by james eskeldson
Stop. Before you continue please visit this site. I’ll wait… Ok, you’re back? Good. What was your first reaction? I bet 90% percent of you thought ‘WTF bro that shit is crazy!’ and you’d be right. It’s terrible. And that’s kind of the point. The Internet is full of good design, to the point where you don’t notice what is good because it’s all good. This is a really innovative way to make a site stand out. By making people step back and say ‘WTF?!’ Because on first appearance this site is really terrible visually, but when you look further you can see that a lot of thought and clever ideas went into this site’s / brand’s construction.
Does innovation alone make design ‘good’? Or is bad design always bad design?
While it is exciting, in a traditional sense this is still very bad design. But I think we should start looking beyond design in the traditional sense. This type of design is so bold in differentiating itself that it establishes a stronger visual presence than most popular design styles. Even the most respected design becomes boring when it’s a style we’ve gotten used to. If a company wants to make a strong mark with their brand, they need to start exploring ideas that, on first glance, might look bad. It’s an understandable impulse to build a brand image off something that is popular at the moment. But differentiation is more important than cheap and instant popularity. Being true to the individual nature of yourself / your brand will help you gain a stronger foothold in the minds of the public. If it’s different than what is out there, consider that a good thing. Don’t let the popular ideas of the present dictate where you take yourself / your brand in the future.
just ask fifty cent.
Des Kiraz is a definitely a niche brand that won’t appeal to everyone. But other brands should take note of the level of innovation and detail they put into their brand image. Their ‘WTF factor’ makes people stop and take notice. It makes them legit. Their fan base will have an emotional connection with them because they are a symbol of originality.
Des Kiraz scores a 9 out of 10 on the ‘WTF scale.’
Where do you score as a person / brand?
Do you (the person):
Establish your personal identity in a unique way?
Express yourself through something deeper than trends?
Have strong opinions that shape your worldview?
Do you (the brand):
Do things that set you apart from the crowd?
Think outside of what is popular at the moment?
Have a clear vision that dictates your decisions?
