Good design builds trust

The other night, my roommate showed me some of his favorite k-pop videos on YouTube. As we were browsing, he suddenly got excited. It turns out, one of his favorite k-pop groups had just released a new music video.

Between the k-pop group and him, there was an implicit agreement. In return for his consistent viewership, the group would deliver high quality content he valued.

This agreement is a sort of mutual trust between parties. K-pop groups rely on it to sustain their popularity.

Similarly, good design builds trust between products and users. When a product has finish and polish, it builds trust. When a product offers value, it builds trust.

Imagine if you couldn’t trust the products that you use today. Would you ever shop online again? Would you ever book a flight online again?

Trust reduces friction between users and products. It guarantees smooth transactions.

Both value as well as fit and finish are vital to building trust. Value comes in many forms, including monetary, emotional, and entertainment value. In products, people often times derive functional and sometimes monetary value.

Good design effectively uses color

K-pop videos are full of vibrant colors. These are great for visual inspiration. From the set design to even the hair of the idols, colors are carefully coordinated.

Here are a few examples of how color is as motifs and devices for visual communication.

Here is a scene from the music video titled Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms by IU.

The red umbrella stands out against the neutral background. It immediately draws your attention to the singer. If there’s one thing that you remember after watching the video, it’s the red umbrella.

Color can be a powerful tool to direct people’s eyes.

Lion Heart by Girls Generation also uses color effectively.

The intent of the colors in the video was to create a dreamy feel. However, the video goes a step farther in post processing. Notice how the film was color graded to accentuate the desired aesthetic.

In design, color can create specific aesthetics. Different levels of saturation and vibrancy will give you different feels. Consider what look you want to go for before choosing a color palette.

Crush by Zion T. is an example of how lack of color can be just as powerful as an abundance of color.

Black and white in this video create a dramatic feel. With less color, your focus is on the actors and the objects within the scene.

Black and white can be powerful in design. Without excess color, there are fewer distractions. For example, in their latest redesign, Instagram chose a black and white design so users can focus on what’s important: the pictures.