Comments on: So it’s out with the old and in with the…. toothpaste? http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/ Commentary and Analysis for User-Centered Technology Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: miles thompson http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10640 miles thompson Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:25:58 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10640 would've voted for "perhaps a little staid, but conveying solidity and prudence in these difficult times" but since this had become "Just a sad, sad attempt to be hip - FAIL" i ended up voting for hte other one - i mean the design is nice. would’ve voted for “perhaps a little staid, but conveying solidity and prudence in these difficult times” but since this had become “Just a sad, sad attempt to be hip – FAIL” i ended up voting for hte other one – i mean the design is nice.

]]> By: the good designer http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10383 the good designer Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:16:41 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10383 Most people who have commented on the redesign are focusing on the logo, and are missing the bigger picture. It's adapted from a custom typeface, commissioned by the bank, directed by DNA Design, and developed by Kris Sowersby, and will be public licensed in 2013. http://klim.co.nz/custom_serrano.php So yes, the nuts and bolts of the design work were done in Wellington. That's about the only thing that you were right about on this, but you are entitled to be critical. The 'piggy tail' is fairly controversial, and I'm surprised they were bold enough to throw something like this out there. Most people who have commented on the redesign are focusing on the logo, and are missing the bigger picture. It’s adapted from a custom typeface, commissioned by the bank, directed by DNA Design, and developed by Kris Sowersby, and will be public licensed in 2013.

http://klim.co.nz/custom_serrano.php

So yes, the nuts and bolts of the design work were done in Wellington. That’s about the only thing that you were right about on this, but you are entitled to be critical. The ‘piggy tail’ is fairly controversial, and I’m surprised they were bold enough to throw something like this out there.

]]> By: Clem http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10328 Clem Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:27:31 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10328 So does anyone know who is behind this example of yet another 'attack of the friendlies'? So does anyone know who is behind this example of yet another ‘attack of the friendlies’?

]]> By: Phil http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10327 Phil Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:21:41 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10327 I'm not a huge fan of the actual brand change, but it has some fascinating aspects to it that other rebranded efforts lack. When I released our (National Bank) site, we discovered that one of the primary considerations needed to be page size. Our site is large, weighing in at 470kb. ASB weigh in at a hefty 660kb. BNZ manage to keep their lean 140kb with the addition of some better imagery and a couple of minor bells and whistles. I'm not a huge fan of their layout. Can't quite see what their motives might have been for retaining the narrow, left-aligned 800x600 page size. I'm not overly impressed with the apparent uncertainty about their corporate colour scheme. I see blues of all different flavours, pink, yellow and even a splash of green thrown in for good measure. ASB, ANZ and National all stick quite clearly to a known palette. In short, I think your poll is perhaps a little too polar. I think that BNZ might very well have taken a shot at being modern and "funky" [god, how I hate that word] only to misfire. However, I think that if you put the actual logo aside, the larger picture of their rebranding effort at least suggests an understanding that they need to move ahead. Granted they get an "E" for execution, but it's a reasonable attempt. I wonder if all the other banks had all the good design companies booked up for the last 6 months? Incidentally - National engaged with a design company in March, with a final design agreed in April, project team formed and working by May and site released in September. That's 4 months of actual development work, with about 6 in total planning (or lack thereof). The BNZ may have rushed their results in about the same timeframe once they heard the competition were already working on a spruce-up? I’m not a huge fan of the actual brand change, but it has some fascinating aspects to it that other rebranded efforts lack.

When I released our (National Bank) site, we discovered that one of the primary considerations needed to be page size. Our site is large, weighing in at 470kb. ASB weigh in at a hefty 660kb. BNZ manage to keep their lean 140kb with the addition of some better imagery and a couple of minor bells and whistles.

I’m not a huge fan of their layout. Can’t quite see what their motives might have been for retaining the narrow, left-aligned 800×600 page size. I’m not overly impressed with the apparent uncertainty about their corporate colour scheme. I see blues of all different flavours, pink, yellow and even a splash of green thrown in for good measure. ASB, ANZ and National all stick quite clearly to a known palette.

In short, I think your poll is perhaps a little too polar. I think that BNZ might very well have taken a shot at being modern and “funky” [god, how I hate that word] only to misfire. However, I think that if you put the actual logo aside, the larger picture of their rebranding effort at least suggests an understanding that they need to move ahead. Granted they get an “E” for execution, but it’s a reasonable attempt.

I wonder if all the other banks had all the good design companies booked up for the last 6 months?

Incidentally – National engaged with a design company in March, with a final design agreed in April, project team formed and working by May and site released in September. That’s 4 months of actual development work, with about 6 in total planning (or lack thereof). The BNZ may have rushed their results in about the same timeframe once they heard the competition were already working on a spruce-up?

]]> By: M Freitas http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10325 M Freitas Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:14:02 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10325 Bad attempt at being hip. Ugly thing... Bad attempt at being hip. Ugly thing…

]]> By: Ben Kepes http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10324 Ben Kepes Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:03:54 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10324 @Mike 1) The markets may not be crumbling but they're getting closer 2) Yup - I'm a customer and have been for, oh, 25 years 3) Yeah I know - but I wanted to drop Logan Brown in there and I don't know the name of any flash restaurants at Viaduct Basin So there ya go! @Mike

1) The markets may not be crumbling but they’re getting closer
2) Yup – I’m a customer and have been for, oh, 25 years
3) Yeah I know – but I wanted to drop Logan Brown in there and I don’t know the name of any flash restaurants at Viaduct Basin

So there ya go!

]]> By: Mike Riversdale http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10323 Mike Riversdale Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:57:05 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10323 BNZ re-brand - eh, whatever. "just as financial markets were crumbling around the world" - I think you had a visit from Mr Hysterical that talks with a Fox News accent ;-) Oh, "Our" - if you're a customer sure you could think that, otherwise I think you'll find it's Australian. As for the how long it took and where it originated from I'd look more to months not years and further north than Wellington (head office of marketing is - clue, it's been in the news recently, unfortunately) BNZ re-brand – eh, whatever.

“just as financial markets were crumbling around the world” – I think you had a visit from Mr Hysterical that talks with a Fox News accent ;-)

Oh, “Our” – if you’re a customer sure you could think that, otherwise I think you’ll find it’s Australian.

As for the how long it took and where it originated from I’d look more to months not years and further north than Wellington (head office of marketing is – clue, it’s been in the news recently, unfortunately)

]]> By: Ben Kepes http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10320 Ben Kepes Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:09:57 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10320 @Jim - I couldn't agree more - but then again we're both showing our age saying that! @Jim – I couldn’t agree more – but then again we’re both showing our age saying that!

]]> By: Jim Donovan http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10318 Jim Donovan Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:29:49 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10318 Actually I think it was the ANZ that first set up shop. I've seen the safe that landed at Petone. But I do wonder at the decision to go ahead - after all this crisis has been building for nearly a year, so I'd have though a solid respectable image would have been a good thing to maintain right now. And what baloney about "our warm image". Some self delusion there I think. How about Telecom rebranding with a Jack Russell as its logo? Actually I think it was the ANZ that first set up shop. I’ve seen the safe that landed at Petone. But I do wonder at the decision to go ahead – after all this crisis has been building for nearly a year, so I’d have though a solid respectable image would have been a good thing to maintain right now. And what baloney about “our warm image”. Some self delusion there I think. How about Telecom rebranding with a Jack Russell as its logo?

]]> By: John Hart http://www.diversity.net.nz/so-its-out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-toothpaste/2008/10/02/comment-page-1/#comment-10316 John Hart Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:40:36 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/?p=1874#comment-10316 Lipstick on a pig? Lipstick on a pig?

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