March 4, 2009

Five fingers. One lesson.

Posted by Michael Baxter

March 4 always makes us think of creative guru and former Mad Ave Adman Joey Reiman.

It’s been 17 years since Reiman published his “Success Handbook,” a motivational tome that sold 2 million copies. In the book, he uses his hand as a roadmap for achieving success. We’ll paraphrase from memory:

• Thumb – keep a positive attitude (thumbs up!); after all, optimists outlive pessimists
  
  
• Index finger – point the way forward, because without direction, you’ll never reach your goals
  
  
• Middle finger – give the finger to fear, which too often is the driving force behind our actions
  
  
• Pinky finger – attend to the details, for they are key to your ability to execute your plans

And then there’s the lesson from the ring finger, the fourth finger on the hand. It’s march forth. As in stop procrastinating. Take action. Just do it.

At his agency, Reiman used to give all employees the day off on March 4 every year. (And he might still.) The reward came with a catch: All employees must do something that day that they have never done before, perhaps because they’ve simply been putting it off.

Beyond the five points from the five fingers, we take away one other lesson from Reiman.

It’s a reminder that building your point of view around a simple framework can make it memorable. A little structure will help people remember your thoughts, even years later.

By contrast, a complex manifesto is easily forgotten.

So ask yourself: What’s the point of view of your organization? How developed is it? And can everyone remember it?

• Comments (0)
• 

February 24, 2009

Lessons from CASE, part 1

Posted by Kathleen Turaski

This month’s CASE District III conference was an eye-opener for two reasons.

First, it provided a more complete view of the world in which our higher education clients work and live – a view that could only be experienced in sessions outside the marketing track.

Second, it allowed us to witness first-hand how one higher ed audience perceives some of the communications aimed at them.

This happened in a session featuring high school students evaluating three college viewbooks. Watching and listening to an intended audience dig deep into how institutions spoke to them – and what they took away – was fascinating. Much of what the students said confirmed some suspicions; but other comments underscored the nuance of how we communicate.

For instance, students read very little of the copy – they mostly keyed in on pull quotes and student testimonials. (Re: the latter – they’re looking to learn what their peers think, and they’re less interested in what the institution wants to tell them). They also instantly recognize (and are repelled by) "staged" diversity. And they study the photos and the non-verbal language of the people in those photos to determine whether they can relate to the students and environment.

Granted, this feedback came from a single audience – high school students. But the candid opinions of “end users” are a reminder of the reality in which audiences interact with communication.

For us, it was time well spent.

• Comments (0)
• 

February 15, 2009

Design beyond function

Posted by Kathleen Turaski

The Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis is renowned for its contemporary art collection. The private collection includes more than 200 pieces, and the work is displayed throughout the property. I think it's especially clever that the hotel utilizes the fire stairwell to showcase five stories of graffiti art (created by Juxtaposition Arts).

• Comments (0)
• 

February 9, 2009

What judges want

Posted by Kathleen Turaski

Part of my time with the Appleton Design Council was spent judging the 2008 UB the Judge print entries. As the exhibition travels around the U.S., there is a special “Design Council Winners” section.

It was a treat to have over 400 print entries spread out for evaluation. It’s not often a designer has so many examples of current design trends available for comparison. In discussions with the other judges (who included Bill Thorburn, Jonathan Gouthier, Justin Ahrens and David Kohler), I realized there is a hierarchy to the elements that go into creating a winning print entry: 1) creativity; 2) original visual solutions (custom photography or illustration that helps define the personality); and 3) attention to message and audience.

All are critical elements, yet the order seems strangely reversed.

What's most important is that the message be promoted first. Creative layout and imagery choice certainly help augment the message and capture attention. But just because a piece grabs your attention doesn’t mean it actually succeeds in communicating effectively.

Judging the contest was a reminder that our work is two-sided: communication and creativity. I took away a renewed sense of the importance of both, and how when they work well together, award-winning design is created.

• Comments (1)
•