Looking Without Really Seeing

Something I look at every day, without really seeing is illy coffee. Every morning I reach for my can of illy, fine ground for espresso machines, and my stove-top press. There is something about this morning ritual that makes my mind wander, pondering all of the people all over the world who choose to make their morning coffee in this same slow and ritualistic manner. There is something about the silver can, the sleek rounded design, and very simple logo that evokes something rather old-fashioned,  something rather euro-chic. It brings to mind the shiny chrome and bright colors of the 1950's and 60's when air travel became possible for middle class America, and traveling overseas became an adventure that produced the most beautiful stories to related upon returning home. Stories about quaint cafes, and charming locals who served the most fantastic espresso - or so I imagine...

The first chapter of WSINYE discusses the topic of "dated" design, and in the case of illy coffee, I feel the somewhat dated design is intentional. The red box used in the logo has been around for decades, the font within has changed from time to time, but the red box has always been consistent, as has a fairly "art deco" type of design on the coffee tins, posters, and other marketing materials. I feel that maintaining this general design throughout the years has been an intentional act, designed to evoke a connection to the product's history in people like me.

The definition of Visual Literacy that Brian Kennedy provided n his TED talk is "The ability to construct meaning from images." I feel this is definitely the case with the illy designs. For one thing, the text on the can could be written in any language, and I would still understand the contents within. Specifically, I seek out this can:

 

It's the one with the black band, and it means that it is espresso ground for an espresso maker. The color of the band denotes what type of coffee is inside. The band used for whole bean coffee is another color, as is the band for decaffeinated coffee, and so on. I can walk into a busy market and spot the can I need on the shelf without trouble, and without actually having to read any of the text on the can. As I pondered the can this morning, I realized that if I thought about it, I can smell the espresso, and see the color of it as it foams through my coffee press, just by looking at the can.

Later in the day, I started thinking about something else Kennedy said, "The digital age has changed everything for visual literacy." I decided to test that theory by doing a google search for "Coffee silver can red logo" - I hit the search button, and sure enough, the results yielded not only illy coffee cans, but images of the vintage espresso makers I always think of when I make my morning coffee! 

Now I am trying to search my mind for images I remember, but do not yet associate with a product to see if searching descriptions from things I remember will pull up images of products that I am only vaguely familiar with. Assuming it works the way I think it will, this is definitely one way in which the digital age has changed things in the realm of visual literacy. Try it out - and please share your results with me!