A few weeks ago this cheeky YouTube review of Star Wars: Episode 1 made the rounds.
Here’s the reviewer’s $64,000 Question:
“Can you tell me who the main character of Episode 1 is?”
Brilliant. Let’s add “who is the main character?” to our design toolbox. Like the Squint Test, the Main Character clarifies things, but is more universally applicable. You could ask, “which element is the main character of this design?” as well as “who or what is the main character of this company?”
It’s fun:
- “Who is the main character of Apple?”
- “Who is the main character of Microsoft, or Yahoo?”
- “Who is the main character of my blog?”
When it’s not obvious who the main and supporting characters are, you end up with a jumbled mess like Love Actually. Or the Yahoo homepage.