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!
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?
The rise of social media has brought about many advantages: instantaneous and constant communication; the humanization of brands and stronger relationships with customers.
However, it all comes at a price, mainly the diminishing attention span of users. Social media creates a constant feed of information virtually 24/7, resulting in people spending less time engaged in your content – if they even read it at all.
So how does one make sure that not only does important information reach the intended audience, but that it also gets absorbed?
It’s funny how everything old is new. Social Media content has taken “a page” from traditional print. Remember how newspapers were very rudimentary in layout and content was “the star”, making for a very text heavy presentation. Well, here we are once again.
Social media is becoming increasingly more visual and that means if you want your content to be read, you need to make it visually appealing.
Moving away from being text heavy, Twitter has a limit on the number of characters a message can have as well as allowing for postings of photos. After all a picture is worth a thousand words! Taking that adage to the max is Instagram, a photo-sharing platform in which users take photos, apply a filter and share it to their other social media accounts. Then there’s Pinterest, a virtual pin board that allows users to “pin” photos of things they find interesting and share with others for inspiration.
Making numbers and dry data interesting is easier said than done. One way do that is to use infographics. Infographics are visual representations of data and yes, they too have been around for a long time, just not called as such. Chances are you’ve used infographics long before venturing into social media. Maps, diagrams and charts are all examples.
So why now are infographics gaining popularity?
First of all, with the rise of social media, people don’t want to dig to find the relevant information. Infographics can streamline what needs to be known in a concise and easy to read manner. At the risk of repeating myself, the attention span of audiences is lessening by the second!
Secondly, infographics can take information that, while important, might be boring and transform it into something that is eye catching and visually appealing. With a whole spectrum of symbols, characters and colours to use, what once was boring can be made fun. By using those elements, the creator of the infographic not only catches the eye of the reader, but directs them where to look, helping ensure the information is read.
For example
This is an infographic taken from www.timeout.com. It provides interesting stats on the Olympic and Paralympic games through recognizable symbols, colours and limited text. If the information were presented written in a black and white article, people might not care, but through the use of infograhpics the information has suddenly become quirky and worth a second look.
How can brands leverage infographics to their benefit?
Brands can use infographics to tell their story. Through statistical graphs and charts brands can show how the brand has grown and the direction in which it is evolving.
Brands can also use infographics to assist in developing or establishing a persona. The images, characters and colours used will all have connotations and those choices directly reflect the brand.
Lastly, brands need to put their infographics out into the world. The whole point is to make the information easy to understand and absorb quickly, making it ideal for sharing. Being easy to read and understand, visually appealing and fun are all characteristics that help generate engagement and propel brands. The greater the impression an infographic makes on a reader, the greater the likelihood of the reader sharing it with others on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest– that’s what social media is all about after all.
The 2012 Olympics have officially started, but for months we have seen advertisements from Olympic sponsors. The most coveted position for an Olympic sponsor is to be part of The Olympic Partner programme (TOP). Being part of the TOP programme gives sponsors exclusive worldwide marketing rights. This year’s sponsors in the TOP programme are: Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, The Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa. Participating in the TOP programme is an amazing opportunity for sponsors. They are able to associate themselves with one of the most recognizable symbols in the world and launch innovative campaigns on a global platform for a potentially unlimited reach. We believe that a great Olympic ad should align the values of the brand with the values of the Olympics, use the Olympics as a vehicle for their product and service and, of course, make a lasting impression on target market.
With so much at stake, we want to know, who do you think deserves to take home a gold, silver or bronze medal for their Olympic ad?
Ads from TOP programme sponsors in the running for medals are: Procter and GambleAd: “The Best Job” Creative Premise: P&G is using its voice at the Olympic Games to say “Thank You Mum” not just to mothers of Olympians, but to all mothers for everything they do to help their children meet their dreams. P&G is playing on the idea of family legacy. They were there along side mothers to help Olympians before they were Olympians. Children achieve their dreams with the help of their moms, and P&G. This is really a heart-tugger! Coca-colaAd: “Move to the Beat of London” Creative Premise: To bring teens closer to the Olympics and sports through music. This ad demonstrates their mission to refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness and to create value and make a difference. The beat was created by recording the sounds made by athletes. The producer seen “conducting” the athletes is Mark Ronson, who is known for launching the career of Amy Winehouse. The ad inspires happiness as everyone is having a good time cheering for the Olympic athletes. It fits in well with the Olympics as they are not just a competition, but also a celebration of the best athletic talent in the world. VisaAd: “Go World” Creative Premise: Celebrate athleticism and human triumph through unique athlete stories. Visa takes a simple approach in their ad. The visuals are straightforward, athletes performing. What resonates with the audience is Morgan Freeman narrating. “When you cheer…” gives the audience a certain amount of power, they make the athletes perform just a little bit better. When you cheer and use Visa, well you help your team win. By using Visa you can go anywhere and make anything happen. Tell us who you think should receive the gold, silver and bronze medal! During this year’s Olympics we’ll be doing a series of blogs that speak to the event, brands and sports. Stay tuned and join the conversation!
Web Design isn’t about the layout, the colour, the look or the impact of a site. In fact, behind every great website is a great web design usability interface. Success or failure of your website depends on user the web design usability interface. A website is your first impression out there in the real world… so it’s important that the user interface provides everything that the end user is looking for , easily, while on your website. Success or failure of your website depends on user the interface. Viewers, surfers, user… a call them what you will, cannot find what they seek if the interface is poor.
Jakob Nielsen, a Denmark web usability consultant, suggested the following heuristics (must haves!) for user interface design:
Visibility of system status A website should always keep users informed about what the site is about, what page they’re currently looking at and where to click. It is recommended to have your site’s title and page name visible on every page so that users know their whereabouts.
Match between system and the real world Websites should speak the target audiences’ language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to them, rather than using technical terms. The copy should be relevant, engaging and provide learning. It should also be streamlined and efficient.
User control and freedom Viewers often click for the stake of well, clicking and find themselves on a page that they don’t want to be on. Make sure your website has clearly marked “exit” to leave any unwanted pages… and back to the pages they want to be on. Similarly, users sometimes will click on links that takes them to another page while leaving the page they are visiting. To remedy this problem, websites should support undo and redo. For example, having links opened in a new tab or new page instead of having users leave the page.
Consistency and standards The intended audience should not have to wonder whether different words, actions or layout mean the same thing. Websites should follow conventions (e.g. font color and size consistency, same header and footer height across pages, image size and etc). Make sure all pages on your website have the same look and feel. If not, users will think they’re on another website.
Error prevention: Recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors A good design should prevent problems from occurring in the first place. For example, when designing a contact us form for your website, you should clearly mark the required fields. Somewhere on your contact form, you should include *(denotes required field). If an error still occurs, be sure to send the users a clear error message. The message should be worded in plain language (no codes), indicate where were the errors and suggest a solution on how to fix the errors.
Recognition rather than recall Minimize the user’s memory load by making objects, actions, and options visible. Instructions for use of the website, such as sitemap should be visible whenever appropriate.
Example: In interface speak, website links have 4 states. Make use of these to ensure that users know where to click, where they’ve visited and what page they’re on at all times. Here are the 4 states.
a:link {color:#000000;} /* unvisited link */
a:visited {color:#666666;} /* visited link */
a:hover {color:#CCCCCC;} /* mouse over link */
a:active {color:#FFFFFF;} /* selected link */
Help and documentation Even though it is better if the website can be used without instruction, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation, such as a FAQ page that contains information related to what the user is trying to find. Have a “contact us” link visible on every page, so they can email you with any issues, questions or concerns.
Why is this important? Consider this: You may have the greatest SEO campaign or Google Ad Word Campaign, but if it leads your intended audience to a site that isn’t providing them with the expected web experience, you’ve just lost them.
Is your website design usability optimized for user interface?
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.
