Look What I'm Looking At

While reading 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People I had to chuckle at one of the simple stated facts: People look at what others are looking at.

It’s primitive. It’s undeniable. It’s hard to resist. And it’s something I experience nearly everyday on Highway 280 as traffic slows to take a look at the daily fender-bender. “What are all these people looking at?” We must know.

We can use this natural tendency for marketing, too. If you take a walk at Railroad Park and notice a group of people gathered at the pavilion, you will be drawn to see what’s going on there. The same applies to a demonstration in a grocery store, or an event. When I worked for an event marketing company, we made sure to feature crowds in the background of our photography. People look at what people are looking at.

It applies to art, too. I got a kick out of this installment in the sculpture garden at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Notice how the observers look at what the statues are looking at? They even become part of the installment. It’s as though they’re “next in line” to climb the pole to the clouds.

I even took my place in line when I snapped this photo:

The attraction is powerful if not downright irresistible. It's human nature to look at what others are looking at.

Have a good start to the week and see how you can apply this principle to your marketing in the weeks ahead.

#standingout #Branding #graphicdesign