The readings for this class infiltrate my daily life more than any other assigned readings I’ve ever had, perhaps because they apply directly to things I see and do every day. Today I went shopping for new glasses. For big purchases, I’m a very deliberate shopper, at least, I like to think that I am. I check prices, examine quality, read Consumer Reports, check online reviews. It took me two weeks to figure out which tires I would buy for my car (happy so far) and more than a month to choose a digital camera (not enamored). But last night, I read about choices in Neuro Web Design and I can’t help but wonder if I should just make a snap decision about a $250 pair of glasses. Chances are, I’ll be at least as satisfied as if I go to Greenville and try on every pair in every eyewear store in town. And if I do make a snap decision, will my shopping persona begin to change?
And the types of choices we make! Conscious, unconscious, influenced, not. I kept thinking about the “marshmallow test” that got quite a lot of web play a couple of years ago. There are several versions of the test (including parodies, of course) in which children are offered the choice of one marshmallow now or two marshmallows later if they can only resist the one marshmallow now. The one marshmallow that is sitting on a plate in front of them without any adults around to influence their choice. The general idea is that the kids who wait are more likely to be successful later in life because they can delay gratification and work for their goals. But if you watch any of the videos, you can actually see these kids thinking. One marshmallow now? Or two if I wait? I can wait because I want two. But what if I wait and don’t get two? What if I don’t get any?
And are they really making a bad choice if they eat the marshmallow?
Such a tough decision. In the coming weeks, as we work with Ripple of One, we’ll be examining choices very carefully. Our own choices, naturally, because we’ll be writing and producing a video, but we’ll also be thinking about how to influence the choices of the viewers. We want viewers to choose to donate their time or money to a very specific non-profit organization. Why should they choose this organization over any other? What will they get out of it? When people give, the question is not usually “what’s in it for me?” but “how will this benefit the world that I live in?” And in the case of Ripple of One, we’re working with an organization that is attempting to re-form the way some people make decisions by offering tangible benefits if they change.
I’ve been turning over ideas for this video ever since we heard about the project in class. And with every reading, I change the approach I want to take. My first instinct was to use statistics. I’m comfortable with numbers and they often mean something to me. But the Credibility segment of Made to Stick made me look a little more closely at statistics and how they’re used. Some numbers are going to turn up (I can’t help it!) but I’m going to attempt to make them familiar and friendly. When we watched the current Ripple of One video, the repeated use of “they” and “them” struck me as isolating when it might be more profitable to unite the viewer with the subject. Chapter 6 in Neuro Web Design tells me that it’s all about me, or at least that I want it to be all about me, so I’m now reconsidering some of the wording I used while I was eliminating the “theys”. It’s a good thing we read about emotional appeals in Made to Stick before we got to Neuro Web Design or I might well be trying to work food, sex and danger into an appeal for a non-profit.
So many things to consider. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s storyboards. And choosing one!
I mean I thought we should use sex for a non-profit, didn't you? Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI thought the segment of Neuro Web Design (btw, this really bugs me that in the comment section I can't italicize the book) that says to use "you" was quite interesting, as I've never been taught to write that way. As an English major, I've always learned that using "you" in a paper can be offensive and look elementary. According to my professors, who am I to say what the reader is thinking or doing? I think they're right in that sense. Several times when I'm editing articles for the magazine, writers will use you (i.e. "You don't want to procastinate when planning your party.") and my first thought is, "I don't? What if I do? How do you know?" I always get rid of it and change it to phrases such as, "Procrastinating when planning a party can be stressful."
Therefore, I'm still a bit hesitant in using "you" in our Ripple of One video, as I feel like it may induce the same type of reaction. However, I do agree with the writer that it causes the reader to feel as if "it's all about me," which can be a good thing. I think we just need to be careful in how we use it. Saying "You want to donate" may not be good; instead, saying "You can change this woman's life" would be much more successful.