1. COMPETENT
   If you don’t have a valid product or service, you are wasting your time branding it.
   
   • Are your products and services valid?
   • What is strongest?
   • What currently are our greatest deficiencies?
   • How do you communicate this value?
2. CREDIBLE
   
   • Are we delivering our products and services in a believable manner?
   • What means are we using?
   • Who are our most credible partners and why?
3. CLEAR
   
   • What is the core idea? (Consider what you are not?)
   • What is your core message?
   • How focused and accessible is it?
4. COMPELLING
   
   • What is compelling about the marketing message?
   • Who are you focusing on?
   • What does it take to get that audience passionate about your products and services?
5. CONSISTENT
   
   • What is your track record?
   • Do you do what you say you do?
6. CONSTANT
   
   • How do you go about staying visible?
   • Have they gone into hiding?
   • If so, why?
7. CONFIDENT
   
   • Are there areas of bashfulness or hesitating?
   • What has been done to demonstrate confidence?
8. CONNECTED
   
   • What communities are you apart of?
   • What does the your corporate responsibility initiatives look like?
   • Is there a loyal following of ambassadors?
   • What is the depth of their connection?
9. COMMITTED
   
   • How do you demonstrate that you are in it for the long haul?
10. CURRENT
    
    • What are the inspirational and aspirational elements in your Branding?
    • What communicates your authenticity?

Good, admitting you have a problem is the first step to healing. For those of us who work as creatives in the corporate world, this is something we have to tell ourselves almost everyday. It is easy to find yourself pumping out design after design that are pretty much identical. You forget how to use more colors than our corporately accepted palette. You find yourself using the same image sources over and over and over. You ask yourself how other designers can use anything other than your corporate font (luckily I get to use Helvetica Neue... I love that font). What happens is you get stuck. But how do you get “un-stuck?” Hopefully I can give you some insight from my experiences.

To begin with, I need to lay down some guidelines. While working in the corporate environment, there are certain things that are sacred and need to stay exactly the way they are forever and ever. Number one is your mark and the way it is used. More importantly, the way it is not used. Number two: you also have to work within the guidelines of your corporate color palette. Just because your spiffy Apple Cinema Display can render millions of colors doesn’t mean you need to use all of them. Number three is to remember that template pieces have their place. I know there are some of you wanting to hunt me down for ignoring the individuality of each piece, but hear me out. There are some pieces that you create many different versions of that all say the same thing or type of thing. For example, a white paper with pages and pages of technical information targeted at a specific audience. Why do you want to recreate the wheel with this type of piece? You want to develop a consistent look that works for the nature of these pieces and it will allow you to punch these out so you can focus more on your ground up designs.

With these guidelines in mind, I have come up with three tips that help to keep me focused and the creative juices flowing.

Stay in touch


How can you stay creative if the corporate work is all you see? It is crucial that you keep a finger on the pulse of the design world around you. Even better is to find friends who are designers in a completely different spectrum. Create a creativity support group-Creatives Anonymous or something. Get some design magazines, look at some blogs, get out of your own box. If all you see of the design world is your corporate colors and font, how can you avoid getting stuck?

It’s a game!


This one may sound a little out there, but follow me for a minute. There are certain elements that you are stuck with. We’ve already established that. It’s time for you to look at this as a challenge. How can you find the new way to use Pantone 485 and some white space to add a whole new look to a ground up creative piece? What can you do with some fancy printing technique your company hasn’t used in twenty years because the budgets got tight? What this boils down to is how can you bend the rules without breaking them. It’s a challenge that is just waiting for your unique creative touch.

Freelance


This one gets touchy because a lot of firms have a non-compete clause, which can greatly limit what you can do with your talents outside of the office. However, I find this to be one of the most helpful ways to keep you on top of your creative game. If freelancing is not an option, volunteer. There are plenty of churches or non-profits that are always looking for freebies. Plus, you’re helping out the community. A tip when your doing these freelance projects is to remove your corporate guidelines, color palette, and even fonts from your toolbox. Don’t go anywhere near what you work with all day if you can help it. Be crazy! Try new stuff! Be artistic!

These are some of the ways that I make it work. It is not an end all list of how to keep your creative spirit alive in the corporate world, but it’s a few ways that work for me.

So here’s to you staying un-stuck and creative!

The hang up is that clean design is not a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too scenario. A truly clean design is minimalistic. Minimalism cuts the clutter, is low on frills and is void of the unnecessary. The whole theory of minimalism can be epitomized by one famous quote:

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove." –Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Minimalism in art has been with us since the late 1960's. It is often manifested as abstract art, but it can also be beautiful and practical, especially in commercial art. A company simply can't be too big to use minimalism either: Google has over 40 products, yet their homepage, Google.com is very minimalistic.

Why Minimalism?

Minimalism is organized. Human beings are usually attracted to patterns of organization. Laying out a minimalistic design means that everything has it's place. Blocks of text are lined up with each other so it is easy to move from one to the next.

Apple took a minimalist approach when imagining the remote control.

Minimalism strives for functionality. Form and function are intertwined. As Skelliewag.org puts it, "most websites…house content and navigational elements inside images and color arrangements which serve no other purpose than to be pretty. Minimalist websites, however, do both at the same time, often allowing content and navigational elements to enter the realm of the aesthetic." Minimalistic sites have few bells and whistles. Every element on the page serves a purpose.

Minimalism stands out. The plague of the "also important" is so widespread that today it feels normal. Buying ad space in a magazine and placing a minimalistic ad there will not be able to cover your organization's 99 greatest features, but will grab attention. It doesn't matter how convincing your argument is, if no one reads it.

Minimalism helps focus. By killing off the "also important" the really important has room to thrive. The most important stands alone and can deliver a clear message to your customers/donors. Say a visitor comes to your website, (lets pretend that you have 100% of their attention) and there are just two things on it. A visitor's focus is split between the two; each getting 50%. Now, what if there were 6 content areas and 30 design elements? A visitor may struggle to focus on anything.

Achieving Minimalism

Prioritize

Every project needs to have a primary purpose. Within that project every page or every minute should work towards that purpose. The key comes in defining what the primary purpose really is – you can't have two primary purposes. To arrive on the top priority, make a list of goals you would like to achieve. After the goals are written, number them in priority. As you do this you may notice that some goals are really sub-goals of other goals, combine them and move on. When you are finished there should be one #1 and it should be less than one sentence long.

Simplify

“I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time,” –Mark Twain.

Concision is critically important in a culture where people get the news by reading headlines only. When a designer doesn't have to cram thousands of words on to one page he is able to use imagery effectively, guide the eye with whitespace and create a visually clean design.

Commit

Pack rat tendencies are strong. You know those houses they show on daytime talk shows where there is so much stuff, it is nearly impossible to walk through the house? No matter how many gallons of Mr. Clean they use, the house will still be a mess until they start to throw stuff out. It is the same way with minimalism. Things have to be thrown away. Things that in their own right seem important or even necessary have to be removed if they do not contribute to accomplishing the primary purpose.

The rewards of minimalism are great. But achiving it is difficult and really requires a partnership between the designers and the requester. If both sides come to the table commited to a clean layout, the finished deliverable will surely standout in the marketplace.

Interested in learning more?  We recommend this article on why P&G, Others Emphasize 'Purpose Branding' in Midst of Economic Crisis.

Historically, advertising and marketing are some of the first line items to hit the chopping block.  The typical thinking around this choice is something like, “We’ve got a great product, and most of our business comes through word of mouth, and it is so hard to measure the return on our marketing, so let’s just cut that out for now.”

While cutbacks may be necessary, let’s consider why deep cuts in your marketing may be a short-term gain that you may regret in the long-term.  The rest of this position paper will illustrate why marketing in a downturn can be a significant advantage.

Marketing isn’t sales

First of all, marketing isn’t about making the next sale.  This is an important distinction.  Many people don’t understand the difference between marketing and sales at all.  By definition, the concept of “sales” incorporates the process in which an item or service is offered in exchange for money.  However, throughout the years, there has been a negative connotation tied to the idea of sales.

For example, a few well known references to sales include  “To sell one's soul” (1570), “To swindle” (1597),  “To sell (someone) down the river” is first recorded in 1927, but is probably from slavery days, on the notion of sale from the upper South to the cotton plantations of the deep South, and “To hard-sell” (1952).

On the other hand, the history of the word marketing shows us that this word originally referred to the various aspects of economics and the process of increasing the value of a sale. The verb “marketing” was established about 1635, from the noun “market,” referring to a place set aside for trade.  It incorporated the idea of "creating sales, as controlled by supply and demand" about 1689, and shortly after this time the term “market value” (1691) is first attested in writings of John Locke.

So while the differences between these two terms may be subtle at first, the simplest distinction may be that the purpose of marketing is to create demand so that value of the items or service for sale will be enhanced.

It has been said that in the process of shopping, “No one wants to be sold, but everyone wants to buy.”  In other words, we don’t want someone to convince us or push us into a purchase.  Instead, we want to decide on our own that an item or service is valuable and desirable.  It is the role of marketing to drive this desire to buy.

So if marketing isn’t about sales, what is it about?

Marketing is about control. It give you the ability to choose with whom you want to do business.  Additionally, it provides you with more control over your finances.  With a proper marketing plan, an efficient business will be able to stabilize the “feast or famine” of uneven business cycles, choose the best clients, gain positive press and recognition, while increasing profits.

So what should drive my marketing?

Big billboards?  TV advertising?  While the type of advertising you pursue may include some of these more noticeable outlets, the engine of any effective marketing plan lies in the strength of your positioning.

By positioning, I mean your specialized area of expertise.

What business are you in?  What benefit does it provide for your client?  Why would someone choose you over anyone else?  Proper positioning is never general or vague.  It is clearly defined and readily understood by the target market.  It is speaks of your definitive ability to solve the client’s problem.

Positioning shifts the power

A compelling position allows your business to shift the power structure in the buy-sell relationship.  When the client has the power, they threaten to leave and go work with another vendor.  When the power is in your favor, the idea of withholding your expertise allows you to maintain the power in the relationship.

As an example, if it were necessary, whom would you choose to operate on your brain, the new general practitioner down at the walk-in clinic, or a brain surgeon?  Of course you would go with the expert specialist.

A “sales” mentality wonders, “What do I have to do or say to get them to buy now?”  The only purpose for a conversation or a relationship is to get to the sale.

In a marketing conversation, you might say, “Our area of expertise allows us to consistently deliver results in this specific area.  Should it make sense for you to work with us, we would be willing to consult with you and determine if this working relationship is a fit for both parties.”

This approach allows for a calm, respectful conversation that values the other person.  It allows you to operate within your area of confidence and expertise.  It draws others in and creates a win-win relationship.

In the marketplace, typical sales efforts run blindly toward the opportunity and push their way to the front.  Purposeful marketing knows where to be, and at what time.  They know the right words to say, and the right way to say them.  They don’t demand attention, but you can’t take your eyes off of them, either.

So how does a down economy affect this approach to marketing?

Actually, it increases the potency of this plan.  Over the next 18 – 24 months, you will see your competition begin to water down their positioning and move toward a generalist approach.  They will be searching for any new opportunity, and may be accepting new work that is revenue neutral (or worse).

This flailing creates a stressful, unproductive environment in which bad decisions cast a shadow over a once successful profit center.  This will be time the to approach those potential clients who are an ideal fit for your business.  The strength of your positioning and demonstrated expertise will be a significant attraction.

We are all certainly going to need to find ways to squeeze budgets and tighten up unnecessary expenditures.  We are going to have to focus on the quality of our products and the relationships we are building with our clients. Fight the temptation to play the “me too” marketing game, focus your positioning, and consistently work your marketing plan.  This will provide a significant advantage over your competition, and will greatly increase your opportunities for improving your profitability, even in a down economy.

One of the hottest topics in marketing is the emerging area of on-line social media. While the biggest name today is probably Facebook, in reality social media extends far beyond. A glance at Wikipedia gives you the definition of social media as “an umbrella term defining various actives that integrate technology, social interaction and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio”. Social media differs significantly from traditional media, as the primary purpose is to create interaction between people using technology as a conduit.

For centuries the development of communication technology has made possible the transmission of ideas and stories. The printing press created a new level of access to information for the masses. The development of radio and then television brought new dimension to the amount and type of content that could be spread. However, an important feature of these traditional media types is the gatekeeper publisher or owner who controls content, creation and distribution.

The New Wild West

The introduction of the Internet produced a new level of self-publishing. Through electronic distribution new ideas and stories could be set free in the world side- stepping traditional gatekeepers. Out of this new Wild West of media, social media is now emerging as a means to step beyond the one-sided publishing of thoughts into a true dialogue. Social media refers to a collective group of web properties that are driven by users. Examples are MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Match.com. Other types you may be familiar with are blogs and discussion boards.

A Jumping Off Place

With so many new conversations taking place now on-line, most marketers are wondering how they can jump into this new arena and begin to have their voice heard. While it may be tempting to believe that grabbing onto the coattails of this technology may bring overnight success, in reality social media requires a new set of skills and understanding which will take time to develop.

1. The first step is to listen and learn. Sign up and begin using key social media platforms such as Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn and YouTube.
2. Find out where your target audience is living on-line and become part of the community.
3. Respect the rules of the community. Before you begin blasting your message across the platform, learn the rules of the game. 
4. View social media as an opportunity for spreading your message through viral means. As one friend recommends your organization to another, the momentum can spread.
   

Make It Authentic

One of the key attributes of social media use today is authenticity. While the desire to spread your message is understandable, social media should not be considered as another form of traditional advertising. Instead it is basically a large-scale word of mouth network. Approach your marketing efforts with authenticity, build trust and begin to spread your message carefully with appropriate consideration for your target audience.

There's a widely pervasive idea that design is “touchy-feely”—that it's subjective and cannot be analyzed, but this idea is wrong. Design is quite objective and can actually be learned. The question is, “How?”

Before we can begin analyzing, we need to identify a common vocabulary that lets us talk objectively about design. Let's begin with seven terms (some people call them design elements) which will become the ammunition for our weapons of defense:

1. Line
   The Line is one of the most basic properties of design elements. This property includes both literal Lines as well as implied Lines, which are created when objects' edges are aligned.
   
2. Shape
   Shape is another very basic design property. All objects have Shape, whether it's regular (circle, square, etc.) or irregular (e.g. amorphous or polygonal).
3. Size
   Whether large or small, the Sizes of elements are crucial to establishing Dominance (see Design Principles below) and hierarchy in a design.
4. Texture
   This can refer to physical Texture, in the case of printed or manufactured objects, or it can simply refer to visual Texture (or pattern) when referring to a website or other electronic medium.
5. Color
   This is used to refer to the aspects of color called “hue” (what people typically call “colors,” such as blue, red, purple, etc.) and “saturation” (how pure or impure a color is). Colors can be further grouped into “cool” Colors (blues and greens) and “warm” Colors (reds and yellows).
6. Value
   Value simply refers to how bright something is. Value is frequently used separately from Color, in the forms of black, white, and gray.
7. Space
   This is the most commonly overlooked element and is commonly undervalued by clients. It can refer to Space inside an object, or “negative space” around objects. It is crucial to establishing Balance and Movement (see Design Principles below) in a design.

Ok, now that we have a common vocabulary to use, how do we go about actually analyzing design objectively? First we need to establish the goal of the design. Perhaps a poster needs to intrigue people enough that they visit the website URL on the poster. Maybe the website needs to induce visitors to sign up for an email newsletter. There are many facets to these goals. Are we trying to provoke a particular emotional response in people? Which demographic(s) are we targeting? Once we have these goals solidified, we can begin objectively analyzing the design.

There are five design principles that are inherent in any design, and these will become our primary weapons. By analyzing how these principles are used in a design, we can see how well the design meets the goals we've established. Let's look at these principles and some questions we can ask to help determine how well each one is used.

1. Balance
   Whether or not a design is balanced is one of the most basic principles of design, because it helps people quickly feel “comfortable” with your design (which may or may not be a good thing depending on your goals). Balance (or lack of it) will affect the Unity and Movement of the design and is affected by Rhythm and Dominance. Balance is most directly created through the use of Size, Value, and Space. One useful way to talk about Balance is to use the term “visual weight.” For example, on a white background, a dark object is “heavy” and a bright object is “light.” But what if they're supposed to “weigh the same?” This could be achieved by altering either their Size or Space around them. Making the light object bigger would balance it with the heavy object. Or in some cases you can move the light object farther away (increase the Space between the objects) to increase its weight. When analyzing the Balance of a design, you can ask,
   
   • Is my eye drawn more to one side than the other, or more to one object than the rest?
     
   • Is that where the designer intends me to look, or am I supposed to be looking somewhere else?
2. Rhythm (or Repetition)
   Rhythm can affect all of the other principles. If overused, it becomes “pattern-y,” which can be uninteresting, but if used properly it is a powerful tool. Repeating elements (usually Shapes) affects the elements' Dominance by lessening their impact, which in turn affects a design's Balance. Repeating elements throughout a design can help increase its Unity, and depending on how the elements are arranged, they can lead your eye through the design, creating Movement. The basic mechanism behind these effects is simply that when you see the same thing over and over again, your brain takes less notice of it and begins looking for something that's unique and different. When analyzing the Rhythm of a design, you can ask,
   
   • Is Rhythm overused, or is it used in appropriate amounts?
   • Are there places where some repeated elements could strengthen the Unity and Movement of the design?
     
3. Movement
   The leading of the observer's eye through a design is an important weapon in a designer's arsenal. Because a lot of visual design doesn't change with time (like videos do), leading a viewer through a design serves the same purpose: revealing information to them one step at a time. Without Movement (which is established using Balance, Rhythm, and Dominance), people don't know how to “take in” a design, leading to information overload, especially without a proper visual hierarchy to guide them (see #4, Dominance). Although it changes from culture to culture, most western cultures begin looking at a design in the upper left corner and move to the lower right corner (because this is how we read). Knowing this, you can use elements to attract the viewer's attention and temporarily halt their movement. Or perhaps use Line and Space elements to hasten their movement or guide it toward a particular portion of the design. When analyzing the Movement of a design, you can ask,
   
   • As my eye travels through the design, am I receiving the information in the intended order, or am I being led haphazardly?
   • Is the most important information either first or last as I move through the design?
4. Dominance (or Contrast)
   Dominance affects Balance and Movement, and is inextricably tied to Unity. Whether something is more or less Dominant than other elements in a design affects the Balance of the design (because you tend to look at the more Dominant elements first and most) and it also has a strong effect on the hierarchy of information in the design. More Dominant elements are perceived as more important than other elements and receive more attention. The best way to manipulate Dominance is through the use of contrast. An object's Dominance is generally increased as that object becomes more different from its surrounding elements, and its Dominance is decreased as it becomes more similar to surrounding elements. When analyzing the Dominance of a design, you can ask,
   
   • Does the Dominance of visual elements match the importance of the information they contain?
   • Are any elements too Dominant, distracting from the rest of the design?
5. Unity
   The overall Unity of a design is key to reaching your goals for that design. If you're aiming for a particular visual style to reach your demographic, or trying to evoke a particular emotional response in people, all aspects of the design must work together towards those goals. Unity is in opposition to Dominance, and the two must be properly used together to achieve maximal results. Ideally, the elements of a design should be unified, but not homogenous, and they need to have a proper hierarchy, but not be too dissimilar. This is best expressed through the statement “simultaneous similarity and difference.” For example, different elements in a design may have similar aspects which unify them (e.g. angular Shapes and dark Values), but also have different aspects which establish Dominance (e.g. different Sizes and Colors). When analyzing the Unity of a design, you can ask,
   
   • Are the elements of this design similar enough to feel unified, or does something interfere with the design's Unity?
     
   • Is the design too unified—i.e. does it need more contrast among the elements to establish a better visual hierarchy?

There are many more aspects to being able to objectively critique a design, such as the psychological results of using a particular design aesthetic with a particular demographic. And there are many more questions to be asked than just the ten I've listed above. But hopefully you can see how easy it is to be able to speak objectively about visual designs.

So next time instead of “I just really like it,” you will be able to try something like, “I'm really impressed with how you kept the design balanced…”

Summary

A Graphic Designer's (GD) specific goal will be to deliver exceptional design in a highly efficient manner. The GD will be expected to nurture existing client relationships through exceptional design and high-quality final products..

S/he must be able to interpret creative briefs and translate them into high impact visualizations using selected media. The GD has the responsibility to follow through on the production of the concepts proposed. The GD will need to be enthusiastic, adaptable, and organized with good interpersonal communication skills.

Background/Education

• Undergraduate degree from accredited university (Media Communications, Art, Marketing, or similar)
• At least two years of agency or similar related design experience

Core Competencies

• Marketing communications strategy and tactics
• Professional verbal and written communication skills
• A well-organized mind able to manage multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment
• Ability to manage a large amount of technical information
• Exceptional information design strengths
• Able to think creatively and develop strong visual concepts
• Interpret design briefs and translate them into innovative communication tools
• Computer skills that include word processing, spreadsheet development, fluency in internet and email usage, general technical knowledge of either Windows or Mac OS

Specific Responsibilities

• Graphic Design for print (Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, InDesign, Adobe Acrobat Pro)
• Offset print experience
• Ability to manage a large amount of technical information
• Conceptualize, develop, and design effective, innovative work for print
• Collaborate with the members of the creative department to develop design strategies that meet business objectives, on time and within budget.

Reports to the Creative Director.

For more information, or to apply, please contact Julie Stevenson
Julie@Cre8tiveGroup.com | 859-858-9054 x.21

To the contrary, storytelling was a significant theme throughout this season's So You Think You Can Dance where dancers compete in a format similar to its sister show American Idol. Through storytelling, So You Think You Can Dance has captured an expansive and devoted following and received several Emmy nominations.

Storytelling as a theme weaved its way throughout the show's season. Part of the show's format invites the audience to connect and sympathize with the dancers. By watching and learning the story of the dancers' upbringing and how they have overcome so many obstacles to make it this far in their dancing career, the audience buys in to more than just how well they can "bust a move."

Whether it was ballroom, contemporary or hip hop, the choreographers' brilliantly crafted routines drew inspiration from both personal and fantastical stories. It was evident the top four dancers survived the show as long as they did because of their storytelling ability, effectively portraying their character and engaging the audience. It was my observation that several of the dancers in the competition who had just as much (if not more) talent than the top four did not survive to the finale due to their inability to captivate the audience through storytelling.

While we often struggle to see storytelling elements in our own work, remembering that it's the stories that connect with the audience is just as important for us as it is for dancers.

Check out one of this past season's more memorable performances choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo to Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's hit song "No Air."  The story behind this routine is that the male character has just found out that he has to go off to war and has to break the news to the woman he loves.

WILMORE, KY. August 4, 2008 – Two new hires will fill key roles at the Wilmore, Ky. based media communications firm.  Julie Martinez, formerly of Los Angeles, Calif., will be filling the role of Creative Director, while Meredith White, most recently of Jackson, Ms., will be the company’s new Account Executive.

Martinez moved back to her native Bluegrass state after almost a decade in Los Angeles, where she co-owned New Link Media. Her company’s primary focus was on documentary videos, as well as other media communication tools for a variety of corporations and non-profits.  Julie also launched and still runs the non-profit organization, Circle of Hope, which provides relief and care for orphaned and vulnerable children in Malawi, Southern Africa.  Martinez feels that this experience has given her “an insider’s understanding of the needs of socially active organizations.”

White recently transferred to nearby Danville, Ky., with her husband, a new addition to the football coaching staff at Centre College.  Most recently White has served as the Director of Online and Graduate Admissions and Marketing at Belhaven College in Jackson, Ms. Other experience includes serving as the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for a regional blood center in Texas, as well as the Director of Fundraising and Public Relations for political clients.

About Cre8tive Group

Cre8tive Group works with socially aware, ethically responsible organizations to build strong connections with your audience. Our strategies draw on the best marketing practices from both the business and nonprofit worlds to address the critical challenges of improving the human condition. Intentionally limiting our engagements to only 8 partnerships at one time, we communicate the soul of your message with clarity and conviction. Learn more about our company at www.cre8tivegroup.com.