When I was really supposed to be taking diligent notes on economic policy during my Poli Sci 104 lecture, I was going through the website of the campaign called ‘Falling Whistles.’
I was immersed.
The ‘Falling Whistles’ website’s use of black and white subconsciously brings out this strong emotion and appeal to their campaign, which is halting the brutal war in Congo. So obviously with a campaign that should stir strong emotion, color scheme as well as pictures are keys in luring attention. But what also kept me from listening to Professor Cannon’s lecture was their ‘Story’ page. The story of how this whole campaign started is told through the clicking of arrows, and the website takes you on a virtual ride that consists of short but very descriptive sentences in crisp font, and photos that speak louder than words. I feel like there are so many campaigns that focus on Africa and its child soldiers. It’s hard to be original with a popular issue. But with the ‘Falling Whistles’ website, the strategies it uses to get their message across is through little things like good use of color, photos and fonts that resonate powerfully. Little things make a big difference, and I think this campaign did that beautifully.
I have to agree in the fullest.
This website really seems to distill so many complex emotions to their rawest form. It’s all this terrible, simple beauty.
The interactivity of it kept me involved in the site. It loaded slowly for me, but your writing made me want to see what the site’s whole deal was and I have to say that I thought it was quite moving. By making me click through, it let me proceed at my own speed and it made me feel closer to the subject at hand.
Since it was separated into many pages, I didn’t know where it was going and each page built upon the one that came before it. I thought the way the “Story” section switched from black background to white really underscored the message. On the black, everything was very stark and in your face and the white was a bit of a relief from the heavy story that preceeded it.
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Agreed! I love how they manage to use slideshows and different story-telling techniques while still making the user feel in control. I get frustrated often with websites that are so heavy on interactivity and pulling you in that I feel like I can’t go at my own pace or decide what I want to learn about. Everything that Falling Whistles presents gives you the option of viewing it, going Home, or going to a related topic. It’s very easy to navigate. This site is a great example of how to use new media for good causes. Thanks for posting it!
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