On the inside, it was a different story; a story full of contradictions. The dash was elegant with chrome trimmed instrument clusters and glossy, piano black paneling. However, the Recaro race seats were stiff and rigid but offered fantastic support, especially when surpassing 1+ horizontal Gs (which the displayed in your instrument panel—for your convenience). I thought Cadillac made luxury cars and I was getting the suspicion that this was something else.

This was confirmed once I discovered two very important buttons: Sport Mode, to stiffen the suspension via electro-magnets, and Traction Control off, which does exactly what you think it does; unleashes the power of a 556bhp supercharged V8 directly to the rear-wheels with reckless abandonment. I was correct, this was not a luxury car, this is a pissed-off, fire-breathing wagon.

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!

Over the last few weeks I started thinking about this a bit more. What bothered me about the ad was the suggestion that your site should be built and ready instantly. This seems like another example of “I want it now and I want it cheap”. In one portion of the commercial they depict a professional photographer in his studio and he states, “I hired a someone to design my website…5 months ago!” Ouch!

The message I got from this commercial is this: You don’t have to hire your nephew or a professional and you shouldn’t have to spend more than 5 bucks and 5 minutes for a web site. (I agree about the nephew part.)

I think this is irresponsible on Intuit’s part. Most of us can agree that a businesses website is a major part of their advertising and marketing, not just something to be hacked together on a whim. For small businesses, it’s even more critical to have a well defined image, including a website.

On the plus side, the service does give business owners a simple tool to create a quick website. I’m not sure this would be a good long term solution, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I have not even tried the service (they offer a FREE 30-day trial, but they do require a credit card).

I want to hear from you. Do others in the design and web community feel that services like this discounts the skills and expertise of a professional designer/developer? Is this another attempt to commoditize a professional service through software?

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

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.

I heard the term “hyper-local” today in the context of news, but what about marketing? Maybe it’s time to consider marketing at the hyper-local level to build credibility, business, and local market-share? Being the top business in your industry at the hyper-local level is faster than building at a national level.

Advertisers get this and are now concentrating their advertising to smaller segments. Hyper-local. Some people may call this a niche.

Remember the claw game in Toy Story? The Claw is your business, the three-eyed aliens are your customers. When the machine is empty, move on to a new machine. Pick and choose? Hyper-local? What do you think?

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?