I often talk to clients about a brand being many little things. This parcel arrived today at the studio and it shows how even a customs declaration can capture the personality of a brand.

I was captured by this video today. It is a film  to promote the 1970’s Polaroid camera. It sells the need, the process and the vision for the product and company.

Polariod describe the process through beautiful filmwork clearly explaining the technology, design and emotional links. The camera was so revolutionary in its thinking.

It reminds me of how Apple sells its messages today. They are authentic to a vision and talk about the emotional and functional benefits clearly and in human terms. Polariod was the Apple of the 70’s.

Polariod declaired bankruptsy last year and have recently relaunched with a new vision.

It made me think about where they went wrong. How a brand so true to instant photography, missed the move into digital photography.  After all, digital photography  shares the same vision of closing the gap between photographer and subject of the 70’s Polariod. If they followed their vision they would have been pioneers in digital instead of being so linked to the technology of their film and camera.

Being authentic is about being true to a vision or idea. It is important that the vision transcends technology to stand the test of time.

‘So any questions,’ were the words John opened AGDA’s ‘A lively conversation with John Waricker’ with last Thursday night.

And lively it was.

John shared his stories, insights and opinions to a back drop of imagery from the recently published ‘The Floating World’ and the Tomato portfolio captivating the small audience for well over 2 hours.

Tomato like Barnbrook (see my post from his talk here) inspired me to question the role of a graphic designer within culture throughout my uni degree. Their work inspired me and challenged me to engage with it. It beckoned me to scratch beneath its surface and draw me into its message. Most importantly it lead me to see the opportunity and importance of storytelling in design. This shaped my design career immensly.

It is difficult to capture the energy of the discussion, but I have put together a list of random points that resonated with me on the night and one question I also continually ask myself as a designer.

Enjoy.

On The Floating World

– White cliffs of Dover. The edge of the land and the sea. Life cycle.

– It began to develop whilst writing code for basic interactive programs during his Masters Degree in Interactivity in the late 70’s. They were waiting for something like an Apple.

– It is a compendium of John. It continues the conversation. It was done for himself, his children and friends.

On Tomato

– They enjoy it, everyone is generous with their own ideas, and they all need their own space to do their own things.

– Their personal work pushes their commercial work in very unexpected directions.

– It comes down to Trainspotting. 15 minutes playing with a photocopier.

– Their work is a conversation with their client.

On being a designer

– Its all about what questions you ask. Ask the RIGHT question, define your point of view and look through that lens to create your work.

– Its about storytelling.

– He does not think about the audience when designing. Instead he trusts his intuitive process. Focusing on the work.

– Market research is an assumption. It assumes you know me.

– He is likes work that is romantic not mechanical. Work that has an ebb and flow.

– Good work sings.

– Its not a job, its a way of life.

On life

– Most people are dull.

– We should aim to make our lives interesting. The human project. If you sit back expecting life to give things to you. You are dull. You have to make it for yourself.

A question that was raised through the conversation

– What is Graphic Design?

AGDA Victoria just posted a short video of ‘highlights’ from the night you can check it out here.

Many thanks to John and all at AGDA for putting on another inspiring and insightful event.

If you have any thoughts on ‘What Graphic Design is to you’ please comment below.

CB

Flicking through the usual clutter the other day, I came across what appeared to be a handwritten note on a plain envelope signed by Christopher. It made me look twice because it looked so real, not just the writing itself but how it was written. There was no stamp, no branding, just the handwriting. It forced me to open the envelope.

On opening the envelope you discover that the handwriting is a copy of an actual letter sent by 7 year old Christopher to a Salvation Army Crisis Centre – part of their 2010 Red Shield Appeal campaign. At

a time when charities are fighting more than ever to be heard, and looking at new ways to stand out, this piece certainly made an impression on me. Why?

It was honest. It was powerful. It was original. And it was controversial. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable, and going by what I’ve read on the Salvos website, it’s clear other people had a similar response. But I don’t think in this case that’s a bad thing. It made me think, and made the issues facing the Salvos real. Isn’t this what every charity is trying to achieve? To elicit a response.

For some, the fact that they used the hook of Christopher’s letter could detract from the power of the communication – it didn’t for me. It compelled me to read about Christopher and understand his story behind the letter. How he was in fact given a job by the crisis centre to provide some pocket money and respect. How the issue of domestic violence can effect a family.

Most importantly, it compelled me to donate to the appeal. When many charity requests go into the bin, this one didn’t.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of taking part in the Beacon Foundations Student Ambassodar Conference. Over one hour we were given the floor to talk to six groups of 25 students for eight minutes. Kinda like speed dating for career information. The goal; share with them a story of how you came to be here today.

This is a great question to ask when you meet a designer (as well as any person) as it will open you to how varied all our journeys are. A simple question, a challenging one to answer in the time given and one I am asked often by students.

I thought I’d capture some of those insights over a couple of posts, not because I think I’m particularly special, but to show how the path to becoming a graphic designer can take you in many different directions.

So how did I get here?

My road here started drawing trucks and dinosaurs in preschool. Long trucks that ran across sheets and sheets of the old perforated computer paper my mum brought home from work. In high school inspired by television shows like The X Files, I dreamt one day I would become the astrologist that first discovered life from another world. Or perhaps I could have become a cricketeer, and played for England against the Aussies at Lords. Or a pilot, a rockstar, the list went on…

All this time, however, I drew. I loved drawing and those trucks had now become landscapes of tall pine forests, shattered by a beam of light emerging from a night sky to abduct a fearful silhouette and take them away to another world. These biro sketches progressed into portraits of guitar legends like Mark Knopfler and images from movies and comics like The Crow or Wolverine. I loved comics. I loved the energy captured in the pages, and I loved the story telling that  created an entire universe.

Then came the time to select subjects for my final two years. A daunting task, as it seemed that what I chose at that point would determine my future. This was a lot of responsibility to place on a 16 year old. And after putting all my preferences down towards the sciences, it was suggested to me that perhaps I should take out art subjects as well. My art teacher at the time made a point of saying, “Chris, you could have a great career in the arts.” I remember I found this perplexing (thinking artists only make money when they were dead), but she had a very valid point to add, “You are a talented artist and passionate about what you create. You can use your love of drawing, to create amazing imagery for others.” The term Graphic Designer was introduced to me and it suddenly dawned upon me, I could get a job doing the work I really loved…

And that is how I came to be here, writing this blog post today, and not off searching the skies for alien life. Stay tuned for Part 2 which looks at the uni experience.

BOOKS:

How To Be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul Adrian Shaughnessy

No Logo Naomi Klein

It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be Paul Arden

On Brand Wally Olins

Profile Pentagram

Life Style Bruce Mau

Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin Tolesson Design

Ogilvy on Advertising David Ogilvy

MAGS:

IdN International designers’ Network

Australian Creative

Creative Review

Desktop

Grafik The Magazine for Graphic Design

Eye The International Review of Graphic Design

Monocle

Inside

SITES:

On his way to take part in the upcoming Sydney Biennale British typographer Jonathan Barnbrook graciously stopped by to share a few candid stories and pieces of advice with Melbourne designers young and not so young.

I was first introduced to Jonathan’s work during University, where his typefaces like Manson and Exocet were used by many students in a ‘devilish’ manner*. His video work for Radio Scotland lead me to appreciate the value of storytelling in graphic design. Its hard to capture the passion, eloquence and humble nature in which he spoke about topics from typedesign, to Starbucks, Adbusters to Japanese Funeral Directors in a few words. But I have endeavoured to do so by gathering a few points that resonated with me on the night. I hope they inspire you.

Ten points of wisdom and quirky facts:

1. Typedesign is the poetry of language.

2. Virus (Jonathan’s typefoundry) was named after a William Burroughs quote… “language is a virus from outer space”.

3. Typefaces speak in the spirit of the age.

4. Have bravery in your work, have passion in your folio.

5. Only when technology is invisible is it of any use.

6. Exocet, has become shorthand for Gothic, this was not his intention.

7. Designers don’t talk enough about how to make the world a more beautiful place.

8. Language is the ammunition we use to change society. Typography is the weapon.

9. David Bowie is a good guy.

10. I put my whole world into my typefaces.

Inspirational stuff to reflect upon. Many thanks to Jonathan for sharing his experiences with us.

*I indeed am also guilty of using Exocet and Mason to support a homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer on a friends 21st birthday card.

On Tuesday 27th of April, TANK opened its doors to a group of 16 Agideas attendees for a night of pizza, drink and creative thinking. A facilitated brainstorm was conducted around the premise of ‘The future of media’ using a national newspaper as a sample client. Ideas were thrown around, as was wily discussion on the cultural, technological and social impact media will have in the next ten years.

We hope all attendees took away a little bit from the behind-the-scenes look at what happens on a large-scale branding project.

Click here for a good look at proceedings.

A brand can provide a range of benefits – including emotional, functional, physical, experiential and self-expressive.

There are three parts to a brand: The brand promise (what we promise to customers through visuals, words and action), the brand experience (the sum total of all the interactions a customer has with us), and the resultant brand perception (how the customer differentiates and positions the brand in their mind).

The meaning of “brand” has evolved over time to become broader and more holistic in approach. A brand is an organisation-wide responsibility – including communications, marketing, sales, operations, production, finance, human resources and administration.

We can control the brand promise and many parts of the brand experience. The measure of success, however, is always in the hands of the customer and the brand perceptions they develop over time.

High performing brands rely on differentiation from their competitors. They must be remarkable in order to be noticed and sustain the continued loyalty of their customers. Consumers have also become savvy in the way they measure, rate and compare brands.

To be remarkable brands must be authentic, confident, aligned, involving, memorable, creative, human, relevant, evolving and responsible.

A brand is not communicated – it is experienced. A remarkable brand is not bought, it is earned.

During my Easter holidays, it seemed timely that I came across a church that stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking about the importance and impact branding can have.

Whether you have a faith or not, there’s no denying that the branding for One Community Church, a Church of Christ located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, is extremely thought-provoking. Not because of its religious doctrine, but for its non-religious approach to engage with the community.

Having first noticed the church because of its highly visual brand and architecture, I was motivated to dig deeper to see what motivated the branding and how it was translated across other platforms.

Reading about its background and underlying motivation, the key brand idea was to reconnect the church to current generational change. Words such as “inviting”, “friendly”, “intriguing”, “familiar” are frequently used to describe the church.

It’s one thing to articulate these values, it’s another to have the courage to follow through with your convictions.

Through the name; strong brandmark and supporting visual language; brand extensions to a cafe and function space; and engaging tone of voice and design treatment via website, signage and posters; One Community Church have created a powerful and inclusive brand that strives to redefine the traditional view of the church.

On first impression, they appear to have gone a long way to achieving this aim.

When working on a brand a large part of our role is to cut though the façade and try to capture the essence of what sits behind an organisation. We have a number of tools to assist us in the process of peeling back the hard exterior of a business.

Firstly, understanding the motivations of the leader of the organisation is high on our list. In many cases the business will have an existing business plan. The plan typically sets out the mission, vision and values of the business. This provides us with the “head” of the organisation but often not the “heart”. Asking the question “What gets you up in the morning?” cuts through to the core driver of the leader.

The answers can sometimes surprise you.

“Saving lives”

“Mistakes – and learning from them”

“Problem solving”

“Helping people become better”

“Creating something new”

“The deal”

“Reaching a goal”

“Creating products that make a difference”

Understanding the personality of the organisation is our next step. Imagining the organisation as if it were a person. If you met it on the street how would you describe it? Friendly, arrogant, aloof, innovative, sluggish, funny, clever? This simple exercise can pull together an executive management team and help them explain the organisation as it stands now – and how they want it to be seen in the future. Setting out the personality traits now, and into the future can help identify some key areas of change.

Once the desired personality traits are determined, they can be personified by looking for public personalities or characters that represent a number of the traits. These personas help shape the future of the brand personality and tone of voice used in communications.

What sits behind your brand?

“Every collaboration helps you grow.” – Brian Eno

Too often in business we are focussed on ourselves and not each other. We tend to play the classroom maths test game of guarding our answers under the palm of our hand whilst secretly hoping they are better than our classmates.

Collaboration – the action of working with someone to produce or create something – has been at the heart of the creative industry for decades, but like the child undertaking that math test, there has always been a reluctance to engage  beyond the discipline we work within.

As we enter a new decade this old paradigm is eroding, giving way to the plethora of social media networks that encourage the sharing of observations, thoughts and ideas. All of which can now be broadcast and accessed around the world within seconds. Ideas are becoming less precious, and the way in which we embrace and draw upon them to inspire new ways of thinking is growing day by day. So too is the ability to collaborate with each other globally, which is at its highest point in human history.

As creative professionals we should champion collaboration across our businesses and those of our clients, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and industries to learn and grow from our experiences. Pairing our knowledge enriches our own work and ultimately that of our clients and the audiences we engage.

There is an old saying:

“If I had one apple, and you had one apple, and we gave each other our apples;  we’d both still have one apple.  If I had one idea, and you had one idea and we told each other our ideas; we’d each have two ideas.”

Ideas are currency and the more we share them the richer we are for both  the experience and the result.

. This article appears in our latest issues of Adventures in Branding, download it here.
. Written in collaboration with Chris Butcher.

Having attended the ICSID conference in Singapore late last year, ‘Designing our world 2050’, one theme kept surfacing in each presentation and discussion – the critical role design and designers will play as we head towards the challenges of the next 40 years.

As studios from around the globe presented their concept solutions to issues ranging from urban sprawl to healthcare to personal mobility, I found it both daunting and inspiring. Daunting to face up to the significant challenges of the future (over population, climate change, scarcity of resources), but inspiring to think how design can respond and offer a way forward.

But why design? It’s the quest for that big idea; the one common truth that drives every designer – be it an industrial designer, architect, futurist or branding expert. That idea that will transform peoples thinking and lives. That idea that proves ‘impossible is nothing’. That idea that drives positive change.

The thrill of an idea is that you don’t know where it will take you. Consider these 2050 possibilities imagined at the conference:

_ multi-level industrial agri-villages where people and agriculture co-exist to reduce the urban footprint and create fully sustainable living developments

_ the body becomes part of the resource solution, creating its own electricity through re-engineering our biology

_ a personalised care model takes a holistic plan for responding to the health needs of each individual; mapping out the social, educational and genetic signposts throughout a person’s lifespan in order to act before issues arise

_ a car becomes a resource to be shared where parts such as wheels and engines can be utilised by others and take on a life of their own

_ film posters become interactive devices, allowing trailers to be tailored to suit the viewing audience,  people to buy tickets and change their seating, or even have films sent directly to home entertainment systems

What is clear is that the world will need new thought. For design to lead the charge, it needs to be considered as part of the general education landscape. It has gone beyond having a finite scope, taught in a 3-year degree. It needs to be integrated into all aspects of education. Design, or ‘imagineering’, inspires thought, creativity, action. It does not need to be confined to a specialist activity. These are traits everyone can posses and develop.

In the next 40 years we will face challenges and opportunities unlike any seen before. Events such as Singapore 2050 don’t seek to offer the ultimate solution, but serve to inspire ideas and collaboration. It will be fascinating to see where this thinking takes us.

WOW I haven’t blogged in quite some time, and from what I see when I look at my RSS feeds, many I follow aren’t bogging either!

I can’t speak for others but I know that I’ve been both busy being dad as well as focussing my conversation on the Twittersphere. Why?

The reasons are cheap as they are nasty:

• It’s immediate. I receive instant gratification that people have read my thoughts right then and there.
• If I have a question that needs answering, I have access to real people with real varied opinions available to answer me.
• The people who follow me are interested in what I have to say. That’s why they bother.
• I am interested in what the people I follow have to say. That’s why I bother.
• I can seek advice from other business owners and get response.

Twitter has been panned for meaningless conversation but the experience I have had has been anything but; I have had coffee with a PR firm which I may choose to help me with some real business, I’ve met people who encourage my strange taste in music (that’s for another blog post) and I also get to follow Lance Armstrong’s training routine which in turn inspires me to get off my arse and go to the gym.

It’s not for everyone, and it has taken me away from this blog for a little while, but it works for many.

So, for long-winded thinking I have our blog; for quick snappy thoughts and musings, I have my Twitter.

Glad to be back.