As IHA girls, we are always busy are constantly multi tasking, with something always on our mind it is hard for us to be aware of all that is happening around us. Although we may not be cognisant of it, subconsciously our brain is analyzing our environment and this information plays a part in every decision we make. Blink also covered this topic, and we discussed in class how we can be primed in any situation to think a certain way by using enticing music, scents, or colors. The article
Why We Love Beautiful Things by Lance Hosey, not only discusses how instinctively we are attracted to beautiful things, but also how our genes play a role in our decision making process. According to the article, research shows that just looking at shades of green can increase of creativity and motivation because we associate the color green with promise and nourishment. A pleasant environment has also proven to increase our productivity, and in hospitals patients who have views of landscapes have had speedy recoveries.
This article also discusses how we have a subconscious attraction to the "golden rectangle"(dimensional of about 5 by 8), many ancient building and countless of today's most popular products contain this structure. Irregular, self- similar geometry that occur everywhere in nature have universal appeal and can also be found in the pattern of leaf veins and even in our own lungs. We are subconsciously interested in things that resemble important elements from our history. These shapes are proven to reduce stress and it is believed that if these shapes are integrated into every part of our lives billions could be made.
Looking back can you attributed what seemed like an impulse buy to the ambiance of the store? What other popular products have a "golden rectangle" shape, do you believe that its shape played a role in your purchase? Do you agree with the theory that we are attracted to patterns and shapes based on our genes?
Grace Landers
I do believe that the ambiance and setting of a store can be an impulse to go in a buy something. When I was on vacation, I was waiting in the Geneva airport and stores like Hermes and Ralph Lauren drew me in because of their colorful and sophisticated feel. And when thinking of a random and disorganized store, I would be less inclined to purchase clothes simply because of the unattractive feel. As far as the "golden rectangle" shape: jewelry comes in rectangle boxes, delicious candy bars are rectangular and even our iPhones. I am not sure if the rectangular shape does actually draw us in, but an appealing look can definitely increase desirability.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't know if genes can play a huge role in our attraction to patterns and shapes. My father loves striped ties and I hate them, my brother wears dark colors and I love bright ones. So I couldn't give a definite answer.
Stores definitely design the merchandise or the atmosphere to draw in customers. Like Jackie said, no one is going to be drawn in to a store with its clothes scattered and disorganized. That's one reason that Forever 21, although cheap and cute, sometimes turns me off because there is literally stuff everywhere and in no order.
ReplyDeleteAs far as being drawn to beauty, we talked about this in length in class from an evolutionary perspective. Beauty is a general indicator of good health, and obviously our ancestors would be drawn to these aspects because there is more chance of passing on your genes for the next generation. Where aesthetic beauty is concerned, we associate certain colors with emotions or situations that we project onto an object of that color.
I definitely think we are attracted to more familiar-looking items that resemble nature. It is most likely a evolutionary trait that developed over time. I think it is more of a cultural trait than a genetic trait; depending on the culture you are raised in, you will prefer different shapes. Geometrically similar shapes remind us of order, which could be a genetic or evolutionary preference. Like Jackie said, many of our everyday objects are rectangular shaped--I think a product would not be as appealing if it did not have some order of fluidity to its shape. All of our notebooks, textbooks, and laptops are rectangular shaped--and if they weren't, I doubt people would buy them. It would cause difficulty in daily life; a triangle-shaped iPhone would not fit into our pockets, and a circular shaped laptop would not fit well into our book bags. Our preferences come from an evolutionary background, and they allow for simple functioning.
ReplyDeleteI think that we are attracted to things that are familiar and to things that resemble order and structure. I think we had a similar discussion in class once when we were talking about attractiveness...we find faces that are the most symmetrical to be the most attractive. I think that it is just part of human nature to be attracted to things that are balanced and orderly. There is symmetry in nature and in our bodies, and so we feel most comfortable with things that resemble what is familiar. I agree with Ashley that in regard to stores, it is a turn off when a store seems chaotic and unorganized, regardless of the actual quality of the clothes the store is selling. Disorder just makes a bad impression. Conversely, we are instinctively more inclined to be attracted to a store that is organized and well put together. For example, while I love shopping at Nordstrom Rack because they sell Nordstrom quality clothing at extremely reduced prices, it just feels overwhelming when I walk into the store because it is, literally, like a rack. Things are scattered all over the floor, and there doesn't seem to be a great sense of order in the matter that merchandise is presented.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely some truth to "beauty is in the genes of the beholder." We are comfortable with things that are familiar to us. I've taken art for all four years and IHA and during Art I and Art II a lot of the times there were debates on certain forms of art, such as surrealism, where people immediately condemned pieces because the artist used such an "out there" style. People strike down things that aren't familiar or that are new and different. When you're shopping in a store, how many times to you pull things off the rack that are similar to things already in your closet and how many times to you walk past the most eccentric pieces? Like Megan was saying, would you rather shop in a store like Forever 21 where things appear to be arranged by color or a store like Marshall's where it's a hit or miss? Whenever I go shopping and I know I have a limited amount of time, I'll hit the same three stores every time, knowing I'll have success there. Is it because they're the best bargain or the best quality? Not at all! Stores are definitely designed to lure customers in - why would anyone waste time creating a window display otherwise? We like familiarity. People tend to go to the same restaurants or places over and over again because they are orderly and reliable and they make us feel comfortable. For example, whenever I go out with my friend Sue, we go to Starbucks, Crumbs, or the Daily Treat - all in Ridgewood - every time. It's just habit! Old habits die hard and people are perfectly okay with that.
ReplyDeleteI think that stores without a doubt design the merchandise and atmosphere to appeal to customers. People like to go into stores and see everything laid out neatly because this makes shopping much more easy. Just like Ashley, I have a hard time with Forever 21 because, although their clothing is cute and inexpensive, their store is too chaotic. Every time I walk into the store I see tables mounted high with unfolded clothing. For this reason, I have never bought anything from Forever 21. This kind of environment repulses me while clean and tidy stores draw me in.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to "beauty being in the genes of the beholder", I can find truth in this statement. Like discussed in class, attraction to certain people can be attributed to evolutionary survival. In the past, people looked for beautiful people because this was an indication of good health and good genes. Our ancestors found these people appealing because a good mix of genes would result in the offspring.
As far as colors and shapes are concerned, each is associated with a different emotion, mood or feeling. For example, red is associated with passion and rectangles are seen as being strong. Many everyday items are in this rectangular shape, like Iphones, textbooks, candy bars, beds and soo on.
I think that the ambiance of store definitely plays a role in what we buy. I agree with everyone when they say that they don't like to shop in forever 21 because the clothes are scattered throughout the store. There is a store near my house in Florida that is called The Pink Chalet and it is a boutique that is decorated pink and white all around. I have caught myself always looking for something to buy in this store because I like the way it looks.
ReplyDeleteI think that genes can play a factor in what patterns and shape we like. My family all likes similar patterns and shapes such as the vineyard vines whale or a Lilly Pulitzer print.
I do think that the shape of an object can play a role in a purchase. I think people are attracted to the geometric look of the rectangle. Some products that have this rectangular shapes are most touch screen phones, apple products, candy bars and Tiffany jewelry boxes.
When it comes to advertising products, stores choose products to sell and choose means to display them by appealing to what is pleasing to the eye. Symmetry and complementing colors not only attract a buyer, but make them want to buy more. J Crew and Vineyard Vines seem to have mastered this art of drawing in buyers and keeping them there. Upon first being drawn into the store, you can’t help but want to spend more time there! On the opposite end of the spectrum, stores like Forever 21or H&M are so cluttered and disorganized that the prospect of spending a few hours shopping there is daunting.
ReplyDeleteThis relates back to genetics: disorder, asymmetry and clashing colors indicate some sort of natural deficiency. Therefore, shopping at stores which lack displays and well thought out store layouts is a less enjoyable task. Conversely, shopping at stores like C. Wonder and Anthropolgie, which are kept organized with eye-pleasing displays, is an afternoon well spent. As products of natural selection, we tend to gravitate towards what appears healthy, organized and balanced, and shy away from what we anticipate may cause us anxiety.
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ReplyDeleteLike everyone here, I can definitely attribute many of my purchases simply to the setting or quality of the store. This is not only due to feeling comfortable in the store, but also because the neat and organized setting gives me a sense of confidence in what I'm buying. I know that the product I'm getting is exactly what I'm paying for in an organized store such as those mentioned previously, Anthropologie or C. Wonder, but when buying something from a sloppy store with clothes all over the place, I can't be entirely sure that the product is of good quality. After all, if the clothes were that nice, would the employees really leave them piling up on the tables?
ReplyDeleteI think that without even thinking about it specifically,we all have an inclination towards symmetry-- in the people we find attractive, in the products we buy, in the cars we drive, and in the houses we build-- everything looks and feels cleaner and more natural when it's organized. Because this trend transcends generations and cultures, I think there is strong evidence supporting the fact that such innate preferences are built by our genes.
I agree that the presentation of items definitely relate to how it catches our eye. We're naturally attracted to similar, geometric patterns that make sense. Just as organization is preferred in our own lives, it is also preferred in the things we see.
ReplyDeleteJust like many other people have testified, I also see myself prefer well-presented stores. Although some enjoy the rush of a great find, disorganization makes me feel scattered, and I'd rather pick something nicely folded off a counter than dig it out of a wrinkled pile. Even in store windows, a nice display can change whether a potential customer walks in or not. Geometric patterns surround our life, and it's no surprise that this particular one, found in our genes, relates to our attraction to patterns we see daily.
I agree with everyone that presentation is key. An organized, clean store is welcoming, however, I think that there are exceptions that prove the rule. Stepping into a boutique or antique store that is clean but jumbled can be fun, you never know what you are going to find. You want things to be organized to an extent so that you know you aren't buying poorly treated junk, but searching through items to find something special has appeal.
ReplyDeleteThis exception proves the rule because ordinarily you want to easily find the clothing and size you are looking for, but an occasional break from that norm can be fun
I agree that the way things look and are presented affect what I buy. I can't stand when a store is a cluttered mess because I feel like it reflects on the quality of the product. When a store presents their product in neat and organized ways, I feel more positively about the item and am more inclined to buy it. I think that it is hard for us to look past appearances when making purchases, because many times all we know about the product is what we see in the store, so we are basing our decision off our impressions and feelings. Like others have mentioned, I think that we tend to like more symmetrical, beautiful things because of our biology. We associate these qualities with health and life, which we are drawn to.
ReplyDeleteI agree that ambiance means everything in how you would rate your expierience somewhere. I know that I personally cannot shop in disorganized stores and that I tend to choose restaurants based on their decor. I'm not saying a shabby-looking restaurant can't have good food, but I just can't bring myself to prefer a boring-looking restaurant with great food over a super fun restaurant with mediocre food. I think that I, like most humans, am a very visual creature- so if I don't like what I see, I probably won't like what I eat either.
ReplyDeleteThe way things appear and the environment of different situations definitely plays a role in the overall impression we get and can influence our decisions. As others have said, the way things in a store are presented and the overall vibe we get from the colors or music in a store have an effect of whether or not we will buy something. I recently went to a spa with my mom and the environment in the waiting room was so peaceful with soft music, paintings of different colors or scenes in nature, and the sound of trickling water. The ambiance really contributed to the overall experience of feeling relaxed and at ease. As far as the shape of objects, I think the small rectangle shape is attractive to people because it is small enough to hold and is symmetrical. This is why so many popular objects that everyone has mentioned are in this shape and size.
ReplyDeleteThe ambiance of a store is definitely an important factor of the success of the store. As explained in the article, people love when things are balanced and symmetrical. Stores that do a good job of balancing the store out and laying the products out in an orderly fashion appeal to me and make me want to stay in there longer. When I spend more time in a store, I take my time to look at everything in the store and most likely end up buying something. When something looks appealing, you always want to spend more time looking at it, so it is important for stores to make their displays orderly and appealing to the eye.
ReplyDeleteThe appealing "golden rectangle" shape must be part of the reason that everyone loves apple products. All the iPods and iPhones have this shape, which easily fit in a person's hand. Not only does the shape appeal to the eye, but it also appeals to the shape of a hand.
I have definitely bought something just because of the ambiance of the store. There are some stores that just draw you in and almost hypnotize you to fall in love with every item. If the store puts a little more into its decoration it will make it seem higher end. Whereas, if there were couture items in store that looked like a dump, you may be less inclined to buy something. The same could go for restaurants. Fancy restaurants with not so great food will get more business than a dive with great food. People like the ambiance, they pay for the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThe mosaic design of a leaf pops up a lot in our world. It is in stained glass windows, churches and tiles. The different shapes and colors catch our eye. The design looking like the veins of a leaf also probably subconsciously draws us to it.
I definitely agree with this. Personally, I often chose to buy a product at a store that is more bright and colorful, regardless of the quality of the product itself. For example, although Haagen Dazs has great tasting fro-yo, I am much more likely to chose to go to Red Mango, because the store has an interesting logo, has red couches and tables in it, and is very bright inside. The Haagen Dazs in my town, on the other hand is a small store with neutral colors and dim lighting. Even though the yogurt may be similar, I am much more likely to choose Red Mango because of the pleasing environment.
ReplyDeleteThe design in a product or store definitely has an effect on its audience. For example, Abercrombie is known for being very dark and have loud music. When I was younger, I thought that this was the coolest thing ever and it smelled really good but on the contrary, my grandma hated going in that store. She felt as though the store gave her a headache and it was dark because they did not want you to see how expensive something were for the parents. I am a very visual person so if a store looks organized and clean than I am more inclined to go in it than a store that looks messy. Similar to most people, I think it is very important to have something that is appeasing to the eye. Unique ideas weather it is in the store or how the store looks will definitely bring more costumers in.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that naturally, humans prefer objects that are clean cut and simple. It's in our genes to choose objects that will help us survive. In the past, it was always safer to choose an object that was easy to figure out and familiar over something that was more complex. This is translated in how humans live today. I think the majority of people are more comfortable eating a circular chocolate chip cookie over an elaborately molded pastry with unknown ingredients. I also think people are more inclined to buy a regularly shaped bottle of perfume over a weirdly shaped bottle with a strange design. So I would agree that our tendency to pick known items, shapes, and colors over those that are strange is an inherent genetic habit started in the past as a method of protection.
ReplyDeleteI think the ambiance of a store definitely makes a big difference in the appeal of the items the store sells. I've had numerous occasions where I shopped at a store with a welcoming, cool ambiance and purchased outfits that I disliked the second I got home. I've also had the opposite experience as well. In one store, the dressing room was dim, and the mirrors were unflattering, and the ambiance of the dressing room made me hate every single item of clothing I tried on, and I eventually left the store empty handed. Although ambiance consists of relatively small details, it can make an imperative difference in the appeal and popularity of the store.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the "golden rectangle" shape has played a role subconsciously in my past purchases. I think that it's human nature to find symmetrical items aesthetically pleasing. Although it's a relatively small detail, I believe that symmetry and order plays a great role in what we perceive to be attractive. I also believe that our attraction to symmetrical and balanced patterns is attributed to our genes. I agree with the other posts above that our attraction to these patterns most likely results from an evolutionary process. When it comes down to it, the aesthetically pleasing appearance of an object outweighs the actual quality.
While I think this is an interesting study, and I believe there is some truth to it, I don't know if I buy into the whole thing. I feel like a person's personality would have a lot to do with whether or not they prefer symmetry and order. Some people who are "outside the box" thinkers may enjoy a little hectic color or patterns. Hipsters are a perfect example of this. They mix and match unlikely colors and accessories that don't necessarily balance or mesh, but it is a huge trend right now. I think that this study would apply more closely to a person who enjoys being organized and likes to have things planned. A more imaginative person may be the opposite.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Julia. While I do believe that color and shapes play a huge role in what people purchase, I think that certain things will vary based on gender, age, and personality. While green might make me feel calmer, that doesn't mean it looks good on my pale white skin, therefore, I don't normally buy green clothes. There is a lot to be said to marketing a product based on these ideas but it all comes down to what we are attracted to and what a person will buy. Genes might play a role in what we buy but each person has slightly different genes, therefore these ideas would be different for each person.
ReplyDeleteI do think that I've been attracted to stores because of their ambiance but not necessarily to buy stuff in them and I've certainly gone into stores that are nightmares in regards to ambiance and bought things on an impulse- for example I usually run in and out of Hollister in a few minutes because I can't stand the darkness, disorganization, and the overpowering perfume, but I usually get something on an impulse simply because I like it. I do think that the golden rectangle shape plays into a lot of different items but like Julia said it can vary per person what they like and are attracted too. I also think that this can vary by culture- look at Ikea, a Swedish-owned chain furniture store, it has a wide variety of shapes in it's furniture pieces.
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