bruce Lee:
The height of cultivation runs to simplicity. Halfway cultivation runs to ornamentation.
And of course from Albert Einstein:
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Your website, your messaging, your emails, your advertising… what is extraineous? What can be removed and still transmit the message?
Study after study shows people don’t read online… they generally “scan” the page in a “F” shaped pattern… How can you simplify, and use a simple visual heirarchy to become as clear as possible?
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Comments
Hello Michael,
Thanks for the comment. I’ve seen several studies in this area, mostly around eyetracking/heatmap research. Here is Jakob Nielsen’s “F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content” article, based on his Eyetracking Research for clients. He even has a book on Eyetracking Web Usability, although I haven’t read it.
I hope you find this useful! Eyetracking as a research method is a facinating subject for me… I’d love to be able do use it for a client’s project. Many issues/opportunities that would otherwise be quite difficult to uncover could be found via eyetracking.
Good luck, let me know if you get any interesting results.
Charlie
Thank you Charlie!
I’m really excited of you taking the time and sharing the links. They are fascinating! I started as designer out of school and I remember an Instructor saying something similar. Now that I’m in design for multiple mediums I’ve learned the value of doing things according to research and study ;-) I’ve added your RSS feed to my watch list.
Thanks so much
Michael ( Number 157638 )
Hi,
I found your article from your comment on the excellent read at http://www.guuui.com/issues/01_07.php. I am very curious about the studies you make mention of in your statement:
“Study after study shows people don’t read online… they generally “scan” the page in a “F” shaped pattern”
Can you please point me to the references or add them to your post? I’m always researching and want to also check out the studies.
Thanks Charlie!
Sincerely,
Michael ( Number 157638 )