The Corpus Callosum

Insightful TED Talk by Simon Sinek on how humans are biologically programmed to act based on emotion and not logic. It’s not the What/How, it’s the Why.

via blankanvas. Thanks Pat!

Jason Dent has designed a wonderful poster titled “The ABCs of branding”. He created a brand alphabet by using a variety of famous logos, illustrating how a basic symbol can represent a global brand experience. No fancy taglines, catchy jingles, or colorful pictures are needed. When a brand evokes memorable emotions and their logo is designed thoughtfully, it leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime.

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When I first saw this toy created by Argentinean Art Director Javier López Pereyra, I was strangely satisfied by how every aspect of the product fit together so nicely. Coined El Ramón, this delightful limited edition figurine was inspired by 50s/60s concepts of spaceships and robots - think “The Jetsons” meets “War of the Worlds” and “Lost in Space”.

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I’ve always been a fan of Absolut Vodka ads and not only because my old agency (TBWA\Chiat Day) was responsible for them. Their ads are simple and iconic, usually stemming from their eye-catching bottle designs. Here are two recent limited edition bottle designs that caught my eye courtesy of Lovely Package.

Absolut Vancouver
(Designer: Douglas Fraser | Country: Canada)

Just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, this bottle design shows much love to my hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. The design captures Vancouver’s west coast lifestyle in a nutshell, as described by the designer himself:

”It’s about contemporary urban living set in a crown of snow capped mountains, driftwood and steel, high rise condos and quaint neighbourhoods. Vancouver represents the spirit of the west, where the sun rises over the mountains and sets into the ocean. The citizens believe in playing hard. Work happens in the ports, glass towers, and life is all about a balanced west coast style.”

Absolut Flavor of the Tropics
(Designer: Williams Murray Hamm | Country: United Kingdom)

This bottle graphic was designed for the limited edition tropical Vodka flavour which will be launched exclusively in Duty Free/travel retail stores globally for a 6-month period. The design uses thermal images of the world map to represent the various exotic fruit flavors which thrive in the humid climates of the tropics. Nice touch incorporating the Tropics of Cancer line into the logo.

Coke vs Pepsi. Mcdonalds vs Burger King. PC vs Mac. These are a few of the many heavyweight head-to-head brand wars we see in the media every day. Who doesn’t remember the Pepsi Challenge “Taste Test” commercials or the hugely popular Apple “Get a Mac” commercials. Well, there’s a new battle brewing in the Socal billboard advertising space - BMW vs Audi.

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When it comes to getting a bigger piece of the market pie most people try to outdo the competition in an attempt to gain a larger share. In the design world, this can be achieved through lowering costs, providing additional benefits, delivering work faster, or various other strategies all of which require some sort of sacrifice. So is there a better alternative?

One way to expand your business is to increase the overall size of the pie by reaching out to an untapped audience. By targeting a new audience you effectively increase your potential for growth since you’re no longer limited by your existing consumer/client circle. Better yet, if you’re an early adopter of a new target group you can grab as much of the pie as possible before your competition catches on and follows the path you’ve paved.

The beauty of this method is that you don’t even need to alter your core business model; you can get your bigger slice through savvy marketing and branding or, in some cases, by offering extended products/services as illustrated by the following two global brand examples:

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One of the first things you should do as a freelance designer is separate your personal name from your professional design brand. Unless you’re a celebrity, athlete, or other type of public figure, using your name as the basis for your brand is probably not the best idea.  Although both your name and brand are important to selling your creativity, it is crucial for freelance designers to distinguish between the two for the following reasons:

1. Your brand is about your professional services and creative portfolio. When a potential client is deciding on a freelance designer to work with, the portfolio and range of work are the most important factor so it’s crucial that you delegate enough time and resources to this.  Don’t just try to smooth-talk and force-build rapport; instead, sell your creativity through your work!  The way you present your work also speaks volumes about you as a designer so pay careful attention to the details.

2. Your name is about your character and personality. This is where your brand facade and voice come from, distinguishing you from your competition. Once clients are sold on your work, you can develop a deeper relationship with them by revealing more about the name and personality behind the brand.  Also, keep in mind that referral work is important for growth, so if your clients already approve of your brand portfolio, their decision on whether or not to refer you to a friend will be based on your personality.

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We love this vitamin packaging concept by Rob Ferrell. He cleverly blends the product and packaging by using the letter of the vitamin type in the design and patterns. Not only is the packaging clean and simple but we adore his usage of white space!