Polka Dot Dandy

Polka dots are the graphic designer’s glitter- you know, the kind of sparkle with a little pizzazz and character and charm that just gives you the limelight without being so sexy. Imagine creating the homepage for an online casino such as PH365. You don’t want to just add an oh-so-basic Jane background right? No, sir! You’d slather in some polka dots, throw in some super-heavy typography and presto, suddenly, the design goes bubbly on New Year’s Eve.

Think about it: you’re browsing around some casino site such as PH365 and just like that, you hit a jackpot! The graphics stop you in your tracks. Not just the jackpot values glimmering like neon rainbows; it’s the polka-dotted overlays around each button, each bonus spin banner, even the menus. You aren’t only invited, you are feted, as a guest of honour in an online playscape. So, you’re like, "why is this so fun?" Here’s why. Polka dots are retro in their design, innocent but expert, a wink from a stranger who has kept his secrets.

I first saw polka dots mixed with casino graphics and thought, "This is either great or crazy." In fact, it’s both. As one designer put it to me: "Polka dots are the champagne of patterns — breezy, bubbly, a little high." And she’s right. They work because they are not self-absorbed, which is exactly what PH365 is all about. Indeed, online gambling is not about spreadsheets and pPTs, but escape, adventure and yes, a pinch of lucky charm.

If you’re looking at this and saying, "Polka dots? Really?”—stick with me here. These dots are the espresso shot in a latte: a small but important part. They interrupt monotony and keep things entertaining without dulling the senses. Face it, online casinos can at times be the design Wild West – too much neon here, too many clashing hues there. But add some cleverly placed dots and you’ve got a pretty decent game here, with the game thrill of design being the draw.

And speaking of thrills, how about the players. Everything about each spin of the roulette wheel, every click of the deck of cards, comes from emotion. The good design is not just for the eyes, it is also for the soul. The graphics for PH365 need to evoke that buzzing hope, that burgeoning "What if?" A good interface is what feels like the jackpot is at your fingertips even if Lady Luck is wearing sunglasses today.

And oh, the color palettes! You know that royal blue background and gold polka dots with a little coin shimmer? It’s pure magic. It mumbles class, but cries good times and that is just what gamblers are after. A design mockup I once saw floated emerald green dots of pale pink across an emerald-coloured background: I was transported to a 1950s Las Vegas club. That’s the thing about polka dots: they are not only universal but also adaptable. Dress them up or down, like a little black dress with sneakers or stilettos.

And here’s what I can hear you say. “Polka dots in a casino? Don’t you feel... perilous?" It is, but so is placing your last chip on a pair of eights. The only difference is, with Polka Dot Dandy you are in luck. They numb out a casino screen and they’re more comforting, less scary. And come on — designing a casino platform is not like designing a Wall Street trading app. It’s about giving people room to be lost but not get lost.

I once asked a user how they found PH365’s polka-dotted design, and they replied "It’s like a candy store, it’s fun, it’s colourful, it’s all possibilities." That got in my head. So much of what polka dots represent is hope and optimism. They are the sun rising over the dead of night, and they’re the start of something new. And if you’re gambling, well, that’s what it’s all about. Next wheel, next dice, the next prize?

And the colors! Oh, the colors! Polka dots allow you to have a go. Rainbow pinks, night sky blues, flamboyant greens: all ooh and aah but in combination with the casino golds and blacks? Chef’s kiss. It’s the sum of all glamour and spectacle, an artistic punchbowl stirred not shook.