Design [dih-zahyn]: v. To solve a problem and add purpose.

It’s not complicated, nor does it need to be. In order to create truly good work, you have to approach each step of a project like you are solving a problem. That goes for whether you are an interior designer, a fashion designer, and yes, a graphic or web designer. There are a number of reasons that we look at it this way, and follow this as a philosophy.

1. You don’t end up creating more problems. Your job isn’t done until all the problems are solved. I can’t tell you how many websites or source artwork we’ve inherited from other designers that have left us cleaning up their mess in order to do our own work. Really, we’re working on one of them right now.

2. Your design has more purpose. By adding this logic to each project, our designers are able to explain their steps through the design process. When there’s a solid benefit to each thing that’s done to a project, you’re never stumped with “why did you do that?” and the client can understand our way of thinking because it is just that – thinking. The next time you’re in the market for a cell phone, you’ll notice that you evaluate the options based on the problems that it would solve, and the usefulness it provides.

3. Taste is subjective. Probably one of the most hellish business scenarios I could see for myself is to begin each project with guesswork about what the new client may like. Most of the time, the client doesn’t know (which is why they hire us). Our design portfolio is shown to give clients an idea of our style, but that’s only a small part of the actual project. Each one has a story, and the problems that each project solved is usually the part we get the most excited about.

4. Trends die. Creativity based on superficial trends is crap, and does not move our industry forward. However, by working with a mindset of eliminating problems and creating purpose through resourcefulness, innovation and – dare I say, creativity – each project makes the designer better at each future project.

5. You uncover new functionality and new possibilities. When building a website (and the same can go for building a computer or an office building), a problem-solving approach opens your mind to figuring out how you can make the site better – easier to navigate, easier for the client to manage, faster to load, more reliable, quicker to read, or creating a better user experience. That’s where design pushes products forward; the rest is superficial and practically worthless.

6. Offering purpose in our work indirectly gives purpose to our lives. Imagine how bad it must suck to work in a factory where you make back seats for Dodge Caravans forty hours a week. Designers have the opportunity to make products better, and those that aren’t are taking up space that a problem solver could thrive. Starting each day by asking “what problems will I solve today?” is far more energizing than “when can I go home?”.

So with this in mind, ask yourself:

Designers: Is what I’m doing just trying to get the client to think it’s pretty? Is the success of my project simply based on whether or not the client approves it? Or does it solve a problem, and make me a more valuable designer for it? Does your work transcend fads and stand a chance of existing when tastes change?

Non-designers: Is the design of a well-built website, car, building, oven mitt, athletic supporter or spaceship judged principally on how it looks? Or should it be based on the problem that it solves?

Why Do You Need A Good Web Design?

Telling someone that they need to get a new web design is like watching someone’s facial expressions after they found out they have to get a root canal. But creating a good web design that converts online users into legitimate leads doesn’t have to be hard (or painful) at all.  There are several platforms out there that offer options that work well on a tight budget (although these, of course, have their limitations). The main variable is that your website needs to be clear, concise, and easy-to-understand. Companies need to make it simple for users to quickly find the information they need on their website. Complicated websites will only lead to a bad customer experience and missed lead opportunity. If you entice the user enough with your content and the aesthetic presence of your website, users will definitely want to find out more about your product or solutions.

 Graphic Design And Navigation

A website that has an excellent graphic design can make a customer want to stay and browse through the website. If the web design looks cheap or amateurish, clients will leave as fast as they got there. Customers will not take your business seriously, and will not stay on your website. They will definitely not want to find out more about your services. Make sure your website has a intuitive navigation structure that allows potential customers to find what they are looking for with minimal clicks. Do not bury the important content behind “fluff” pages. You don’t potential customers roam aimlessly trying to locate details about your products and/or services.

Why Web Design Is Important for Businesses

When a potential customer visits a website, he/she judges the company through that website. Perception is everything online. You do not have another chance to make a second impression. That cliché holds true in the world of online marketing. The quality of the website will tell the customer if it’s worth obtaining products/services from that company or not. If the potential customer cannot find what they are looking for then they will leave. You have a short time to catch the user’s undivided attention. A website’s usability will determine if the website is a success or a failure. How your website looks and it’s navigational structure is incredibly important to it’s overall usability. The more user-friendly your website is, the more customers you will get.

Three years ago, my little marketing firm was growing like a weed, taking on new employees and new clients at a blinding pace. We were selective on the jobs that we took on and work just didn’t seem like work. It was a good time. Then one afternoon, I had a conversation with a colleague, who advised that we may not be in business by the end of the year. Thinking that perhaps it was an abnormally hot summer, and that the weather was probably getting to people, I shrugged it off. In retrospect, I guess I shouldn’t have. The following two years were hellish at best, and we systematically lost every employee we had, while clinging desperately to our dwarfing clientele. We had our legs knocked from under us, as most businesses did, but we were able to survive. Last summer, we started to turn a corner and are happily – albeit skeptically – in a growth period.

It’s been said that, by remaining aware of past failures, you can predict and avoid future ones. We learned a lot over those couple years and want to share some vital lessons as we’re told that we could experience it all over again.

1. Don’t panic. The one thing that exacerbates a recession more than all others is fear; whether is consumer fear of spending, or business fear of growth, hiring or marketing. If an economy is not growing, it’s dying, so the best thing we can do is continue to focus on not just growth, but smart growth. Continue to advertise and promote, continue to look for talent, and continue to set goals that propel your business forward, not just keep it in one place. And please, turn the TV off. That stuff will drive you bonkers if you let it.

2. Pick your partners carefully. No business is ever successful in a vacuum. Every day, business owners are confronted by potential vendors and partners that pitch a mutually beneficial relationship.  Most of the time, it’s not the case. It’s important to do a quick review to only give time to partners that provide an obvious benefit. Are they the best in your price range? Do they have a solid reputation? Is what they provide something that has a short-term effect on bringing you in business (are you getting your investment back within the next six months)? Make sure that you align your business with others that will propel you forward.

3. Woo your customers. As demand drops, desperation rises. Your competitors will become ravenous for your customers, and will do some pretty outrageous stuff to pull them away. If you assume for a second that they’ll never leave, they could be halfway out the door. The first way to keep your customers is to be proactive. By anticipating and addressing future needs (sales cycles, promotional periods, etc.), you are leveraging what you know about your client that your competition doesn’t. You should make that customer feel like they’re the only star in your sky, remember your contacts’ birthdays, and show a genuine interest in who they are as an organization and as people. If you don’t have a genuine interest, it will show, so hurry and find customers you want to work with.

4. Stay loyal. Once you have partners and customers that make your work worth working, don’t do what so many businesses do and screw it up by entertaining other offers. Having successful strategic partnerships and customer relationships both require the same courtesy, exclusivity and support that you would expect from them. Be aware of any conflict of interest and avoid it before it poses a problem. The grass on both sides of the fence can die at once.

 5. Stoke your fire for your craft. If you don’t love what you do, then stop. This new economy demands passion and is too competitive for people to just float by. Be tirelessly innovative, finding new ways to do what you love. Rediscover what put you in business in the first place, which may mean revisiting your own idea of success. Only those that are dedicated will survive and, if you’re apathetic about your business, your doors will be shut for you.

Is there anything that you’ve learned over the past three years? I’d love to hear them!

With that said, how can you effectively market a non-profit in ways that better support these two goals? Here are some ideas:

1. Simplify your cause. All non-profits have an emotional tie; it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a business-focused, family-focused, or animal-focused one. Therefore, it stands to reason that emotions become diluted when a mission is over-explained. Let’s take the ASPCA, for instance. People love animals (most, anyway), and don’t want to accept that shelters need to put down strays to be sustainable. Their marketing is simple, and their message is very emotional. All other major charities work the same way. By simplifying your message, you mainstream your cause, which expands your reach.

2. Become an integral part of the solution. The American Cancer Society does more than spread awareness and educate the public; they also work to provide funding opportunities for cancer patients, and have enormous in-house research staff that help advance the discovery of treatments. By not just sitting on the sidelines and advocating, but by taking the initiative to be the ones to solve the problem, the American Cancer Society is more viable, relevant and the largest source of innovation for the education and even the treatment of cancer.

3. Stay true to your cause while fundraising. A couple years ago, I attended  fundraiser for a charity that provides inner-city children with an alternative to getting into trouble in the afternoons by providing an after-school community center. Being a strong advocate of children-focused charities, I was glad to be there. However, the venue was out of the city, at a much nicer venue than those inner-city children would ever be found. The food was extravagant and the entertainment was over-the-top. This didn’t have any resemblance to the cuase whatsoever. Instead, if they had held an open house at the community center and were able to immerse the potential donors in their daily work, the message would have been clearer and it would have been far less expensive, which provide greater benefit to what have been their two primary goals.

Being a successful non-profit requires an unrelenting focus on your cause, and a passion for building support and funds to affect that cause. While these ideas will help organizations across the spectrum, it’s important to work with a marketing firm to determine what would benefit your unique situation.

She’s an incredibly talented individual in many ways and we complement each other amazingly well. With that said, she sucks at ironing. Try as she may, she couldn’t iron a washcloth flat. I’m not using this as an opportunity to point out her weakness; in fact, I should be trying harder to cover my ass here. I’m sure I’m failing miserably.

The point that I’m risking a couple days of marital bliss for is a strong one: know your weaknesses. Prolific writer Jack Handy put it best when he said, “If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you this, but that’s another weakness.” The entrepreneurial stereotype is focused on – and expectedly so – on being a rock star at handling whatever’s thrown your way. The truth is that a wise business owner doesn’t focus on trying to become mediocre at a weakness if they can simply bring on an expert to manage it.

A couple examples:

1. A couple weeks ago, I painted a wall in my living room with this new-fangled, sparkly paint that my wife just fell in love with. This was no ordinary paint – two full gallons of the most stubborn substance known to man (I’m serious, the stuff works like Flubber), two days and six headaches later – the wall was done. It was and still is not an expert job, and I still kick myself when I consider that, if I spent only two hours on billable time during that weekend, it probably would’ve paid for a professional to do it…twice.
2. When my company was just little ol’ me, the responsibility of repairing, installing and maintaining computers was up to me. Fortunately, I got my A+ certification a few years back (don’t know what it is? Don’t worry, neither does anyone else), so I had sufficient knowledge to keep my computer humming along. Now that ImagineDesign has many more computers and needs a grown-up network with tons of forgettable acronyms and boxes with blinking lights, I have someone else manage it and I stay away from it.

A goal of building a business is, to some degree, getting it to run perfectly without your daily involvement. Some of that relies on systems, but most of it depends on putting the right people in place that do everything you can’t, just as much as it depends on having people do what you can.

On that note, I have some ironing to do…

Name the whole alphabet and you are automatically eligible for a sense of accomplishment. I’ll post the answers next week if someone doesn’t beat me to it. Good luck!

I look to the dictionary pretty often, in fear that I’m going to misuse a word and ruin an entire conversation, speech, public bathroom vandalism or whatever. However, I have to say I have a particular problem with the definition offered for “wealth”, since all it does is validate the ongoing problem that we have as a consumer-driven culture. Imagine that, a business owner complaining about a society driven by materialism.

Or maybe I just have a warped view of what wealth is or how it’s measured. To me, wealth is not quantified by the volume of toys one has, or the size of the house in which they are packed. My own definition goes a little like this:

Wealth (ˈwelth): n. The freedom one has to be able to live the life one wants to live.

That seems to make a lot more sense to me. If for no other reason, it allows for each individual to decide what their idea of wealth is. A number of my best friends are far more comfortable living in an apartment and driving older cars than dealing with the pressure of a higher cost of living. Does this mean that, to be considered a success, they have to sacrifice their own happiness? I think that the measure of their satisfaction with the state of their lives could be the only real determining factor of how successful – or wealthy – they really are.  Mind you, I would be a moron (not to mention a destitute one) if I didn’t understand the role of money in creating that freedom, yet cash and possessions are not my primary motivators. If it was, I may be a lot wealthier by the textbook definition, but I wouldn’t be as happy. So what does it for me? What do I use as a measure of wealth in my life?

Purpose. The great thing about entrepreneurship (aside from the ability to work myself into a narcoleptic daze) is that I can generate income through things that give me a great sense of purpose. That’s a need that I believe everyone has, whether they have the desire to venture out on their own or not. This is something to bear in mind as a manager. Your team’s happiness is never equivalent to their salary. In fact, if many feel like they are making an impact on the lives of customers, fellow employees, or society as a whole, the money they make only needs to sustain them – not help them accumulate more stuff.

Pay = compliance. Purpose = commitment.

So how do you give your team that sense of purpose? Here are a few ideas to start:

1. Give them control. Empowering your team to use their judgment and to make quick customer service decisions will not only make your team feel more important, it will dramatically increase your bottom line with the time saved by constantly requiring authorization. There are many success stories that reinforce this fact. However, it cannot be done without education. Teach your team that if a problem costs less than $x, just take care of it right away to please the customer. That dollar amount can usually be determined by the cost of time saved in the back-and-forth of managerial approval.

2. Know your employees and challenge them individually. Many industries, if not most, are structured in such a way that only allow for employees to climb the ladder in one direction. For instance, if you’re an architect, the only career path you have is to work yourself into managing other people. Does this mean that introverted architects are doomed to a job they don’t like? Apparently. Instead, look to what motivates them individually. For instance, the keep-to-himself architect may be a financial wizard, an avid writer on the history of western architecture or a fan of studying HR law. These are tools that you can take advantage of in your firm while giving that team member a greater feeling of significance.

3. Drop the leash. Envision the job from hell. I know it sounds funny (not to mention a simple thing to do), but picture your own idea of the worst employment scenario you can. I would be willing to bet that it involves someone standing over you, dictating every action and critiquing every impulse. Don’t be that guy.

A growing number of the greatest companies of our time are becoming so in part because they loosen restrictions on their team. For example, a legendary benefit of working at Google is their “20 percent time” program. Google will actually allow their employees up to 20 percent of their week to pursue special projects. This has resulted in an explosion of creativity, not to mention some of the most popular features Google has ever developed. It’s not because Google has the money to blow on touchy-feely ideas, but because they realize the importance of autonomy. It seems counter-intuitive that, by allowing your team to go willy-nilly and not stick to a predetermined workplan, you can actually boost productivity and offer a deep sense of autonomy. It’s happening more and more.

Take a look at what drives you at your job. If you have nothing to motivate you, quit wasting your time reading blogs and get a new job. Chances are though, when you have enough money to sustain yourself and your family, all you and your employees may be looking for is a greater sense of purpose.

I took four years of French in High School and, if stranded on the Champs-Élysées today, I wouldn’t be able to order dinner. It’s not that I’m incompetent (not entirely), I just don’t use the language everyday. Why? Because it’s not necessary in my environment and I can communicate easier by using a language that everyone around me understands. It’s the same reason that I cringe at catchphrases.

To make sure we’re “all on the same page”, a business catchphrase is a vogue expression, recreated into jargon.  While it’s intended to make the speaker sound more “in the know”, it often ends up backfiring and disorienting the listener. In extreme cases, it makes the speaker sound like a tool. I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of phrases that have “run their course” and should be retired in an attempt to make office meetings clearer, business documents more intelligible, and colleagues better able to understand each other. Maybe one day, someone will publish a catchphrase rule book. Until then, we can only look to each other to safeguard our vernacular.

• “Right-sizing.” This is a media-friendly way of saying “we screwed up. It will cost some jobs, but not ours.”
• “It is what it is.” This often indicates that respondent isn’t happy, and the speaker doesn’t care. Everyone hates this one.
• “We’ll take this offline.” If you want to create a bad vibe, use this generic phrase during a conference call. If you have to exclude people from certain information, don’t be a jerk by being hip about it.
• “Step up to the plate.” This is a good one for squeezing that last bit of productivity out of an employee. Also great for obliterating one’s self-esteem, much like…
• “Think outside the box.” By saying this, you are confirming that every idea this person has developed throughout the tenure of their employment has been, quite simply, stupid.
• “Ownable.” This is not even a word. Seriously, look it up. This is often used in branding presentations and sales pitches as a replacement for “charging more for no good reason”.
• “Not so much.” Exactly.
• “Version x.0″. This phrase is inherently dorky, yet necessary to tech-related products like software and devices. However, using it unnecessarily to promote a person, business, etc. magnifies the dork factor exponentially.

There’s my short list. Any that you can think of?

First, could someone please explain to me why we will dress up in our finest clothes, wear our finest cologne, only to go out to clubs that are pitch dark, smell like an ashtray full of pee and are too loud to hear anything insightful come from any of the suitors that, try as they may, only seem to blow beer breath in your face? Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way, but this just doesn’t seem to be an ideal mating ground. In fact, it reminds me a lot of how brands present themselves to consumers.

Think about how your brand makes its first impression. You get a sharp logo, a stack of the finest business cards and set off to a networking event, business conference, parking garage – whatever –  to find your soul mate. Then, from across the room, you meet eyes and exchange furtive glances. You get anxious as you courageously cross the room to make that first move. After a handshake and an exchange of names, you deliver the most sterile and forgettable elevator speech that you could devise in the mere eight seconds you devoted to it while the person standing across from you was explaining what they do. Didn’t catch what that was? I’m not surprised.

“My company helps you achieve your business goals and grow your ROI. We think out of the box and deliver on time, on budget and would love to set up a time when we can go over our full portfolio.”

Even if your captive audience still has a pulse and is not expressly offended that you just wasted that much of their life, you should not expect a call from that ambiguous line of nothing. Ever. Unprepared and uncreative, the same as in a stinky, loud bar, you fade back into the crowd as if the encounter never happened.

How do we fix this? Simple. First, have your elevator speech ready before you go to the event. I mean days before. Develop, in less than 30 words, the “who, why, where, what, when” statement. Practice it endlessly; because, just like in picking up a date at the bar, the listener can tell when you’re just reciting lines. Once you have that ironed out and are reciting it in your sleep, you can then tuck it away in your mind until the moment you need it.

Let’s re-visit that encounter. Eyes meet, blah blah blah, and you deliver the line. Awesome, but they didn’t swoon or leap into your arms yet. What do you do now? If your elevator speech is effective, there’s not much more that you’ll need to say to paint the picture in their mind. Instead, you ask questions about them. Show a sincere interest in what they do and make sure that their memory of you is one of pure and genuine interest. Let them talk; ask open-ended questions to encourage them do so. After a few minutes, ask if you can give them a call the next day. Set up a lunch and continue to do the same. The opportunities to talk about you will naturally present themselves in relevant context, so don’t force it. Before you know it, you’re on your way to a beautiful relationship with a new client, or baby daddy, whichever you’re in the market for.

The reasoning is not practical, and there’s something to learn from this regarding the strength of brand management. While the logical side of my mind tells me that I will have better gas mileage, fewer repairs, and a more comfortable ride in my newer car, it doesn’t outweigh the chance to capture a legacy – a piece of history – and the unexplainable attachment I have with these chariots of untamed fury . Granted, I wasn’t even around in the heyday of those sexy beasts, but it makes no difference. These masses of steel with dim dashboard lighting and the inability to make any type of turn above 45mph carry an unbreakable emotional bond with me.

Let’s translate that to your own experience. Is every purchase you make based solely on sound, rational judgment? Do you refuse yourself the things that you could certainly live without? The answer, 99% of the time, is probably “no”. The fact is that we buy with our hearts first, then justify it to our minds second. You don’t need the tabloid magazines, the candy bars, or the champagne (and whatever else you have) on New Year’s. But there’s no disputing it – you must have it. They are just cases of the emotional demand overruling logic.

How can you leverage this in your own brand? The idea is simple: have people develop an irrational love for what you have to offer. In many ways, you should consider branding to be a lot like trying to get a date; for instance, make every encounter an awesome one and, quite simply, look better than the alternative. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to offer specific approaches that you can focus on to deliver a brand that people can fall in love with, no matter what you’re offering.

Next week: the “Dark Smoky Bar Method.”