Call to actions. They are those pesky things that designers hate because the client always wants them bigger… and the designer wants it to be tucked away so the masterpiece he/she has created won’t be ruined by commercialism. But what if the advert itself was the call to action… and by simply taking a picture of the advert you can automatically be connected to a website where you can get more information or call a number where you can give your details and more information.

Sound daft? Well believe it or not those clever people at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have developed a mobile phone app for iPhone and Android that turns a multitude of items; from DVD and CD covers to Film Posters and Adverts into call to actions… so the design is the response device! Designers rejoice!

Kooaba in action

Kooaba’s mission is to offer consumers access to limitless content unlocked using sophisticated image recognition technology. By taking a picture of a Kooaba enabled image with your phone you are connected to a variety of interactive digital options. Readers may choose to visit specific web pages, watch videos, use social media, and more. Unlike traditional mobile integrations, this integration is programmed in after the production of the ad so that there is no obstruction or intrusion on the design of the advert, poster or cover.

Here’s how Kooaba works:

Take a picture: Use the built-in camera to take a picture of the desired item. It will automatically be sent to the kooaba visual search engine.

Get your results: Your search results open in an internal web browser in the application, providing instant access to information on the requested item. This includes links to online stores such as amazon, information from websites such as Wikipedia or Youtube, and movie trailers or song downloads from iTunes. Search results can also be optimized further by allowing the app to see your current location.

Kooaba’s software is also coupled with an Online Library which allows users to reference and bookmark pages they come across on their mobile devices from any computer in the world, ideal for tracking favorites and book marking. You can alos save your searches online or on your phone so if you suddenly decide you want to see more information about a product or film you have seen… you can get at it in a flash!

Whether Kooaba will take off or not is anyone’s guess. One things for sure though… every designer of adverts I know will be secretly wishing that Kooaba becomes massive. That way they can stop those numbers and web addresses ruining the design of their adverts!

Tags: Advertising Design, Adverts, Android OS, Call to Actions, Digital Agency, Graphic Design, Interactive Advertising, Interactive Design, Internet Advertising, iPhone, Kooaba, Manchester Advertising Agency, Manchester Design Agency, Mobile Phone Apps, Online Agency, Online Marketing, PPC Agency, SEO Company

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