The risk of choice

March 3, 2010 in Branding | No comments

How many times have you presented design options for a client only to have them pick the “worst” one? I think this happens often – at least more often than it should.

My first concern is that you would show the client something you don’t want them to pick in the first place. But in the case where several designers contribute to the effort, or where others in a position higher than you have input on the process, this is sometimes unavoidable. And unfortunate in democratic design.

But why is it that the client has such a strong propensity to choose the worst one? I think it’s because clients can have a lack of design understanding, unsophisticated appreciation, bad taste or all three.

Why did they hire you in the first place? Maybe they don’t have the tools to do the job, or the time. Or maybe they want a professionally done solution.

Isn’t that what we should give them?

I propose – and challenge –  that designers present one solution to their clients. The best solution. Spend the time you would have spent on all the other design variations on client education. Explain how the solution you are presenting is the best. And if it isn’t than you can talk about your need to understand their problem or business better.

In the end I think the designer and the client would be better served. The designer by having their effort go on to represent their best capabilities. And the client through not having to make a determination based on their own lack of expertise, but having the best option from the professional they hired.

Goodbye quality. Goodbye downtime?

February 18, 2010 in Uncategorized | No comments

I have been experiencing a string of bad quality lately. This has ranged from poor customer service, poor product quality and even a diminished quality of relationship with friends and acquaintances. I’ve been reflecting on this, trying to figure out a cause.

So I started with a look at myself.

First of all, I have less free time than ever. I’m not talking about recreation time. I’m talking about the inbetween time. The time between tasks at work, chores at home, managing a family needs – the down time in my mind, the little breaks that rejuvenate creativity and allow a fellow to find peace.

These things have really challenged my ability to perform at a high standard. And I believe that poor quality is one of the real results associated with this lack of downtime.

I attribute the lack of downtime to increased stresses and tensions for earning an income and the general sense of increased difficulty (real or perceived) of maintaining a lifestyle, or having your standard of living downgrade.

No real answer, but food for thought. If you have the time.

The graphic design publication’s relevance

January 26, 2010 in Fun | 1 comment

I was considering Communication Arts the other day – one of the remaining publications dealing with the profession of graphic design. It occurs to me that a lot of the material featured in it is irrelevant to the new nature of graphic design.

Let me explain.

It used to be that graphic designers were paid for their ability to “sell” a product or service and for their skills in formal graphic arrangement. And, also, they were the folks who had access and training on the tools for producing design. The general public was uninitiated in the realm of design and advertising and, I believe, it held a sense of magic for them.

Now graphic design is very well understood by the general public. The tools are common and most of the mystery is long gone. Money spent on graphic design and advertising must directly correlate to a measurable result.

This is where I believe that Communication Arts and other similar magazines are falling short in their content. As I look through the magazine, I see lots of great design, beautiful compositions and innovative messages. All of which seem to be produced and included for the inward-looking indulgence of other designers.

Some of my most beautiful designs haven’t pulled very well.

While some of my ugliest designs have been very successful.

What I’ve realized is that “pretty” and “successful” aren’t the same thing. You design for your audience, not for yourself or other designers. Your results determine your success. I don’t want to see juried work anymore. I want to see successful work. Instead of listing who the Art Director, Designer, Copywriter, etc. were, how about listing the cost of the job, the target goal and how well it performed.

Really, who blogs these days?

January 19, 2010 in Fun | No comments

I’ve seen it written: “Never has so much been written by so many for so few.” or something like that.

Now I don’t pretend that many people read this blog. Or even that what I have to say is important.

But now I’m thinking that blogging (for the common man) is a dead language. Its probably been supplanted by Facebook and other social media. I’m OK with that.

Anyway, as I work on my website revisions, I may phase-out this blog or shift it more towards a singular purpose/topic. (Which I probably should have done a long time ago.)

I’m on

January 14, 2010 in Fun | No comments

Facebook.

I like it. I hate it. As a father of three my socialization time (with my adult, non-co-worker friends) is pretty scarce. So it’s a great way to keep in touch.

But I’ll admit that I’ve gotten many, many friend requests where I ask my wife: “Do I know ’so and so?”

In the end I don’t think it offers anything terribly novel accept for bringing the beauty parlor gossip paradigm into a modern medium. I mean, we all like to have our noses in other peoples business right?

To Facebook or not?

December 12, 2009 in Fun | 2 comments

I’m not a technological or social luddite, but I’m wondering if I should give Facebook a try. In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts:

1. I’m asked by clients to integrate Facebook into their business schema – would like to have first-hand knowledge if it would make my service better.

2. It would be nice to connect with old or lost friends.

3. If they were really my friends, I probably wouldn’t have lost contact with them in the first place.

4. I don’t want to be available to everybody.

5. I don’t want to damage feelings by not friending someone or limiting friend access.

6. I like the active community of Facebook and ability to share with many folks at once.

7. I’m afraid it would become a “maintenance” task for me. (I don’t need any more obligations)

If anyone has any input, I’d love to hear it.

Got caught readin’

November 17, 2009 in Fun | No comments

My wife and I are pretty strict on our childrens’ bedtime routine.

So last night when our six-year-old yelled down for some help well after bedtime, we thought we were in for some discipline time. But it turns out he wanted some help sounding out a word!

He had been spending his time in bed reading with his headlamp on! My wife very eagerly ran upstairs to help him out. And he ended up reading Green Eggs and Ham in its entirety.

This has brought tears of joy to our eyes… and hope to the world.

The bell curve of time

November 4, 2009 in Fun | No comments

You might be aware that as a person ages, they will perceive time to move at a ever increasing rate. It’s age-relative. For example: to a two-year-old, one year is 50% of his life. To a 50-year-old, one year is 1/50th of his life, or if gauged on parity with the two-year-old, would be percieved as a week’s worth of time.

I simply don’t have time these days. Which got me thinking… Maybe the perception of time is a little more like a bell curve. It seems to go slowly at first, when your young. Then it exponentially increases until it reaches it’s peak when you’re about my age. And then, hopefully, it exponentially decreases until you’re sitting on the beach all day long in your old age with all the time in the world.

I hope so at least. I’m not resolved to this theory. I actually think our lives’ complications (mainly technology) have something to do with the epidemic shortage of time we all seem to suffer from.

Or it could just be as simple as not knowing how to say “no”.

How vs. Why in Graphic Design or Substance equals Value

September 28, 2009 in Fun | 2 comments

Here’s one of the rare instances where I actually talk about my profession – graphic design. What I’d like to put forth is my take on the state of graphic design and the importance of understanding more fully the kind of design you may be purchasing or producing.

I am a formally trained studio artist with a degree specialty in graphic design. My education centered around creativity expressed from purpose (or mission). The purpose could be many things: expressing ideas, challenging beliefs, communicating emotion, initiating dialog, etc.

Of course we learned the vocational aspects of ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing and such. But the result was never about the artifact. It wasn’t even about the technique of the artifact apart from its appropriateness.

I learned that meaningful creativity (communication) is about the “Why”. Why is it produced this way? Why were those elements chosen? Why has this work been composed?

Success meant that the thing you produced answered these questions, or caused meaningful reflection on the part of the viewer. Your creation had SUBSTANCE!

What I’ve been seeing is an increasing proliferation within graphic design of people who don’t seek or offer the “why” skills, but who seek and offer the “how” skills.

“That’s really cool. How’d you do that?” used to be a common question. Now the tools of our industry are so commonly available, and style-awareness is so saturated into our culture, that most people understand HOW something was done. And can produce/reproduce almost anything they need.

I believe that just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

I believe that if consumers and producers of graphic design asked more meaningful questions and gave more consideration to the “why’s” of their work, there would be a much greater value realized from graphic design – it would be more profession than vocation.

It would have more substance, value.

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Will I ever learn?

August 12, 2009 in Fun | No comments

Try as I might, some things are hard to change about myself. First of all, I like unique cars. And for what I’m able to afford right now, this usually translates into worn-out foreign pieces of junk.

I had about had it with my 1985 BMW. And after I had to have the kids in it on a very hot day (of course it didn’t have air), I decided I’d REALLY had enough of it. So I put it on Craig’s list for $1000.

Later that week I decided to knock on one of my neighbor’s door who had a nice looking Saab sitting in the yard for awhile – not moving. $500 later and I was the proud owner of a non-running shiney “new” Saab which – I was told- had “very cold air!”

Well, the Saab needed a little more repair than the broken hose the previous owner said was the only thing wrong. And it’s been in the shop awhile. Every day becoming a little less of a bargain.

Meanwhile I’ve been driving my Suzuki Sidekick convertible (which doesn’t have a top). And it’s been raining. Not the kind where if you drive fast enough you don’t get wet. More like the kind of rain that creates standing water in the floorboard that gets the bottom of my pants soaked.

I’ll learn… someday!

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