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People Pay For Value – Their Value, Not Yours

November 5, 2010

Why do so many products, services and brands grapple with such a very basic concept: people pay for value. But, it’s their perceived value and not the value you assign to it.

Newspapers aren’t dying. People are just buying them less and less because they’re not getting the same amount of value out of them as the used to. Same with in-home phone lines. Most people feel that they can get away with just having a mobile number. It’s like this with movies as well. Movies in the theatre now play on pay-per-view or are available on Blu-ray only a short while after their theatrical debut. Most homes now have big screens (and big sound), and so the experience of going to the theatre has been diminished by many. Nobody cares about owning a physical CD anymore, when you can get a high quality version of most music for your iPod (or whatever).

More media and more technology means more choices. In a world of more choices, the former 800-pound gorillas of their chosen industries now have to figure out how they are going to deliver real value. The kind of value that people are willing to pay for.

What have we really learned about value in the past few years?

People will pay for an individual song (and maybe an album), but they would like the choice.
People will pay for great writing – whether it’s in a magazine, newspaper, book or online. But, it has to be great (and not just your perception of great).
People will pay to see a movie – they just might not go to the theatre or to rent it from your physical store any more.
People will pay to be entertained.
People will pay to learn.
People will pay to be better connected.
People will pay for an exclusive experience.
People will pay for a premium experience.
People will pay for better access to customer service.
People will pay to avoid hassles.
People will pay to get things on their own time schedule (when they want it/how they want it).
People will pay for speed (whatever speed means in your industry).
People will pay for something that will give them more social clout.
People will pay for products that are virtual.
People will pay for information.
People will pay for more mobility.
People will pay for more flexibility.
People will pay for more comfort.

Are you using a Tablet?

November 4, 2010

For the modern graphic designer or illustrator, there’s only one hardware device that is a must-have in the workstation: and it’s not even a pencil. It’s a tablet like the Wacom Intuos4, a pen and tablet station for computers that allows you to “draw” directly onto a computer monitor, creating your images in real-time and with full capability with vital software like Adobe Photoshop.

The Transition to Paperless Illustrator

It wasn’t long ago when almost all illustration was still done on a form of treated wood and pulp known as paper; today, our lives are utterly transformed not only by the technology of computes, but by their availability. Products like the Wacom Intuos4 are actually relatively easy to acquire, and if you have a specific need that they can fill, they’re necessities around the office or home workstation. Going paperless means that you don’t have to worry about one stage of your designs unless you – quite simply – want to include paper drafts as part of your routine.

Is it a little disconcerting to give up the absolute control of the pencil-to-paper medium? It can be, but it’s not necessary. You’ll find that the pressure sensitivity of the Wacom Intuos4, as well as the overall interaction with the product, make it ideal for anyone who’s used to the pen-to-paper style of illustration. And once you’ve used a tablet, it will feel odd to illustrate on a computer any other way; after all, a mouse simply just doesn’t do it.

The Touch Ring will also give you access to features you can’t get on paper, such as zoom-ins and zoom-outs. You’ll also be able to change the degree of pressure it takes to make a line on the tablet, which is essentially like being able to change the kind of pen you’re using – without changing your tablet pen. It’s that cool.

Composition – Knowing what to exclude

November 2, 2010

Photography is an art form, yet as photographers, we’re at a great disadvantage. A painter can approach a scene and build in dramatic light, an impending storm, a howling wolf set upon a rocky precipice, or a bald eagle swooping from the water with trout held firmly in talons. A photographer on the other hand starts with a canvas that’s already painted and has to eliminate distractions within the scene. A photographer has to find serenity amongst chaos and confusion and has to wait for quintessential events to unfold and be lucky enough they do. So how does a photographer find pleasing compositions within all this complexity?

In any photo, the subject will be the first element to attract the viewer’s attention. Ideally, the supporting details will lead the viewer around the photo while at the same time, enhance the center of interest. If the subordinate details work in harmony with the main subject, the picture will show balance and be deemed successful. A poorly composed photo will confuse the viewer and lose his interest.

Good composition starts with choosing a good subject. The subject should inspire the photographer. If the subject isn’t intriguing, chances are the photo will reflect this. What it is that provoked you to raise the camera to your eye? Was it a strong color, the shape or texture, an interesting face or was it emotional? The final composition should be dictated by the answers to these questions.

Once a good subject is chosen, selectively eliminate all distractions that impede the viewer from focusing on the center of interest. Decide what should be photographed and emphasize that aspect while viewing the scene through the camera. Study the setting and decide if what you’ve seen with the naked eye is conveyed through the lens. As you continue to ask yourself questions about what attracted you to the subject, conclude whether or not you’ve gotten to the root of the attraction. Persevere in your quest to eliminate unnecessary elements by moving to the left, right, higher or lower until all is finely tuned. Deciding what to exclude is equally as important as knowing what to include.

The truth about Mission Statements?

October 30, 2010

“Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

So, has Starbucks inspired and nurtured your spirit lately? No, of course it hasn’t. You wait by a counter for a few minutes, someone yells “who’s got the Grande Skinny Caramel Macchiato with whip?” and you walk out with a $7.00 cup of coffee. If Starbucks was really interested in nurturing the human spirit , there wouldn’t be dozens of Web sites and blogs dedicated to teaching people how to order a coffee there without sounding like a loser.

If Starbucks wanted to be believable, its mission statement would be:“To have as many coffee shops as possible and sell as many drinks and biscotti as we can.”

Most mission statements (it’s also cool to call them “brand promises”) are absolute BS.

H.J. Heinz is a great company with great people (you don’t get to be 140 years old by doing things badly).If you polled all 32,500 of its employees, how many of them would say they guide their workday by being “dedicated to the sustainable health of people, the planet and our Company”? I’d be willing to bet that most of the good folks at Heinz show up for work to make and sell ketchup and other yummy toppings, and that not one person left the relish-bottling night shift yesterday thinking about the planet at all.

To be fair, some mission statements are realistic, to-the-point and credible. Even some Fortune 500 company statements are reasonably down-to-earth. The ones that are short, and revolve around selling things and making money, tend to strike me as most honest. I’ll even allow that some of the sillier ones have value as well-intentioned, team-bonding rallying cries. Nothing wrong with a little rah-rah.

But most mission statements are just empty promises and self-important proclamations that have little to do with the business and do even less to drive it. Most companies tend to come up up with something they thought profound enough to put on the wall in the lobby, offer up as a good sound byte, and lead off the annual report with a bang. Nary a care whether the statement had any basis in reality, or whether the factory worker or middle manager really comes to work driven by an obligation to embrace the global village.

Not suggesting that companies don’t mean well. But this is business, and with few exceptions, for-profit business does its good deeds by employing people, making good products, creating supply chains, paying taxes, giving to charity, and so on. But all of it starts with making money, which IS the rightful mission of most businesses, and is nothing to be ashamed of or talked around. Bill and Melinda Gates are giving away more money than anyone in history, but that’s because Microsoft made them lots of money. Saving the world was not Microsoft’s original mission; they had to get a PC on every desk on the planet before they could get to the good work of saving the planet.

I think most companies can do without mission statements. They’re more likely to be met with ambivalence or incredulity than to inspire anyone. I much prefer values to missions. Having a good set of values sets the tone and comportment of the company and — if written in an honest and realistic way — gives its people a usable road map of how the business wishes to conduct itself each and every day, “on the ground.” Our employees know exactly how we want to run our company and how we want to be perceived, and that’s what makes our culture and business work. Relatable standards and guidelines, rather than vague, overarching pronouncements.

How to approach a design project

October 24, 2010

1. Check out a bunch of inspirational collections

Before putting pen to paper or mouse to Photoshop, take a step back and check out some other designer’s work. You’ll be amazed, or not. You’ll get a fantastic idea of what you should do, or maybe of what you shouldn’t do. Plus, you’re passively growing your skill set by exposing yourself to different thoughts and styles.

2. Outline and Organize

Sometimes, it’s best to step away from the creative process and start a new design with a more logical approach. Perhaps your last project went out of control and you ended up designing twice as much as you should of, or you realized you designed something that was completely not in the project scope.

Take a step back and gather your materials. Grab the information your client sent you and any tools you need. Write yourself a step-by-step to do list of what needs to be accomplished before the project can be complete. Then proceed by tackling each step one by one.

3. Go for a Walk and Take Snapshots

Outdoors, whether it’s around town or in the woods, can be a great escape for the creative mind. Take your camera with you and take a photo of anything that makes you think of the project (or that you generally like). Maybe there’s a sign that captures the feel you’re trying to create, or maybe the way the grass is blowing is just the right feeling you want to invoke through your design.

4. Start Sketching

If you’ve got an idea, go for it! Grab your sketchbook, spare paper, or whatever you like using and immerse yourself in the design. Whether or not you use your sketches in the new project doesn’t really matter. What does matter is getting your thoughts out of your head an onto paper.

Don’t forget to set an alarm if you need to be anywhere or do something at a particular time. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re in the middle of a good sketching session.

5. Create a Project Board

Print photos, sketches, project flow charts, project specs, or anything that relates to your new project and create a project board. Use a glue stick, tape, or even staples to compile the pieces across cardboard, a whiteboard, or on the wall near your workspace.

Having this visual information directly in front of you and not tucked away on the web in bookmarks and folders can make the design process much more fluid. Plus, the act of creating the project board helps focus your thoughts and your client’s wishes before starting the actual design.

6. Schedule Your Design Time

If you know you work best at 8am or 3 in the afternoon, schedule a chunk of time to start the design. Turn off your phone and email for at least a half hour and take advantage of the design-only time.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to shake things up, schedule design time at a really strange hour. If you normally work 8-4, schedule design time for the evening or on a weekend morning. You probably don’t want to make a habit of working at strange times, but shaking things up may change your perspective for the new project.

7. Start with Your Favorite Task

There’s always one part of a project that you absolutely love to do. Maybe it’s picking out the fonts, or developing the navigation, but try starting with this single element first. It may not always make sense to start with the task you love, but you might find that the rest of the project is more enjoyable or turns out differently than you would have expected.

Alternatively, choose the task you dislike the most. Getting the awful stuff finished will make you feel accomplished and allow you to enjoy the rest of the project with fewer worries.

8. Refer to Your Best Work

Sometimes it’s good to get a reminder of what you’re capable of. Compile some of your best work and think about what made each piece great. Is there something that unites that that you can pull from for the new project? Or were they projects that you enjoyed for a specific reason? By examining yourself, you might able to replicate the results.