Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated

Archetypes

Universal patterns of theme and form resulting from innate biases or dispositions.

Archetypes are found in the themes of myths (e.g., death and rebirth), characters in literature (e.g., hero and villain), and imagery in dreams (e.g., eyes and teeth). They are believed to be a product of unconscious biases and dispositions that have been “hardwired” in the brain over the course of human evolution. Since these innate biases and dispositions are unconscious, their existence is inferred when common patterns emerge in many cultures over long periods. Identifying and aligning appropriate archetypes with a design will increase its probability of success.1

Harley-Davidson aligns its product design and branding with the outlaw archetype, emphasizing ...