You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket…but that doesn’t mean you need more eggs either.

Today, the Sci-Fi channel has formerly changed it’s name to ScyFy so that it can be “more reflective of a diverse amount of programming outside of science fiction”…which apparently includes Wrestling matches and Joan of Arcadia re-runs from CBS? Pizza Hut has also changed it’s name on some of their restaurants and boxes to “The Hut” never mind the potentially hilarious Star Wars references (see photo above.) Pizza Hut had a similar reasoning to showcase it’s wider selections of foods outside of pizza and try to capture a hipper larger audience. By hip they plan to include showing “Wheel of Fortune” of big screen TV’s in some of their new locations. I kid you not. You get the sense some marketing geniuses all sat in a room and were like “We got to change something we got to be cool like those Twitter people. Sports bars are big…hey how can we big like them? and how can we beat Subway?”

Here’s a better idea. Concentrate on what you do well and do it even better than before and worry less about grabbing at new trends or trying to kill your competition. Most of all don’t become medicore at a bunch of things thus diluting your brand with your customers.

When Apple was in the gutter in the mid 90’s and was literally trying everything including the clone market to grow their market share they lost sight of what they did really well. They lost sight of their culture and what made them stand apart from the other countless biege boxes. Steve Jobs came in and cut their product line to just a few key products and decided they were going to do these really well and get better and concentrate on amazing useable interfaces and making technology easier to use. On that strong foundation they grew into other markets (music, video) and applied those philosophies thoughtfully growing it from their core competencies. Companies that feel like they have to diverge radically from there core products or continue switching their focus run the risk of diluting their brand efforts, alienating their customers, confusing potential new customers. In the end it can result in mediocre products and continual business lost. What makes your business great? What separates it from the crowd? Stand on those building blocks and work from there and stop trying to straddle the middle of the road thinking you’re playing it safe.

“Man walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk down middle, sooner or later, get squished.” – Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid

Clients are like Lebowski Characters

I think we can all get a little frustrated with clients but after reading this article you’ll see how they most likely fall into one of the several main characters from the movie The Big Lebowski. Read on to decide who your favorite or not-so favorite client is like.

Did you Know?

First there was the agriculture revolution, then the industrial and now we are in the informational revolution. Whoever controls the information controls the world. Scary thought huh?

Pop Culture Propaganda

I am huge fan of Shepard Farley and vintage propaganda style posters. There was something very bold and unique about the style of posters we saw from Cuba, Russia and our own war-time illustrations. Check out this pop-culture take on the style.

Here’s one I did for my boss as a wall poster. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of it.

the greatest 401 error message ever

I absolutely love this error message when it couldn’t find a page. This is all about making technology less cold. There’s real people behind this software and they’re having fun.

Hi I’m Steve, and I’m your designer co-pilot

Surely you're a good designer. I am a good designer and don't call me Shirley.

We as designers have a problem with a public perception. Some clients view designers as true partnership on the design. They feel like they’re apart of the process and offer great feedback but understand you’re the expert and will help best bring the final solution to visual fruition. Other clients have a tendency to have control issues with the projects. They dictate the design to you and it’s changes and generally  the project becomes miserable at that point with frustration on both sides. “Move that 2 pixels to the left, ok now try red.” This relegates the designer to an assembly line production designer, someone who simply carries out someone elses vision without any input into the final product. It’s strange how we don’t tell lawyers how to do their jobs or doctors how to fix our injuries, but the visual arts is something everyone can relate to and have an opinion on.

The problem is the perception on those clients parts that web design or graphic design for that matter is purely visual arts. That is a large component of it but the heart of great graphic and web design is solving business problems and communicating through visual solutions not simply aesthetics. Everything from the colors to the font selection to how elements are arranged on a page are pieces of a puzzle that we work on to get your message across effectively and with a focused precision. Even more so we’re seeing this in the relm of usability experts who are also graphic designers. Figuring out the best ways for people to interact with technology and how they get through a web or mobile phone application. We as designers need to better educate the public at large as to what we do and then perhaps we won’t have to fight so hard to try to keep that great design solution we had for the client from becoming frankenstein of it’s former self.

It’s not about having and ego or dictating to the client our higher than mighty design aesthetics. it’s about empathy for the customer and really understanding them and their needs and in trying to create that personal connection. When that occurs you’ll find things go much smoother and everyone is happier.

Portable Toaster

Sure it’s just a prototype but this goes to show someone taking something we are completely familiar with and creating an innovative new approach. Love that it has a graphical representation on the back showing how well toasted it is. Taking the ordinary and making it unique, that’s creative genius.

There’s practicality issues though for this in real world use. One is how you do you toast both sides evenly and not burn your hand. This would definitely not be useful for kids as they’d probably set the house on fire along with the dog. Also people like doing less work with fewer steps so that while this offers the ability to see the toasting occur most people would prefer to just stick it in metal slot and walk away then come back. no moving their hands across a bread surface. Maybe if it dispensed butter at the same time that you’re saving people that big hassle of actually taking out a knife and spreading butter? Wow our society has gotten lazy.

“Humans are Among Us” Sci Fi Campaign

Check out this great ad campaign by the sci-fi channel. Very fun twist on the vintage b-movie poster.

Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

Siftables

having fun with technology and looking at new ways for it to interact with us. Things like this are the future.