Applying Jungian Archetypes to Website Design

Carl Jung's Mandala image

In this post, I will explore how Jungian archetypes can unconsciously influence the perception of our audience to a website’s design. I will also attempt to gracefully throw in some references to my favorite band,The Police. It’s not an easy feat, so wish me luck!

First, some background information.

Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss Psychiatrist, was the founder of analytical psychology. He posited a theory of collective archetypes, or concepts, that influence human behavior at an unconscious level. These archetypes were innate survival mechanisms dating back to our ancient ancestors and carry over to present day.

Here are the 5 archetypes:

• The Anima/Animus
• Divine Couple
• The Child
• The Self
• The Shadow

In this post, I will focus on the “shadow” archetype and how it can influence a site visitor’s unconscious perception and subsequent conscious behavior. The Shadow-is the “dark” side to our personality that we project into objects. For example, in literature, the “woods” was symbolically a dark place. A place of danger, in which underlying “id-like” desires were carried out. This shadow can manifest itself in dreams when there are dark rooms or shadowy figures. Emotions associated with the shadow are: fear, adventure, sensuality, rule breaking.

One important concept that Jung discusses is that of Synchronicity, the experience of two or more events occurring simultaneously for no obvious reason. They are considered “meaningful” coincidences because they supposedly stem back to the archetypes within the collective unconscious.

The concept of Synchronicty was illustrated in The Police’s 1983 album, Syncehronicity. An article by Robert Aziz shows how the shadow archetype was used to describe a synchronicity (meaningful coincideince) between a businessman traveling home who is on the verge of a breakdown and a “shadow” on a door of a dark Scottish lake. The shadow is symbolic of the mythical beast, the Loch Ness Monster, which is also emerging within the businessman.

What does the shadow archetype teach us about website design? It warns us to choose our designs wisely because there is a whole level of unconscious processes, perception, that influences a person before any conscious thought enters the picture. Do you want to be seen as the dark and daring company ready to break the rules of conformity? That may not be the ideal archetype for every website because it can be off-putting to your audience. I would not, for example, use the dark design for a children’s site. Children are even more influenced by archetypes because they do not have the level of “logic” present in the mature adult mind to overcome the instincts (remember your fear of dark rooms or the boogeyman? Jung would say those universal fears in children stem from the shadow archetype within the collective unconscious).

If you do decide to go with the mysterious shadow symbol, tread carefully, and ensure you design with best practices for dark websites in mind.

Where to find cheap online marketing help

With a little research, you may be surprised at the prices you’ll find to help your online marketing needs. I’m assuming (and yes, I know what this means) that many business owners think thousands of dollars are involved with any professional marketing help. This is true when you’re only contacting larger companies. But don’t forget the freelancers who have full time positions related to their areas of expertise. Freelancers and small agencies can probably reduce the sticker shock.

Freelancers

Networking (cough, cough – LinkedIn anyone?) can help point you in the right directions. Some freelancers are full-time but many have a full-time job. Hiring a freelancer that has a full-time job as a specialist in a field may be the best type of freelancer. These professionals will have more exposure to what is the most up to date technique and technology to complete your request. But this freelancer may not be as professional as a full-time freelancer.

Small Agencies

Many small agencies specialize in specific fields but that doesn’t mean they are cheap enough that a small business can afford them. An excellence example is Stein Communications in Atlanta, GA. They are a small agency (8 people as of December 2009) but specialize in marketing techniques for educational institutions. A small agency doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the correct choice for a small to mid-sized business. Just because you found a small agency doesn’t mean the sticker shock will dissolve.

Other Tactics

• Email a local agency, tell them exactly what you need and the maximum amount of money you can spend. If they can’t help you then ask if they can suggest another agency or a freelancer.
• If you don’t want to specify how much you want to spend then ask the agency how they can cut the total down. A willing agency should be willing to offer services a la carte and tell you what service is the most pertinent change. This allows you, the business owner, to pay for as little as possible and know what you’re first changes should be.
• Post a flyer in a local college or high school for the lowest price.

Feel free to submit your opinions or more tactics as a comment below.

Last comment: You get what you pay for.