Image Source: Tone + Co.
T.S. Elliot wrote about poetry once that “genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” Good design is the same way. Like music or poetry, design done well taps into something deep in the human heart. A universal language, it communicates before it is understood. It also creates an atmosphere of beauty and familiarity — an atmosphere in which loyal customers and donors can rest and feel at home in.
Because of these unique powers design has, it can be a mighty servant for the mission of Christian brands in two ways: firstly by drawing people in initially and then, secondly, by creating a pleasant space for them to rest in. In other words, good design is both the body language and the hospitality of good Christian brands. The unspoken first impression and the homespun beauty that makes you want to stay a while.
Ever opened a website for the first time that looks like it failed to load properly? Like something made in 2006 that was never updated? I have. My gut reaction is not to trust it. I normally leave the site pretty quickly. That is the power of the unspoken first impression. If design is the body language of a brand, bad design is crossed-arms and an uninterested face. The makers of bad design may not intend to communicate such stand-off-ishness. People who look unapproachable rarely intend to communicate that they do not want to be approached. Like body language, design is a very unforgiving language. It will communicate for us whether we mean it to or not. Thus, it is imperative that Christian brands get their design right and that they make sure it is done well. Otherwise, we risk turning people away before they even get to know us.
Say a Christian brand does have great design. Not only will that invite people in, but it will make them feel at home as they continue to interact with the company. Christians are called to show hospitality to others. Hospitality is about making people feel welcome and at-home in a space you own. Design can do that. Good design creates a world that customers and clients live in when they think about and interact with a brand. Like a house well-designed for hospitality, a brand well-designed for hospitality should be both beautiful and familiar. Think of a site you have visited for the first time which set you at ease when you saw it. Something clean. Something fun. Something meaningful and yet simple. Something you could navigate easily. You were shown good virtual hospitality through the design of that site. If Christ-centered brands neglect the importance of design, they not only risk turning seekers away at the door; they fail, in a sense, to provide good hospitality to those most loyal to them.
Wow, I love this! This is so true–the same thing goes for hospitality in the home. There is a company called Alabaster Co. that makes Bibles that are filled with artwork and have a very clean, welcoming look. Everything that is written is still scripture, but it’s presented in a manner that gives a good unspoken first impression, and then makes you feel at ease while there, like you talked about in your post. Super cool.
woah! This was so wonderful! Because I’m not very design oriented, I definitely have not thought at all about this topic. I think you are absolutely right though… when seekers are looking at Christians’ sites and graphics, etc. and they don’t live up to the expectations of the world- ie look like every other place out there- then how can we expect to draw them in and welcome them after such a bad first impression? In this case, we are setting ourselves apart but in a thoroughly negative sense. Thanks for this awesome post!
This is some wonderful cultural exegesis! It is interesting how humans make snap judgments on a first impression. I think focusing our attention on the aesthetics of Christian content can be just as important as the message itself. Context and design matters! Wonderful post.