MAD in... Webdesign

I've been blabbering about how M.A.D is part and parcel of everyday life. But, what about something more related to the creative industry?

Thought I'd start with webdesign (since it's something that I've had my nose in a couple times). How is M.A.D integrated into designing a simple, say, blogskin?

Well, let's first talk about the process of designing a blogskin.

You come up with a theme for your blog (or maybe you based the theme something you've created). From the theme, you conceptualize which parts of the blog goes where, and what content should be given a space on the skin. After you've decided what content is in and what is out, you proceed to lay the skin (ie. Layout of the blogskin). After you do the layout, you would either apply it to your own blog, or upload it onto, say, blogskins.com and hope that viewers like your blogskins and download them.


Now, let's split up the elements:

1. Design - the skin itself, the layout of the skin

2. Marketing - the conceptualization of the theme and what content is in, what content is out.

3. Advertising - uploading it onto a portal for others to view and download.

Now, what about if you use it on your own blog?

Chances are, if you use it on your own blog, you want to achieve:

1. Visual Appeal
2. Drive more traffic to your blog
3. Possibly some comments from viewers on how well done the skin is.

Knowing what you want to achieve is equivalent to Marketing. After you've applied the skin, you'd probably blast out to your friends, "Hey! I've just changed my blogskin! Go take a look!" That's Advertising.

So you see? Even in the simplest, and non-profit, design, M.A.D comes into play, whether you realise it or not.

Posted by: Vivienne, Programme Executive, School of Communication + Design

MAD in Everyday Life

Many of you do not realize that, as long as there is design, there is marketing and advertising components intertwined within as well. What constitutes a good design? I guess the most general and all-encompassing answer would be something that appeals to the masses ( in general, as not all are inclined to view the same piece of art in the same light).

Think about it. What are some of the most common types of design you see everyday? I would have to say that one of the most prominent ones is image design.

What do I mean by IMAGE DESIGN? I mean you. Designing you persona. You do realize that it is a design in itself? What you choose to wear, how you choose to package yourself. PACKAGE. That's what image design is about. It's how you choose to PACKAGE yourself.

And how do you go about choosing how to PACKAGE yourself? You try to appeal. Who to? Everyone. So you think through your choices, what do you want others to see in you? That's the MARKETING part. You do your "research" (in this case, what are the traits the society view as GOOD?) and you work towards reaching out to your target (in this case, the society in general).

After you got your clothes chosen and nicely ironed out based on the decisions you made earlier, you put them on and leave the house, projecting your image with confidence. That's ADVERTISING for you. The execution of the idea, the theory.

THAT's everyday Marketing, Advertising, Design for you.

Posted by: Vivienne, Programme Executive, School of Communication + Design