<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4158" title="JohnFarrar" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnFarrar.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /> By John F.Bold Graphic Techniques Stand Out on the Road, On Shelf, and Online

Approaching the Holland Tunnel from New Jersey recently, I noticed something unusual (other than the $8 toll): BP had done something to stand out from the crowd of gas stations that line the approach to the Tunnel. By framing only a portion of their logo on the sign above the station, BP's makes an impactful statement that draws motorists' attention upwards as they whiz toward New York (Image 1) Traditionally, altering a logo has been a corporate design no-no. A company’s logo was a symbol of its stature and was to be treated as precious object.

I was struck by a similar decision Coke had made in their limited-edition Diet Coke package from last fall. (Image 2) Taken together, these are two examples of trends in Corporate and Packaging Design that have designers using bold graphic techniques that until recently were more common in editorial, book and information design.

Here are three examples of these trends and why I think they will continue to be attention-getting and relevant to audiences moving forward.

01.    Dramatic Cropping and Energized Negative Space
Cropping a familiar logo can maximize visual impact in limited spaces and crowded environments. Additionally, bold shapes and colors are energized when juxtaposed against dramatic negative space. Finally, the framed edges create dramatic new tensions, and obscuring part of the design grabs attention and compliments the visual sophistication of viewers by assuming they can fill in the missing pieces – or, at least, pick up and turn the package. (images 3/ 4)

02.    Prominent Editorial-Style Typography
Setting type on packages and logos in simple bold paragraphs (images 5/6) or by using editorial touches like a period on a logo or underlining a brand name (images 6/7) stands out in its simplicity and implies a ‘story’ behind the brand. Setting type in a minimally customized text font in a simple but bold configuration appears fresh and without being overly stylized. (image 8)

03.    Color Coding, Numbering, and Scientific Notation
Brands have often used colors and numbers to differentiate products; these recent examples have isolated or emphasized these graphic devices to reinforce ease of use and straightforward customer experience. (images 9/10) Scientific and typographic notational devices like parenthesis, superscript/subscript and abbreviation signal similar seriousness of purpose, perhaps without even having any practical
significance. (images 11/12)

Where do these trends come from? Graphic flatness, typography and scientific appropriation have been trends in fine art for 30 years.  (images 13-16) And book and editorial designers have employed graphic techniques like dramatic cropping and experimental typography to create viewer interest. (images 17/18) Recently, designers like Andrew Kuo and Nicholas Felton (image 19/20) have appropriated the look of science to map their personal lives, thereby creating entertaining parody and ironic dissonance between style and subject matter. A gridded, clean arrangement of cropped images is quickly becoming a graphic standard in the layout of social media (images 21/22)

Where are they going? Taken together, these trends have increased the visual sophistication of audiences. They have created an expectation that brands want to be perceived as game-changers that will employ adventuresome graphic techniques that stretch category conventions. They also indicate to consumers that these brands speak the language of design and customer experience and not just selling and marketing. As Apple has proven, this can create a desired brand and product in today’s market.