Tag: Brand + Design

Collaborate from the start.

Meeting deadlines and keeping promises should be goals we pursue with desire, not consequences we retreat from in fear.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

I was chatting with my friend Andy recently and he dropped this wisdom on me: “Clients don’t have design problems and goals. They have business problems and goals. Always keep this in mind when you conduct project discovery.”

Code of professional conduct

Members of The Academy have pledged to uphold, promote, and uncompromisingly adhere to the standards set forth in The Academy’s Code of Professional Conduct. As such, The Academy of Design Professionals represents some of the most responsible and competent professionals in the design world....

On being a professional

Below is a stream of consciousness I jotted on design professionalism… Good intentions are the hopes of amateurs. Principled leadership is the way of the professional. The amateur is hired to carry the buckets. The professional is hired to plug the hole. A professional must abide by a higher...

Lead to another

One thing does, in fact, lead to another. The type of work we take. The type of people we work with. The types of decisions we make. They all lead to other experiences similar to them. As a business owner, the application is pretty clear. When I consider taking on a project – an employee...

Strategy is not a feature

Without strategy, we’re at sea without a rudder. Wherever the wind blows, that’s where we’ll drift. And it’s not just us, but our clients will inevitably follow. If we want to be leaders of influence – strategy cannot be a feature. We don’t charge extra for a fresh scoop of strategy. It’s essential...

Bad clients vs. bad decisions

Most “bad clients” can typically be traced to a compromise you, yourself, made. It’s time to stop blaming clients for our own mistakes. Whether your a designer, developer, project manager or all of the above — it’s important to have a set of standards that will not be comprimised. This isn’t a pie-in-the-sky...

New and improved

“Our new and improved 16 blade razor doubles as a steak knife!” The concept of “new and improved” is one we’re all familiar with. Whether we’re reading a magazine or watching TV, advertisers are always out to increase the perceived value of their products and services. In the business of...

How to deliver value

Delivering value is how relationships are cultivated from a single engagement to a long term commitment. Here’s how you deliver value: Listen and get feedback Be honest (don’t talk bullshit and don’t deliver bullshit) Identify and solve the actual problems Don’t over-engineer (don’t sell people on a...

Design is not decoration

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs Whether we’re talking about computers, chairs, or websites—questions of design don’t begin with color or style. They are about purpose and desired outcome. Designers provide solutions, not mere decoration.

Design solutions

I love sports. The theatrics of great competition is exhilarating. But when I watch these professionals at work, what I’m observing is the final step of a process. Your favorite NFL team doesn’t just show up on Sunday and run around the field based on a series of gut feelings. They are executing plays...

Deliver widespread value

Saw this on the Zurblog: Focus your efforts on the features which are used by all of your customers all the time. Doubling down on these features adds far more value then adding ones which a few select customers would use.