poop v/s graphic design 🐶💩🧑🎨
the YouTube hero anonymously remaking street signs in NYC
YT short of the week #002
👋 Hello friend,
Here is the breakdown of a great YouTube short so you can improve your storytelling game and champion life forever.
Today: Cool Lookin’ Bug
I'll say it: This is the perfect short.
No one will ever top this.
I mean it.
You've been warned.
I'll fanboy talk more about Cool Lookin’ Bug after you watch the short and read the analysis. Enjoy 🙂
48M views, 2.8M likes, and 9.8K comments
🍱 Now, let's break it down:
Story Beat 1: The Goal.
0:00–0:06
"This is me redesigning signs in New York City
without anyone asking me to."
character/goal/setting/(potential) obstacle
Flawless hook in 14 words. I'm jelly.
Why it works:
Every story starts with a goal. Here, it's a mission.
The curiosity loops are:
1. Why would you do that?
2. What will be the final result?
3. Will someone stab him for doing so?
(no shade on NYC🗡️🗽, but it's a city known for being highly confrontational, raising the stakes of the mission.)
Story beat 2: The problem
0:06–0:18
"I recently found this street that had a lot of signs asking dog owners to pick up dog poop.
This one, in particular, had dog poop right next to it, just drying out in the sun.
No one's looking at that sign.
Based on these exclamation points here,
I'm guessing this dog poop is a big problem.”
Why it works:
He answers the why of it. He's out to solve community problems with his designing skills.
And because of poop.
Poop is universally funny. However the designer is treating it with the seriousness that a real problem deserves. It's a great juxtaposition.
Story beat 3: The solution
0:19–0:42
but if you really want your message to shout itself out onto the streets, the loudest thing you can do
is to choose bright, satisfying colors and focus the viewer's attention on a bold image.
This funny dog makes the message a bit friendlier,
and these step-by-step instructions show you how to clean up dog poop, just in case...
find a good font, some additional information too, and we're done."
Why it works:
The adventure redesigning signs takes an educational twist.
The easier route would have been to show people's reactions to the posters and maybe even a fake confrontation/interaction.
Instead, it becomes a masterclass in visual communication.
He's teaching useful stuff. WITH POOP!😭
Even if you're not a designer, it's great information on messaging, color theory, and poop management.
Story beat 4: Conclusion
0:43–0:52
"I came back to that poopy old block one more time and reposted the sign.
All I'm trying to do is clean up some designs and hopefully the streets."
Why it works:
All loops are now closed:
he does it to impact his community
banger poster
no stabbing
bonus: now we know he's a great designer. If he's looking for clients, I would hire him on a whim to create my bday invitation using the same motif.
It leaves you with a sensation of “Mission accomplished”, the world is a better place now.
It underlines the power of one's deeds.
Some of the comments:
(Remember, this is a short.) So people are taking the time to pause the scrolling to leave their thoughts.
Story structure summary:
The oldest one in the book:
Goal: I redesign posters
Problem: This street has a poop problem
Solution: Here is how you make a great poster
Conclusion: 1 person can make an impact
This one is the epitome of how you can still make original content using old structures.
I walk away entertained, educated, and inspired. The holy grail trifecta of storytelling.
It's wholesome, hilarious, and useful. It's appealing for the beginner designer and for my inner 12-year-old who chuckles with every poop joke.
It checks all the boxes.
And that's it for now, friends.
I'm super glad you're here.
Consider sharing with a friend if you get any value from this breakdown.
See you next week ❤️
PS: I have a YouTube channel; have a look :)
Matias Ruiz-Tagle
Founder of Atomic Stories