For a while now I've been listening to Debbie Millman's 'Design Matters'. For those of you who don't know, it's a radio show about design, branding and sociology. I always find it really interesting, yesterday she interviewed Grant McCracken an Anthropologist. <br>

McCracken's been on the show several times before and ever since I heard his first interview, I've been paying close attention to anthropology and how it affects consumers, particularly when they are interacting with brands. I am both fascinated and a little scared of the power that designers have over people when it comes to designing and in particular when creating or rejuvinating brands.

The funny thing is, that I am a designer and I am completely aware of the way in which advertising, the media, popular culture, magazines, packaging and branding can manipulate our choices, but I'm also a voluntary victim that falls prey to it time and time again.
I guess it's just the way it is; we all want beatiful things that make us feel good.

Anyway, back to reason why I'm writing this blog entry. During the show, Debbie read a quote from one of McCrackens articles which I thought was fantastic!

" Branding is a process of meaning manufacture that begins with the biggest, boldest gestures of the corporation (see last entry for a treatment of Google's Gmail) and works its way down to the tiniest gestures.

This is one of the reasons that design matters. The look and the feel, the fit and the finish, the beautiful, the sensual, the tactile, design is an essential medium of the brand message. Good design captures, commandeers, takes control of every interface and interaction between the consumer and the brand, right down to the little sound that packages make when we close them. Click. This is a brand message. "

McCracken's blog 'This blog sits at the' is worth reading, it features some great articles.