• Who are you? reveals your source of passion
• What do you do? helps you focus and differentiate yourself from others
• Why does it matter? leads to a bolder statement for your company….

Wait! Did I say a bolder statement for your company?? YES! These 3 questions came from Marty Neumeier’s The Designful Company. If you are able to answer these questions for your company and feel good about it, then you are on the right track!

Now see if you can do it in an elevator to a prospective client!

“Forward-thinking brands will continue to develop creative ideas and solutions that will allow people to exchange (interact with each other) and express (explore and share creative opportunities). They will exploit emerging technologies and social networking software to design new products and innovative experiences to responsibly involve and include the consumer. They will also enter contextualized partnerships with other brands that share similar brand values and foster seamless and well-integrated marketing campaigns in nonobtrusive consumer spaces. They will be there when we need them in whatever form we need them.

The really clever ones will make it a strategic priority to add a little joy into their consumer’s lives. So, think like a child, act like an adult now, not a lifetime too late.”

Jonathan Ford is designer and co-founder of Pearlfisher, a future-focused design consultancy in London and New York.

Rebranded American Flag

Gotta love Bono. In this Sunday’s NYTimes Bono wrote an article, Rebranding America, about the global view of Obama as a world celebrity with big britches to fill. He questions America’s view of Obama as clouded. The world wants Obama to succeed and in turn, wants to love America, just as much as we want to be loved. (I can see a song forming here!)

With right-winged news affiliates like FOX News barking  to who ever will listen, it is hard to hear the viewpoints of people outside our boarders. It was an interesting article, with eye opening ideas, but not a how-to rebrand “America.”

From a proactive point of view, we have started the rebranding process by electing Obama. A brand is something you can’t see, but something you feel. It is something a collective group feels in their gut, and once it becomes a united effort, your brand, in this case America, is defined. With our internal divisions and media gossip it is hard to form our own opinions about America, but Bono starts that conversation. I appreciated the clarity Bono shines on our clouded  state of being.

Here is the full article.

Image Copyright: Print Magazine's Food Photography Feature

In addition to my involvement with EPIC this fall, I was asked to join a class called Food and Prop Styling 101 with Beth Reiners.

For over 18 years, Beth Reiners has been doing what she loves most: propping and styling beautiful tabletop food sets. Her wonderfully creative job is to find, rent, purchase, and execute the tabletop props that surround the products featured in print advertisements.

I got my latest issues of print magazine, cleverly titled, The Rare & Well Done, which features trends in food photograph. Fate I tell you? Yes!

One of my favorite trends is the move from studio perfect photography to a photo journalist approach. Photographers and food stylist are looking at the way meals are eaten and shared, creating an event around food, rather than using tweezers, gloves and brushes to create the perfect brisket. Cliff Kuang, the author, says that Magazines are more likely to shoot a backyard BBQ, rich in color, emotion and of course food, than a “morsel of foie gras in a cloud of radish foam.”

Print Magazine's Food Photography Feature

More gorgeous photography and how-to tips on food styling and propping to come over the next few weeks.

Images courtesy of Print Magazine

• Personal communication trumps corporate-speak in other words, don’t talk above your listeners, talk to them.
• Be strategic in your message should focus on your overall Marketing/PR goals; social media is just another tactic.
• Follow the thirds rule in your communication. In a recent presentation by global media solutions company Cision, this rule was referenced in relation to Twitter, but I think it applies to most social media spaces. The rule: Spend 1/3 of your time talking about yourself, 1/3 re-tweeting (or sharing others stories), and 1/3 making conversation.
• And, finally, listen, listen, respond accordingly, and listen some more!

This last point, I think, is key. Remember, social networking is two-sided and you’ll quickly lose friends and fans if you solely tout yourself. Your message should be as much about your customers their concerns, desires and questions than it is about your brand and your service offerings. Of course, mention your events, news and accolades, but make sure you also allow for feedback and open dialogue. In fact, think of creative ways to engage your guests. Party trick: Use sites like Flickr or Groupon to hold contests and offer incentives for your visitors.

Also, keep in mind sometimes your message is right in front of you. Get yourself a fabulous flipcam for only about $100 and start walking around your office. For some great (and entertaining!) success stories, check out Southwest Airlines YouTube channel.

So, get out there and party! Don’t be afraid to start talking. And stay tuned for next time where I will share tips and tools for decorating your space, so you can bring the party to YOU!

Next Topic: Interior Decorating for Your Brand
Related Posts:
Be a Social Media Butterfly: by Susan White
Hello Designers Guest Blogging Series

Last week I met with my local Mohawk Paper representative, Malina Weigel to look at paper swatch books for an upcoming project. We talk about a great resource called Paper Basics from Mohawk which I thought I would share. I find it is very important to involve my client, printer and paper vendor at the beginning stages of any design project. This enables all expectations to be on the table and to see any potential issues with timing or budget before they happen.

I spoke to Mohawk’s marketing department who had this to share:
“After hours of designing in a two-dimensional virtual reality, you eventually have to take your plan to the third dimension of a printed piece. Making that leap requires paper: tactile, touchable, feel-good paper. Specifying the right paper to realize your vision affects the look and feel of the final product just as much as the colors, fonts, images and layouts you select. Paper Basics, an edition in the Mohawk Fine Papers Ask Mohawk series, is your guide to specifying the perfect paper. For other information in the Mohawk series, visit www.mohawkpaper.com“

Here are key questions for any client or designer to ask themselves when selecting the right paper for their project.

Now you have the paper, now what happens on press?

I saw one of my favorite people, Fabra Di Paolo, Paper Source’s print buyer, at the Jennifer Morla AIGA Chicago event this month and asked her for some key tips and techniques she keeps in mind while on press.

“When I first started print buying I was given a great tip: Check for and adjust the registration at the beginning of the press ok, because sometimes if a sheet is out of register, it can affect the way the color appears on the sheet. Also, keep in mind that registration at the far edges of the sheet is harder to hold because the sheet will stretch a bit at the edges.

If you aren’t familiar with print buying, get your printer involved at the design/layout stage so that all production challenges can be addressed. This prevents creating a design that can’t be printed. And lastly, be mindful when printing on an uncoated sheet that the dot gain is greater and drying time can be longer.”

Thank you to Fabra, Malina and And Partners, NY (elegant and effective design of Paper Basics, check their website for more fab work!). For more information about Mohawk papers, or to request samples contact Malina Weigel at malina.weigel@mohawkpaper.com

Also see AIGA Chicago for a listing of our sponsors for more paper and printer vendors in the Chicago area.