GDE740 W6 | Lecture Review

BRIEF & STRATEGY

Accept & Proceed’s Floras Dial is an experiment in data visualisation inspired by Floriology: the study of the language and meaning of flowers. We used data from 'Flora’s Dial’, a book written in 1865 that assigns a flower and its meaning to each day of the year, and transformed it into a stunning radial calendar reminiscent of flower petals.

This week we learn from four new agencies who answer the question:

• How do you develop a strategy and project plan for a client or audience in a continually evolving global market?

FELD

FELD believes that approaches can and should vary. They prefer to meet with partners in person whenever possible as it lends itself to a greater collaboration and enhanced experience. The designers role is to communicate in the best way to get to know the people on the project. Questions are a good way to involve the client. They analyze their ideas, they layout rough ground rules for the project — knowing that they may need to move the rules around as necessary, and collaborate and share their ideas with all on the project.

ACCEPT & PROCEED

Accept & Proceed believe that projects, trends, and goals all evolve and that means they must remain FLEXIBLE. They rely heavily on deep research to best serve their projects and clients. They want to hear from real people. They then take that research and go back to the client to walk them through any insights to garner feedback and ensure they are all remain the same page.

STUDIO DUMBAR

Studio Dumbar’s strategy involves: researching into the market, client, and relative audience; conducting a brand workshop with the client; and use the same approach and strategy on every project — even if there is a deep familiarity — so that they can stay sharp and up-to-date with evolving market trends and demands.

EDENSPIEKERMANN

EdenSpiekermann researches globally and locally to ensure they are best supporting their craft and their client’s point of view. They interview subjects from wherever the end product will be used. They believe in leveraging their network for regional input.

REFERENCE

Falmouth University (2018). Brief & Strategy | Interviews. Application and Interactions GDE740 19/20 Part-Time Study Block S1 (Falmouth, UK: Falmouth University)

Glug, (2018) Katee Hui. Available at: https://glugevents.com/watch/2019/katee-hui

Phillips, P (2004) Creating the perfect design brief: how to manage design for strategic, New York, Allworth Press

GDE740 W5 | Lecture Review

COMPETITIVE CONTEXT

This week we learn from four new agencies who answer the question:

• How do you research and identify new industry projects or opportunities that you’d like to participate in?

FELD

FELD is a multi-disciplinary agency that has two approaches to new work and projects:

1. Keep interested by pursuing projects of personal interest as it is very natural and the likelihood of commitment is high due to alignment

2. Take on subject where you have no knowledge. This is their preferred approach as it provides opportunities to learn new skills, subject matters and new ways of designing by conducting research.

They argue that pursuing projects of personal interest runs the risk of becoming “color blind” and that you need to refresh those eyes and brains with new experiences and opportunities which ultimately can yield great personal and professional reward.

ACCEPT & PROCEED

Accept & Proceed has decided in recent years that they really only wish to “design for good” and align themselves with creative partners and clients that share in this desire to engage in projects tackling subject matters are socially responsible such as climate change. A good amount of their work is self-initiated which in turn has generated the attention and respect of prospective clients. They have added strategy and project management units to their agency to enable their purpose and mission more effectively and efficiently. Research for their projects is spearheaded by strategy and project management teams, but the entire agency owns this process to fully engage in the work.

STUDIO DUMBAR

Being a subsidiary of a globally recognized and distributed digital agency, DEPT, has its benefits. While they do make new business partnerships by attending conferences, the majority of their work as a result of this recognition and brand affiliation “comes to them.” Must be nice. It would have been good to hear how it was before that merger and what they do differently now as opposed to when they were on their own.

EDENSPIEKERMANN

Most project like Studio Dumbar come to them. Unlike, Dumbar, EdenSpiekermann has been independently serving the design community and global agency stage for over forty years. They strive to get better at defined domains for them to dig deeper and expand their expertise across fewer industries versus broadly, and more shallowly serving their partners. Most of their work comes via word of mouth and repeat clientele.

REFERENCE

Falmouth University (2018). Competitive Context | Interviews. Application and Interactions GDE740 19/20 Part-Time Study Block S1 (Falmouth, UK: Falmouth University)

GDE740 W5 | Workshop Challenge

THE CHALLENGE

1. Choose one of the four preselected ‘Industry Set’ project briefs that you would like to develop and deliver over the next eight weeks.

2. Research and discover three creative studios, agencies or practitioners who have created competing projects in a similar field to your chosen brief.

3. Write a 200 word synopsis for each of the three competing projects, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

I’ve chosen to pursue the Competition Live Brief: Creative Conscience. It really resonated with me from a social justice perspective. 

THREE AGENCIES

The DandAD Golden Pencil awards was where I chose to start my research. I felt that in many ways the agencies I’ve identified are competing in 1. the same space: brand recognition through advocacy, 2. the same cause: equality, and lastly, in the same award competition and competition category: the 2019 DandAD Golden Pencil Awards’ “Creativity for Good” | Advertising: Brand category

What each of these agencies and their clients had was success through the strengths of their combined efforts. I’ve summarized exactly how for each below.

“Walking the Talk” Quotient

The challenge was to find a weakness. I had to look beyond the campaigns themselves and to those creating the work and doing the hiring in terms of their inherent commitment to the causes by which brought them together to establish a rating of weakness.

Do these companies (the agencies or the brands they work for) walk the talk? I evaluated this by two markers: 1. Does their website offer any information about their own commitment to diversity and inclusion, and 2. Do they inspire or direct those visiting their site a way to get involved? For each, I’ve denoted this as “More Information” and “Take Action” in the “Weakness” sections under each agency.

Agency One: McCann New York
Client: MGM Resorts
“Universal Love”

The MGM Resorts partnered with McCann New York to rewrite six iconic love songs with six iconic artists to express a commitment to diversity and inclusion for one of the most iconic places in America committed to the commitment of love: Las Vegas, Nevada. Artists including Bob Dylan, St. Vincent, and Kesha rewrote the lyrics to six historically cis-gendered love songs to be performed in a way that emulates inclusivity for all love --  especially the LGBTQ community -- to reimagine wedding songs. The album was also beautifully design with vibrant iconography and symbology.

Strength word: REIMAGINING

This campaign is authentic: real issue, real people, real change. It is approachable and highly accessible given the chosen platform: music. It successfully rewrites a legacy exclusivity to romantic song using iconic mega stars of the music industry: both young and old to break a stigma that love songs are just for the cisgendered. The promotional video for the project used real subjects facing exclusivity to love songs and spoke from their own experiences. Further, the line-up of artists are either members of the LGBTQ community themselves, or notable advocates. What makes it exceptionally successful is the ripple effect it had on the music industry wherein other notable artists like She & Him took up the charge to evaluate lyrics and inclusivity to publish and perform modified songs themselves. 

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness:

AGENCY: McCann

I could not find much from McCann on diversity and inclusion on their New York or Global website. Further, I found very few people of color on their New York or Global leadership roster. They do participate and publish various studies stemming from truth, called the “Truth About Research,” many of which touch on the issues within the diversity and inclusion context. If you drilled down far enough you could find ways to get involved or learn more. That said, there was no call to action or way to learn more on the topic of diversity and inclusion at a top-level. 

Once you take off your archeology gloves and take a rest from the deep excavation on their site, it’s clear that they are interested in doing great work for important causes. They need to do far better making it clear where they stand as an organization and how visitors to their site can take action on topics they believe in. 

Weakness Level: 2.75.

CLIENT: MGM Resorts

It is clear how committed the MGM Resort corporation is to diversity and inclusion. You can easily find to what degree in their ABOUT section on their website with multiple ways to learn more and get involved. 

Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 1.375 

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 3.625



Agency Two: 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT
Client: Ben & Jerry's
“Unbreakable Rainbow”

Agency collaborators, 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT, partnered with Ben & Jerry's to design an innovative response to ongoing hate crimes against the LGBTQ community in Warsaw, Poland via the destruction of a rainbow sculpture that had been built and then burned down -- seven times.

Strength word: INNOVATIVE

This campaign is so unbelievably impressive to me. The final piece, an environmental work of art, designed to use water and light to reflect an unbreakable, fireproof, rainbow arch in the same location that the previous sculptures had been built and destroyed. Ben & Jerry's was on the ground to serve non-branded ice cream to onlookers and participants which speaks to their longstanding commitment to social and civic equality in a way that is: memorable, inspiring, and resilient.

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness: 

AGENCY: 180heartbeat & JUNG + MATT

I found absolutely no information about diversity and inclusion on 180’s website. They don’t even express the overall culture of their organization in any way, just the work they’ve done and the awards they’ve one. Big missed opportunity here.

Weakness Level: 5

CLIENT: Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's has been a values-driven advocate for social justice and civil rights since its inception in 1978. They have advocated for LGBTQ equality, racial justice, peace, climate advocacy and much more. They do not hide or shy away from where they stand and are proud enough to name their products after causes that are dear to them and make it really easy to learn more and get involved. It’s a true shame the agency they work with isn’t more transparent or forthright in this area and especially odd given Ben & Jerry’s commitment to social justice across it’s mission and organization. I am guessing their unlikely parent company, Unilever, had a hand in agency selection.

Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 2.5

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 2.5

Agency Three: TBWA/Hakuhodo
Client: AIG Japan
“Pride Jersey”

AIG Japan, a globally recognized leader in insurance, partnered with TBWA/Hakuhodo to take on diversity and inclusion on two really challenging fronts: the culture of Japan, and the global sports industry. 

Strength word: BRAVE

TBWA/Hakuhod developed a revolutionary approach to fabric design in which the end result was an innovative black fabric that when stretched revealed all the colors of the rainbow -- the symbol of strength and unity in the LGBTQ community known worldwide. Further they cleverly partnered with one of the most “macho” of sports and teams within that sport, the All Blacks rugby team from New Zealand. Creating a “Diversity is Strength” message across a global industry that has struggled to fully realize true diversity and inclusion that is sports when paired with the socio-cultural legacy that continues to dog inclusivity in Japan, this campaign is bold, brave, creative, clever, and strong - in both end product design, campaign messaging and leveraging heroes in sport as influencers. 

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness: 

AGENCY: TBWA/Hakuhodo

TBWA’s global site provides a visiter pretty quick entry to their values system and opportunities to learn more about what they believe in as well as ways to get involved. It could be a bit easier to navigate to, but with minimal effort, you can get right to the good stuff.

Weakness Level: .5

CLIENT: AIG Japan

AIG Japan has a robust offering of insights into how the organization (both regionally and globally) values and respects diversity and inclusion. They are members of the Ikuboss Corporate Alliance, an initiative born out of the nonprofit, Fathering Japan that teaches counter cultural approaches to parenting for fathers in Japan as well as supporting women in the workplace and leadership among many others. They do not, however, offer a way to take action on any of their declared causes, which is a missed opportunity. 

Weakness Level: 1.5
Weakness Average: 1

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 4 - THE WINNER!

IN SUMMARY

It matters not only who you are, how you represent yourself, but also what you believe in, how you support what you believe in and make that known as well as if not as important who you partner with to make that stand out.

REFERENCE

Design Indaba, (2015) Michael Bierut on how to think like a designer. https://youtu.be/eDXonHctFjM.
Design Indaba, (2013) Marian Bantjes & Jessica Hische on becoming (and staying) successful. https://youtu.be/jmOPjmJgOs4.

GDE740 W4 | Workshop Challenge

THE CHALLENGE

1. Choose one of the four preselected ‘Industry Set’ project briefs that you would like to develop and deliver over the next eight weeks.

2. Research and discover three creative studios, agencies or practitioners who have created competing projects in a similar field to your chosen brief.

3. Write a 200 word synopsis for each of the three competing projects, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

I’ve chosen to pursue the Competition Live Brief: Creative Conscience. It really resonated with me from a social justice perspective. 

THREE AGENCIES

The DandAD Golden Pencil awards was where I chose to start my research. I felt that in many ways the agencies I’ve identified are competing in 1. the same space: brand recognition through advocacy, 2. the same cause: equality, and lastly, in the same award competition and competition category: the 2019 DandAD Golden Pencil Awards’ “Creativity for Good” | Advertising: Brand category

What each of these agencies and their clients had was success through the strengths of their combined efforts. I’ve summarized exactly how for each below.

“Walking the Talk” Quotient

The challenge was to find a weakness. I had to look beyond the campaigns themselves and to those creating the work and doing the hiring in terms of their inherent commitment to the causes by which brought them together to establish a rating of weakness.

Do these companies (the agencies or the brands they work for) walk the talk? I evaluated this by two markers: 1. Does their website offer any information about their own commitment to diversity and inclusion, and 2. Do they inspire or direct those visiting their site a way to get involved? For each, I’ve denoted this as “More Information” and “Take Action” in the “Weakness” sections under each agency.

Agency One: McCann New York
Client: MGM Resorts
“Universal Love”

The MGM Resorts partnered with McCann New York to rewrite six iconic love songs with six iconic artists to express a commitment to diversity and inclusion for one of the most iconic places in America committed to the commitment of love: Las Vegas, Nevada. Artists including Bob Dylan, St. Vincent, and Kesha rewrote the lyrics to six historically cis-gendered love songs to be performed in a way that emulates inclusivity for all love --  especially the LGBTQ community -- to reimagine wedding songs. The album was also beautifully design with vibrant iconography and symbology.

Strength word: REIMAGINING

This campaign is authentic: real issue, real people, real change. It is approachable and highly accessible given the chosen platform: music. It successfully rewrites a legacy exclusivity to romantic song using iconic mega stars of the music industry: both young and old to break a stigma that love songs are just for the cisgendered. The promotional video for the project used real subjects facing exclusivity to love songs and spoke from their own experiences. Further, the line-up of artists are either members of the LGBTQ community themselves, or notable advocates. What makes it exceptionally successful is the ripple effect it had on the music industry wherein other notable artists like She & Him took up the charge to evaluate lyrics and inclusivity to publish and perform modified songs themselves. 

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness:

AGENCY: McCann

I could not find much from McCann on diversity and inclusion on their New York or Global website. Further, I found very few people of color on their New York or Global leadership roster. They do participate and publish various studies stemming from truth, called the “Truth About Research,” many of which touch on the issues within the diversity and inclusion context. If you drilled down far enough you could find ways to get involved or learn more. That said, there was no call to action or way to learn more on the topic of diversity and inclusion at a top-level. 

Once you take off your archeology gloves and take a rest from the deep excavation on their site, it’s clear that they are interested in doing great work for important causes. They need to do far better making it clear where they stand as an organization and how visitors to their site can take action on topics they believe in. 

Weakness Level: 2.75.

CLIENT: MGM Resorts

It is clear how committed the MGM Resort corporation is to diversity and inclusion. You can easily find to what degree in their ABOUT section on their website with multiple ways to learn more and get involved. 

Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 1.375 

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 3.625



Agency Two: 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT
Client: Ben & Jerry's
“Unbreakable Rainbow”

Agency collaborators, 180Heartbeats + JUNG v MATT, partnered with Ben & Jerry's to design an innovative response to ongoing hate crimes against the LGBTQ community in Warsaw, Poland via the destruction of a rainbow sculpture that had been built and then burned down -- seven times.

Strength word: INNOVATIVE

This campaign is so unbelievably impressive to me. The final piece, an environmental work of art, designed to use water and light to reflect an unbreakable, fireproof, rainbow arch in the same location that the previous sculptures had been built and destroyed. Ben & Jerry's was on the ground to serve non-branded ice cream to onlookers and participants which speaks to their longstanding commitment to social and civic equality in a way that is: memorable, inspiring, and resilient.

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness: 

AGENCY: 180heartbeat & JUNG + MATT

I found absolutely no information about diversity and inclusion on 180’s website. They don’t even express the overall culture of their organization in any way, just the work they’ve done and the awards they’ve one. Big missed opportunity here.

Weakness Level: 5

CLIENT: Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's has been a values-driven advocate for social justice and civil rights since its inception in 1978. They have advocated for LGBTQ equality, racial justice, peace, climate advocacy and much more. They do not hide or shy away from where they stand and are proud enough to name their products after causes that are dear to them and make it really easy to learn more and get involved. It’s a true shame the agency they work with isn’t more transparent or forthright in this area and especially odd given Ben & Jerry’s commitment to social justice across it’s mission and organization. I am guessing their unlikely parent company, Unilever, had a hand in agency selection.

Weakness Level: 0
Weakness Average: 2.5

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 2.5

Agency Three: TBWA/Hakuhodo
Client: AIG Japan
“Pride Jersey”

AIG Japan, a globally recognized leader in insurance, partnered with TBWA/Hakuhodo to take on diversity and inclusion on two really challenging fronts: the culture of Japan, and the global sports industry. 

Strength word: BRAVE

TBWA/Hakuhod developed a revolutionary approach to fabric design in which the end result was an innovative black fabric that when stretched revealed all the colors of the rainbow -- the symbol of strength and unity in the LGBTQ community known worldwide. Further they cleverly partnered with one of the most “macho” of sports and teams within that sport, the All Blacks rugby team from New Zealand. Creating a “Diversity is Strength” message across a global industry that has struggled to fully realize true diversity and inclusion that is sports when paired with the socio-cultural legacy that continues to dog inclusivity in Japan, this campaign is bold, brave, creative, clever, and strong - in both end product design, campaign messaging and leveraging heroes in sport as influencers. 

Strength Grade: 5

Weakness: 

AGENCY: TBWA/Hakuhodo

TBWA’s global site provides a visiter pretty quick entry to their values system and opportunities to learn more about what they believe in as well as ways to get involved. It could be a bit easier to navigate to, but with minimal effort, you can get right to the good stuff.

Weakness Level: .5

CLIENT: AIG Japan

AIG Japan has a robust offering of insights into how the organization (both regionally and globally) values and respects diversity and inclusion. They are members of the Ikuboss Corporate Alliance, an initiative born out of the nonprofit, Fathering Japan that teaches counter cultural approaches to parenting for fathers in Japan as well as supporting women in the workplace and leadership among many others. They do not, however, offer a way to take action on any of their declared causes, which is a missed opportunity. 

Weakness Level: 1.5
Weakness Average: 1

Overall grade (Strength - Weakness) = 4 - THE WINNER!

IN SUMMARY

It matters not only who you are, how you represent yourself, but also what you believe in, how you support what you believe in and make that known as well as if not as important who you partner with to make that stand out.

REFERENCE

Design Indaba, (2015) Michael Bierut on how to think like a designer. https://youtu.be/eDXonHctFjM.
Design Indaba, (2013) Marian Bantjes & Jessica Hische on becoming (and staying) successful. https://youtu.be/jmOPjmJgOs4.

GDE740 W4 | Lecture Reflection

Outcome & Ambition

CREATIVE PRACTITIONERS

This week our creative practitioners were asked:

• How have self-initiated projects helped shape your studio identity?

• What are the main differences between self-initiated work and collaborative client-led projects?

Kosmopolis is a five day literature festival that takes place in Barcelona every two years, but also has a program of ongoing events in between. The centre recently worked with Spanish design studio Hey to create a visual identity for its 2017 event. Hey use color to establish a continuity with previous events, but introduces a custom typeface that features characters informed by the digital, handwritten and painted word. This is complimented by a set of icons, and used to link program guide, banners, signage and merchandise.

OFFSHORE

Self-initiated projects are very important to the folks at Offshore. They act as a filter — that they work on and how they are examined. It helps to refine and redefine their vision. Their interests (social causes) intersect with their outlets (photography, illustration, design). And, for Offshore, their creative side projects act as a business card that expresses their vision and skills.

For Offshore: self-initated projects don’t produce the income that client-based work affords. While self-initiated projects come with greater risks, can take longer, and offer no guaranteed outcomes, they also provide Offshore with freedoms and opportunities to explore personal interests and passions.

HEY

Vernonica Fuerte finds that side projects are very important in garnering new clients. They also push them creatively with their ideas, boundaries, and exploratory freedoms. Veronica explains, “It’s your essence, your views — it’s you.”

With self-initiated projects, Hey is free to explore their creativity, there are no hard deadlines and there can provide a bigger return on investment, leading to joy and increased creativity.

FROST COLLECTION

Vince Frost believes that side projects serve as a great form of expression. He also expressed his challenges with self-initiated projects wherein his creator’s or “monkey” mind has the potential to get in the way or sabotage his projects. He prefers to collaborate with others on these projects to help keep him from welcoming in the self-sabotage.

BOMPAS & PARR

Side projects are crucial to the studio — their self-initiated projects put them on the map. They can be far more profitable. They feel that side projects give you more control and glory — and allows you unique ways to craft your brand.

With self-initiated projects, you have both total control and all of the risk. When it works out, you also can benefit from increased creativity, more money, and fame.

WERKFLOW

Werkflow’s self-initated projects helped to create their identity of the studio and through them, found opportunities to collaborate through these projects. The music industry was key entry point for them.

Self-initiated projects brings Werkflow new clients and work. They also tout increased creativity and greater freedoms.

REFERENCE

Falmouth University (2018). Outcome and Ambition | Podcast Videos. Application and Interactions GDE740 19/20 Part-Time Study Block S1 (Falmouth, UK: Falmouth University)