Spring is, of course, a time of renewal. After six months, Idea Design 2.0 is here. And welcome.The revised site and blog really encapsulate all that we believe. Please take a few minutes and poke about, subscribe to the blog, email me your thoughts, critiques or to discuss what we can do for you.Thanks for coming by and we look forward to you inspiring us today.
Please update your bookmarks to: http://www.ideadesign.ca/the-naked-idea/
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Moving The Naked Idea
I hope this is my last post on blogger.
I blogged a while back about the redesign of Idea Design. This has been a year long project with many ups and downs and has given me the opportunity to step back and really analyze what Idea Design has to offer to the sector of fund raising and more importantly, it's clients and customers.
I got to work with an amazing writer and designer, Kim McMullen of Flipside Creative from Vancouver who left no stone unturned in her search to understand what Idea Design does and who we work for.
I finally understood what it was like to be on the other side of the fence - I was now (deep breath) the client! A very scary prospect indeed, but unique in the sense that I could understand why some clients react the way they do and resist against some types of changes.
But Kim was gentle. She found the voice in my head, she got to the very heart of what it is that I do and my feelings for the creative I produce. And executed it flawlessly.
Other creative colleagues expressed surprise that I would allow another to rebrand me. I think like all clients, we know what's best for us and what the correct solution is - but we are blinded by those beliefs as well.
You'll have to ask Kim, but I believe I was a good client. I challenged her, I pushed her and I respected the hell out of her for what she was doing for me and my company. It's a tough job.
So now, I have been working with the uber-patient Paul Koehler, of Omega Station to make it sing. And it is thrilling to see all the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into place.
The job of a programmer-designer is probably a thankless one. There is so much of the process that goes unnoticed and misunderstood (Paul has caught me going "huh??" on more than an a few occasions)... and yet so important.
And so, I hope to be relaunching Idea Design one week from today - and at the risk of offending all Christians around the world - almost to the day that Jesus rose from the dead. There's something symbolic in that I think.
I have tried to be a good client and let the talented people around me do their absolute best for me and I hope I succeeded.
You will be the judge on that. Stay tuned.
I blogged a while back about the redesign of Idea Design. This has been a year long project with many ups and downs and has given me the opportunity to step back and really analyze what Idea Design has to offer to the sector of fund raising and more importantly, it's clients and customers.
I got to work with an amazing writer and designer, Kim McMullen of Flipside Creative from Vancouver who left no stone unturned in her search to understand what Idea Design does and who we work for.
I finally understood what it was like to be on the other side of the fence - I was now (deep breath) the client! A very scary prospect indeed, but unique in the sense that I could understand why some clients react the way they do and resist against some types of changes.
But Kim was gentle. She found the voice in my head, she got to the very heart of what it is that I do and my feelings for the creative I produce. And executed it flawlessly.
Other creative colleagues expressed surprise that I would allow another to rebrand me. I think like all clients, we know what's best for us and what the correct solution is - but we are blinded by those beliefs as well.
You'll have to ask Kim, but I believe I was a good client. I challenged her, I pushed her and I respected the hell out of her for what she was doing for me and my company. It's a tough job.
So now, I have been working with the uber-patient Paul Koehler, of Omega Station to make it sing. And it is thrilling to see all the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into place.
The job of a programmer-designer is probably a thankless one. There is so much of the process that goes unnoticed and misunderstood (Paul has caught me going "huh??" on more than an a few occasions)... and yet so important.
And so, I hope to be relaunching Idea Design one week from today - and at the risk of offending all Christians around the world - almost to the day that Jesus rose from the dead. There's something symbolic in that I think.
I have tried to be a good client and let the talented people around me do their absolute best for me and I hope I succeeded.
You will be the judge on that. Stay tuned.
Monday, March 10, 2008
What's the big idea?
A few weeks ago I mentioned I was quizzing some colleagues about the importance of the big idea in fundraising. As always, you realize there is no easy or quick answer.
As a creative person, I think I am constantly challenging myself to think about something or execute something in a way I've never considered in the past. I really want to be a part of something that has never been done before and I think in my search of that "big idea" I have actually overlooked it.
Both David Love (E.D. of TRCA) and Steve Thomas (Creative Director of Stephen Thomas) see a lot of worth in Ken Burnett's Sofii project. Which I highly recommend you join - for free. It is a fantastic showcase of fundraising from around the world. But Derek Humphries (Director at Think Consulting) thinks it may have the opposite effect of what Ken Burnett set out to do - which is inspire original thinking.
"I don’t think inspiration or innovation comes from looking at other people’s work. It comes from inspiring yourself and having the courage to be different."
I feel I prescribe to both points of view. I can either steal other people's great ideas or let them inspire me to create some of my own.
But let me get back to my original point.
I think that the big idea is this: Make the small ideas sing.
My colleague Dean Hughes (Director of Direct Marketing) said it really well.
"Maybe a chef analogy is better. To make a fabulous meal, you have to ensure that every stage of it is perfect. Even down to chopping the onions and garlic. Most amazing chefs concentrate on the details to make something incredible. Read Bouchon by Thomas Keller... This is probably the world’s best chef and he spends all his time talking about peeling vegetables for stock and chopping onions properly. Because he knows that the finished dish can only be perfect if absolute care and attention are put into every stage. I’m sure that if he made you a bacon sandwich, it would taste incredible.
That’s how I feel about creative. Big ideas are important but they come as a result of perfection in the details."
Now that's food for thought.
As a creative person, I think I am constantly challenging myself to think about something or execute something in a way I've never considered in the past. I really want to be a part of something that has never been done before and I think in my search of that "big idea" I have actually overlooked it.
Both David Love (E.D. of TRCA) and Steve Thomas (Creative Director of Stephen Thomas) see a lot of worth in Ken Burnett's Sofii project. Which I highly recommend you join - for free. It is a fantastic showcase of fundraising from around the world. But Derek Humphries (Director at Think Consulting) thinks it may have the opposite effect of what Ken Burnett set out to do - which is inspire original thinking.
"I don’t think inspiration or innovation comes from looking at other people’s work. It comes from inspiring yourself and having the courage to be different."
I feel I prescribe to both points of view. I can either steal other people's great ideas or let them inspire me to create some of my own.
But let me get back to my original point.
I think that the big idea is this: Make the small ideas sing.
My colleague Dean Hughes (Director of Direct Marketing) said it really well.
"Maybe a chef analogy is better. To make a fabulous meal, you have to ensure that every stage of it is perfect. Even down to chopping the onions and garlic. Most amazing chefs concentrate on the details to make something incredible. Read Bouchon by Thomas Keller... This is probably the world’s best chef and he spends all his time talking about peeling vegetables for stock and chopping onions properly. Because he knows that the finished dish can only be perfect if absolute care and attention are put into every stage. I’m sure that if he made you a bacon sandwich, it would taste incredible.
That’s how I feel about creative. Big ideas are important but they come as a result of perfection in the details."
Now that's food for thought.
Monday, March 3, 2008
30,000 children die each day...
My colleague, Gayle, over at the blog no shoes wrote a few weeks ago about how effective a statement like "30,000 children die each day". She writes how researchers tested an image of Rokia, a 7 year old starving child from Mali verses the same image along side significant stats that really demonstrate the famine and starvation in Africa.
You can read her whole post here.
Obviously I hope we all know what performed better. As I commented on her post, I know as an individual, I can't help 30,000 children.
But I know I can help one.
Make sure your problem is one that donors can help solve. It seems so "common-sense-y"... doesn't it? But I am amazed at how often organizations feel an avalanche of stats and figures will result in more donations.
You can read her whole post here.
Obviously I hope we all know what performed better. As I commented on her post, I know as an individual, I can't help 30,000 children.
But I know I can help one.
Make sure your problem is one that donors can help solve. It seems so "common-sense-y"... doesn't it? But I am amazed at how often organizations feel an avalanche of stats and figures will result in more donations.
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