“As designers we can’t stand in front of a client and just say, ‘Look here, there’s more space, it looks nice. It works because otherwise it is cluttered and sloppy if we put in more of your message.’ You need to be prepared to speak about your design based on concepts and fundamentals and the […]
“Great work entails risk. Most clients do not want to take risks; they prefer a safe retreat into the world of the merely good, or worse, the dismissively average. Still, if they are going to take that risk, they are much more likely to do so with agency people they trust. And trust is the […]
What’s the story of Coca-cola, or Hewlett Packard? What’s the story of BMW? We’re not asking about the history of the company, or the founders. What we mean is, what story have you told yourself about those brands and what they mean? Is the management at BMW rigorous about quality? Cutting edge design? Are they a bunch of obsessive Bavarians that get a buzz out of driving fast on the Autobahn, making their engines growl?
What on earth gave you that idea? It was advertising actually…
We don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like to be told a good story. One that’s engaging, and interesting. One that’s believable. It’s entertaining, and because of this, most people will repeat it or at least act on it. That’s where marketing comes in.
The design industry is competitive, there’s no doubt about that. There’s always someone else who wants to do it better, quicker, cheaper, or any combination of the three. You’ve got to constantly evaluate your workflow, and adjust it so that you’ve got the best combination.
You can do things right 28 days out of the month, but when one of those remaining days doesn’t go as planned, there’s a chance you could be fighting so you don’t compromise the quality, effectiveness or bottom line of a job done on your watch. So, what happens when that inevitable mistake makes its way to the surface of your carefully managed workflow?
If you’re sticking around to see if we call out a specific client for having bad taste, go ahead and quit reading. The real answer is that many of our clients suffer from temporary, or permanent lack of taste in design.
To be more honest, most of them on that list would not argue. If they were fantastic designers, they wouldn’t need us. If they could art direct, they would attempt to do so. But, after this purposefully tacky intro, we have something uplifting to say; your taste is relevant, and it’s important even if it’s not what insiders would consider “good.”