Learnings from Punk Marketing

Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons’ book Punk Marketing is one of those books that you keep on your desk for a long time. It isn’t boring. It isn’t too hard to grasp. It’s just one of those books that you can read a chapter and then set it down for a week, and try to apply what you learned.

Laermer and Simmon’s thinking is highly innovative. These two “punks” throw out some incredible idea. They challenge the status quo of marketing and inspire a new way to market (the subtitle of the book is Get Off Your Ass and Join the Revolution). Their “Punk Marketing Manifesto” is worth the price of the book.

Some major learnings:

1. RISK – Read previous post here.

2. “Trying to be all things to everyone inevitably results in meaning little to anybody.” (p. 02)

3. Stories sell. A narrative connects with people more than a flashy logo or ad. “Storytelling as a marketing technique has been around for decades in all kinds of forms. It’s all about a damn good anecdote, so your mission is to become the best raconteur you can be!” (p. 109)

4. Innovation is good. But don’t get caught up in trying to create the “latest and greatest” fad. Be thoughtful. Michaela Draganska, an associate professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, puts it: “It’s a widely held belief that unless you constantly introduce new products, you cannot stay in the game.” (p. 126) But it’s just not true – a great product is worth a million crappy ones.

5. A billboard in New York read: “Don’t feel stupid if you hate the things that people pretend to love.” (p. 132; This was the smallest sidebar in the book).

6. “Believe in trends more!” Find visionaries and listen to them. Keep your thumb on the pulse of life – look out for change. True trendspotters are “always evolving, learning and growing.” (p. 198 )

For more, visit punkmarketing.com.

2007, Harper Collins.

A Story

Our Programming Team has been brainstorming on Easter for the better part of a month. With Easter only 54 days away (and Good Friday only 52), we’ve really been trying to solidify a feel and theme for the services. We’re still trying to come up with something and, honestly, as the days keep counting down, I’m getting more and more nervous.

However, we realized something today. As we’ve tried to strain ideas about the use of a tree (three trees – 1. Tree in the Garden of Eden, 2. The Cross, 3. Tree in Revelation) we began to see that our original idea was not going to work. So, we scrapped it. And now, we’re back to the drawing board.

One thing we realized is that the power of a story is so important – and we haven’t discovered what the story is for Easter yet. Granted, it will ultimately focus on the the “Big” Easter story, but we’re looking for the human element – how it will tie in with those attending our services.

I’m glad I’m part of a team that is able to dump ideas that simply aren’t fleshing out. I’m nervous about where we’ll go, but I know this creative process will produce a great product – one much more thoughtful and engaging than its predecessor. Let’s see what happens.

Meada at RISD

Just before the holidays last year, John Maeda (Associate Director of Research at the MIT Media Lab, author of The Laws of Simplicity) was named as the new president of RISD. I came across this interview on AIGA’s website.

I just love what Maeda says when asked about how he, an artist, will fit in to the “administration” role of a president at such a prestigious institution. Meada responds:

“I think my MO has always been to find design and art even in the most inane tasks. If “administration design” was a field to invent, or even ‘administration art,’ then I am up for the challenge. The number one request I heard from RISD students was, ‘If I am at the most creative school in the world, then I should see that reflected in the administration—no, demand it.’ Innovation can play a role in any situation, I believe.”

What a smart guy. Watch his RISD video here, it’s equally as intriguing as the interview.

Atonement

This past weekend, I saw Atonement, the 2008 Golden Globe winner for best picture. It was such an incredible film – deeply woven and wonderfully shot, it is obvious why it won the Golden Globe. The beautiful and tragic story of Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley) is deftly told by director Joe Wright. It is a film that must be experienced, so I don’t intend to go into a description of the plot.

The complex and intriguing story, deftly crafted by director Joe Wright is quite spectacular. However, one cannot look at the film without acknowledging the innovative and great cinematography of Seamus McGarvey. McGarvey’s fluid camera shots are beautiful and deserve the Academy Award.

Also of note, is Dario Marianelli’s theme. Marianelli integrates a typewriter (a key element in the film) in such a creative way. It is really quite astounding.

Overall, a great film that explores love, betrayal and penance of sin.

Self-Indulgence

I was watching another of Hillman Curtis‘ Artist Series short films. This one focused on the designer David Carson. While not my style, Carson has a very innovative design eye. He helped to pioneer the use of “dirty” type and “grunge” design. Many critics argue that Carson is arrogant in his work, and that his style is self-indulgent. In the short, Carson responds:

“Self-indulgent was the big negative term, which I think is a very positive term. I wouldn’t want anybody working for me that wasn’t doing very self-indulgent work – totally absorbed in it. So, as we get more computerized I think it becomes more important than ever that the work actually become more subjective, more personal, and that you let your personality come through in the work. So, it becomes more important that you pull from who you are as a person and put that into the work.”

What a smart thought. Great creativity cannot exist without its creator. Our designs, art, creation are inherently self-indulgent – otherwise they aren’t truly ours.

Watch the film here.

Learnings from The Laws of Simplicity

I’ve just completed John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity. Deftly written, Maeda is a master at the art of simplicity – it’s reflected in his graphic work, and it is obvious that he is trying to wrestle with what it means to apply the idea to his life.

As written in a previous post, following my reading of the preface and the first law (REDUCE), I was immediately inspired. In fact, so much so, that in making decisions about the decor and feel of my new office (a minor headache at the moment), I opted for a simple and clean look. (I am still questioning what else I can SHRINK, HIDE or EMBODY within my office).

I have a feeling that I will re-read this book many times over the next few months, years, decades, hoping to gain more and more understanding about how to best embrace simplicity in my work, my design, my art and my life.

Here’s a brief compendium of what I got from my first reading. For a further understanding, read the book or Maeda’s blog – he says it much better than I can.

1. REDUCE – The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. (This is the first law). Not only is a thoughtfully reduced product (or lifestyle) more appealing, it actually helps to enhance the overall experience. Imagine getting rid of the fluff and extra things that we don’t need. Deleting these distractions provide for a much more memorable interaction. You have to juggle these two questions: “How simple can I make it?” and “How complex does it have to be?” (p. 01).

2. Gestalt is Good. Organizing and streamlining has a huge effect on how people perceive your product. Maeda’s example is the evolution of the iPod – think of the various controls that have graced the different generations. The current controls (in which the buttons and scroll wheel are seamlessly integrated) are a perfect example of how Apple moved from simple, to complex, to as simple as possible. (p. 19-21)

3. Learn, learn, LEARN. The more you learn, the more simple things appear. Maeda harks on this topic throughout – it’s obvious that he reads a lot, and continues to find points of inspiration – whether they be objects, mentors or nature. (Chapter 4 – LEARN)

4. Complexity is necessary. That way, we understand when we see simplicity. (Law 5 – DIFFERENCES)

5. “I was once advised by my teacher Nicholas Negroponte to become a light bulb instead of a laser beam, at an age and time in my career when I was all focus. His point was that you can either brighten a single point with laser precision, or else use the same light to illuminate everything around you.” (p. 53)

6. EMOTIONs are not the enemies of simplicity. Emotional responses are highly valuable – you need them. Design must elicit them; without them, it’s just a hunk of metal (or paper, or wood, or paint, or…well, you get it).

7. Law 9: FAILURE – Some things can never be made simple. And that’s okay. “There are certain things that I would never want to become simple – that includes my close relationships and my collection of art.” (p. 84)

8. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.” (p. 89, Law 10: THE ONE)

2006, MIT Press.

Paula Scher

In my opinion, Paula Scher is one of the greatest living graphic designers. A partner at Pentagram, Ms. Scher has created some of the most memorable corporate identities, signage, and branding systems in the world. Her work – which includes branding for the New York City Ballet (above), Citibank, Tiffany & Co., Criterion Collection, The Metropolitan Opera, and many other notable identities – is constantly fresh and innovative. It is both captivating and draws out deep emotional responses from its viewers. She is a guard of good design – refusing to compromise her creative vision to fit within the MBA-ese of the corporate world. She advocates vision, ingenuity and passion in design.

I recently came across this short film by the artist Hillman Curtis, in which Ms. Scher discusses her creative process and growth as a designer and artist. Through the interview – one can see her brilliance.

The best moment is about halfway through the film – Ms. Scher talks about how an idea comes to her – that the idea has to come quickly or not at all. She says:

“I operate very strongly with my instincts…If I don’t get it in the first crack I get it in the second and if I don’t get it in the second I almost never get it. Because, as I said, it’s a very intuitive kind of process for me. I’ve never been a refiner. My best work is kind of big bold strokes that came very quickly.”

For more on Paula Scher, read Fast Company’s profile on her here.

Typography

I’ve recently become intrigued with the mythos and theory behind the use of typography – specifically in design.

Recently, Michael Bierut, a partner at my favorite design firm Pentagram, sat down to talk about typography with The Atlantic. Mr. Bierut talks about the use of typography and it’s evolution from something for the elite to it’s widespread use and incredible accessibility.

Watch the video here.

Hidden and Unfamiliar

For a month or so before Christmas, I had been admiring an inconspicuous book at my local Borders. The dark grey and black book had no images on the cover. The title was announced in small and simple text – An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar.

On Christmas, my girlfriend, aware of my secret lust of the book, gave it to me.

Inside, is a book of great wonder. Artist Taryn Simon set out to photograph things we don’t ever see – the “Hidden and Unfamiliar.” The book is filled with incredible images – images of a cryopreservation chamber (above), nuclear waste, a braille issue of Playboy, a death row inmate, live HIV, CIA Headquarters. The index takes a look at subjects that have remained inaccessible or unknown to the public. Vast and innovative in its scope, Ms. Simon’s art is something to be looked at often, but with a grave sense of awe.

The author Salmon Rushdie, who wrote the forward for the collection, had this to say:

“I am always immensely grateful to people who do impossible things on my behalf and bring back the picture. It means I don’t have to do it, but at least I know what it looks like. So one’s first feeling on looking at many of these extraordinary images is gratitude, (followed quickly by a momentary pang of envy: the sedentary writer’s salute to the woman of action).”

The 70 color plates sneak us into classified territory – we’re given a behind-the-scenes look at things we’ve always wondered about, and several of which we didn’t even know existed. As Mr. Rushdie concludes his forward, “When a photographer comes up with an image as potently expressive as that, even a dedicated word-person such as myself is bound to concede that such a picture is worth at least a thousand words.”

2007, Steidl Publishers.

Keep it Simple, Stupid.

I just started John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity.

I’ve only read the preface and the first chapter (or law). But, seriously – it’s so good.

I’m already inspired.