by Lindsay Sleightholm | Oct 16, 2012 | Business Success, Creative
What is original?
In terms of creativity and ideation, “original” can be described as something new. But being original really requires more than just being new. It also implies standing apart as unique. It’s the combination of new and unique that takes us from ordinary to original.
Why be original?
Society likes originality – and for good reason. It inspires and enriches our lives. We want to see and experience original thoughts, ideas and visuals. We like to be provoked, entertained or questioned in different and interesting ways.
Let’s look at Halloween for an example. This yearly tradition is when some of the youngest members of our society play make believe. They dress up for the rest of us. They plan out a costume based on the person (or creature) they want to become for one special evening. The results of their unique ideas are wacky, wonderful and often original creations.
Why don’t we see more originality?
Today, originality is hard to come by. Speed and efficiency have rivalled its importance. There have never been so many easy solutions for everyday problems than there are now. We have more resources available than ever before – at our fingertips and within seconds. Most simply don’t have the time or patience to produce original, creative ideas.
So what’s missing?
Thinkers – those that have original thoughts and pursue them. Great thinkers either have the time or make the time to explore their unique ideas. But originality isn’t just another item on their to-do list. Original thinkers not only make a commitment towards their ideas, but follow them through with fervor and conviction. As a result, they bring us originality. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates come to mind as a couple of well known great thinkers.
Going back to our trick-or-treaters, I don’t think many kids say, “I don’t have time to think about a Halloween costume this year. I’m just going to go as whatever is easiest.” Instead, these young thinkers plan far in advance. They develop a clear visual of what they want and how it will look. By the time the big night rolls around, everything is in place.
Be original.
Everyone is different. And everyone has a unique view of themselves and the world around them. If we each took that view and used it to generate original ideas, we’d have millions of different solutions to any given problem. But, we don’t. Generally, there are a limited number of individuals providing novel ideas. The rest just follow along with what someone else has already created or discovered, and build upon that success.
It has been said that “it’s all been done before.” But how true is that? Are there really no original ideas left to be had? As difficult as originality is to achieve today, so too is its importance towards creative success. We can’t “reinvent the wheel”, but by saying that, we hinder our own unique thoughts.
What’s your approach to being original?
You don’t have to be a kid or a recluse to have original ideas. Originality can be explored as a process of thinking, planning and doing. The ideal result is something both new and unique. Whatever your approach, make sure it makes sense to you. After all, you’re an original.
Let’s continue the conversation. What are your thoughts on being original?
by Miriam Hara | Oct 9, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Design
Sparking creativity or what is most commonly referred to as brainstorming, when you’re alone is far more difficult than when you’re within a group. The onus is all on you. You can’t pass the reins to anyone else and passively listen. Nor can you follow or jump on someone else’s thought train (as I often call it) to move an idea forward.
I equate ‘Lone Brainstorming’ to Meditating. You need to find your happy place, a place that will set you up to make it easy for you to meditate. In my case, my happy place is my personalized HUGE Black sketchbook which one of my colleagues (thanks Gloria!) gave me as a Birthday Present.
When I open this book, it’s my mind’s cue that I need to be calm and patient with myself so I can start the idea concept generation (ideation). There are many brainstorming techniques out there. There is no right way or wrong way of brainstorming, but it’s important to find techniques that work for you.
Prior to sitting down to meet a creative challenge, as a brainstorming strategy it is necessary to get all the information required to provide a solution. This means reading briefs or provided Powerpoint presentations, if available, doing store checks, understanding the space in which the brand lives (investigating the industry) via the internet or whatever other means, checking out the competition and researching the target market (niche, psychographics, demographics). Armed with all the background, you’ll be on firmer ground when you start.
In the 24 years of being a Creative Instigator (!), I have found the following steps have enabled me to streamline my conceptual thinking and provide me with a loose structure that allows me to… well, think freely!
Be specific. It’s key to set the parameters before you start. This allows you to focus and ready your mind to work efficiently, providing you with a sifting mechanism for the ideas you will generate. Just like doing the prep work, it’s really important to define the mandate to stay close to the marketing or creative challenge.
See the big picture. Don’t get caught up on the details. That often stifles creativity and you start getting so wrapped up in the minutia. Don’t worry about the details, if an idea has validity then the details will often take care of themselves with a tweak here and there.
Make a time commitment. If you give your brain a challenge, you need to stay with it. The key here is remaining focused for 90 minutes, a solution often appears!
Take strategic detours. I can’t emphasize enough the value of allowing your mind to wander strategically! It’s an art that takes time to develop but the importance of having creative freedom in generating creative solutions within specifics can’t be touted enough. This is what makes any brainstorming session efficient. When flying solo it’s important to:
- Follow the connections: This is conceptualizing at its finest. Make mind maps, word maps or doodle maps… whatever is most comfortable for you. And follow them where they lead. It replaces the team of creative minds that you don’t have sitting around the table with you.
- Dare to fail: Go onto a path that may or may not lead to a dead end. It’s not important at this juncture to have a particular destination. It’s about taking the journey to discover what’s around the corner. Often the sidetrack will lead you to a better place!
Take five or a lay-over: And don’t think about it. You need time to digest. Occupy your mind with something else, like creating a meal, taking a walk, going to a museum or even reading. It’s not an old wives’ tale when they say “sleep on it”. The creative mind is exceptional! I have often found the next day leads me to a better solution than I had thought.
Don’t sell yourself short. It’s easy, especially for creative types when left on their own to often doubt that they can find the solution. Without a creative team around you providing you with a comfort zone and a way out, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. So don’t! Rid yourself of all these comprising thoughts, and just set yourself to the task at hand… awesome conceptual solutions for your clients… it works every time!
by Lindsay Sleightholm | Sep 25, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design
So you’ve created a brand… What was once just a nugget of an idea has been researched, developed, designed and finally brought to life. The result of all that hard work is a complete identity that will embody all the values of your product or service. Now it’s time to release that new brand into the market for whom it was created. Time to pop open the bubbly and celebrate? Well, not just yet. Before you unleash your brand into the consumer world, there’s one more important step you need to take to ensure its success: you need to provide it with proper brand guidelines to steer it in the right direction. What are brand guidelines? Brand guidelines are a detailed outline of a brand’s essence, explaining everything from brand positioning to visual identity. They will form a document that will act as a reference tool of standards. In other words, they’re an “owner’s manual” for your brand. The standards given in brand guidelines provide direction in times of potential branding mishaps – say, for instance, an inappropriate use of a logo, which would result in inaccurate brand representation. Basically, it all boils down to consistency. The role of brand guidelines is to keep a brand consistent within its identity, and a consistent identity aids strength of brand. Is there any room for maneuvering? Of course. Consistency is the key to the strength of a brand’s identity, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a little leeway allowed for. Overzealous guidelines will only serve to box your brand into a corner. If guidelines are too restrictive – simply “insert photo here” – the brand won’t be able to thrive. It must be given room to breathe within its guidelines. And the creative team working with the brand should be able to convey effective messaging, without having to check their brains at the door. Know your guidelines
What’s important to remember is that a vested interest into the inner workings of your brand needs to be present at onset. Unlike the one you use for your car, this owner’s manual isn’t just something to consult when malfunctions arise. Instead, you need to ensure everyone working with the brand understands its identity, values, culture and how it communicates to its market. Brand guidelines should not only be made available at all times, but also clearly understood and referred to often. Brand guideline must-haves
- Brand definition: A clear definition of the brand should include all aspects regarding brand positioning, brand voice and brand management.
- Logo, icon and positioning statement applications: After the brand has been defined, it then requires having a complete illustration of the brand’s logo(s) and their components as part of the visual identity.
- Colour palette: The colours associated with the brand’s visual identity make up its palette. All colour values must be indicated in their various conversions for all forms of media.
- Identity restrictions: Unacceptable identity logo usage needs to be detailed in diagram form.
- Identity sizing and clearance: Minimum sizing and a measurement for logo clear space needs to be indicated.
- Identity typography: All typefaces, their sizes and weights as well as any typesetting requirements should be outlined.
- Trademarking: Any trademarks or legal lines that need to be present on graphic material, need to be stated.
- Brand visuals: Visual elements including photography and graphics associated with the brand need to be shown.
- Sample identity usage: Examples of acceptable advertising, promotion materials or signage while adhering to brand guidelines help to solidify requirements.
Anyone who has assisted in creating a brand knows the importance of brand guidelines. Successful branding starts with a clear identity and guidelines that promote consistency in its use yet allows for brand growth. In turn, the brand can thrive and build in value. The role of effective brand guidelines is essential to keeping your brand on the track to success. How much weight do you put on brand guidelines?
by Miriam Hara | Sep 24, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Design
Just how expensive is do it yourself marketing? In an age where technology has everything accessible to pretty much everyone the question begs to be asked… is this smart or not… and how costly is it? Today business owners can create their own logos, tagline statements, ads and websites all on their own. But like everything else in life, you have ask yourself… just because you can… should you? Just like speaking English doesn’t necessarily make you a writer, knowing software such as Photoshop or InDesign doesn’t make you a designer and understanding your market doesn’t make you a “creative thinker”.
Many businesses, B2B, B2C, retail or service proudly give out their business cards or show off their website with “I did it myself” attitude. This always surprises me. Businesses who hire carpenters, electricians or decorators to do up their offices, or even pay extra in rent to be at the right location, will skimp on designing a proper logo, establish a proper tagline and develop a proper site. What is it about the creative part of the Marketing field that makes business people think that it’s just an optional expense when establishing a business? What’s the point of having a website if it isn’t user friendly or it isn’t optimized for user experience so when people actually get to your site they get to access the information that they require effortlessly? How about the copy – if your site isn’t written properly for your target, and more importantly, if the copy written doesn’t take into account keywords for ranking optimization what’s the point of having the site up anyway? Isn’t the whole purpose of having a website to inform and get found on Google in order to call or come to your store?
I once went to a spa that charged me $175 for a 1 hour massage and then gave me a brochure with all their services. The brochure was a mess! Not only was it poorly designed, but it was riddled with typos… words were cut off and even the folding of the brochure was uneven. I felt that charging that much for a massage, the least that the spa should have done is offer their customers a brochure that has the same “upscale” feeling as their pricing! It left me with the feeling that they didn’t want to go that extra mile to sell me… to convince me that they were worth those extra dollars. In this case, good enough just wasn’t.
Most people wouldn’t even consider doing major repairs or transformations to their homes. I too can swing a hammer… most times I even hit the nail. And sawing a 2×4 piece of wood shouldn’t be too complicated, at least I don’t think so… just don’t ask me to saw a right angle! I’ll get it just about right, but not quite. Ask yourself this – if every time you walk into the kitchen and see the work that you did yourself, that isn’t just so… can you live with it?
Contrary to home improvements, the creative part of Business Marketing isn’t something that you can or should ‘live with’. First of all, it isn’t just you living with it… it’s your potential clients and customers that will be subject to it. Designers, writers, and professional marketers don’t just know how to use the tools… they know how to think marketing… they know strategy and market assessment. They do their homework for your business, looking at the competition, evaluating the market, understanding your business. Each of these professional designations (writer, marketer or designer) think in a process to determine the best way to market your business or brand, visually and cohesively… dare I say strategically?
I do understand that designing a logo, developing a tagline and creating a website can get expensive and ultimately it is an expense. But ask yourself how expensive is it to get it all wrong? To ruin your business’ first impression? Or not have the desired result from your website? Before you throw your hands up in the air and tell designers and writers how expensive they are, think of how expensive it would be not to have your business seen in the best light possible, or be found? Sometimes $1 spent poorly is a lot more costly then $1000 spent wisely.
by cassandr | Sep 14, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Creative, Interactive, Social Media
When you hear someone say the word Pinterest, what comes to mind? In most cases your probably thinking stay at home mom, or even your grandmother. Am I right? The service is a little more than a showcase of favourite recipes and clothes.
Things have changed. Many businesses are taking advantage of Pinterest’s highly visual platform to build brand awareness and enhance their reputation. Yes, another social media platform your business needs to be present on…I can just hear the collective sigh out there! Don’t despair. Leveraging Pinterest for your business, and establishing your presence, your promotions, and share-able content creation is easily doable. Before outlining the first you must be convinced that your business needs to be on this platform.
So why use Pinterest?
Many businesses have finally jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon. The main reason is Pinterest does something no other social media does. It presents consumers with images in a simple, fast and easy to consume manner. Brands embrace it because it tells a compelling story that allows for interpretation for each consumer, thus starting a one-to-one conversation.
1. Establish your Presence
One of the strategies for using Pinterest is to first make sure you are projecting the right business image. This can’t be stressed enough. Keep your profile professional, this includes your photos, name, pins and so on. All these aspects directly reflect your business, so it’s important to follow these guidelines.
2. Picture Promotions
Many businesses today are taking full advantage of Pinterest for a number of reasons. Many people are now making use of promotions. To start utilizing Pinterest for business promotion is simple. Just organize a promotion for your fan base, and make sure it provides them an incentive to post their own images of your products. You can also use your Twitter and Facebook pages to market your promotion beforehand to grow your community.
3. Content
On Pinterest it’s important that the boards you create reflect your business or area of expertise. This can either make or break your success of your marketing campaign. It’s key in choosing boards that are related to your niche, and it wouldn’t hurt to follow brands that are related to your business.
Summary
Pinterest platforms user base is growing exponentially, which means it’s time for more businesses to take the plunge, and get started. Here are some key words of advice: Put your best foot forward through sharing valuable images and video. Remember, the old adage… a photo is worth a thousand words… and a very powerful marketing tool.
What do you think of Pinterest? Can your business benefit from it, and how? I’d like to know.
by cassie | Aug 29, 2012 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design
On August 23, 2012 a monumental change took place at one of the world’s largest technological companies; Microsoft unveiled a new logo, the first new logo since 1987.
This marks a significant change in the direction the company is taking. On the same day the logo was reveled, Microsoft stated in a press release that they wanted to revamp their image in time for the launch of Windows 8, which happens in late October. Windows 8 is the first software from Microsoft that can be used on both PCs and personal tablets, changing the way in which consumers interact with their various technological devices.
By creating a new logo Microsoft is not only trying to build interest and buzz around the product launch, but also show its target market that they have changed their way of thinking product development in response to how people currently use technology. Windows 8 is not just another “pretty” update and neither is the logo. It’s a new logo for a new Microsoft… with a new attitude.
Before
After
So how is that new business attitude reflected in the new logo? The first change is the font. Gone are the italics in favour of a new, straight font, which connects the F and T. They also altered the colour by lightening it and simplifying the use of colour removing dimension and shadows.
Secondly, the four coloured squares, which were previously curved and used to represent a window, have been straightened out and flattened to make a square. This was done to represent how applications will appear as mosaic tiles that will work on both touch tablets and PCs.
The changes are pretty minimal, so what has the response been? Pretty minimal as well. While it’s not being hailed as horrible, there’s no real praise for it either. It seems that it has failed to make an impression one way or another.
For a new logo that is supposed to be ushering in “one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history,” I personally think they could have done much better.
But like I said, they didn’t do a horrible job. Many components used are what go into a good logo. As Lance Ulanoff, Editor in Chief at Mashable.com, points out it’s simple and timeless. The design is clean and modern and void of stylistic trends that will easily look dated in a few years time. It also doesn’t deviate too far from the past logos. The logo is appropriate for the direction the brand is heading in. The tiles act as representation of the product the Microsoft is offering.
So where does it fail? Where it fails is the fact that it’s not memorable. Microsoft wanted the logo to be “humble, yet confident,” but humble is the wrong route to take if the brand is trying to play up the notion of significant innovation.
The lightened colour comes off as dull and weak. The adjustment of the coloured tiles is very minor. What the logo should say is “Microsoft is a leader in technology that offers innovative products to customers for their changing need.” Instead it says “Microsoft made a few changes here and there that might go unnoticed with customers.”
Simplicity is key in logo design…can anyone say Apple? The new Microsoft logo can be described as simple… but unlike Apple, it’s not clever and it’s not iconic. It’s bad business practice to try to follow in the footsteps of a competitor who has done it so well. Microsoft would have been better served striking off on its own… creating something original to set its brand apart.
While a logo a brand does not make, it is important to put thought and care into it, especially when evolving it.
Do you feel, given the goals and intended messaging, that Microsoft created a new logo that connects with consumers?
