Design Reinvention

If Design can change the world - and I firmly believe it can and it will - clients have to ask themselves how they can get world-changing design from their agencies? I believe the answer lies in Innovating their Expectations.

First, let’s look at how the design agency model differs from the advertising model. Ad agencies act as strategic partners for their clients brands, involving themselves in annual planning, pipeline development, and all aspects of the marketing mix. Design agencies, on the other hand, are treated as specialists, brought in for finite needs, and exposed only to “need to know” elements. In for a refresh or redesign, then out again until it’s time to drop in the line extensions. Ad agencies, whose “product” (the campaign) may live for a short time only, are treated as long term partners, while design agencies, whose designs may live 5+ years, are looked at as short term. Advertising is considered working media, while design is just an expense.

First law of better design: Invite your design agency to be a full partner. And expect them to show up and participate. Every time.

We tend to look at advertising in media-agnostic terms. A big idea should be able to live in multiple places. Certainly, some messages require specific context, but overall, a great idea can be executed many ways. Why don’t clients require the same of their design? Brandmarks should be viewed independently and with the comprehensive design. Can the illustration style live alone? Are the designs iconic? Can they be animated? By this, I mean both literally as in “to move” as well as figuratively - can they come alive? Will they work in digital environments? Do they have a musical theme? Your design should work in as many contexts as there are channels. Don’t accept a static design!

Second law of better design: Demand to see any final design presentation as concepts, deconstructed elements, in flash, and in multiple contexts. Don’t settle for less.

We live visual lives. Our brains process visually. And yet most design communication is still verbal. I go back and forth on whether this is pure laziness or simply a lack of understanding of the basics of the human brain. They should teach it in business school. The verbal overload issue gets worse each year, as we load bilingual and trilingual messaging on our packaging as a way to squeeze out a few cents via scale, while sacrificing our ability to communicate effectively. How can you grab someone’s attention when the package is crowded and indecipherable?

Third law of better design: This is the age of visual language. Welcome to the party. Get iconic. You won’t regret it.

And now the biggie - break out. Jonathan Ive of Apple preaches that we should differentiate the point of least differentiation. Amen. Take a look at the graphic and structural designs you see on shelf, on the hanger, on the road. It’s the proverbial sea of sameness. And what was once an advantage - cost efficient operations - has now become handcuffs. “It simply costs too much to change. ” Yet walk the aisles and look for compelling design - it’s now in the hands of the private labels, the entrepreneurial upstarts and the small companies that aren’t stuck with your calcified operations. What will it take to finally bite the bullet and invest in change?

Fourth law of better design: If it ain’t different, it’s all the same. What are you waiting for?

More laws to come in later days. Happy Boxing Day!