Infographic Meets Design Visualization Meets War

Informational/educational graphics have come a very long way in the past 20 years. From pie charts, to metrics, to dying from PowerPoint these graphic have been breaking the ties that bind them to traditional delivery vehicles. Recently I can across this little gem:

Japan-The Strange Country (English ver.) from Kenichi on Vimeo.

Of course this is simply one example of making the educational content stylized and interesting and therefore more entertaining to watch or engage. We're seeing a massive influx of techniques and tactics that span beyond simply making it "look cool." The expectation for informational/educational graphic is also now how "repurposeable is the content?

• Can you work be translated easily?
• Is it culturally safe and internationally recognizable?
• Can the work be used across executable mediums?
• Is the work confined to one campaign? What level of versatility does it contain? Remember, the more versatile the more you can feasibly charge for it because the client can note the added value of 'one to many' advertorial application.
• Can it be used to sell as well as educate?
• Video, print, web, gaming and or trade shows?

Some other beautiful examples of this mindset:

• Themes For A Good Infographic
• What Makes a Good Infographic?
• 5 Essential Social Media Infographics For Marketers
• Data Visualization and Infographics
• Data visualization and infographics resources for design inspiration
• The Beauty of Infographics and Data Visualization
• 13 Interesting Infographics for Web Workers
• Stunning Infographics and Data Visualization
• ...and of course Visual Complexity.

/// TANGENT WARNING /// - no need to read any further I've made my point.

When you look at the modern day designer and advertising agency it all starts with 'integration' and how much can you give you client with minimized budgets. In warfare their are such things as tactical "strikes" to specific locations, groups and geographical areas – such the same is the modern advertiser. Saddly, there always seems like there money for war but not my projects – but I digress. Never before has the modern agency been given the statistical, demographic and campaign measurement as they have with today tools.

Of course the differentiator here is we don't want to 'kill' the enemy but 'engage' the customer. But just like the enemy the customer is smarter than we will ever be. They add, edit and delete interests and loyalties to brands, product and services faster than ever before. Like speed dating, technologies and products are more cost effective and therefor more disposable. The Toyota driver of today, is the Ford driver of tomorrow is the eco-aware company of the future, is the 'bike to work' commuter. Therefore the future is in extension, communication and reaction to the wants of the consumer and not the presumptions of aggregated data.

Designers Block & The Art Of The Whine

I've been designing steadily for over 20 years. In that time I've on more than one occasion fallen stumped to not knowing where to go with my designs. Be it a logo, storyboard, website, print piece or integrated concept we all fall short of knowing that the concept/visual is just not there.

Author James Webb Young wrote a little bible called "A Technique for Producing Ideas" (this is a must have for your library) and in this the fundamental principles of this 64 pages are:

1. Aggregate as many mental ideas, thoughts, and related concepts as possible.
2. Then collect as much specific information on the relevant client, topic or campaign. Now matter how unrelated try to put ideas together, mind-map and see where thing fit and where they don't.
3. Then stuff more general thinking around it; like case studies, competitors and simply "smart thinking" within the landscape.
4. The most important part of this process is 'the incubation phase' – Go to a movie, take a long lunch, let it simmer over a weekend, and or, work on an unrelated project that won't effect your brain putting process time against that ideation. Let the subconsciousmind work on the problem.
5. Then the magic of the "Eureka" moment! The idea(s) come to you in whatever way they manifest.
6. Reprioritize with your idea collective and work the idea to perfection. Test, refine and launch!

Well sure this sounds great but in a the dog-eat-dog pits of today's advertising/interactive agencies do you really have the time for this whole process? Maybe and maybe not dependant upon the insurmountable deadlines you may be facing at any given time.

You'll also here your creative staff give you a thousand reasons why they're stumped, why they need more time and why are you doing this to them! But fortunately we live in a time with technology that we can take Mr. Young's principle and condense it down to assist your squeaky wheels.

1. First of the Mr. Webb's point of aggregation and collection are still flawless and essential. Whether it's a client fact-finding mission, or you simply look at the works that's been done to date. You must immerse yourself in your client.
2. With the internet you can make some pretty educated assumptions with websites, case-studies and online tools that lead to the analysis of where your client needs to be. Weigh the work of your competition. What works? What doesn't? What techniques are they using? Social Media? Mobile Apps? UGC campaigns? Or have they choosen more traiditional drivers?
3. Then get inspired! There's a link on my home page for my Delicious Links, their you can find links to thousands of designers, agencies and great thinking that you can pull from. A world of great ideas is nothing but a search term away. Look at your clients competitors agency as well and make sure you don't replicate old thinking.
4. The "incubation" phase is what I find I have very little time for anymore. My staff and I do our best to initially design rough directions and try to give immediate feedback. Then (give that you have a few hours or a few days) readdress it showing everyone's refined collective thinking. This is were Mr. Young may not have had a room full of creative minds to pull from.
5. Then no differently – Reprioritize with your ideas collectively and work the concept to perfection. Test, refine and launch!

Lastly, I find it increasingly important to up the ante on the speed of ideas. You have to keep yourself and your staff immersed while at work at all times. Concept 'morgues' on your servers, large libraries of design, photography and advertising periodicals. Giant white boards should be no further than an arms reach while you talk about the latest mobile application in the break room during a Wii contest. Industry and conceptual immersion must be constant. This way the subconscious works faster to process the myriad of ideas that are sadly backed by ever-shortening deadline.

Kinetic Typography – Living & Breathing

Kinetic typography is a form of graphic design typically constructed digitally to show text, shape and movement with the intent to express emotion in concert. Most of you have seen this represented recently in the Ford F-150 television spots narrated by actor/comedian Dennis Leary. The real power of this medium comes not simply what the words, shapes and fonts says or represents but the addition of motion that brings them to life. Words become more than simply copy representations, they gain personality, and within that the context is MORE than then simply what they spell.

There are fundamental various sub-genre's within this technique as well:

"Kinetic typography is a form of temporal typography (typography that is presented over time). It is distinct from other forms of temporal typography including 'serial presentation', which involves the sequential presentation of still typographic compositions. Barbara Brownie's model of temporal typography divides kinetic typography into 'motion typography' (subdivided into 'scrolling typography', 'dynamic layout') and 'fluid typography'. In dynamic layout, text elements move in relation to one another. In fluid typography, letterforms change and evolve without necessarily changing location." ~ Wikipedia

There are infinite examples if this on the web and I invite you to view them given your time.

• The Kinetic Typography Channel (this is a must see if you start to get enthralled in this movement)
• Art of the Title — A site that catalogs particularly interesting title sequences, many of which feature kinetic typography
• 15 Stunning Motion Typography Videos
• Kinetic Typography at Typophile
• Top 12 Kinetic Typography Films
• Kinetic Typography Animation Tutorial

The Story Is The Only Seed You Get To Give

I've preached storytelling for years. I've worked for firms that specialize in nothing but world-class storytelling. But what advertisers continue to forget is the power that comes from it. Watch TV for an hour. Of all the commercials you were berated with what compelled you to write down (or if your like a lot of us) or type in the URL? What made you laugh? What made you say "@*$&%, that ad is annoying!" and what made you talk beyond the seed that was given to you?

BMW Films, The NoLaf Institute (pure unrecognized brilliance), HBO Image and no surprise to me Honda's "Power of Dreams" campaign. Budding young mind and crotchety old bastards alike take the 10 minutes and digest the following clip:

• What do you remember?
• Would you be compelled to watch another one?
• Did it extend, enrich and grow the brand?
• What is completely self-serving?
• Would you talk, share or extend the brand?
• As a consumer did it make you trust the brand?
• Did it make the brand more or less elite?
• Besides the fact that you wish you had this budget for your current clients, did it compel you to engage in the social media extensions?
• Will it effect change in you external to its messaging?

If your not asking half of the list during the concept stage than your probably want to kill your creative director, throw a chair through a window and join a pack of wolves to kill something.

Addendum:

It's rare I add onto a post but I just found this amazing little story from the Pereira & O'Dell, Sharethrough Agency for Lego and the launch of their new website http://legoclick.com/

BRAVO!

Website Manditories

I was assembling a website standards guideline for a client today and I thought I would share the topic points:

1. Websites
2. Microsites
3. Brand Adherence & Consistency
4. Informational Architecture
5. Wire-frame Templates
   1. Template Variable
   2. Samples of Usage
6. Consistency & Personality
7. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
   1. Font Usage
   2. Color Index
8. Logo & Image Repository
   1. Combinations
9. Partner & Vendors Usage
10. Trademarks & Usage
11. Copy
    1. Voice & Tone
    2. Search Engine Standards
12. Content
    1. Photos Sizes
    2. YouTube Video Ratio
13. Content Managment Systems
    1. Administration
14. Social Media
    1. Technologies Used
    2. Best Practices
15. Mobile
    1. Applications & Deployment
16. Advertising
    1. Ratio(s), Size & Format
17. Newsletters
18. Email Signatures
19. Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ‘ 794d)
20. Best Practices
21. Addendum

Does Building Airplanes In Flight While Sitting In Triage Sound Simple?

I know this is the second video that I've embedded from the 99% conference, and no I'm not getting paid to blog about it! Hell I didn't even go! With that said it's nice to listening to Scott Thomas Design Director for Obama's 2008 campaign, and relies that in the heat of the battle it's all about just getting it done and being "on it!" He covers a massive spectrum on day-to-day design and development issues that all the web industry faces. A fascinating look at what had to be a mother-load of a project. Enjoy!

"As the Design Director for Obama's 2008 campaign, Scott Thomas led a now-historic political campaign, in which branding, design, and the web played a truly pivotal role. Likening the experience to "building an airplane in flight," Scott talks about the creative's need for triage, the crucial role of incremental design improvements, and the importance of getting back to the hand and keeping things simple."

http://the99percent.com -

Great tips to live and die by. And Lastly check out Seth Godin making a great case for getting things shipped, right, wrong or in the middle.

Addendum: Someone buy me this book!