I’ve always had an intense dislike for elevator speeches. I’ve fought the idea tooth and nail. They never came naturally to me and they never sounded natural coming from anyone else, either. Many times, I’ve seen them repel rather than attract.

So I’ve taken a page from Lois Kelly’s book, Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word of Mouth Marketing, and now use a conversational marketing approach instead.

Jump-start conversations
In her book, Kelly describes how traditional marketing and communications don’t really help people talk. They inform, promote, direct, and describe, but they don’t help jump-start conversations that get people to say (and I love this phrase Lois uses to test if a subject is conversational),

“Gee, that’s interesting, tell me more.”

Has anyone ever said that to you after you’ve given them your elevator speech? If so, you can skip the rest of this article. But chances are your elevator speech makes people’s eyes glaze over, just like most everyone else’s does.

Make meaning
Surveys say people don’t trust companies, and the only way to gain back trust is to communicate in new ways, according to Kelly. In addition to traditional marketing and communications, we need to create conversational marketing approaches, and have something interesting to talk about. One way to do this is with meaning making — which helps make sense of an idea and shows people how it relates to what they already know. When they don’t see meaning, people tend to become skeptical and indifferent.

There are steps you can take towards making meaning and uncovering talk-worthy ideas. Here’s how to apply this to replacing your elevator speech.

Talk to the five-year-old
It’s been proven that meaning can most effectively be conveyed by tapping into the five-year-old in your client through stories and conversations. Here’s how Kelly suggests we get that five-year-old to really “hear” our messages:

The five-year-old likes to argue and reason, and uses words like “because”:
You need to explain “why” and “why not.”

The five-year-old uses five to eight words in a sentence:
You need to keep it brief, and use short sentences.

The five-year-old is interested in cause and effect:
You need to explain, “If we do this, then this will happen,
if we don’t do this, that will happen.”

The five-year-old understands and uses comparative terms:
You need to use analogies to help him understand.

The five-year-old enjoys creating and telling stories:
You need to tell stories. Storytelling is one of the best ways
to help people understand, retain, and repeat ideas.

The five-year-old likes to use swear words:
You need to use disruptive ideas and language to get attention.
(Notice the word “disruptive” — I’m not suggesting you swear at people instead of using an elevator speech. But you might need to shake them up to get their attention.)

Connecting with the five-year-old and making meaning when introducing yourself and your business just might help you start conversations — instead of talking at people — giving you the courage to ditch your elevator speech for good.

What stories can you tell? What disruptive ideas can you use? Jump-start the conversation by engaging your audience and capturing their interest.

Illustration courtesy of Jason Bacher

2. To make sure your language is basic enough, try it out on your own five-year-old, or borrow someone else’s. If you do this step, you’ll find memorizing a speech really isn’t an option, anyway.

Take a look at Marty Maxwell Lane’s article Be Selfish. Make Your Presentation Work for You.

Learn tips from Marcia Hoeck on how to strengthen your business.

Both conducting and participating in a research interview can feel a bit like a first date.

The exchange is a thoughtful one as each party is in the process of learning and accessing. A good rapport creates comfort, more freely flowing conversation and opportunity to open up. Extra care is taken to not say the “wrong thing” or jump to certain questions too early (that might trigger a bolt for the check and the door). Ever been asked how many children you wanted on a first date? Like a date, the interview dialogue has a flow and dynamic as it evolves over the course of the event.

Regardless of whether your research is exploration or concept validation, start broad and slowly “funnel” or narrow your way down to product-level or design specificity. Below are some guidelines that start at the top of the funnel and work their way down.

Build Rapport
Get to know your participant by starting off with a few opening questions that aren’t too specific to your research topic, this will get them comfortable. A bit about their occupation and family will help you understand the context in which they live and a sense of their priorities. The information this elicits will also help dimensionalize your participants when you share insights with your team later. A few minutes in you’ll observe more relaxed body language thus setting up the stage for the next step into the dialogue.

Problem Understanding Before Problem Solving
Before jumping into a series of questions directed at helping your design team solve a problem, step back and ask questions aimed at understanding the problem. Imagine that you are beginning at the top of the funnel and start broad.

Gain Perspective
Understand the user’s perception and context of problem space. Ask questions to help understand and define the problem through the user’s eyes. This will help contextualize the problem and impart meaning. Example scenario: suppose you are trying to create an improved online shopping experience for music. Before jumping to the current site or proposed new solutions, begin the conversation by understanding the participant’s passion and habits around music. This will help contextualize your site concepts within a larger set of experiences, activities and tools.

Adopt Their Language
Discovering the user’s language is an invaluable insight for future design development. As part of a project team, you likely have developed your own set of words and prescribed meaning. These may not be the same as your intended user’s. Be aware of the language you are using during an interview and adopt the language of your interviewee.

Draw Comparisons
As the dialogue proceeds down the funnel from problem understanding to a series of questions aimed at problem solving, participants may struggle to articulate their thoughts. Keep in mind that they do not have backgrounds as designers. To aid the dialogue, it is helpful to draw on examples, stories and scenarios shared earlier in the interview. Also bring several different visualizations. Comparisons are a helpful method to elicit insight. For example, using the previous music scenario, ask the participant to also walk-you through other online retail music sites that they use (not just your client’s).

Use this as a reference to create your own research discussion guide.

Image courtesy of Jason Bacher

2. Be flexible during the interview. Following the order of questions on your discussion guide will feel forced. If the participant begins mentioning a subject you planned on discussing later, go with it. And be prepared to go off script.

3. Follow-up questions with these: Why? Tell me a story. How did that make you feel? Tell me more.

Whether we’re designers, writers, illustrators, photographers, creatives or clerics, we call some facet of marketing “home.” Our pictures, words, drawings or photographs play a part in the unique purpose of altering human behavior in favor of our client’s product, service or offering. Which is just fancy-schmancy talk for generating ideas to convince someone to buy our client’s toys; ideas that we want to be big, fat, hairy, monstrous successes.

In every case, we have two choices for directing those ideas: tell the consumer what it is or show the consumer what it does. “What it is” is the rational purchase drivers we all need to make the decision to consume. “What it does,” however, are the emotional purchase drivers that show us how we’ll feel if we choose to consume. As creatives, we often spend our time generating ideas that position the rational purchase drivers to the forefront, but our own innate humanity leads us to make purchase decisions based on the emotions behind the brands. We may need to know what the product or service does, but what moves us to buy is knowing how that product or service makes us feel. The ideas that recognize and employ these emotional characteristics have a greater likelihood of turning monster.

There’s a whole world of emotions we can use to connect to consumers: hope, fear, distress, surprise, guilt, shame, interest, excitement, joy, anger, disgust, contempt, sadness, happiness, peacefulness, grief, sorrow, trust, anticipation, depression, envy, frustration, sympathy, loneliness, embarrassment, horror, dread, awe… the list is limitless.

There are three key canons to live by when you’re looking to attach that emotional accelerant to your communication ideas. Keep these in mind as you ideate and you’ll have the makings of a monster:

“Authentic” Ain’t Just a River in Egypt
That didn’t make any sense, but that was the point. It’s easy to sniff out that which is inauthentic, and emotion is no different. When the emotion isn’t authentic to the product or service, or the emotion is contrived and trivial, we completely lose the connection with the consumer. If you sell Mixed Martial Arts equipment, peacefulness may not be the most authentic emotion to hitch your wagon to. If you are raising awareness for protected wilderness sanctuaries, however, peacefulness may be a fully appropriate catalyst. Authenticity of emotion, therefore, becomes a key component to monster idea potential.

You Got To Show It, Not Just Tell It
We’ve become masters of telling people about the emotions they’ll feel if they consume the product or service we are peddling, but what are we doing to prove it’s not all talk? Monster ideas that truly evoke an emotional response do so because the emotion is generated, not just communicated. Do we tell people they’ll love it, or do we provide an experience that allows the consumer to generate the feeling of love themselves? In order for an idea to truly go monster, it has to be one that calls upon the emotions within us, one that allows us to put ourselves in place of the subject.

Know Thy Audience
Emotion is a powerful foundation and requires insight into audience that many aren’t willing to take time or effort to discover. Knowing what moves your particular audience is essential for knowing what emotion to employ. When this lack of intimate understanding of audience is coupled with a shallow attempt to draw upon emotion that may or may not exist within that audience, you can get embarrassing results. Ask Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the Boston Police Department.

Emotion is a tricky but powerful communication vehicle. This slippery slope is a primary reason why so many marketers and advertisers choose to sit on rational purchase drivers over emotional ones: rational drivers are rarely wrong. There’s little risk with telling someone that the product in question has more features or is priced comparably. There’s also little reward, and if our goal is monster ideas, we need to be willing to take that risk.

There are five general purchase drivers we use to make any purchase decision. Two of those five are “rational” purchase drivers, controlled by the mind: Product and Price. The other three are “emotional” purchase drivers, controlled by the heart: Equity, Experience and Energy.

Image courtesy of Stefan Mumaw

2. Develop ideas that serve to generate emotional response vs. telling the consumer what emotion they’ll likely experience.

3. Know what moves your audience. It does little good to sell nostalgia to 8-year-olds.

2. Check out a fantastic example of a monstrously successful emotional idea: The DeBeers “Unbreakable Kiss” Campaign. www.chasingthemonsteridea.com/UnbreakableKiss

3. Check out a glorious example of a monstrously epic failure involving a complete disregard for emotional authenticity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare

As graphic designers we have been thoroughly trained to finesse typography. We painstakingly analyze each line break, each dash, each quotation mark. We consider it a point of pride to scoff over “type crimes.” We are obsessed. With typography. In print.

Web typography is another story. Typography on the web is the wild west of design. Old laws are unenforced, our designer control goes out the window, and we are left floundering. How do such control freaks adapt to this environment?

Typography as Interface
Many of the same principles that we use in print apply to the web, just in different ways. In print, our typographic decisions direct the reader’s experience. Similarly, online typographic hierarchy operates as interface, letting your audience know where they are and where they can go. When you design with a limited range of typefaces and styles, your audience can more easily learn your set of interactive rules and understand how to navigate. Be distinct in your decisions; if the shifts in your type treatments are too subtle to indicate different kinds of information, something like an active link may go unnoticed and leave your audience lost.

Does it make your eyes hurt?
Reading on screen is a bit harder on the eyes, so to improve legibility allow for more generous leading, reduce contrast levels and choose an appropriate typeface. Contrast levels are critical. While white type on a black background in print may work just fine, on screen it creates too much tension and strains the eyes. Try shifts in tonality, working with shades of gray. When choosing a typeface, it’s best to look for open counters, subtle shifts in stroke weight and sturdy serifs.

Finding beauty within limitations
Web-safe typeface options have been limited. MacArthur fellow and type designer Matthew Carter has provided us with two of the best options: Georgia and Verdana. Trebuchet and Palatino are nice legible options too. I think we can skip the discussion on why Comic Sans, Impact, and Lucida are poor choices. Times New Roman may be widely used on the web, but it was originally designed for use in a newspaper. Newspapers and websites are not the same contexts. Selecting a typeface and setting the type based on the context of use provides a solid foundation for design decisions. So, even if you are building a website using Flash and don’t have to worry about selecting web-safe type, you still need to consider the other factors that contribute to a comfortable screen-based reading experience.

The Future
With new technologies like @font-face and Cufon, more (selectable text!) type options for the web are coming our way. These technologies essentially allow you to stream fonts to the users and break the reliance on users’ system fonts. This gives designers more of control back, and allows us to formally execute our concepts without so many restrictions. This new found freedom won’t come without some caveats. Just because you can now use Bodoni online, doesn’t mean you should.

2. Text type should be read comfortably. Try reading your own screen type at length and reflect on the experience.

3. Where Am I? Typography online operates as navigation. Help your audience know where they are and guide them to their next destination.

Pairing Typefaces For The Web

Color Contrast Checker

Type Testerhttp

@font-face

Cufon

The Politics

Creative agencies can look to a community engagement strategy as an effective way to take on business challenges with one fell swoop.

According to research by Communispace, consumers see companies that establish roots in their local community as authentic and reliable, helping to establish long-term loyalty with a positive public reputation. Building an authentic connection to the local community is also a powerful tactic for design agencies in attracting business and talent, engaging in better design practices and encouraging a collaborative company culture. By undertaking a new strategy that goes beyond pro-bono work, employee volunteer programs and fundraising sponsorships, design firms can arrive at more holistic, community-driven approach.

Building Collective Collaboration
Building a creative community was an initiative recently undertaken by my design firm, Marsh, Inc. in Cincinnati, OH. Our efforts resulted in the 8th Street Design District, a group of creative firms located just on the outskirts of Downtown Cincinnati’s Central Business District that hold a wide range of creative talent—architecture, photography, graphic design, advertising, branding, urban and LEED building design, and interior design. Collectively, our goal is twofold: 1) to enhance and strengthen the business and creative community, utilizing our collective influence and creative expertise to become a recognized resource for design and 2) establish a vibrant, inspiring community in which to live and work.

Design leaders interested in building a collaborative community can start by cultivating relationships with other neighboring firms. Invite local leaders from other creative agencies of all genres to attend a brainstorm meeting to discuss “How can we use our proximity as a resource?” and “Can we benefit from working together?” Chances are, these discussions will highlight shared business strategies related to growth, creativity and recruitment. It is helpful if these discussions involve executives from participating companies, who will naturally serve as the board of directors. Approach the newly established District or creative community as a new brand launch—complete with an identity, competitive research, strategy and positioning. Challenge each firm to articulate their own core competencies and how these can serve the creative community. Develop a “new business” presentation that articulates the goals and strategy in an effort to recruit more agencies and even engage local government agencies that may be interested in lending support and help to validate the collaboration to the local community. Once this is complete, launch a public relations campaign announcing the formation of the community and goals.

Key to the success of a company’s participation will be the engagement of employees, who can embrace the concept of the design community. Allocate a budget and time for employees to take the forefront in organizing committees for joint events such as an outdoor concert series, beautification efforts, networking happy hours and design competitions.

Delivering Business Results
Our own participation in the 8th Street Design District has exceeded our expectations, and I believe other creative agencies will see similar results—helping to more clearly define the company’s brand, values and place within the local community, even delivering:

• An authentic sense of internal community: providing opportunities for managers and employees to socialize in a positive atmosphere and establishing a sense of pride and purpose among the staff.
• Increased dialogue among neighboring firms: providing a forum to share design practices, management strategies and access to a larger and more diverse pool of design thinking.
• Heightened visibility of the business: resulting in attention from local media and other business owners, elevating the company’s reputation and position within the local market.

As many creative professionals already understand, collaboration is key for creativity and the challenge is sustaining an inspired culture with fresh, collaborative practices. Establishing roots in the community by partnering with other creative firms can benefit the entire organization and further the practice of design.

Design firms often engage in pro-bono work as a way to contribute to their communities. But connecting with other agencies and establishing a city’s creative hub can generate powerful impact.

Image courtesy of Marsh, Inc.

1. Invite your creative neighbors to a joint brainstorm meeting to evaluate the potential program.

2. Build a holistic strategy that authentically engages employees by aligning with company culture and core competencies.

3. Build the program as a brand with an identity, objectives and positioning.

4. Identify/create programs that further that idea and program within the local community.

5. Give time and resources to the effort and allocate an employee team to oversee the program.

UrbanCincy: “18 entities join to form 8th Street Design District, kick off month-long concert series”

American Planning Association: How Arts and Cultural Strategies Enhance Community Engagement and Participation

See how designers and firms in NYC are collaborating for the good of nonprofits in their community: DesigNYC

For design business owners—whether a solo practitioner or the leader of a 100-person firm—the last couple years have been enormously challenging. The recession has hit our industry hard, forcing even the most successful and long-lasting firms to lay off staff and even close their doors.

Now, as the economy shows a few small signs of recovery, the design industry is bouncing back and design business owners are beginning to consider how they will rebuild. This rebuilding process presents a rare opportunity to rethink the model on which our businesses are built, and to develop a more diverse base of revenue and, ultimately, a healthier business.

Most design businesses are built on a “fee-for-service” model, in other words, we make money by selling our services to clients. This model is certainly a viable one, and seems—on the surface—to be fairly risk-free. But what happens if clients stop buying our services (like they did in 2009)? And what happens if the value of our service declines due to increasing competition and a fragmented market (which is happening even as you read this)? There are other ways for design businesses to generate revenue, and one of them is to put our considerable creativity into developing entrepreneurial product ideas and bringing those products directly to market. If successful, this approach can lead to a supplemental source of revenue that can help buffer the business from future rough spots.

Of course there are many challenges with this new approach, and one of them is how to build an entrepreneurial function into a traditional design business. If you are used to maximizing billable hours, this new approach will require some planning and discipline—especially when the traditional client work picks up. Here are five steps you can take toward a more entrepreneurial design business:

1. Put It On The Clock
Dedicate a certain percentage of staff time to developing entrepreneurial ideas. This could be a couple hours per week, or a half-day per month. Make a commitment to stick to this plan for a set period of time, like six months, to give it long enough to materialize.

2. The Next Contestant Is…
Build an internal program around this activity. Maybe it’s set up as a competition where employees will pitch their concepts to the rest of the firm and everyone will vote on the best ideas. Or maybe you bring in a panel of expert judges to critique and advise on top ideas.

3. Put Your Money Where Your Ideas Are
Make a commitment to help fund the development of the top ideas. Even a few thousand dollars of seed funding can help get an idea closer to reality. This incentive proves to your staff that you have a strong commitment to this exercise.

4. Share Your Network
Beyond financial support, make a commitment to put your professional network behind the development of top ideas. Legal, financial, and business planning advisors will be a big part of the key to success.

5. Clarify The Rules
Set some parameters around who will own the ideas that are chosen for development and make this clear from the very start. This will be important to avoid any conflict if/when an idea becomes a money-making reality. In most cases this will be a shared arrangement based on the level of investment on both sides.

Injecting entrepreneurial activity into a design business can be a great way to energize your staff. By supporting—and investing in—their business vision, you will not only get great ideas that could transform your business, you will also get a more motivated, engaged, and committed working environment.

2. It’s easy to view staff time spent on entrepreneurial work strictly as “non-billable” time. But if it’s spent developing a startup concept, it’s also “new business” activity. Rather than trying to find new clients, you are inventing your own.

3. Don’t limit this to only your creative staff—great ideas can come from anywhere, and anyone. Even your account and admin staff.

I’ll admit it’s easy to say this, versus actually doing it. Willingly passing on work can be scary, but the time spent finding the right work and wooing the right clients has a much better pay off long-term—guaranteed. All firms should have a screening process, but some “bad eggs” do get through and when they do, you have to address them.

The first and best way is to have an open conversation with the client. State that your firm might not be the best fit for their needs. Be prepared to suggest several firms to take your place, tell them you will help with the transition. Honesty is always the best bet and, combined with a desire to not burn a bridge whenever possible, usually helps you keep emotion out of it. And even if it’s not a welcome process from their point of view, you can sleep at night knowing that you helped them move along.

The second strategy is to raise your prices. Not everyone agrees with this philosophy, but sometimes it’s the only thing that will get a client’s attention. I look at each scenario and decide the best avenue. (Hopefully this isn’t a common issue for you; if it is, retool your screening process and stop taking every job that comes your way.)

For new inquiries, I find the process much easier. During the initial business meeting, if alarm bells start going off in my head, I do one of two things. First, I try to find a way to decline gracefully, and then, if that opening does not appear or if this call is a referral and I feel obligated to respond, I ask a couple of key questions:

1. “What is the value of this project to you?” or “What is your budget?”
(BTW, there is ALWAYS a budget.)

2. “What is the timeline?”

I’ll use their answers to craft my proposal, giving them a price that is definitely on the high side, if you know what I mean, and a timeline and terms that are very much in our favor. Sounds a little crazy, perhaps, but if you lose work, I have found losing it on price is the best way to go.

I’ve also had some of these scenarios turn into a deeper conversation with the potential client—and we were able to work out any perceived or existing issues. The others … well, they were just good choices so I could focus my studio’s time.

The key is to not do anything to hurt your firm’s reputation. Be sure to use every interaction to network in some positive way, if you can. You can’t be everything for everyone, so do your best to avoid attracting/conversing with the wrong client or project. And since occasionally you don’t know until you have a meeting, be ready to turn the conversation into a professional “No Thanks” and provide suggestions for the other firms that might be able to serve them.

Image courtesy of Rule29

2. Every situation can help educate. Do your best to inform potential design-buyers about the way our industry works and standard pricing ranges. This helps all of us.

3. When you do refer a job, make sure you call that firm and give them a heads up—unless of course you don’t like them (kidding).

2. A great resource to have at your fingertips is Managing (Right) for the First Time by David Baker, It’s like you have David sitting next to you and that’s awesome. He may even give you a hug. (Or you can listen to David’s HOW Conference presentation of Managing (Right) for the First Time.)

I’ve felt for some time that traditional marketing communications and design firms were missing some critical understanding when it came to reaching clients online—our years of offline training didn’t prepare us for the invisible online client and the new ways in which he’d purchase services. So I felt it was my duty to learn what successful online marketers knew that I didn’t—and I found some major differences between online and offline approaches.

But by far the biggest thing I came away with is the major similarity—and that’s the importance of relationships. Offline and online, marketing is built on relationships. There are different ways of building relationships with people you’ll probably never meet in person, but the bottom line is that people buy products and services from people and companies they like and trust, and ignore those they don’t.

Here are three simple rules for building those important relationships.

1. Know who you need to talk to.
You can have the best service in the world, but if you’re building relationships with the wrong market or aren’t specific about who you’re talking to, you won’t make sales. Is your web copy niched to a narrow client profile? Are you networking with your target market instead of your peers? Identify your ideal client first, then you can start building relationships.

2. Be top of mind with your clients—all the time.
Building relationships is a long-term proposition, it doesn’t happen overnight. Do you try to build relationships with tactics and programs that are difficult to sustain, and then abandon them? Regular phone check-ins with clients sound like a great idea in January, but dwindle off as the year progresses. Direct mail programs are suspended because it’s hard to tell if they’re working (did you get through to them, even if they didn’t respond?) And online programs like e-newsletters and blogs are produced sporadically, fit in around your “real” work. It’s not easy to be consistent, but listen to this: one online study found the most stated reason for purchasing a product or service was “it was what we needed at the time.” This means you have to be there, in front of the prospect, all the time—because if clients don’t see you when they need you, they’ll choose someone they do see.

3. Make it easy for your customers to work with you.
Here’s an interesting way to look at making things easy for your clients, relayed by marketing guru Bill Glazer. He says that the old story of “give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you’ll feed him for life”—doesn’t apply when it comes to clients. Clients, he says, don’t want to learn how to fish—they don’t want to think that your product or service will add work for them in any way. Busy clients “just want the damn fish.” Tell them exactly what you’ll do for them, how it will help them, and exactly what they need to do (hopefully not much), in order to get them to act. Just give them the damn fish.

Bill Glazer, marketing guru, says the old story of “give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you’ll feed him for life”—doesn’t apply to clients. Clients just want things to be easy. They want to know what you’re going to do for them and how it will help. In other words, they just want the damn fish.

2. Clients are people first and companies second, and it’s the same with you. And these client/people like to buy from and build relationships with people—not companies. Resist the urge to present yourself too much as a “company” in order to look “professional.”

2. Learn tips from Marcia Hoeck on how to strengthen your business.

What are you thinking about the future of design? Share it quickly, easily and be heard!

AIGA is re-imagining itself to transform an institution that has been vital for a century into one that plays an even more important role in addressing everyone’s aspirations for design in the new century.

Take your parsing skills and reveal your interests, needs and expectations for the profession and for any organization that supports the community on Twitter during One Day for Design, April 13.

One Day for Design will be initiated and reinvigorated all day by thoughtful designers around the world—including, officially, Alex Bogusky, Doug Bowman, Liz Danzico, Debbie Millman, Erik Spiekermann, Armin Vit, Alissa Walker and Katherine Walker. They will be posting provocative questions on Twitter throughout the day. Questions and replies will all be posted on onedayfordesign.org, where anyone can comment—with or without a Twitter account. So visit the site or use your own Twitter account.

We’re interested in seeking broad input on what is expected of an organization supporting the collective aspirations of a fast-adapting profession and expect engagement from our friends in the Netherlands, Denmark, England, South Africa, Korea, the Emirates, Australia and beyond.

You do not have to be a member of AIGA to participate. In fact, we’ve invited our fellow design organizations in the United States and abroad to participate, as we think it’s important to obtain a broad cross-section of designers and design enthusiasts from a wide range of disciplines. The future of design belongs to all of us.

The day starts early with questions from moderators in Europe, so as soon as you sit down with a cup of coffee on April 13, you can participate by tagging your tweets with #1D4D.

We hope you’ll join us for this important discussion. We will spend several weeks parsing the themes from the discourse and sharing them with all, even as we use the conversation as a driving force in redefining one design organization and its activities.

But unfortunately for us, brainstorming has turned into something quite different. It’s been deceitfully transformed into a corporate cattle-call for perfectly formed answers, a haven for naysayers, negatives and ‘just’ people (“why don’t we just do what we’ve always done…”). Brainstorming has become a corporate killjoy, in part due to the people who are involved in the process.

Like anything of value, we get out as much as we put in when we consider the act of corporate idea generation. Brainstorming is as much about the people as the ideas, the minds as much as the solutions. The right mix of experiences, perspectives and attitudes completely changes the experience and result of a brainstorm. What should that makeup look like? Glad you asked.

The Right Number of Stormers
Conventional corporate wisdom would say “the more brains, the more ideas.” The fault with that argument is the apathy shown to the humanity behind the brains. If you put 25 people in a room and tell them to start generating ideas, you’ll get a healthy dose of hiding, distraction, selfishness, fear and quiet. Reduce that number to 5-7 participants. With a more intimate group, everyone has a voice, each perspective equally relevant and each experience of value.

The Right Mix of Stormers
Human beings are naturally adverse to conflict. We seek out acceptance so it’s no surprise that when we assemble a group of thinkers intent on solving a problem, we seek out people that think like we do. Unfortunately, all we’re really doing is amplifying the potential of our own output. Noted creative author Sam Harrison says “Brainstorming should be exactly that—stormy.” Fill your 5-7 stormers with people who think differently than you, people that see the world from an unusual perspective. If you want a diverse collection of idea seeds, you need a diverse collection of gardeners. Bring people in from outside your environment, people who may have an experience with the problem or people who engage in other forms of creative thinking, like musicians, architects, teachers or engineers.

The Right Expectations of Stormers
Brainstorming is not the time to solve the problem, you’re not really looking for a defined solution but rather a host of possible directions. The participants in your brainstorm should be informed a few days ahead of time what the purpose of the time will be, how much time they can expect to engage in the process and what kinds of ideas you are hoping to generate. Letting a participant know that they don’t have to think of every angle of the problem ahead of time gives them the room to come up with more possible directions, the germs of ideas. These beginnings hold the hope of what’s possible and is exactly what an effective brainstorm generates.

Taking the time to plan who will participate in the brainstorm will ensure that the time spent generating ideas is a fruitful time, an enjoyable time and one that represents the effective Valhalla it’s supposed to be.

Effective brainstorming is a people issue as much as an idea issue. Planning to have the right number, the right mix and setting the right expectations will ensure you get the right results.

Image by Stefan Mumaw.

2. Fill the room with people who think differently than you. Mix creatives with outsiders, either folks with some experience with the problem being brainstormed or other types of creative thinkers, like musicians or engineers.

3. Set expectations for your brainstorm group ahead of time. Let them know what you’re hoping to accomplish, the amount of time they’ll be ideating and the types of ideas you’re looking for.

2. To get more brainstorming leadership tips, pick up a copy of Caffeine for the Creative Team by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield.

Whether you’re a solopreneur (freelancer), or just a one person incorporated design firm, it can be too easy to get in the habit of thinking you can pull off anything your client may need on your own.

And what you don’t know, well you can just learn as you go, because after all you’re a “Jack of all Trades.” This mindset however can lead to consistent marginal solutions rather than continued improvement and expanded creativity.

The design industry now more than ever before has become a microcosm of specialized skill sets and creative competencies. As a design professional we need to be honest with our own limitations, and be willing to leverage the creative expertise of others in order to provide work at the highest level possible for our clients. In other words you need to collaborate, because there is strength in numbers.

Creative Network
Building a ever-expanding list of talented creative sub-contractors you can call on when you have creative projects that exceed your own skill sets is what being a smart creative director is all about. It does no good however, if the network of creatives you build is at a lower level than your own design aesthetic. The whole purpose of doing this is to facilitate the highest level of work for your client, so a good rule of thumb is to only put those who you feel are better than yourself on the list. Along the way your network will expand, and your knowledge base will grow, and it’ll help you build your design business as well. Choose poorly however and the creative side-effects will be self evident.

Creative Potential
A common mistake that often happens with those using outside creative talent on their own client projects is merely expecting them to be an extension of their arm. You can’t draw something so you just need them to draw it for you, or you can’t code something so you just need them to code it for you etc. It’s best to first tap their creative thinking, and let them audit the work requested first because they may see another creative direction or approach to the problem that’ll work even better than what you thought the solution should be. This is how you’ll be able to exceed your own creative potential and move into new territory with your body of work and expand your creative vision in the process. But never forget that moving into new areas is always a risk, but if approached wisely offers more potential for benefit than it does harm. Be fearless.

Compensation & Credit
Before creative work can begin you need to establish a foundation based on a mutually agreed upon budget and creative strategy in order to properly hedge expectations on both sides through out the creative process. This type of pre-project communication is essential, so you know who is taking the lead, who the client communicates with, who is responsible for each aspect of the work needing to be done, and an understanding that both parties will use the final work created to promote their collaborative efforts.

Image courtesy of Von Glitschka

2. Draft Mode: When you come across a talented creative person make sure to get their contact information. Approach them about being a creative resource you could team up with or farm work to. Their strengths can bolster your offerings and what you bring to the table will more than likely expand theirs as well.

3. Open Source Thinking: Creative ideas bloom in an environment that embraces possibilities. So let your collaborators take ownership with you on the conceptual end of a project whenever possible. Dream together, grow together and prosper together.

2. Read Idea Spotting by Sam Harrison. The title says it all—the importance of creatives being instinctively tuned to harvesting their inspiration and putting it to use.

3. Check out Sam Harrison’s other book Zing!. A profoundly simple, but simply profound book on how to think as a designer and capitalize on ideas.

Sometimes simple but often complex, the “process” used by graphic designers and their respective studios varies widely.

Whether the project is print, interactive, or three-dimensional in nature, designers use an established set of procedures to create innovative solutions to communication problems. Many studios offer their methods as proprietary services, noting the value that process adds in the otherwise intangible medium of creativity.

The graphic design process, as traditionally defined, is modeled around the physical creation of an artifact: an annual report, a web site, a poster, a logo, a brochure, and so on. As such, the process is inevitably project-oriented as well as linear—it starts with research and progresses through concept development, prototype, production, and delivery. This method has its roots in the collective education of design professionals and it has generally served the need for simple and framed problems. However, today’s designers are charged with unframed communication problems of increasing complexity. As a result, the general approach to how we do our work needs to be redefined.

Iteration
Recently, many designers have advocated for the use of an iterative approach. In this approach research does not merely initiate the process but rather augments, integrating systematic investigation into each phase of a project’s development. This is dependent on assessment, summative evaluation undertaken throughout the course of a project. This allows the designer to reconsider assumptions gleaned from preliminary research. Using this information, the designer may opt to make adjustments to a design either before, or in certain situations even after production. This process of constant re-evaluation creates solutions that are more focused on project goals and ultimately user needs.

Metacognition
While the benefits of iterative process have been well documented, it is important for designers to take this concept one step further and evaluate and iterate the process itself—not just the outcome. This turns the design process into a metacognitive model. Metacognition means to learn about learning, or to know about knowing. We can learn about ourselves, or our studio, by asking tough questions like “What did we do wrong?” or “What could we have done differently”—even when the outcomes have been successful. By actively engaging and documenting self criticism of both the end product and the path that was used to get there, designers are better able to learn from their own successes and failures and adjust their practice accordingly.

Models
Because each project or commission has a unique set of goals, requirements, budget and time constraints, it’s important to find a framework that is flexible, regardless of project complexity.

Many design studios have developed proprietary design processes—the details of which they guard closely from the competition. But close study shows their similarities. Expand a search of process to include information literacy, design thinking, and applied research, even more models become available. The Design Council has a documented process model that they have researched and recommend—and that might work for you.

Which model you choose to use, or if you invent your own, doesn’t matter as much as the active and documented use of it. Regardless of the tactics employed, a comprehensive strategy will help clarify both the problem to be solved and the resources necessary to accomplish project goals. Process models, whether proprietary or in the public domain, allow the designer to pair the most appropriate research tactics with project requirements—without reinventing the wheel—and allow for a deeper understanding and a more efficient practice of design.

2. Don’t reinvent the wheel! You don’t have to create a proprietary process for your studio. Try a couple of different ones that have already been established and documented. Find one that works well for you and learn from it.

2. Learn more about information literacy and the Big6

3. This parse is excerpted from A Designer’s Research Manual by Jenn + Ken Visocky O’Grady.

4. Read: “Waste Time” by Ian Dapot on Parse.

When people tell me they’re hiring, I always ask, “How are you promoting the open position?” I almost always get one of two responses: “on our Careers page,” or “advertising.”

Most hiring managers believe that putting the word out about an open position means putting it out on the web. That roughly translates to posting the position on their own website or placing it on a job board like Monster, Craigslist, CareerBuilder, etc. All of these options are valid and useful resources, but if that’s all you’re using you’re seriously limiting your talent pool.

Throwing it Against The Wall
Advertising a job opening isn’t just about taking an ad out in a newspaper (hopefully none of you are only doing that…) or posting it on a website. Hiring managers tend to take the “wide net” approach to advertising—which is posting a job on the internet where they’ll get the widest visibility. That may be great if you’re looking for an accountant or a marketing manager. However, if you’re looking for something really specific, like a package designer, you may not get the response you’re looking for. The other pitfall to using the wide net strategy is the huge amount of time spent sifting through resumes and portfolio samples from people who are clearly not qualified for the position.

Let’s face it, most skilled, qualified designers are not going to be looking on Monster for their next job. By that logic, you need to be advertising your job on sites that are more specific to the role you’re trying to fill. That’s not to say that traditional job sites aren’t an option, it’s just a matter of proactively managing your time as the candidates start flowing in. Posting on design-specific sites, like Behance, will narrow the field for you and will likely give you a larger pool of qualified candidates to choose from.

There Is A World Outside The Internet
Networking is a form of job advertising that is mostly overlooked by hiring managers. One of the best ways to find qualified candidates is to socialize with them. I’m not talking about bars or clubs. I’m talking about places where like-minded talent tend to flock: speaker events, panel discussions, conferences and—if you’re hiring junior talent—design school portfolio shows. This is actually where the gold is. Screening resumes and portfolios is one thing. A phone interview is another. At a school portfolio show you have an opportunity to meet individuals in person, discuss your open position, and have access to faculty who can give detailed information about working habits and abilities. All of the information is in one place, and there are lots of options!

The thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t limit yourself to what we in the recruiting world call “posting and praying.” Being proactive about getting the word out and actually finding places where you can mingle with the type of creative talent you want to hire is key. You save a lot of time, money and headaches.

Networking opportunities are often an overlooked tool for recruiting talent.

Illustration by Jason Bacher

2. Portfolio shows are networking opportunities too. Other companies like yours are always there recruiting talent so it’s a good way to stay connected to your local community.

3. Always carry business cards! Sure, you have a lot of sophisticated communication tools now, but business cards are still a simple and effective way of connecting with people (so don’t forget them).

2. Handshake rusty? Here’s helpful networking advice from the UC Berkley Career Center.

3. The Riley Guide can be helpful to recruiters and job seekers alike.

Collaboration doesn’t come naturally to everyone. We all have our weaknesses, but unfortunately, or fortunately if you love working together like I do, our current design practice is increasingly collaborative.

NC State College of Design Dean Marvin Malecha states, “While a romantic notion of the sole creative spirit lingers in the consciousness of the design profession, the increasing interdependence and interrelatedness of decision-making has ever been more apparent.” Other designers contribute value to the design process by providing creative perspectives, ways of knowing, and critical evaluations beyond your own. I push myself the hardest, and ask the toughest questions, when I know another designer, who I respect, will be working on the same problem. Collaborating can be the most rewarding type of work, but it doesn’t always come easy.

Be Honest and Clear
Clearly state what your expectations are in the collaboration at the outset. What do you expect to get out of it? How much time are you willing to contribute? What do you see as the primary objective? Together, agree on a shared goal and the steps that you will take to reach that goal. Problems can arise when one person veers off of the agreed upon path and there is no authority figure to mediate. Remember that your collaborator can’t read your mind, so you need to externalize those thoughts.

Tools for Externalizing
There are some simple tools for externalizing your thoughts in a partnership. Post-it note brainstorms can be a great, low stakes, method to generate a budding understanding of the project. Creating concept maps and mind-maps at the beginning of a project helps to visualize your shared goals. If you and your collaborator work in the same physical space, keep all of these externalizations up on the wall or posted to desks. This will serve a road map for your project.

Virtual collaborations are now easier than ever. Instant messaging programs like iChat are particularly powerful. iChat functions such as quick file sharing, video chatting, and screen sharing, efficiently facilitate virtual collaborations. Of course Google has great free tools as well — Google Docs allows you to share and edit a document online in real-time, while Google Presentation allows you to create a shared presentation. MindMeister allows you to create shared mind-maps online. There is no shortage of free tools, so choose what works best for you.

Seeking Partnerships
How do you find others willing to collaborate? I go back to the honesty factor. When you meet someone new, or overhear an interesting idea or project, spark up a conversation. Be direct and honest and ask if they would want to work together some time. More often than not, creative types will be inspired and activated by your inquiry.

2. Be honest. With yourself and your collaborator. You don’t want to get into a project that isn’t what you intended.

3. Have fun and remain open. When you include other perspectives in your design process, you expand your own ways of seeing.

2. Use tools like MindMeister, Google Docs, and iChat to share ideas.

3. On Collaboration: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams

4. See Some Collaborations in action: Layer Tennis

There are many reasons designers struggle to bring their own ideas to market: it’s risky, expensive, and really complicated (among others). But there is an option for designers who want to stick to what they do best—cranking out awesome ideas—and to avoid the messiness of building a business: product licensing.

In fact, if there is a “well-worn path” from graphic design to entrepreneurship, licensing is probably it; there are many examples of designers who have had success in the stationery, gift, and publishing markets, as well as font and image licensing.

The basic premise with licensing is that you sell the rights to your product or idea to an established business in exchange for royalties on the sales of the product once it goes to market. Royalty percentages can range from 5-15% based on a variety of factors, and often an advance payment can be involved. While product licensing is a valid option that is well-suited for the designer who is not interested in the complex, demanding, and expensive process of creating a business (financing, production, distribution, marketing, etc.), it should not be mistaken as an easy alternative. The licensing arena is outrageously competitive and the process of selling an idea can be time-consuming and fraught with rejection and risk.

One of the ways licensing deals “get done” is when they are brokered by a licensing agent—a matchmaker who usually specializes in a specific industry. In established markets like consumer goods, toys, and publishing, working with a licensing agent is an important consideration. These agents have deep connections in the industry and can quickly introduce you to possibilities that would otherwise take years to develop. A good agent will also offer advice and guidance based on their own industry experience. An agent will take their share of the proceeds of an eventual business deal.

Another way to find a licensing deal is for the designer to directly seek out businesses who might benefit from their idea and pitch them. Ironically, the current slumping economy is forcing many large companies to abandon internal new business development in favor of seeking out external licensing opportunities to fuel their innovation pipeline. This is great news for designer-entrepreneurs.

It is important to protect an idea before beginning the process of negotiating a licensing deal. A key first step will be to consult with an attorney specializing in intellectual property and licensing. An attorney will help set up legal protection for your idea and will also negotiate and establish a payment arrangement which might be a blend of advanced payment and royalties.

For designers, perhaps the most difficult part of the licensing process will be giving up creative control of the idea to some business that might not share our exquisite taste in typography and color.

Above:
The proprietary labeling system on Soyu Natural Tea bottles was developed and licensed by designer Mateo Neri. Image from Soyu

Above:
Typeface design is a natural area for designers to work in. In most cases, designers will license their designs to a Type Foundry. Image from Chank

Above:
CSA Design was an early pioneer in the area of image licensing with their CSA Archives collection of vintage artwork. Image from CSAimages.com

2. The US Patent and Trademark Office offers a basic patent application for relatively low fee (basic filing fee for a small business is less than $200). This can be an important basic level of protection for a new idea, regardless of whether it is eventually patentable.

3. Online databases of licensing opportunities are available for other business categories, like health care, environmental sciences, and IT.

4. Analyze the company you are targeting prior to a licensing pitch to ensure that they are the right fit for your product.

5. Rejection is common in the licensing process. Don’t be discouraged by a negative response, instead try to learn from the experience by asking why, and what could be done to address these concerns.

This 5-step series on licensing is very informative: http://www.startupnation.com/steps/97/5-steps-create-license-invention.html

This post by The Sloan Brothers contains deeper content on this topic, like exclusivity and payment options: http://www.startupnation.com/business-articles/905/1/AT_LicensingAgreementKeys.asp

2. Many business categories hold trade conferences to showcase new products, and these shows can be important opportunities to meet potential licensing partners. In the retail gift area, the New York International Gift Fair is a huge annual show that attracts the major players in this category.