Design as Strategy
The Substance of Style
January 17, 2012
This
morning during a networking event, I asked the
audience if any of them had ever purchased a bottle
of wine because they liked the look of the label. As
I predicted, over half of the people in attendance
raised their hand indicating that they had. Needless
to say, this made me smile and I then proclaimed
“that, my friends, is the power of design.”
Often when we think of design, it’s easy to dismiss it as the frosting on the cake or the pretty wrappings on the package. We may not feel that it is necessary — that the substance of what is being offered should matter more than the style in which it is being presented. After all, we have been conditioned by decades of “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “beauty is only skin deep” thinking. Those adages may have seemed true two or three decades ago, but today we live in an age of heightened aesthetic. It is very unlikely that we will ever go back to the days of brown paper packages and generic black and white food labels. Design is simply too important.
So what exactly is happening in our brains when we select one product over another based on what it looks like? Quite simply, we are making a series of assumptions based on what we know. Let’s go back and use the wine label as an example. We may not know a lot about wine, how it is made or what characteristics make one wine better than another. What we do know is that humans are generally pretty consistent in their behavior. If the owner of the winery has taken considerable care in selecting the perfect label for the bottles, isn’t it safe to assume that the same care and consideration was taken in selecting what has been put inside?
Design evokes a feeling (either good or bad) and your audience’s gut instincts will guide them to respond accordingly. So what is your design sense saying about you?
Often when we think of design, it’s easy to dismiss it as the frosting on the cake or the pretty wrappings on the package. We may not feel that it is necessary — that the substance of what is being offered should matter more than the style in which it is being presented. After all, we have been conditioned by decades of “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “beauty is only skin deep” thinking. Those adages may have seemed true two or three decades ago, but today we live in an age of heightened aesthetic. It is very unlikely that we will ever go back to the days of brown paper packages and generic black and white food labels. Design is simply too important.
So what exactly is happening in our brains when we select one product over another based on what it looks like? Quite simply, we are making a series of assumptions based on what we know. Let’s go back and use the wine label as an example. We may not know a lot about wine, how it is made or what characteristics make one wine better than another. What we do know is that humans are generally pretty consistent in their behavior. If the owner of the winery has taken considerable care in selecting the perfect label for the bottles, isn’t it safe to assume that the same care and consideration was taken in selecting what has been put inside?
Design evokes a feeling (either good or bad) and your audience’s gut instincts will guide them to respond accordingly. So what is your design sense saying about you?
The doctor will see you now
January 28, 2011
Remember the Peanuts® comic strip with Lucy Van Pelt sitting behind her lemonade stand office, dishing out advice for a mere five cents a session? I'm sure that seemed like a bargain to prospective clients looking to ease their troubles for a measly nickel. Yet, after the money was paid in exchange for Lucy's unique perspective of things, Charlie Brown was often left standing there wondering why he had just paid good money for additional misery. His problems were still there. His money was gone. And now his sense of trust was completely shattered, too.
Seeking advice from professionals can be like that sometimes, especially when their personal gain is of greater importance to them than truly being of assistance to you. Sure, we all go into business to make money to support ourselves and our families. That's understood. That is what's called "being in business" and "staying in business." But it borders on fraud and malpractice when a trusted professional prescribes a magic pill without an accurate diagnosis of the problem. Imagine a doctor handing you a prescription without checking your vital signs or asking you about your medical history or why you are there in the first place. How is that scenario any different from when I designer or marketing professional tells you that you need a new logo or an impressive website before they really know anything about you?
Some of the first questions I ask a potential client are: "Where does it hurt?" and " What problem are we trying to solve?" Often, clients honestly don't know what the problem is — they only know that they don't like how they feel about their company's image or the results they are currently getting. So even before signing a contract, it becomes my job to thoroughly examine what your image is and how your business is perceived and accepted by its target audience. I research your industry. I study your competition. I learn as much as I can about you. And together, we develop a plan of action that is based on your current condition, what things you are willing to do to change it and where you want to be in the future.
It's a lot of work and it takes a lot of dedication. It will most likely cost more than a nickel, too. But unlike Charlie Brown, I can guarantee that you won't have to worry about the ball being snatched away at the very last second as you try to kick it, either.
Who put the BS in brainstorming?
January 20, 2011
I really
wish I could get back all of the countless hours I
have spent in non-productive brainstorming sessions
throughout my career. Don’t get me wrong — I have
nothing against tossing ideas back and forth with my
colleagues and clients. I actually love the whole
philosophy behind the concept of brainstorming. And,
I have participated in a handful of very engaging
brainstorming sessions that left me both proud of the
results and hopeful of the process as a business
tool. So you see, I haven’t completely written off
brainstorming as a creative endeavor. The problem for
me seems to lie in how brainstorming sessions are
typically conducted and the lackluster results and
homogenized conclusions that are presented at the end
as solutions.
Getting the right chemistry of the group is critical. Everyone present at the table should want to be there and should want to be a part of the solution. This isn’t the time or place for socializing, nor is it a place to sit back and be a spectator. Mix it up a little. Invite individuals from various departments who bring a unique perspective and set of skills to the group. And here’s the important part: appoint someone who is capable of remaining neutral and nonjudgmental to conduct the session. This, in my opinion, is where most organizations fail when it comes to brainstorming.
Owners and managers are assigned to the position or volunteer for the task because of their “natural leadership skills.” But in brainstorming, you don’t want leaders and you especially don’t want followers. You’re seeking original ideas and that will never come about if even one person in the group feels their participation is being weighed and measured. The very second the group senses that there are right answers and there are wrong answers (after all, YOU WILL be graded on this!), the creativity grinds to screeching halt. Ideas become safe. Proposed solutions are no longer fresh and innovative. Instead, they are replaced with worn and outdated answers. Congratulations. Your storm of ideas has just been officially pronounced brain-dead.
So, how can you facilitate a successful brainstorming session? Well, it’s actually pretty simple if you keep these tips in mind:
Getting the right chemistry of the group is critical. Everyone present at the table should want to be there and should want to be a part of the solution. This isn’t the time or place for socializing, nor is it a place to sit back and be a spectator. Mix it up a little. Invite individuals from various departments who bring a unique perspective and set of skills to the group. And here’s the important part: appoint someone who is capable of remaining neutral and nonjudgmental to conduct the session. This, in my opinion, is where most organizations fail when it comes to brainstorming.
Owners and managers are assigned to the position or volunteer for the task because of their “natural leadership skills.” But in brainstorming, you don’t want leaders and you especially don’t want followers. You’re seeking original ideas and that will never come about if even one person in the group feels their participation is being weighed and measured. The very second the group senses that there are right answers and there are wrong answers (after all, YOU WILL be graded on this!), the creativity grinds to screeching halt. Ideas become safe. Proposed solutions are no longer fresh and innovative. Instead, they are replaced with worn and outdated answers. Congratulations. Your storm of ideas has just been officially pronounced brain-dead.
So, how can you facilitate a successful brainstorming session? Well, it’s actually pretty simple if you keep these tips in mind:
- Keep in mind that a brainstorming session is not the time or place to evaluate, criticize, ignore or dismiss any ideas. For some reason owners and managers really struggle with this directive. It’s counterintuitive to the way most of them are wired, I guess. This doesn’t mean that management shouldn’t participate in the session. It simply means that they need to check their egos and titles at the door.
- Not all ideas are created equal. Some ideas are perfect from the second they leave the lips and others take a little time and effort to make them perfect. Even a totally bad idea has the potential to become a good or even great idea when it is approached from a new direction or applied to a different situation.
- After all of the
ideas have been collected, create a list of
essential criteria that the solution must obey.
Measure each idea against the list to see if it has
true potential. Does the idea solve the problem?
Will it resonate with the intended audience or
user? Is it original? Has it been done before? Is
it within budget? Do you have the time and
resources that are necessary to implement?
To blog, or not to blog: that is the question
December 17, 2010
“To
blog, or not to blog.” Surely, that would be Hamlet’s
most pressing question if he were alive today. Then
again, maybe not. Perhaps he would be contemplating
whether “to be or not to be” on Facebook® or
Twitter®. Who knows? Who can really say how Hamlet’s
mind would be twisting with all of the possibilities
available online today?
So let’s go back to the original thought: “to blog, or not to blog.” I get asked this question all of the time, mostly by small business owners who have been told they ABSOLUTELY NEED to have a blog, but they really don’t know why they should. Nor do they have a clue of what they should be writing about if they actually went forward and posted one. Sound familiar?
First of all, no one ABSOLUTELY NEEDS a blog. A blog is not a life-support system for an ailing company, nor is it a magic pill that will take away your worries about business. It's a tool. And we all know that having the right tool for a specific task is ideal in getting a job done correctly and efficiently.
There are many reasons why you might want to consider adding a blog to your marketing toolbox. Other than time, it costs absolutely nothing to have a blog. You may argue that time is worth something, and you are right — time is extremely valuable, especially to a small business owner. But if you are constructing meaningful content for a blog, that time should be considered time well invested. Blogging gets you thinking about your industry, maybe even doing a little research that you might not otherwise be motivated to do. You might start asking yourself and maybe even your customers “what kinds of information would be useful?” Through your professional insights and expertise, you are adding extra value to your list of services. Better yet, by giving your customers free advice, you are proving that you genuinely want to help them solve a problem. You are showing that you care, and that is the beginning of building relationships based on trust.
Blogs can give an existing website a real boost in many ways, too. First, your blog content is searchable. Perhaps one day you decide to blog about something new in your industry that you are considering adding to your list of services. Anyone searching for that service will still find you through your blog, even though that service is not currently listed on your website. Is that misleading? Absolutely not. Through your blog, you are illustrating your knowledge of and your desire to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. In many ways, you are testing the water — you can actually gauge if there is enough interest in adding this new service to your business. Or consider this: how many times have you performed a Goggle® search and landed on a website, only to spend countless minutes (or maybe even hours!) exploring the site after you have discovered what you were initially looking for? Or maybe you even forgot what it was you were searching for because the newly discovered content was that good? A well-written blog can do that.
When it comes to websites, so many small business owners fall into the “if you build it they will come” trap. The reality is only customers who are willing to invest significant amounts of time and effort into searching every single possibility, will eventually find you on the Internet. The Internet is a crowded place. You literally need to drive your potential customers to your site through other marketing efforts and by creating good, searchable content. An excellent way to increase your website’s position and ranking with search engines is to add a blog to your site. Naturally, any increase in traffic to your site will garner you a higher ranking. But did you know Google® and other search engines reward websites that are updated frequently with a higher placement in the rankings? By adding a blog, not only are you adding new content on a regular basis, but you are being mindful of your website’s existing content, making certain that it hasn’t become outdated or obsolete.
The decision “to blog, or not to blog” is a highly personal one. You have to feel comfortable with the technology and confident in your content development and writing skills. You have to have something to say that you believe will be of value to someone else. Also, depending on your industry and customer base, a blog may not be the right tool to use. Recent studies have shown that consumers under the age of 25 have turned away from reading blogs and prefer using Twitter® and Facebook® instead. On the other side of the coin, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers are turning away from traditional media sources and moving more towards the Internet to collect information. The important thing to remember is this: get clear on who your customers are and what it is they want and expect in terms of customer service. If adding a blog to your site can help you surpass those expectations, then do it. You’ll be one step closer in securing a customer for life.
So let’s go back to the original thought: “to blog, or not to blog.” I get asked this question all of the time, mostly by small business owners who have been told they ABSOLUTELY NEED to have a blog, but they really don’t know why they should. Nor do they have a clue of what they should be writing about if they actually went forward and posted one. Sound familiar?
First of all, no one ABSOLUTELY NEEDS a blog. A blog is not a life-support system for an ailing company, nor is it a magic pill that will take away your worries about business. It's a tool. And we all know that having the right tool for a specific task is ideal in getting a job done correctly and efficiently.
There are many reasons why you might want to consider adding a blog to your marketing toolbox. Other than time, it costs absolutely nothing to have a blog. You may argue that time is worth something, and you are right — time is extremely valuable, especially to a small business owner. But if you are constructing meaningful content for a blog, that time should be considered time well invested. Blogging gets you thinking about your industry, maybe even doing a little research that you might not otherwise be motivated to do. You might start asking yourself and maybe even your customers “what kinds of information would be useful?” Through your professional insights and expertise, you are adding extra value to your list of services. Better yet, by giving your customers free advice, you are proving that you genuinely want to help them solve a problem. You are showing that you care, and that is the beginning of building relationships based on trust.
Blogs can give an existing website a real boost in many ways, too. First, your blog content is searchable. Perhaps one day you decide to blog about something new in your industry that you are considering adding to your list of services. Anyone searching for that service will still find you through your blog, even though that service is not currently listed on your website. Is that misleading? Absolutely not. Through your blog, you are illustrating your knowledge of and your desire to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. In many ways, you are testing the water — you can actually gauge if there is enough interest in adding this new service to your business. Or consider this: how many times have you performed a Goggle® search and landed on a website, only to spend countless minutes (or maybe even hours!) exploring the site after you have discovered what you were initially looking for? Or maybe you even forgot what it was you were searching for because the newly discovered content was that good? A well-written blog can do that.
When it comes to websites, so many small business owners fall into the “if you build it they will come” trap. The reality is only customers who are willing to invest significant amounts of time and effort into searching every single possibility, will eventually find you on the Internet. The Internet is a crowded place. You literally need to drive your potential customers to your site through other marketing efforts and by creating good, searchable content. An excellent way to increase your website’s position and ranking with search engines is to add a blog to your site. Naturally, any increase in traffic to your site will garner you a higher ranking. But did you know Google® and other search engines reward websites that are updated frequently with a higher placement in the rankings? By adding a blog, not only are you adding new content on a regular basis, but you are being mindful of your website’s existing content, making certain that it hasn’t become outdated or obsolete.
The decision “to blog, or not to blog” is a highly personal one. You have to feel comfortable with the technology and confident in your content development and writing skills. You have to have something to say that you believe will be of value to someone else. Also, depending on your industry and customer base, a blog may not be the right tool to use. Recent studies have shown that consumers under the age of 25 have turned away from reading blogs and prefer using Twitter® and Facebook® instead. On the other side of the coin, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers are turning away from traditional media sources and moving more towards the Internet to collect information. The important thing to remember is this: get clear on who your customers are and what it is they want and expect in terms of customer service. If adding a blog to your site can help you surpass those expectations, then do it. You’ll be one step closer in securing a customer for life.
Shopping for design services
October 27, 2010
Not all
design agencies are created equal and that’s really
how it should be. Different clients require different
kinds of services, and unless you’re talking about a
very large agency, you probably won’t find a complete
offering of all design services under one roof.
Having the staff and facilities to provide print,
Web, audio and video production requires a large
investment on their part that is often reflected in
their costs. In general, the larger the agency, the
larger the clients they serve and the fees they earn.
Your business is unlike any other and having an agency that matches your specific needs and unique personal style only makes good sense. That’s why I encourage all potential clients to “agency shop” and request a proposal before committing to a design firm. At the very least, consider two or three agencies. Ask around and do your homework. Of the agencies you are considering, do they have clients that are comparable in size and service to your business? Do they have experience in successfully executing the kind of work you need done? Do they have a good reputation? And finally, can you afford them?
Lime Creative is small enough to provide personal care and assistance, yet experienced enough to handle even the most complex projects. Through a network of independent designers, writers, programmers and marketing specialists, Lime Creative is able to assemble a team of experts specific to your project, deadline and needs.
Like any relationship, finding the perfect partner isn’t always the easiest task but once you have made the right connection, things tend to get immeasurably less difficult. And again, that's really how it should be.
Your business is unlike any other and having an agency that matches your specific needs and unique personal style only makes good sense. That’s why I encourage all potential clients to “agency shop” and request a proposal before committing to a design firm. At the very least, consider two or three agencies. Ask around and do your homework. Of the agencies you are considering, do they have clients that are comparable in size and service to your business? Do they have experience in successfully executing the kind of work you need done? Do they have a good reputation? And finally, can you afford them?
Lime Creative is small enough to provide personal care and assistance, yet experienced enough to handle even the most complex projects. Through a network of independent designers, writers, programmers and marketing specialists, Lime Creative is able to assemble a team of experts specific to your project, deadline and needs.
Like any relationship, finding the perfect partner isn’t always the easiest task but once you have made the right connection, things tend to get immeasurably less difficult. And again, that's really how it should be.
Avoiding an identity crisis - Part III
September 03, 2010
Building
your brand promise
As a nation of serious consumers, we appreciate a good slogan almost as much as we love buying things. Through cleverly crafted advertising, catch phrases do just that — they enter our heads and stick with us for decades. Who can forget “Have it your way” and “Where’s the beef?” as Burger King and Wendy’s took on hamburger giant McDonald’s and its limited menu and patty size? For years, Coca-Cola proclaimed “Coke is it” and “It’s the Real Thing” while Pepsi answered with “The Choice of a New Generation” and “Generation Next.” By defining what is special about the products or services they represent, taglines help us make decisions about the things we wish to buy. They help establish relationships between companies and consumers, and in extremely successful instances, they unite fans and develop elite classes of faithful consumers that continuously lure in newcomers who want to be just like them. Want a great example of this? Let me ask you this: are you a Mac or a PC?
There really is no difference between the terms tagline, catch phrase or slogan — they are pretty much used interchangeably. What has changed is that there has been a huge backlash against the overused and the over-the-top jargon found in much of today’s advertising. As potential buyers gather product information and consumer feedback online, they are less affected by what a company says it is. Instead, potential buyers want to know what others say you are; and that is the essence of branding.
At Lime Creative, my job is to direct clients away from using a “platitude with attitude” and towards a more sincere brand promise. Through several tools and exercises, together we will define what differentiates your service or product from the competition's. We will consider what expectations your clients and customers should have regarding your business. We will observe how your company interacts internally as an organization, as well as externally as a service provider. And finally, your customers’ experiences and what they are saying about you will be examined. After all of these things are weighed and considered, a carefully crafted brand promise can be developed — one that reflects and successfully represents your organization’s commitment and character.
For most businesses, establishing a sincere brand promise will take a considerable degree of time and focus to get it perfected. Take the time and necessary steps to develop a meaningful brand promise. Make sure it is unique to your market (please, no more “Got Milk?” variations!), and it appeals in both tone and delivery to your target audience. Choose your words carefully. After all, you are making a promise and I can assure you, your customers intend that you keep it.
There are several websites that offer free slogan generators for the do-it-yourselfers out there. By typing in no more than your company's name, a slogan is instantly produced for you at no cost. I highly discourage any serious usage of these devices, although they are a lot of fun to play with in your spare time. For kicks, I decided to type in our agency’s name and here’s what I got in less than 60 seconds:
As a nation of serious consumers, we appreciate a good slogan almost as much as we love buying things. Through cleverly crafted advertising, catch phrases do just that — they enter our heads and stick with us for decades. Who can forget “Have it your way” and “Where’s the beef?” as Burger King and Wendy’s took on hamburger giant McDonald’s and its limited menu and patty size? For years, Coca-Cola proclaimed “Coke is it” and “It’s the Real Thing” while Pepsi answered with “The Choice of a New Generation” and “Generation Next.” By defining what is special about the products or services they represent, taglines help us make decisions about the things we wish to buy. They help establish relationships between companies and consumers, and in extremely successful instances, they unite fans and develop elite classes of faithful consumers that continuously lure in newcomers who want to be just like them. Want a great example of this? Let me ask you this: are you a Mac or a PC?
There really is no difference between the terms tagline, catch phrase or slogan — they are pretty much used interchangeably. What has changed is that there has been a huge backlash against the overused and the over-the-top jargon found in much of today’s advertising. As potential buyers gather product information and consumer feedback online, they are less affected by what a company says it is. Instead, potential buyers want to know what others say you are; and that is the essence of branding.
At Lime Creative, my job is to direct clients away from using a “platitude with attitude” and towards a more sincere brand promise. Through several tools and exercises, together we will define what differentiates your service or product from the competition's. We will consider what expectations your clients and customers should have regarding your business. We will observe how your company interacts internally as an organization, as well as externally as a service provider. And finally, your customers’ experiences and what they are saying about you will be examined. After all of these things are weighed and considered, a carefully crafted brand promise can be developed — one that reflects and successfully represents your organization’s commitment and character.
For most businesses, establishing a sincere brand promise will take a considerable degree of time and focus to get it perfected. Take the time and necessary steps to develop a meaningful brand promise. Make sure it is unique to your market (please, no more “Got Milk?” variations!), and it appeals in both tone and delivery to your target audience. Choose your words carefully. After all, you are making a promise and I can assure you, your customers intend that you keep it.
There are several websites that offer free slogan generators for the do-it-yourselfers out there. By typing in no more than your company's name, a slogan is instantly produced for you at no cost. I highly discourage any serious usage of these devices, although they are a lot of fun to play with in your spare time. For kicks, I decided to type in our agency’s name and here’s what I got in less than 60 seconds:
“The Lime Creative
that refreshes.”
“There’s no wrong way to eat a Lime Creative.”
“You like Lime Creative. Lime Creative likes you.”
(and our
favorite) “When you’ve got
Lime Creative, flaunt it.”
Need I say more?
Avoiding an identity crisis - Part II
August 18, 2010
Developing
your logo
A logo is so much more than a stylized grouping of shapes, colors and fonts. To understand exactly what an effective logo is, we must first examine what an effective logo does. Beyond identifying a product or business, an original logo conveys meaning that reflects the quality and attributes of the thing it symbolizes. It communicates an intended message that is meant to inspire trust, provoke admiration and imply a certain level of superiority over the competition.
A well-crafted logo achieves all of these things by adhering to a few basic design principles. The most important rule of thumb is simplicity. Not only is a simple form more easily recognizable and memorable, but it also tends to be more versatile when used in various mediums. Simple logos usually reproduce well in black and white and remain legible when reduced in size. And because they are simple and elegant, they do not compete with the content around them. Instead, they stand out.
The most common mistakes people make is selecting a logo to represent their product or business is being too literal. Your logo does not necessarily have to convey what it is your company or product does. Think about McDonald’s. Do the famous golden arches have hamburgers and French fries dangling from them? Or FedEx — does their logo have delivery trucks and planes zooming through it? Instead, the simple type treatment of the FedEx logo conveys clarity and is immediately recognizable. A cleverly hidden arrow in the negative space between the E and X serves as a symbol of direction and distance, which is really the essence of what FedEx is all about.
Design trends come and go, and avoiding what is currently “in” is critical if your logo is to sustain any degree of longevity. It is tempting to adopt the latest idea as your own — or even worse, alter who you are to fit a popular image. Too often, clients come to us and say they want a logo just like their competitor’s. Although it is wise to know what your competition is doing, it is never a good idea to copy anyone or visually tie your business identity too closely to others. Remember, you want your logo to be original and stand apart from the rest of the crowd. For this same reason, it is important that you resist the temptations of using design templates and stock images in your logo. Typically, stock images are not licensed for use as a logo and if they are, you can be sure that every do-it-yourselfer wanting to save a buck is using it, too. So the question then becomes: do you really want to be perceived that way by using such an unoriginal logo?
The main purpose of your logo is to make your business or product immediately recognizable beyond its name. Don’t expect your logo to single-handedly establish your company’s brand. Instead, it is just the beginning of your identity system. With repeated use — along with marketing and the reputation you establish with your customers — only then is your branding is established. Remember, branding is not what you say you are or how you present your company. Branding is what your customers say you are. And once they start talking, no amount of purchased advertising can ever equal their impact of your company’s success.
A logo is so much more than a stylized grouping of shapes, colors and fonts. To understand exactly what an effective logo is, we must first examine what an effective logo does. Beyond identifying a product or business, an original logo conveys meaning that reflects the quality and attributes of the thing it symbolizes. It communicates an intended message that is meant to inspire trust, provoke admiration and imply a certain level of superiority over the competition.
A well-crafted logo achieves all of these things by adhering to a few basic design principles. The most important rule of thumb is simplicity. Not only is a simple form more easily recognizable and memorable, but it also tends to be more versatile when used in various mediums. Simple logos usually reproduce well in black and white and remain legible when reduced in size. And because they are simple and elegant, they do not compete with the content around them. Instead, they stand out.
The most common mistakes people make is selecting a logo to represent their product or business is being too literal. Your logo does not necessarily have to convey what it is your company or product does. Think about McDonald’s. Do the famous golden arches have hamburgers and French fries dangling from them? Or FedEx — does their logo have delivery trucks and planes zooming through it? Instead, the simple type treatment of the FedEx logo conveys clarity and is immediately recognizable. A cleverly hidden arrow in the negative space between the E and X serves as a symbol of direction and distance, which is really the essence of what FedEx is all about.
Design trends come and go, and avoiding what is currently “in” is critical if your logo is to sustain any degree of longevity. It is tempting to adopt the latest idea as your own — or even worse, alter who you are to fit a popular image. Too often, clients come to us and say they want a logo just like their competitor’s. Although it is wise to know what your competition is doing, it is never a good idea to copy anyone or visually tie your business identity too closely to others. Remember, you want your logo to be original and stand apart from the rest of the crowd. For this same reason, it is important that you resist the temptations of using design templates and stock images in your logo. Typically, stock images are not licensed for use as a logo and if they are, you can be sure that every do-it-yourselfer wanting to save a buck is using it, too. So the question then becomes: do you really want to be perceived that way by using such an unoriginal logo?
The main purpose of your logo is to make your business or product immediately recognizable beyond its name. Don’t expect your logo to single-handedly establish your company’s brand. Instead, it is just the beginning of your identity system. With repeated use — along with marketing and the reputation you establish with your customers — only then is your branding is established. Remember, branding is not what you say you are or how you present your company. Branding is what your customers say you are. And once they start talking, no amount of purchased advertising can ever equal their impact of your company’s success.
Avoiding an identity crisis - Part I
July 24, 2010
First
impressions are so important in establishing
credibility and building relationships with your
potential customers. This is especially true if you
are new to the market and your audience is unfamiliar
with your service or product. In the consumer’s eyes,
how you present yourself is often equated to how you
or your product will most likely perform. If your
logo, identity system and promotional materials look
unprofessional, that often translates to you being
unprofessional, too. As unfair as that may sound, it
is the culture we now live in. A well-crafted name,
logo and identity system is a significant business
advantage and the foundation of your own personal
brand.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will review some of the basic information you should consider regarding your business or organization’s name, logo, identity system and branding promise. I will also briefly discuss our own process and how we work with clients to find the very best solutions for their design problems.
Naming your product or business
Selecting a name for your business or product is really no different than naming a child. Pick the wrong name and your offspring is destined to endure relentless teasing and ridicule from every bully on the block. Choose something too common or ordinary and your kid might as well be the guest that no one remembers after the party. Or you could roll the alphabet dice to come up with your own unique name, but then your baby's name will most likely never be spelled or pronounced correctly — much like the foreign exchange student in your 10th grade math class.
A considerable amount of time and thought should go into your decision. The final business name you choose should be meaningful in that it communicates who you are, what you do and reinforces the key features of your business. But exercise caution in being too specific with your name selection, too. For example, calling a business “Main Street Pizza & Pub” could be a real headache if the owner loses his liquor license, wants to expand the menu beyond pizza or needs to relocate to another part of town. Suggestive names are a little more abstract and provide a great alternative to traditional business names that may be too common or narrow for some clients. Instead of conveying who you are, they suggest what the business represents — things like quality, convenience, endurance or value.
Try not to become overwhelmed if you find naming your own business a little more challenging than you first expected. There is a lot to consider and a lot at stake in selecting the right name. It is a big deal and you should treat it as such. If you think you would like to try your hand at it, we suggest you start by brainstorming with a list of words that describe your product or service. Get out a dictionary and thesaurus and start playing with various combinations of words and sounds. Then bounce your best ideas off of your friends and family who are willing to give you honest and constructive feedback. It may take several rounds of edits and revisions, but you’ll know it in your toes when you have discovered the perfect name.
There is a definite process, skill set and comfort zone associated with developing an original and memorable business name. If you have any doubts about the final name you have selected — if it feels like you settled on a name instead of discovering the perfect one — then it’s probably not the right name and you should consider using an agency such as Lime Creative. The process we use involves various steps of getting to know you and your organization, as well as the audience or market you are trying to reach. We have the necessary tools and resources to seek the right words, the right sounds and the right visual experiences that your business name should convey, no matter how or where your business name will be used. We also perform searches to make sure your chosen name is indeed unique to your industry and we take the necessary measures to insure that your name stays that way.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will review some of the basic information you should consider regarding your business or organization’s name, logo, identity system and branding promise. I will also briefly discuss our own process and how we work with clients to find the very best solutions for their design problems.
Naming your product or business
Selecting a name for your business or product is really no different than naming a child. Pick the wrong name and your offspring is destined to endure relentless teasing and ridicule from every bully on the block. Choose something too common or ordinary and your kid might as well be the guest that no one remembers after the party. Or you could roll the alphabet dice to come up with your own unique name, but then your baby's name will most likely never be spelled or pronounced correctly — much like the foreign exchange student in your 10th grade math class.
A considerable amount of time and thought should go into your decision. The final business name you choose should be meaningful in that it communicates who you are, what you do and reinforces the key features of your business. But exercise caution in being too specific with your name selection, too. For example, calling a business “Main Street Pizza & Pub” could be a real headache if the owner loses his liquor license, wants to expand the menu beyond pizza or needs to relocate to another part of town. Suggestive names are a little more abstract and provide a great alternative to traditional business names that may be too common or narrow for some clients. Instead of conveying who you are, they suggest what the business represents — things like quality, convenience, endurance or value.
Try not to become overwhelmed if you find naming your own business a little more challenging than you first expected. There is a lot to consider and a lot at stake in selecting the right name. It is a big deal and you should treat it as such. If you think you would like to try your hand at it, we suggest you start by brainstorming with a list of words that describe your product or service. Get out a dictionary and thesaurus and start playing with various combinations of words and sounds. Then bounce your best ideas off of your friends and family who are willing to give you honest and constructive feedback. It may take several rounds of edits and revisions, but you’ll know it in your toes when you have discovered the perfect name.
There is a definite process, skill set and comfort zone associated with developing an original and memorable business name. If you have any doubts about the final name you have selected — if it feels like you settled on a name instead of discovering the perfect one — then it’s probably not the right name and you should consider using an agency such as Lime Creative. The process we use involves various steps of getting to know you and your organization, as well as the audience or market you are trying to reach. We have the necessary tools and resources to seek the right words, the right sounds and the right visual experiences that your business name should convey, no matter how or where your business name will be used. We also perform searches to make sure your chosen name is indeed unique to your industry and we take the necessary measures to insure that your name stays that way.
Do you matter?
May 28, 2010
Do you
matter? It’s a question that can feel like a punch to
the chest and hurt just as much if the honest answer
to it is anything less than a decisive yes. We all
want to matter, not just to our friends and family,
but also to those who purchase and use the products
and services we provide. And that is not always an
obvious thing to realize or master.
You matter to your clients and customers to the degree that they are emotionally invested in you and your organization’s success. They believe that what you provide and contribute to their customer experience is exceptional and irreplaceable should you cease to exist. You matter because what you deliver is beyond a sound product or quality service. Today, almost all features and benefits of any product or service can be easily replicated by anyone wanting to make a buck. But the one thing that can never be copied by your competition is the experience you custom-design for your intended customer.
People make choices on an emotional level and will pay a premium for an experience that connects with them on a personal level. You must design that experience for the category of customer you want — the kind of customer that values the risks you have taken in being original and is willing to pay perhaps a little more for added value and a superior experience.
A design-savvy organization is about building brand. Brand is not your logo or what your advertising says about you. Brand is what your customers say about you. It’s what they feel in their gut when it comes to making a choice between you and your competition. Granted, your advertising may create a perception of what you want your customers to believe, but that faith in you and your company won’t develop until their personal experiences match up completely with your marketing message. Any negative experience outside of what you promise will destroy the their trust in you entirely.
If you would like to learn more about the significance of branding and developing the ultimate customer experience for your organization, I suggest you read Do you matter? How great design will make people love your company by Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery.
You matter to your clients and customers to the degree that they are emotionally invested in you and your organization’s success. They believe that what you provide and contribute to their customer experience is exceptional and irreplaceable should you cease to exist. You matter because what you deliver is beyond a sound product or quality service. Today, almost all features and benefits of any product or service can be easily replicated by anyone wanting to make a buck. But the one thing that can never be copied by your competition is the experience you custom-design for your intended customer.
People make choices on an emotional level and will pay a premium for an experience that connects with them on a personal level. You must design that experience for the category of customer you want — the kind of customer that values the risks you have taken in being original and is willing to pay perhaps a little more for added value and a superior experience.
A design-savvy organization is about building brand. Brand is not your logo or what your advertising says about you. Brand is what your customers say about you. It’s what they feel in their gut when it comes to making a choice between you and your competition. Granted, your advertising may create a perception of what you want your customers to believe, but that faith in you and your company won’t develop until their personal experiences match up completely with your marketing message. Any negative experience outside of what you promise will destroy the their trust in you entirely.
If you would like to learn more about the significance of branding and developing the ultimate customer experience for your organization, I suggest you read Do you matter? How great design will make people love your company by Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery.
Why design matters.
May 21, 2010
Perhaps
you have heard the expression “Good design is good
business.” IBM founder Thomas Watson is accredited
for having said it first and it has been recited over
and again by every designer and agency looking for
clients. It’s a catchy phrase, but let’s be realistic
— it’s overused and unfortunately repeated most by
those who underestimate the true definition and
impact design has on how business is done today.
When we talk about design as a substance or object, we tend to think about it as a style or the way something looks. We immediately think color and composition. We can't help but compare it to our own personal preferences of what we think good design is or what it should be. We consider ourselves to be opened minded, and yet eventually we all succumb to the temptation of labeling what we see as either beautiful, ordinary or perhaps even ugly. And like it or not, we generally prefer what is currently classified as beautiful, if for no other reason than we know society tends to recognize and reward what is regarded as such.
But beauty can be quite deceiving. We all have encountered beautiful things that have no purpose beyond being admired for their veneered characteristics. When we ask, “What does it do?” we might get a blank stare or even a defensive response such as “It’s not supposed to do anything. It’s meant to be looked at and appreciated.” Well, that might be true about fine art, but how does that apply to design? Shouldn't design be more than that? Shouldn't it not only please aesthetic sensibilities, but also actually do something?
Design is more than beautifully finished products — it's an active and continuous process of creating beautiful outcomes. It serves a purpose. It solves a problem. It delivers results. It translates complex ideas into a visual language that communicates with intent, honesty and effectiveness. By visually portraying the soul and essence of your product or organization, it improves your image and strengthens your brand, separating you from the competition.
Good design is so much more than good business. It truly is your business advantage.
When we talk about design as a substance or object, we tend to think about it as a style or the way something looks. We immediately think color and composition. We can't help but compare it to our own personal preferences of what we think good design is or what it should be. We consider ourselves to be opened minded, and yet eventually we all succumb to the temptation of labeling what we see as either beautiful, ordinary or perhaps even ugly. And like it or not, we generally prefer what is currently classified as beautiful, if for no other reason than we know society tends to recognize and reward what is regarded as such.
But beauty can be quite deceiving. We all have encountered beautiful things that have no purpose beyond being admired for their veneered characteristics. When we ask, “What does it do?” we might get a blank stare or even a defensive response such as “It’s not supposed to do anything. It’s meant to be looked at and appreciated.” Well, that might be true about fine art, but how does that apply to design? Shouldn't design be more than that? Shouldn't it not only please aesthetic sensibilities, but also actually do something?
Design is more than beautifully finished products — it's an active and continuous process of creating beautiful outcomes. It serves a purpose. It solves a problem. It delivers results. It translates complex ideas into a visual language that communicates with intent, honesty and effectiveness. By visually portraying the soul and essence of your product or organization, it improves your image and strengthens your brand, separating you from the competition.
Good design is so much more than good business. It truly is your business advantage.