New Year’s resolutions? Okay, let’s look at mine for a second: only drink wine on the weekend, cut-back on refined sugar, hit the gym. It’s likely they’ll turn out to be: hit the wine and cut back on the gym…but it’s good to have a plan. Whatever our resolutions might be it’s a positive step […]
Lois Brayfield, CEO I’m heartbroken to learn that last week, after battling cancer, industry leader and icon Glenda Shasho-Jones has passed away. Our paths first crossed in the mid-’90s when she critiqued a catalog I worked on as Creative Director and – wow – she taught me more with her assessment than I’d learned in […]
Let’s start with a something that we can all agree on: good information makes all of us smarter. And let’s take another step and agree that well-informed design tends to work harder and perform better. So far, it’s likely we agree on principle. But in practice, I still see a lot of analytics and creative […]
Consumer demand drives innovation, right? Demand for better health, more pleasure, access to information, transportation, etc. And, the success of any innovative idea has one thing in common, EASE. If a new idea isn’t easy to engage, it typically fails. Ease and simplicity are at the core of what we consider improvements to everyday life. […]
Imagine if John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote great songs, with story, melody and the right words. Then imagine that they went into the studio, recorded an “okay” take, called it a day and went to the pub. The point is, if your marketing efforts aren’t delivering the results you’re looking for, maybe you should […]
They’re like a frustrating older sibling. They get all the attention, and they get away with pretty much everything. They’re incredibly well-liked, and it seems like everyone aspires to be them. (Is it obvious that I’m a middle child?) Regardless of how you feel about them, Patagonia is one of the most impressive brands out […]
Are you thirsty for better creative? You don’t necessarily need to dump everything and go back to the well for a complete redesign. Sometimes all you need is a refreshing splash of H2O . Water? No, not that kind H2O . This kind of H2O … Hierarchy.Hygiene.Organization. How can these three elements invigorate your design? […]
Chris Hayes EVP, Brand Strategy Marketers are understandably excited about Generation Z. Members of this newest demographic cohort, aged 16 to 21 (the overall cohort is 7 to 21), spend an estimated $143 billion annually and that number does not include the money spent by parents on their Gen Z children. There are approximately 65 […]
Critiquing a catalog can be overwhelming. Maybe you’re so close to your brand that it’s hard to maintain objectivity. Maybe your focus is merchandise, so product presentation is most important to you. Maybe you’re not a Creative Director, so reviewing work is intimidating. (We can’t all be Creative Directors.) (I’m not a Creative Director.) There […]
