working toward a GLOBAL VISUAL LANGUAGE

At hillmancurtis.com, we try to move away from traditional text-based motion graphics whenever we can. Although it's not always possible or fitting ”for instance, the client might have specific brand messaging required to be conveyed ”major benefits are reached with a more universal approach. Many of our clients don't want to create multiple sites or interstitials (an industry term for advertisements); it's far preferable to design a site or ad that transcends cultural differences. Everyone who posts a web site has a hand in developing and defining this new global visual language. Here's a very raw example of an early adopter of G.V.L.: A site I went to by mistake consisted of a single link that read "Click here to see what I think of Ford trucks ." When I clicked that link, I saw a Ford logo and an animated GIF of a beer-bellied cartoon character who then proceeded to pee on the Ford logo. Okay pretty bad example from a design standpoint, but who is not going to understand the message anywhere in the world? I chose this as an example because it illuminates the basic principal of G.V.L. ”simple universal symbology combined with motion ”and it also serves to support my point that the development of this language is an organic process, an evolution that we all have a part in. Our process is to try to identify opportunities when we can communicate in G.V.L. within any given spot we might be designing.