spilled ink press: The Gradation Effect

Ever since Obama's marketing team has stormed the internet, I've noticed internet graphics that are trying to look young, fresh, hip (whatever you want to call it- if I keep going I'm going to sound lame and old) taking their graphics to that same aesthetic.

That aesthetic... GRADATION. It's what makes things not look 2-D. It's a 2-dimensional way of saying... ok, I know this is supposed to look like it's popping off the page, so this is how I'm pretending like it is.
I was pondering where it started to take sail. I think perhaps Microsoft might have started it. At the very least, they've been using that blue color, ya- this one for a while now. If your on a PC, look at the bar at the bottom of your monitor, it's blue and it's- oh yes, gradient. I'm on Windows XP, which is practically a dinosaur in computer terms and there it is. (I fear even saying this- where's some wood? Geez, don't jinx me for pointing out how old my computer is...)

So they may have started it- maybe not. Actually, it's probably a web design tool that started to take hold in some toolbar in some program I don't understand...). And they may have been the first to show us we like that blue. But boy, the mac world made it cool.

It started subtle, with the song highlight bar on our ipods. It was different, and it became a subliminal part of why we felt cool for having one. You didn't realize it, but it was.

Shiny. Clean. We like this.

And now... start noticing, it's everywhere... the gradation effect.

And yes... even Obama jumped on that train- to successful results, of course. His marketing team are gradation whores you could say, it's EVERYWHERE on his site.

And we love that glaring gradient button... click me, move your mouse over me, that's right. Do it. CLICK ME!!!! Oh my god, I just gave $20 to Obama... what? I mean, I would have probably, (and I did, actually) but hmmm... was it the button, or was it the message? Oh my.