Figment Design

Tag: tips

  • Things to Do and Places to Go When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry

    Things to Do and Places to Go When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry

    You’ve been busy creating campaign concepts, logo designs or ad copy and things are clicking and when the next job comes along you feel like your creative tank is empty. We all know and dread that this day will come. You think and think and the ideas just don’t come easily or at all. What do you do to get that creative spark back? Depending on the project you are working on, there are several things you can do to help yourself. Keep in mind this is not an exact science. One or all of these suggestions may or may not work for you or as they say… “Your mileage may vary”.

    1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

    When given the assignment, if client is present or you’re working with the art director, don’t be afraid to ask questions and take good notes. Also, if you are working with a copywriter, good collaboration can make all the difference in the world. There is a great article at Roundpeg, “Help Me Help You: 5 Tips for Working with a Copywriter“ that offers great tips on the subject.

    1. Try and talk your way out of it.

    Sometimes talking about it with others can help trigger an idea. Talk with other co-workers and designers about your creative funk and be open to suggestions. If you’re a freelancer and work alone, talk with other designers you have collaborated with or friends that are designers. You never know, someone may just say that one word that triggers a spark. Friends help friends.

    1. A change of scenery might do you good.

    If sitting behind your desk staring at the screen isn’t helping you, then grab yourself a pad and a pencil. Moving away from the electronic routine is what I sometimes prefer rather than bringing along a tablet or laptop. Changing up the usual modus operandi can make you think in a different way. Go sit on the couch, go to a Starbucks, or grab some fresh air on a balcony or terrace. Just by changing your surroundings, you’ll stimulate your brain just by what you see going around you. Sometimes if things are too hectic in the office and there’s too much commotion, opt to move somewhere else. If you can’t, put on some headphones and play some music you really like to groove to. I have found that going to your local bookstore is great place for inspiration. Looking at design books or magazines can get the creative juices flowing. You might even find a new magazine you’ll want to subscribe to.

    1. Don’t underestimate the power of the thumbnail sketch.

    I know we are in the digital age but sometimes you can’t beat roughing out ideas or layout compositions on paper with my personal favorite… Post-its. If you have a tablet with a stylus that works too! Sometimes I might have a small kernel of an idea. I start with simple roughs of the layout and pretty soon it will snowball to several thumbnail iterations. I will take that and go back to my Mac and build on. Sometimes simpler beginnings are a better start in getting an idea to grow.

     

    1. Rev up the search engine!

    With the Internet, we have an unlimited archive within reach of our fingertips. There are hundreds and thousands of sites that can guide and inspire. They can offer great case studies of how others have tackled creative challenges. The Internet can also offer you a global perspective. The worldwide web really is worldwide and can offer ideas and suggestions from freelancers and firms from around the world. Some of my personal favorite sites are:

    creative well

    http://www.deviantart.com/ (Illustrations)

    https://www.behance.net/     (Graphic Design, Photography, Interaction,  Design, Art Direction, Illustration)

    https://www.tumblr.com/     (Graphic Design, Photography, Interaction, Design, Art Direction, Illustration and more!)

    http://www.adteachings.com/ (Copywriting and Print Campaigns)

    http://www.aiga.org/ (American Institute of Graphic Arts)

  • Distinct Identity

    Establish and maintain your distinct identity

  • Your Passion

    “Marketing is really just about sharing YOUR +PASSION.”

    – Michael Hyatt

  • Less is More

    “LESS IS MORE. KEEPING IT SIMPLE TAKES TIME AND EFFOR.”

    – Jeff Bullas

  • Develop a Branding Strategy

    Develop a branding strategy, a consistent mood/theme for all your marketing efforts

    Once a company has determined what its brand promise is and what its brand values and attributes are, the work isn’t done. The company still has to develop a brand strategy that uses those key elements to shape how it does business.

    The brand strategy must take into account internal and external audiences, how your company will implement the brand promise with both, and how adherence to the strategy and the value of the brand will be measured.

    To begin to develop a brand strategy for your audience, you need to map your internal stakeholders by division, role, or both. Don’t forget to include important operational functions like human resources. Human resources and similar operational teams are critical to ensuring your brand promise is carried into the life of your company.

    Use your map of internal audiences and an understanding of your company’s culture and the way it operates to develop activities—tactics—that indoctrinate internal audiences with the company’s brand promise, why it matters, and how it will be implemented.

    Be sure employees understand why they should care personally and how it applies to their everyday lives.

    Your internal audiences can help you develop the strategy for external audiences and often involving them at some level in developing the methods by which the company keeps the brand promise with external audiences helps solidify their buy-in. Work with your different product or service managers to determine how the brand promise can be fulfilled in the way items are presented and sold and how customer service is performed after the sale.

    Does Your Audiences Get It?

    Brand strategies should cover how activity will be measured and how the brand’s value will be monitored. If you have clearly defined benchmarks for brand practices and guidelines, track their use and reward people accordingly. To determine whether your brand is increasing in value through keeping the promise is trickier. External audiences will need to see the brand promise carried out multiple times in multiple different ways before they will begin to respond.

    So how you do measure it?

    Qualitative measures of brand value help companies understand external audiences’ brand associations, and quantitative research helps companies assess brand awareness, use, attitudes, and associations. Both research methods help companies determine whether the brand strategy is having the intended effect. Companies can also measure the overall value in their brands through assessing the discrepancy between the financial value of the company or product and the overall book or accounting value of the company or product.

  • Attract New

  • Aim for the Heart

    Aim for the Heart

    “Your ADS should aim for the heart not the mind.”

  • Creativity

    “Nothing begets creativity like constraints.”

    – Christopher Mims

  • Our Tips

    Follow Our Tips