Principles of Design #35 – Anthropomorphic Form
We’re only human
Anthropomorphism is a strong tendency for all of us to find forms that appear human-like to exhibit human characteristics more appealing. We tend to attribute such characteristics to animals, non-living objects, material states and abstract concepts (including organisations, spirits and deities, and the term anthropomorphism was coined in the mid 1700s to describe this behaviour. Such behaviour extends to animals, plants, forces of nature (wind, rain, sun) and we all tend to depict these as creatures with human motivations and characteristics. Such behaviour is very common in the arts and storytelling and mythology.
Our minds are predisposed to perceive certain forms and patterns as like us, especially when they resemble face and body proportions. In design and marketing, this principle is an effective way of gaining attention and establishing and forming relationships based on emotional appeal.
Bottling up emotional appeal
The effect is very well demonstrated by the design of three different bottles. The classic 1915 Coca-Cola contour bottle broke with the conventional straight and featureless bottles of its day, to show very feminine proportions and stylised shape (it is often referred to as the “Mae West” bottle because of its shape). The bottle also projects health, vitality, sexiness and femininity coming from its distinctly female human shape. It definitely gets attention, just like Mae West. As she said, “Cultivate your curves – they may be dangerous but they won’t be avoided.”
Anthropomorphic forms do not always need human face or body characteristics to be successful. Baby bottles such as the Adiri Natural Nurser look and feel like a female breast, eliciting positive associations and emotions relating to naturalness and care, making them the perfect choice for parents (when compared with traditional inorganic shaped bottles). And things that look better will always be judged to have better performance (the Aesthetic-Usability principle).
One famous example of an anthropomorphic form is the Method Dish Soap bottle, nicknamed the “dish butler”, which transformed the perception of dish soap bottles from utilitarian containers (normally hidden from sight) to appealing sculptures which could be proudly displayed in your kitchen. Check what you think of the different designs in the picture below. Does the one on the far left stand out? Its large bulbous head triggers a baby-face biased reaction which reinforces its aesthetic appeal and associations such as honesty, safety and purity. The labelling of the bottle appears around the ‘chest’ region with a round logo on top, which can look a little like a superhero costume. This design is much more than a dish soap bottle, and feels like a sophisticated and clean piece of art.
Humanise your design
Designers and marketers can use anthropomorphic forms to attract attention and create a stronger emotional connection with customers. More abstract anthropomorphic forms often work better than more realistic ones, with greater aesthetic appeal. Feminine body proportions tend to create associations of sexuality and vitality. Angular masculine anthropomorphic forms are associated with masculine aggressive associations and rounded anthropomorphic forms can elicit baby like associations (read more here).
REFERENCES
Principles of Design, Revised and Updated by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden and Jill Butler (2010)
