Not inspired

I got up early to work, and sitting at my desk, very early this morning, I realized nothing was coming. Which is why in a little bit I'm going to go walk around the Botanic Gardens. I need that shift in order to be a better designer today. Sometimes it takes stepping away. Sometimes it's as easy as having a coffee break, reading a story, or talking a walk. I've been lucky to work for people that recognize that. Flat out said, "go to a museum if you need some inspiration." That was in the middle of the day. I've also worked for people that wanted us to be at our desks all the time. If we weren't sitting there, he actually questioned why he was paying us. Recently as part of my thesis, I asked "Where do your best ideas come from?" As you can see, taking that walk might be the best idea I have all all day. Let's hope not.

it's not you, it's me

Marketing. It's all about you.

No, it's not. It's about me. The customer. The client. The consumer. What are you going to do for me? Don't make it about yourself. It's not personal. Except it is.

The man behind the curtain

Guilty. I'm completely guilty. For the past few years I have presented concepts to clients that are to finished. Polished. I didn't let them see the work that went in to coming up with an idea. The sketches. Notes. Doodles and bookmarks both digital and electronic. I presented work that didn't show what went into coming up with an idea.

Why? Probably because I wanted it perfect right from the start. But design itself isn't perfect. It's a process that involves collaboration, listening, refinement. It can be messy and confusing trying to visually communicate someone elses work. And that's why I've changed the way I work. To better help you understand how I got someplace. To be part of the journey. And to understand that the road to get there might be paved with a few rocks, but climbing there is worth it.

your marketing sucks

I joked the other day that I was going to start a blog called "your marketing sucks" and I would point out some things I saw that were just plain awful. And by awful I mean: terribly designed, written poorly, or in the realms of "waste of my time." As a matter of personal philosophy, I don't want to contribute to pushing out any more garbage or noise. And I don't want to give more traction to things that I see that I don't like. It seems like I would be contributing to all the chatter going on. Which is why I've taken a hiatus from social media. Not a huge one by most standards, but for me, a more conscious decision to try to contribute to our culture as something of use. No one cares to see photos of me with my friends except maybe my friend, and that's only if I happen to take a great photo of them. No one wants to see what I've eaten for dinner. Or those drinks I had celebrating my anniversary. I'm sure no one cares if I deem packaging so horribly designed that I stop and decide not to purchase that product. Wait, that might be interesting. So as I navigate new media as the rest of the world does,  I will try to be more mindful of my own contributions. Of what I say, what I share. Because I'd rather say less than say something stupid.

Pay now or pay later. Either way you're going to pay.

The  proliferation of do it yourself websites has made it so that anyone with a computer can create their own. And with some great programs, I've seen some amazing work. For creatives they can give you a framework to showcase your portfolio. For those looking to sell online it's made the transaction process look seamless. However, there are some pit falls to the whole do it yourself idea. One is that you will be spending a huge amount of time learning, building, testing, and figuring out a system that you may abandon in a couple of years based on changing technology and needs. The time spent might have been better off hiring someone while you concentrated on getting new clients, working with current clients, or other ways to sell and market.
If time is money, than without realizing it, the site that didn't cost you any money to create, when translated to your time, just cost you a small fortune.

Just as important as the building the site is what you're putting out there. Are you writing the content yourself? Are you positioning yourself as an expert? Are you connecting to your clients? Their needs? Are you telling them about your services, and how you can help them? Are you hitting on their "pain points" or are you just tooting your own horn? Understanding that it's not about "you", but how you can help "them" is key.

Ok, so you're an expert. Tell me how that came to be. Your education. Your experience. Case Studies. Testimonials. Don't just say it, show it. Prove it. Back it up.

Ponderings from the trenches

As designers, creators, makers and individuals that get to express ideas for a living, whose ideas are we expressing? Are we really coming up with original ideas, or just recycled bits of our own lives that we get to explore? As I move forward in my education and professional career, I’m going to be much more aware of where the work I do is coming from. Perhaps an idea will be formed when I get the chance to remove myself from my surroundings, to not be so influenced. The only problem is, no matter where I go, I take me with.

Your logo is horrible

That's what I'm thinking. In my head, as I look at your company's logo. I'm thinking that the illustration of what is supposed to be an adult and child actually looks like the adult is strangling the kid. I've seem it before. An image meant to convey comfort instead looking like one of those horrible graphics you'd see on the 10 pm news. These are logos created with the right intention gone horribly wrong. Why does this happen? Oh, let me count they ways...
1. A friend did it. And you didn't want to hurt their feelings.
2. You know someone, who did it as a favor. So you don't want to hurt their feelings.
3. Your wife did it, and she studied art 30 years ago. And you don't want to hurt her feelings.

The problem is, you're hurting yourself. Because that logo, that single mark, represents your company. Which is valuable. Big brands know it. They write manuals and style guides about how it's supposed to be used. They understand that it needs to be protected. That it can't show up on an ad on a busy background. Or too close to text. Or distorted.

But the issue is different for smaller businesses. I see it all the time. An emotional attachment to a mark that might be dated, implies an unintended negative connotation. Like strangling. Or death. Or sexual favors.

As designers we understand that different colors, type, styles, and symbols come together to form a concept. It doesn't happen when someone's friend knows someone who likes art. It happens when we research, understand the business, the culture, and the intended audience in order to create the right meaning. Do yourself a favor, and don't let anyone do you a favor.

Things that make me go hmmmmm.

I have a theory: You'll never see a successful company use cheap signs on the corner advertising like a garage sale. I see it all the time: Fitness studios with hand written notes in all caps offering a low monthly fee. Investors promising $8000 a month in flipping houses. It makes me wonder who they're attracting as clients. From those visual cues, I come to my own conclusions. When you see a sign like that, what's yours?

Practice of Looking

I'm reading a really good book right now about how much our own history, culture and experiences really shape how we respond to something visual. What I find to be thought provoking might not be the same for the person who grew up in another country, or even next door. As designers we try to connect you with a visual language that is meant to convey an idea, a thought, an experience. Let's hope you take a moment to really see.