The term big picture comes up all the time when designing a branded experience.​ But this article from Fast Co. Design made me think deeply about what it actually means.  The article states that the strength and realism of a product photograph goes a long way to making the sale since it removes a layer of consciousness. The next step for web sites, it says, is to simplify the interface to do the same in order to increase visits and sales.

So I thought, how are our images (renderings) doing at removing a layer of consciousness?​ We all render differently and include different levels of detail so I’ll let you all draw your own conclusions here. 

But then I kept digging.  The show floor is pure cacophony, hundreds of brands shouting at once to get your attention.  So once someone does focus on a single booth (and its message), what can you do to make the big picture abundantly clean, clear ​and engaging in less than five seconds?

Not convinced that a clean and clear message is the way to go?  Look at the iPad and Microsoft Surface commercials below and ask yourself this ​question, which commercial makes the product seem easy to use?  The busy one with many people in different colored outfits dancing around or the one point perspective on a white background.  By far, Apple wins here.  The commercial goes to great lengths to consider every facet of the production to echo the simplicity of the iOs interface.

The next time you are trying to figure out the big picture, think about how to differentiate it from everything around it and make it stand out from the crowd.​