Frowning Utility Bills

A utility company is literally establishing an emotional connection with the audience: via smiley or frowning faces on their utility bills.

Visual Comparison, photo by Max Whittaker for The New York Times
Visual Comparison, photo by Max Whittaker for The New York Times

A New York Times article reports how a Sacramento utility is inspiring residents to lower their energy usage by providing them visual feedback on their utility bills…and it doesn’t hurt that the bill compares them with their neighbors. A little competition can go a long way – it puts people’s own actions in context to their peers.

Chips with visual crisp

Good info-design requires consistency and repetition in order to establish a visual pattern. This site does both well.

Using a small-multiples-like approach that allows the viewer to compare the chips at-a-glance, the designer has clearly paired color pallet with the chips. The miniature chips (color, texture and all) are both a reference to the chip variety, and a visual navigation to additional information on the product.

Website with chip navigation
Website with chip navigation
Small multiples of chips, color-coded
Small multiples of chips, color-coded

And they taste good too.

www.foodshouldtastegood.com