It made me think; what other complex things in life can be simplified with easy visual instructions like these?

Happy knot making—don’t forget the dimple.

How to Tie a Four in Hand Knot

Tying a Half Windsor Knot

How to Tie a Necktie with a Kent Knot

How to Tie the Double Windsor Knot

How to Tie a Prince Albert Knot

Images courtesy of Bows ‘N Ties

Enjoy!

AIGA | Why Design?

Did you know that your Facebook Fan page image can be up to 200px wide by 600px tall?! By having an image this size on your Fan Page you can add more detail and interest to your Fan Page.

We’ve provided a convenient Photoshop template for you to download and create your own supersized fan page image! Just click on the download button to the right and start customizing. Be sure to hide the guide layers before you save your image.

Download Here: http://www.studio22.com/facebook-fan-page-template.html

Copy of the ad as seen in GD USA

Everyone has a right to protect their intellectual property, but I was quite surprised and a bit puzzled when I saw a full-page ad for Little Trees Car-Freshner in the September issue of Graphic Design USA.

The ad displayed 5 Little Tree designs and contained the following copy:

“This is privately owned property. So is this, and this, and this, and this [each with an arrow pointing to a tree]…no matter how you use it.

The footer copy contained additional legal language explaining why using the images was a bad idea and to ask for permission first.

I wondered what happened? Why would this company go to such lengths to defend their brand image? After about 15 minutes of research I discovered that some designers were using the famous tree shape in design projects such as invitations, t-shirts, and posters. Okay, so I get why they did the ad—kind of—but why so heavy-handed?

It seems to me that the Little Trees company blew an amazing opportunity to work with designers and artists, a community that could help build the brand image, by shunning them away with threatening advertisements.

What the Little Trees company could have done was turn a negative into a positive. Invite these infringers in with an international design competition? Here is my advice to the Little Trees company:

1. Create an international design competition inviting designers and artists from around the world to submit their ideas to put a new spin on the famous tree icon.
2. Attach a theme or challenge around the competition, maybe it’s Green Around the Globe, or Environmental Sustainability. Themes will help keep designers focused and allow you to market the campaign more effectively.
3. Allow the designers to mock-up the logo on many mediums, not just flat graphics. These can be art installations, merchandise, or even architecture.
4. Work with a non-profit organization like the Social Design Network or AIGA to co-sponsor the project and include a financial hook for their benefit. These organizations are experienced at engaging their community in socially responsible campaigns and can help get the word out. It will also offer instant credibility.

The intended outcome of a this campaign is two-fold:

1. become a collaborator with the design community, not an enemy of the design community
2. increase your brand awareness through custom artwork, generate ideas for new products and designs, make your products more “green”

What Little Trees did was a completely human reaction: protect what’s theirs. All too often we act in protectionism mode not thinking about the bigger picture. Will they realize greater sales because of these ads? Probably not. Unfortunately, they probably left a negative impression on most people.

I believe their attitude should have been: “This is privately owned property, come in!”

What do you think?

People buy into cultures, not brands yet, we focus so much of our efforts on building brands. Being in design, I see this nearly everyday. Normally, the client wants a brand image that satisfies their vision of the brand, not the customers. Can a brand stand on it’s own merits without  a culture infused by it’s patrons?

Good or bad, intentionally or unintentionally, Starbucks has a culture around it’s brand image but they didn’t design it. The culture was designed by the customers, not Starbucks corporate (full disclosure: I’m drinking Starbucks coffee as I type this). Culture takes time and it is this “third place” culture which has propelled Starbucks from a small chain to grande in relatively short order.

Apple also has a culture, but it’s not about the products, it’s about the ideology that goes into them. (full disclosure: I’m typing this on MacBook Pro) The reason people wait two days in line for an iPhone is because they know that the user experience is Apple’s number one consideration. They put the customers needs first along with beautiful design. No other PC manufacturer (or “insert product category here”) has come close to developing a fanatical culture like Apple’s.

I recently flew Virgin America from San Francisco to DC. It was my first time flying Virgin America and I was blown away. I could tell they had a well-defined culture in place starting from their website, kiosk check-in, and flight crew, not to mention the cool lighting in the cabin, video on-demand on the back of the seats, and Absinth-based cocktails. Yes, some of these are product “features”, but they help reveal the ideology behind the brand that resonates with people like me. I’m actively looking for an excuse to fly VA again!

When you can get customers to say: “Hey, I wanna’ be a part of that”, then keep doing whatever it is you’re doing, because you’re doing something right.

Remember the movie Short Circuit from the mid-80’s? An experimental robot (#5) gets electrocuted and becomes “intelligent”. It escapes from the Army base where it was designed and instead of destroying everything in its path, it looks for “inputs”. “Number 5 needs more inpuuuuts!”

Often times we focus on inputs. We read far more than we write. We watch far more YouTube videos than we upload. And we read more tweets than we post. Most of us probably fall into the 80/20 camp—80% inputs, 20% outputs (or worse!).

What if we all were to up or outputs by 10%, so 70/30? Or more?

If we focused on what we output rather than what we consume, then we are better participants, right? Think about the areas in your life were you can up your participation by 10%. Your blog, your school, your business, your social network, your friends, and your family.

If you want to make a difference, maybe you can focus more on your outputs while being more selective about your inputs?

In my business, I come across many images that need some work. In other words, they don’t exude confidence or even competence. Sometimes I make this snap judgement when someone passes me a business card or I stumble across a website. I realize that this isn’t a fair way to judge the quality of a business, but I’m sure I share this default technique for many, many others.

If you think your business is being unfairly judged because its image is inconsistent, consider the following 3 ideas:

Walk Like a Politician

No, I don’t mean walking the Appalachian trail (or saying you did but you really went down to South America to spend time with your mistress—alas, I digress). I’m referring to being rigid on the issue of your brand image.  This includes print material, web, social media, and in-person/voice. This is probably the one easiest things for your business to take action on if you plan.

When you are at a networking event or business function, think about the way you talk about your business. Is it consistent with how your website is written? What about the flyer you just passed out and your business cards; do they also “speak” with the same voice?

Here’s your 10 minute action plan:

• Review all of your materials (print, web, social media) and make sure they “speak” your core message. If not, make a note to adjust them accordingly. This includes bios on LinkedIn, Facebook, Yelp, and any other site you may be listed in (there are probably more than you realize, so do a Google search on your name).
• If you don’t have a talking points plan, write one and review it before every networking event and meeting. This will help keep you on point with your core message.

Red Bull Gives you Wings (and a massive headache when mixed with well-vodka, ugh!)

Your business image needs wings to give it lift. It doesn’t matter how many social media sites you’re a member of, if your not contributing to your communities or actively building them (flapping your wings), then your missing out on that lift.

Building a social network online is the same as building one in-person. When you want more business or want to become more well regarded in your business community, you join an organization like a Chamber of Commerce or other professional group and become active. These organizations build your network of potential customers, increase your social position (hopefully) in your business community, and provide you with additional leadership opportunities.

When you join an online social network, you should maintain similar goals.

Here’s your 10 minute action plan:

• Make a list of all the social network sites you’re a part of and not just the obvious ones. Industry trade sites and professional forums should all be part of your mix.
• Make a weekly participation schedule to contribute to these sites (yes, answering questions, giving helpful advice to peers, and even asking questions is networking!) You’re building professional capital here.
• Make a list of websites that have excellent (and only excellent) content for your industry and bookmark them. If you are using Twitter (duh, of course you are) to communicate, then these bookmarks will give you a well to draw from. Don’t be the person that has nothing interesting to tweet about so they link to a site that sells tie-dyed pillow cases—it’s irrelevant (unless you are in the pillow case or dye business).

If Tropicana Can’t Change Your Mind, Who Can?

Did you notice the disastrous packaging redo that Tropicana went through recently? Well, It just so happens that some suit decided to hire a firm to…ah, forget it, you can read about it here. The short version is this: they made a huge ($$$) image error in their new  package design. The once famous illustration of the dew-drenched orange impaled with a straw was now replaced with typeface straight out of the Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei and a discount stock-photo-esque glass of OJ (looks like Tang to me). The new packaging seemed better suited for Ikea then a grocery store and customers really let them have it.

PepsiCo’s blunder is important to all businesses big and small. Your image is more valuable than you are aware. The brilliant thing that Pepsi did do, but apparently was not aware of,  was design an image that was truly iconic and resonated with its customers. People form an emotional attachment with their brands as indicated by the number of “outraged” Tropicana fans.

Where do you fit into this and how do you protect your brand image?

Here’s your 10 minute action plan:

• If you don’t have a professional brand icon (logo), get one. Ask around for a good designer or hire me. Make sure your designer develops a style and usage guide. Used consistently and correctly it will work in your favor.
• If you have a professional logo, do a quick audit of your materials to ensure that  it is being used consistently across all media. If you notice discrepancies in colors or fonts, make note of them and get it fixed.
• Lastly, make sure you have continuity from print to online. Your web site, business cards, brochures, ads, etc…should all have a consistent look and feel. I know, it’s an obvious point, but I’ve seen some real Duesy’s out there.

I hope this helps. I’d love to hear about how Tropicana changed your mind?

I’m not totally sure why I get so darned excited about a magazine, but I have a hunch it has to do with the challenge. The challenge of creating something new. The magazine inspires me to create. What else can you immediately take action on no matter what time of day it is?

With food, the possibilities are endless. You can mix this with that, add a little more this…give it a little taste, add a bit more that. It’s chemistry without a Ph.D or fear of burns on 80% of your body (unless we are talking deep-fried turkey, but that is another topic).

Unlike graphic design, where you have to constantly be thinking about outcomes, cooking allows you to set your mind on auto-pilot and be 100% creative without fear of failure. Sure, if you don’t pay attention you may have a fallen soufflé on your hands, but that is it. You can start over and learn about what you did wrong (“Ah, it called for 3 egg yolks”!).

I’m writing this not because you need to know that I love to cook (and I really do!). I’m writing this because some of the lessons of cooking can be applied to everyday life and business:

Patience

Especially with baking, patience is critical. If the cake takes an hour to bake, it takes an hour to bake. You can’t turn up the heat to 500° and bake it in 15 minutes. To get it fluffy and moist, carbon dioxide has to be released. If you rush it, this reaction will not occur and you’ll have a nice stepping stone for your garden. The lesson here is wait for things to naturally occur to get the expected outcome. Don’t rush things into failure.

Recipes are meant to be rewritten

A recipe is a guideline, not a rule. Recipes are foundations which you can build upon. If you want your mousse to be more chocolate-y, add more chocolate. Better yet, add some cayenne pepper and go Aztec. In business, don’t feel like you have to conform to the status quo, in fact, you should stray away from it as much as possible if you want to stand out (and who doesn’t want to stand out?). Use basic principals and build out from there.

Use the best quality ingredients

It’s a fact, you will spend more on great quality ingredients. But why would you not buy the best? Why would you rub baby back ribs with poor quality or worse, old paprika? Why would you use imitation vanilla in your crème brûlée just to save a buck or two? Poor ingredients (or even one poor ingredient) is the kiss of death to food. Same is true for business. I’ve seen it. One bad “ingredient” can ruin and entire office. Hire people based on the quality of their “ingredients”—what’s inside, not their cost or even their experience (which can be misleading). Build teams on complimentary and even contrasting flavors and textures not homogenous view points.

Control thy temperature

One of the most important aspects of cooking is temperature control! Ribs are smoked “low-n-slow” to allow for the smoke flavor to permeate the meat and to prevent the proteins from binding too quickly (ie: stringy and tough!). We all know that when we lose control, or worry, or make decisions based on stress that we usually make poor decisions despite having the best intentions. The lesson here is to turn down the temp and slow down. Make important decisions after you’ve cooled down and relaxed. Let the positive thoughts permeate your important decisions.

Time to get back in the kitchen for me—I have more analogies to cook up.

I remember when I was in high school my art teacher in telling us that inspiration shows up in many different places. When we were assigned a project and we needed inspiration, he would direct us to a dark corner of the class where multiple stacks of 50 or so vintage National Geographic magazines lived. He didn’t give us an art book or tell us to go to the library and check out books on Monet, Michelangelo, or Warhol. These artists already defined their trend. He wanted us to be original, be inspired to create something new.

The biggest commercial example of this is the iPhone. When the iPhone came out there was nothing else that looked like it—let alone function like it—on the market. Apple looked at what Motorola, Nokia, and Sony was doing and they ran the other way. They created a trend by making a choice to go the other way. And what happened? They created one of (if not thee) the biggest, game-changing products ever. Look at everyone spending millions of dollars trying to catch up with no guarantee that they will.

So, the next time you see the trend bus coming down the street, run the other way and invest the bus fare into your trend.

Marketers and designers are making sure the message gets out. Minimalism is not a new-age way of thinking and living, it’s quickly becoming an effective style in both marketing and graphic design— welcome to the show don’t tell world.

As a society, we are too busy to read. Time is short and if your message doesn’t come across in 5 seconds, then I’m moving on. Show me and engage me and I might stick around.

Apple has known this for a long time. Their web site has one main product on the home page—they show less. Dell and HP now follow suite with websites that have less. Toshiba still doesn’t get this.

Twitter does one thing and they do it well. It’s fast and effective and forces you to keep it short. It’s less than Facebook but gets truck loads of press.

Lewis University in Chicago asked us to design their alumni portal in a way that will help individuals connect. We took a minimalist approach and delivered a site with less so people can do more.

In the upcoming weeks we’ll be revealing Seattle’s new Woodland Park Zoo website. We focused on less so that visitors and members can do more faster and easier. It’s about simplicity and effective communication.

Less is the new Black!