At the Crossroads of Design and Business

The DuPrees of furniture fame were ahead of the curve pushing the role of design in business, but it may be time for a new integrated model.

While of great interest today, the discussion of design in business is hardly a new phenomenon. In a 1965 speech at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Hugh DuPree, one of a troika of DuPrees who presided over the company for half a century, described how his family went about connecting business with design. In the process, they transformed Herman Miller from a tiny failing residential furniture manufacturer to a paragon of American design:

"Design is an integral part of the business. The designer's decisions are as important as those of the sales or production departments. It is his responsibility to recognize needs and solve them in his own way. There is no pressure on the designer to modify design to meet the market. Sales and Manufacturing have a responsibility to feed back to Design information that helps the designers to define the problem.

"But the designer decides how to use this information…. We decide what we will make. If the designer and management like a solution to a particular problem, it is put into production. There is no attempt to conform to the so-called norms of public taste, nor is there any special faith in the methods used to evaluate the buying public. Our designers must not be hamstrung by management's fear of getting out of step. All that is asked of the designer is a valid solution."

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What not to do.

This example is based on architecture, but I think many graphic designers will find it an entertaining reminder of what not to do in business. And if any clients of graphic designers find themselves treated this way, it's time to find a new designer -- I'm sure Jeff could help you.

Architects Associates

Brand Extensions We Could Do Without

Marketing by brand is big money, but just how far can you stray from your core product or service before consumers say no?

Picture this: A burly, tattooed Hell's Angel wears a dainty gingham apron over his black leather biker vest as he frosts a birthday cake. It's a highly incongruous image, but one that leapt to my mind upon hearing of the Harley-Davidson brand cake-decorating kit currently available for sale via baking stores and Web sites.

You can see the thinking. Riding a Harley (HDI) is more than a form of transportation, it's a lifestyle. Shouldn't the company take advantage of that by introducing branded products that its fans need in life—such as icing?

But when there's extreme dissonance between a company's core identity and a new product launched to reach untapped markets, corporations risk diluting the power of their brands. Would you buy Bic underwear or Pirates of the Caribbean jewelry?

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Graphic Design has finally arrived.

Like many great artists, designers are rarely recognized until long after their deaths. Take this short but very sweet tribute to Paul Rand, one of graphic design's founding fathers.

Check dis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RqdZCo6vkI&search=stossel

The Logo Creator

This will either make you laugh or cry...

The Logo Creator

Best Global Brands

How the BusinessWeek/Interbrand Top 100 companies are using their brands to fuel expansion.

Not long ago, Motorola saw itself the same way its customers did: as a tech-driven seller of products, not a brand. The success of the RAZR changed all that. By ringing the consumer's bell, the hot-selling mobile phone validated a new strategy, internally dubbed MOTOME. Suddenly Motorola (MOT ) was a company that had rediscovered its identity as a major consumer brand.

The key, says global marketing head George Neill, who came to the company last year from Apple (AAPL), was to think of the brand as providing experiences to consumers, not just hardware. "We're focused on giving access to what people want -- music, video, Internet -- wherever customers roam." That translated into an 18% gain in the company's global brand value on this year's BusinessWeek/Interbrand Annual Ranking of the 100 Top Global Brands. The phonemaker, adds Interbrand Group CEO Jez Frampton, is "redefining the place people make for the Motorola brand in their lives."

This year's list is brimming with hot brands such as Motorola that are crafting new and surprising ways to branch into entirely new product arenas. Hyundai is launching a premium sedan. Google (GOOG ) is wading into selling ad time on the radio. Others are revving up their brand's goodwill value to dodge problems, as McDonald's (MCD ) is doing with its health and fitness marketing to counter concerns about junk food.

Every company wants its brand to get bigger. The hard part is balancing what the brand is with a vision of what it would like to be. "As soon as you try to go someplace that doesn't fit or where you don't have credibility, it can detract from your organization and your brand," says Frampton. The sixth annual BusinessWeek/Interbrand rankings measure an elusive but crucial quality. Companies that score high can count on plenty of customer loyalty as they push into risky expansions.

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Patron Saints of Design

Patron Saints of Design

Sent to us by Amber. Thanks!

Alessi: Fun Design for Everyone

When Alberto Alessi joined the family housewares company he brought his love of architecture and art to the table.

Alberto Alessi always dreamed of becoming an architect. Instead, he joined the family firm—upscale Italian homewares company Alessi—and did the next best thing: hired them. In his 36 years as CEO, Alberto has tapped some of world's best known architects, transforming Alessi from a manufacturer of boring stainless steel tableware into a design powerhouse. "Architects are our source of inspiration," says Alberto.

It was Alberto's desire to "do something a little less boring" that brought the brand into the avant garde. Founded in 1921 by Alberto's grandfather Giovanni, the business began as metalworks factory, manufacturing basic copper, brass, and nickel-plated tableware. But Alberto's decision to enlist some of the world's best-known artists and architects including Salvador Dali, Michael Graves, Aldo Rossi, and Philippe Starck helped Alberto and the company turn everyday household items into attention-grabbing works of art—albeit at tabletop scale.

Many are now recognizable design classics such as Philippe Starck's arachno-inspired Juicy Salif lemon squeezer, Michael Graves' Kettle with Bird, or Ettore Sottsass' domed oil and vinegar cruets. "They combine functional design with extraordinary aesthetics, often making people smile in the process," says Rita Clifton, chairman of Interbrand UK in London.

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Peace out (in the UK).

Greenpeace UK has just released a new ad against their arch-nemesis, the SUV. I love it, and not for the obvious reason that I'm a treehugger. It's really funny, in the same sort of humor as The Office (which coincidentally, also started in the UK!).

Apparently, rather than DIYing this ad, Greenpeace consulted with ad people, and I think it paid off. It's accompanied by a mini-site, The City Gas Guzzler, which includes supportive info not only how to act (buy a more fuel efficent car; the site lists the top 10 in England), but also why. And not just the same old Al Gore hippie stuff - serious public safety stuff, too. For example: In an accident, many 4x4s are three times more likely than ordinary passenger cars to kill a pedestrian.

I think Greenpeace UK is smart limiting their target. SUVs and Trucks have their place and purpose. Obviously, a fuel efficent compact car isn't sensible for someone living in the country on an unpaved road, or someone who hauls a lot of cargo. However, by targeting specifically the city 4x4, who isn't likely to see terrain rougher than a pothole, Greenpeace is taking a position of logic.

Sources: Treehugger | Greenpeace UK

Old School.

What a difference a decade and a half can make. Back when I was learning my ABCs, design industry programmers were busy premiering arguably the most important piece of design software EVER.

The crazy thing is, even with the all-caps "EVER," I'm not sure if that previous sentence is hyperbole, or right-on.

Creativebits Tours Photoshop Version 1. The one that began it all.

Also check out Splashscreens through the years [From Creativebits]:Photoshop, Illustrator, and Corel Draw

Sources: Drawn! | Creativebits

JayZ puts an "i" in HP

This ad is hip, hip-hop to be precise. I rewinded and watched it three times. The graphics are mesmorizing. The voiceover is so well done. It made me want to run out and by one.

Compare that with the latest Apple vs. PC campaign. Apple is just replaying the same old page from it's playbook. (PCs get virus's, PCS are hard-to-use, PCs are stupid) It just makes Apple look petty and juvenile.

You can't build a brand that focuses on why everyone else sucks. You need give them a reason to pay more to choose you. There is one "i" at Apple that gets it. Maybe the guys at creative team for iPod should be making the commercials from now on.

FOSSIL ASKS DESIGNERS “WHAT’S YOUR TINSPIRATION?”

Is one of your lifetime goals to see your work on a Fossil Tin. You know those ultra-cool boxes that hold those oh-so-retro watches. Well here's your chance.

Now, we need to disclaim that HDC does not encourage spec work, in other words, offering your design talent for free. But if you have some free time and need a creative outlet, go for it.

FINAL%20-TIN%20CONTEST%20ANNOUNCEMENT.doc

Biz week says SEO works.

We've been a big believer in SEO and have seen explosive growth with several of our clients Web sites. The key is "keyword" and finding the right combination of words and phrases to optimize for is what makes SEO sucessful.

Check out this article from biz week:

More fun than Abbot and Costello meet Frankstein

Beavis and Butthead meet Hello Kitty thanks to Meghan Murphy's fabulous comics. For some reason, I'm drawn to things that take the old, familiar and stale and reinvent them to be super-fun again.

As she put it: “Anything can be cute with little Hello Kitty dot eyes and pink little cheeks.” And seriously, if you've heard one fart joke, you've heard them all. But the cuteness of the characters make their mischevious and rude comments less expected.

She reminds me of Jim Benton, only with a better website.

Sources: Drawn! | Kawaii Not | Jim Benton