The path of least resistance

The pathof least resistance© New Republique 2014

This is the story of my home town and the unspoken rules and behaviors of my community.

Our story beings here.

A laneway in my local area. Every week people from the surrounding streets dump rubbish here. In a way it’s become the community’s dumping ground.

If you’re Australian you will know that dumping is an illegal act.

What makes this story interesting is the fact that every month, the council sends in garbage trucks to pick up the dumped objects.

No one gets a !ne, no police are involved and no action is taken against the community.

It’s the perfect harmony of disorderly order. In a way, we (the community) have agreed that this is our local dump and the council has agreed to undertake an orderly monthly pick up.

Simply put this is a perfect example of the path of least resistance.

Fundamentally, we do this everyday. The human condition is to !nd the fastest path between two points and follow it. What is interesting is the willingness of others to follow.

This is no different to the way we navigate interactive assets.

It’s no different to how we assess, interpret and understand creative.

Primarily our job as creatives, CX designers, UX and UI designers is to design assets that allow a user to move from point A to point B in the most ef!cient way - physically, digitally and mentally.

The challenge is that as an industry, we focus heavily on macro elements rather than the micro elements which help the navigation process.

What I’m saying is, don’t sweat the big stuff, and focus on the little things that make the biggest difference.

As an industry, we need to spend more time focusing on how people navigate via content, rather than the primary navigation itself.

As an industry, we need to focus on the line “I’m on a horse”. The lines that make the ad memorable, rather than the entire ad itself.

Another example of micro-engagement is the rumor that couponing, not great creative, was responsible for the success of the Old Spice campaign.

Obama’s 2008 campaign focused on a range of social micro-engagement campaigns that drove grass roots supporters to align and drive change in the USA.

So, the moral of the story is...

The next time you design an ad, a digital asset or anything that needs mental, physical or virtual navigation - focus on creating micro pathways and engagement that deliver the greatest customer experience.

Or get yourself a winged cheetah!By Ted McCagg, September 27, 2010

About the Author:

My name is Nima Yassini. I am the CEO of creative agency New Republique located in Sydney Australia.

Since our inception our mission is to create a home for talent and ideas that change our world.

We have been fortunate to bring our magic to brands such as Coca-Cola, Zurich, University of Western Sydney.

Find out more about us at: www.newrepublique.com or contact us at +61 2 9332 2218