design by committee (but in a good way)
“A camel,” the old saying goes, “is a horse designed by committee.” ‘Design by committee’ is not code for horrible design, but rather bland, unremarkable design — work compromised by being unfocused trying to please too many, while actually pleasing too few. Yet, most marketing work is actually designed by groups of people – much ...
printing in the digital age
A recent New York Times article discussing print vs. e-books for children suggests that even many avid Kindle and iPad digital book readers prefer printed books over digital for their children. The experience of flipping through a printed book is inherently more personal and unique. Paper thickness and texture, colors, page sizes and bindery can ...
the hidden value of hidden messages
A fundamental principal about marketing communication relates to making it easy for the audience to understand what you’re trying to say. A message that requires serious thought is almost certainly going to be upstaged by less demanding messages. Yet, as I see marketing as the strategic breaking of rules, I can justify throwing the ...
forms follows function
“I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.” — Mark Twain The process of developing meaningful content for websites is sometimes a bigger challenge than the technical construction of the website itself. One reason for this is there being essentially no limit to need. The freeform nature of the ...
variations on a theme
The combination of new location, a daily bike commute, and quick daily walks have made Becca and I much more sensitive to the changing seasons this year. Readers of previous posts will remember that leaves are of particular interest to us this fall. We were especially struck with the incredible richness and range of colors, ...
type as metaphor
Thinking creatively means making contextual decisions that are not always informed by an absolute set of opinions or values. For example: some people hate hyphens and never use them, but “real designers” know that sometimes hyphens have to be used… usually to avoid something even worse. I say that because recently we’ve been involved in ...
ignoring the rules
This is an enormous jar; when full, it will probably contain several thousand dollars. I like the design on the front. It made me want to throw in a few dollars, which I did – happily. This design breaks tons of rules, including: numerous technical errors no mention of the speaker, timeline, contact info, ...
the virtues of experimentation
Thinking about where I invest my time and energy, I look at other artists and see what I can learn from the decisions they’ve made. Without a doubt, the best creative people I know are people who have made a life choice of doggedly exploring new ways of working and thinking about their craft – whatever ...
first steps: cloud computing
For the past year or so, our company has been gradually using more web-based applications as part of our daily work. So far, the process has been an unqualified success. Cloud computing not only allows us to work more efficiently but it has given us new resources that open the door to a whole new ...
three rooms
As with any transition, our company’s recent move has created opportunities to rethink how we do our business. After several months of planning and moving, I’m glad the transition process is nearly over and am delighted with our new space. Having a suite of three rooms, our first thought of the office was rooted in the ...
building credibility
Thinking about structure in your marketing materials is about how you decide to use visual relationships to reinforce your message. It means thinking beyond what is being said, and exploring the how. As always, the process begins with focusing on your message, ideally your one message. Deciding on a core message is often the biggest ...
creating cohesion
A holiday card commissioned by the Port of Bellingham became a little object lesson in design. The assignment was simple enough: use a series of historical photos to convey a message of holiday wishes without using symbolism related to any one religious tradition. The tricky thing about the project was that there was no clear relationship between ...
