Tomorrow, aka, Saturday March 27th, I have booked a model for a photo shoot, maybe two (models). Babes.
My original concept, i.e. "idea" when I was thinking Beer LOGO, (what really sells beer) is....babes, sex, thongs, beautiful bosoms and the whole package.
Now, with that, in terms of LOGO and SEX APPEAL, what is Colorado?
As far as Big Mountain goes, fast babes on ski. Blurs. Sun, tans.
I have a "Smoking Hot female model coming to my place tomorrow. I may have a second show up.
Here is my equation...
Smoking babe(s) + Colorado's own Iconagraphy.
Double Black Diamond
Black Diamond (100 mph zone)
Blue Black
Blue
Green
Yellow
White
Are there fuzzy animals association that can be made for a logo type label for the beer itself?
I'll post my own mark ups of what I was thinking I could throw down as far a beer bottle labels and sex appeal and what I was thinking for a concept for the LOGO/Branding. I'm doing first hand research on making beer sexy. I thought it would be appropriate to push the sex appeal envelop a bit.
I love Andy J's idea of the E blanket re-usable box liner. ANYTHING reusable here is a good thing.
I'll post sex appeal LOGO mock ups, or at least imagery of my model, with some ideas towards other thoughts...
J
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ron Blog 3
TiVo
TiVo is a company whose brand and communication are founded on being well designed. The company is focused on heightening its customer's enjoyment of the TV-watching experience. TiVo is similar to Apple in the way the company exemplifies the "rationaissance" keywords, stylish, functional, and iconic. The brand prides itself on its intuitive, user-friendly interface, and well thought-out remote design (with ergonomic form). The brand achieves its goal of increased viewing pleasure by minimizing commercials, and maximizing availability of shows you actually want to watch.TiVo is also "breaking barriers", in the way that the product the company sells allows its customers to avoid seeing most or all commercials that make watching TV possible (in this country). The idea of "no commercials" in this country is heresy. Such a radical feature of the product has caused much consternation in the advertising world, and proven to be a lucrative aspect of the company's business strategy. Companies now do business with TiVo in order for their commercials to be added to TiVo's customer's database of things to watch, as discussed in the article here.
Burt's Bees
Burt's Bees is another company who seems to have a bright future according to the David Report design trends. They obviously hit on the "responsibiz" category, being all natural, and focused on social responsibility, the environment, and its customer's well-being.The company also fits in the "cooltural" category, as the brand is centered on the story of the founder, Burt, and his bees. The story includes Burt's hippy personality, which explains his passion for bee farming, and the idea of nature providing the product ingredients. Additionally, the company incorporates its humanitarian and environmental ideals to show how it provides functions that enrich nature, completing the cycle of nature to consumer and back to nature. This sustainable business model is marketed to have a local feel, as opposed to the global, corporate aspect of the competition's brands.
Smart Car
Another brand that exemplifies the design trends written about in the David Report is Smart Car. Smart Car is founded on a minimalist approach to automobile design. It takes part in the historical dialog of that industry, responding to recent concerns about oil dependence and pollution with a somewhat revolutionary idea--that cars don't need to be so big. The aspects of the brand that cause it to fit into the "rationaissance" category naturally lead to the brand fitting into the "responsibiz" category; a paired down, eco-friendly, minimal automobile design that customers can feel reduces their impact on the environment.The Smart Car brand promotes the idea that being small, affordable, and eco-friendly is "smart". The company's website contains literature supporting the brand's touchpoints of safety and eco-friendliness.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
mcwilliams blog #3
http://jessicascriticalquestions.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-3-design-and-brand-trends.html
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Dan Blog #3
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2’s design plays a central role in the branding and communication of the marketplace by primarily establishing a visual style and character base that emotionally connects people to the game (product). These connections are reaffirmed by the key design trend of sensuctive ascertained in the first David Report reading. The characters’ designed personas give the brand a human element because of pre-established ideas consumers have of stereotyped personality traits. While the stereotyped traits can be fine line to walk the edginess plays into the design trend of, “breaking boundaries” http://www.tf2.com/movies.htm. Focusing edginess with the cartoon styles appeal to the target gaming demographic that often seek relatable characters and narrative that appeal to their lighter side. “"Everyone who's played a multiplayer action game-- especially a TF game--has experienced the moment of tension followed by mad laughter."” (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3158959) Keeping the game up to date and taking suggestions from the community brings sustainability through innovative development that makes the player base feel as if they always matter to the brand.
Amazon
As a complete online shopping community Amazon’s design is an absolutely essential piece of its branding and communication in the marketplace. The primary design focus of Amazon is to keep customer experiences simple, fast and efficient. Creating the quick click-shopping cart fulfills many of the issues that costumers have with online shopping and improves the lives of anyone who needs products in a timely manner (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_lnor_one?nodeId=468480). Faith Popcorn plainly states “…make it easy, make it relaxed, make it completely utilitarian. Make it Cheap and provide a service to go along side.” By simplifying purchases to online only, Amazon also influences environmental improvement by cutting down the use of automobiles and in many instances paper consumption. While environmentally conscious, Amazon also develops strong problem solving designs. They query users on the best ways to promote deals, suggest similar products based on databases of user information and tastes, and can utilize its own customers to review and critique anything sold on the site. “Design is hence all about satisfying needs, solving problems and attracting us towards new experiences,” and Amazon clearly understands this point and makes a case for being one of the most effective companies in its marketplace.
Mountain Dew
http://www.mountaindew.com/#/home
Mountain Dew’s design brands the company as hip and trendy while communicating with its target demographic about its influences on their social and cultural environment. One of the “Dew’s” most powerful associations is with pro sports specifically skateboarding. They establish themselves as a company who cares about youth and their future goals in the sport (http://www.mountaindew.com/#/sports/actionsports/amforce/index.php). The first David Report makes note that, “Really successful design always looks through the lens of humanity; life enriching products that speaks both to our hearts and our brains.” By supporting a youth movement Mountain Dew tugs on our emotions, we want to be associated with a socially driven company. If we drink the soda we also support the cause and our loyalty to a company for change grows. Mountain Dew’s promotional videos also create a authentic ritualistic connotation. They portray their target demographic in activities that are always enhanced by the product. http://www.mountaindew.com/#/video/
Mountain Dews promotional ads are mostly fluff but connect with their demographic and as long as they continue to influence the sports their market watches they will successfully be associated with it.
Jacob's Blog #3
Ikea
http://www.ikea.com/
Ikea is known for its affordable, well-designed furniture that is easily constructed by the consumer; only an allen wrench is required. Their brand is built off of the design of their furniture. They market themselves as a provider of affordable solutions for better living, which is what has made them become a worldwide brand. The brand really does a good job of the Cooltural design trend in their marketing. The marketing really adds an emotional attachment with the viewer and the product. All of the products are advertised in a “lived in” fashion, helping giving the product a homey quality. This really supports Ikea’s brand of affordable home solutions, they take an otherwise dull piece of furniture the appearance that is an affordable accent to their life.
The product is what has developed this brand. They are well known for the quality of their products in its position of low-end non solid wood furniture. In 1999 the products that Ikea developed were altered to be environmentally friendly and are constructed using highly renewable materials. This is outlined in the following site:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/29/is-it-green-ikea/. The brand is designing its product in a way that it can be marketed as highly stainable. This is outlined in both articles as being key in having a brand that make the brand distinctive and different from its competition.
Dyson
http://www.dyson.com
The design of the vacuum is Dyson’s brand and drives its marketing. The brand markets the advantages of the vacuum design and creates its position in the vacuum cleaner market. James Dyson’s ingenuitive design is what has made him one of the world’s leading vacuum cleaner manufacturers. Hover copied the design of a Dyson Vacuum, was sued by Dyson, and was found guilty by the High Court. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1368860/Dyson-cleans-up-in-patent-battle-with-rival-Hoover.html This case shows how the design of Dyson vacuums is what makes the brand distinctive and ownable.
Dyson also follows the sustainability design trend which was discussed in both articles. Dyson used bag-less technology in their machines before it was popular in vacuum cleaners; other competitors were driven to change their technology when the eco-fad ensued. This bag-less technology helps reduce the amount of waste that the vacuum will create through out its lifetime. The vacuums are also designed not to need a filters to be replaced; instead filters simply need to be washed. The company will also pay to recycle any old vacuum cleaner when you purchase a Dyson.
http://www.dyson.com/support/weee.asp This service is only available in England due to European law which has strict disposal requirements.
Dyson is one of the best design business successes and its journey to success can be exemplified with this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1802155.stm
Method
http://www.methodhome.com/
Method is marketed on its design of environmentally friendly house care and personal cleaning products. Their products are designed to be all natural or naturally derived and have not been tested on animals. Method’s brand of naturalness gives it an eco-conscience position of sustainability in house and personal cleaning product market. The brand fits into the Sustainable Wheel outlined in “A Checklist for Sustainability”, as they are an environmentally friendly company that makes an innovative product that is productive towards the greater good of its consumers.
The following article discusses how the company has partnered with a carbon offset company which encourages Method’s partner companies to improve their emissions for a profit.
http://www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/19435-Method-Products-Inc-and-NativeEnergy-Pioneer-a-Carbon-Offset-Model
This is a great way for the company to extend its brand’s values to the organizations with which they are associated.
The 5 Key Design trends are also present in Method. The two main key design trends that are apparent in the brands design are “Rationaissance” and “Responsibiz”.
The brand is marketed as high end cleaning product and definitely has the product design that gives it that appearance. The bottles have a distinctive curve design and are filled with brightly colored solutions, making Method stylish, functional, and iconic, all of which are contained in the “Rationaissance” design trend. The design of their bottle also uses the “Responsibiz” design trend, their bottles are developed to be refilled and are made from biodegradable plastic. The best brand strategy Method has is that they provide their product at a reasonable price and is readily available in a number of department stores.
http://www.ikea.com/
Ikea is known for its affordable, well-designed furniture that is easily constructed by the consumer; only an allen wrench is required. Their brand is built off of the design of their furniture. They market themselves as a provider of affordable solutions for better living, which is what has made them become a worldwide brand. The brand really does a good job of the Cooltural design trend in their marketing. The marketing really adds an emotional attachment with the viewer and the product. All of the products are advertised in a “lived in” fashion, helping giving the product a homey quality. This really supports Ikea’s brand of affordable home solutions, they take an otherwise dull piece of furniture the appearance that is an affordable accent to their life.
The product is what has developed this brand. They are well known for the quality of their products in its position of low-end non solid wood furniture. In 1999 the products that Ikea developed were altered to be environmentally friendly and are constructed using highly renewable materials. This is outlined in the following site:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/01/29/is-it-green-ikea/. The brand is designing its product in a way that it can be marketed as highly stainable. This is outlined in both articles as being key in having a brand that make the brand distinctive and different from its competition.
Dyson
http://www.dyson.com
The design of the vacuum is Dyson’s brand and drives its marketing. The brand markets the advantages of the vacuum design and creates its position in the vacuum cleaner market. James Dyson’s ingenuitive design is what has made him one of the world’s leading vacuum cleaner manufacturers. Hover copied the design of a Dyson Vacuum, was sued by Dyson, and was found guilty by the High Court. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1368860/Dyson-cleans-up-in-patent-battle-with-rival-Hoover.html This case shows how the design of Dyson vacuums is what makes the brand distinctive and ownable.
Dyson also follows the sustainability design trend which was discussed in both articles. Dyson used bag-less technology in their machines before it was popular in vacuum cleaners; other competitors were driven to change their technology when the eco-fad ensued. This bag-less technology helps reduce the amount of waste that the vacuum will create through out its lifetime. The vacuums are also designed not to need a filters to be replaced; instead filters simply need to be washed. The company will also pay to recycle any old vacuum cleaner when you purchase a Dyson.
http://www.dyson.com/support/weee.asp This service is only available in England due to European law which has strict disposal requirements.
Dyson is one of the best design business successes and its journey to success can be exemplified with this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1802155.stm
Method
http://www.methodhome.com/
Method is marketed on its design of environmentally friendly house care and personal cleaning products. Their products are designed to be all natural or naturally derived and have not been tested on animals. Method’s brand of naturalness gives it an eco-conscience position of sustainability in house and personal cleaning product market. The brand fits into the Sustainable Wheel outlined in “A Checklist for Sustainability”, as they are an environmentally friendly company that makes an innovative product that is productive towards the greater good of its consumers.
The following article discusses how the company has partnered with a carbon offset company which encourages Method’s partner companies to improve their emissions for a profit.
http://www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/19435-Method-Products-Inc-and-NativeEnergy-Pioneer-a-Carbon-Offset-Model
This is a great way for the company to extend its brand’s values to the organizations with which they are associated.
The 5 Key Design trends are also present in Method. The two main key design trends that are apparent in the brands design are “Rationaissance” and “Responsibiz”.
The brand is marketed as high end cleaning product and definitely has the product design that gives it that appearance. The bottles have a distinctive curve design and are filled with brightly colored solutions, making Method stylish, functional, and iconic, all of which are contained in the “Rationaissance” design trend. The design of their bottle also uses the “Responsibiz” design trend, their bottles are developed to be refilled and are made from biodegradable plastic. The best brand strategy Method has is that they provide their product at a reasonable price and is readily available in a number of department stores.
Elliott's Blog #3
For this blog I looked for companies that I hadn't heard of before. I wanted to find brands that both relate to the readings and that are new and interesting. I found most of them by looking through the sites under the Of Interest section of our blog. The three brands I decided on are:
#1. BumpTop
#2. I Make My Case
#3. Me To We Style
They are all fairly new companies and are headed in positive directions in terms of their brand and how they use design to further their brand.
BumpTop
BumpTop is a new software that you can download for both windows and mac that transforms your desktop into a virtual 3D space with a floor and walls. You can leave your documents and files lying on this desktop just as you would leave real life papers on your actual desk. You can pin things to the walls and stack files up and then move them around and watch as the physics that is incorporated into BumpTop makes your files bump against each other and move around as they would in real life.
BumpTop is breaking new ground. It is thinking of the future and anticipating the next step in computers and virtual space. It is already functioning with touch screen PCs which allows you to move files around with your finger. Though three-dimensional computer screens have yet to be invented, BumpTop is ready for when they are, and will likely be at the forefront of 3D desktop design when it happens.
It relates to the idea of 'breaking boundaries' that is mentioned in the '5 Key Design Trends' article. Breaking boundaries is about "a transformation between different anti poles, such as local/global, technology/philosophy and body/mind." BumpTop is a transformation between real life and the virtual world. It is taking the real life desk top that we are all familiar with and combining it with the virtual desktop to make it more of an individual experience.
Here is BumpTop's website,
And here is one of the articles that led me to find BumpTop, which features a neat video of it in use.
I Make My Case
I Make My Case is a website where you can design your own phone case. It uses many featured artists in order to create the designs that you can then utilize and adjust to your liking.
You can play around on the site here.
I did look at a few other sites where you can customize your phone case. Such as the Zune site which is fairly impressive because of the ability to move the zune in 3D space while customizing it.
I Make My Case is definitely the best one out there though. Not only because of the customization tools it offers, but also because of the site design itself. The colorful doodles and fun interaction really creates an aesthetic that carries through to the actual product. Without this effective site design, the product may not stand out as much from it's competition.
There is definitely something 'sensuctive' about I Make My Case. It really appeals to our senses. It makes us want it; we want to look at it, touch it, and show it off to our friends. Sensuctiveness is about designing for human desire and pleasure and I Make My Case is a good example allowing the consumer to become the designer in order to achieve the greatest level of pleasure possible.
I believe there is something 'cooltural' about I Make My Case too. It really offers a unique experience. Everyone is used to seeing and having the same generic phone cases, so it is nice to be presented with the opportunity to be different. We are constantly looking for something unique that only we know about and that we can show off to others. It helps separate ourselves as individuals. This isn't specific to just I Make My Case, but to all of the companies that allow you to personalize your phone, iPod, computer, etc...
There is a blog entry on Three Minds that covers I Make My Case, which mentions some of the pros and cons that I looked at.
Me To We Style
Me To We Style describes themselves as being "a new social enterprise that is committed to providing ethically manufactured, quality apparel for the socially-conscious consumer. Our product line is domestically produced, sweatshop-free and made using certified organic cotton and viscose from bamboo."
They have a partnership with Free The Children and donate 50% of their profits to help support international development projects.
Environmental influence is important for their brand. They show responsibility by showing an interest in the world today and trying to fix problems that exist. The company is beneficial to both society and the environment.
Me To We Style shows aspects of rationaissance. They are about going beyond the short term, looking to the future and positively affecting the world. Their brand is functional and rational while their designs are stylish and iconic.
#1. BumpTop
#2. I Make My Case
#3. Me To We Style
They are all fairly new companies and are headed in positive directions in terms of their brand and how they use design to further their brand.
BumpTop
BumpTop is a new software that you can download for both windows and mac that transforms your desktop into a virtual 3D space with a floor and walls. You can leave your documents and files lying on this desktop just as you would leave real life papers on your actual desk. You can pin things to the walls and stack files up and then move them around and watch as the physics that is incorporated into BumpTop makes your files bump against each other and move around as they would in real life.
BumpTop is breaking new ground. It is thinking of the future and anticipating the next step in computers and virtual space. It is already functioning with touch screen PCs which allows you to move files around with your finger. Though three-dimensional computer screens have yet to be invented, BumpTop is ready for when they are, and will likely be at the forefront of 3D desktop design when it happens.
It relates to the idea of 'breaking boundaries' that is mentioned in the '5 Key Design Trends' article. Breaking boundaries is about "a transformation between different anti poles, such as local/global, technology/philosophy and body/mind." BumpTop is a transformation between real life and the virtual world. It is taking the real life desk top that we are all familiar with and combining it with the virtual desktop to make it more of an individual experience.
Here is BumpTop's website,
And here is one of the articles that led me to find BumpTop, which features a neat video of it in use.
I Make My Case
I Make My Case is a website where you can design your own phone case. It uses many featured artists in order to create the designs that you can then utilize and adjust to your liking.
You can play around on the site here.
I did look at a few other sites where you can customize your phone case. Such as the Zune site which is fairly impressive because of the ability to move the zune in 3D space while customizing it.
I Make My Case is definitely the best one out there though. Not only because of the customization tools it offers, but also because of the site design itself. The colorful doodles and fun interaction really creates an aesthetic that carries through to the actual product. Without this effective site design, the product may not stand out as much from it's competition.
There is definitely something 'sensuctive' about I Make My Case. It really appeals to our senses. It makes us want it; we want to look at it, touch it, and show it off to our friends. Sensuctiveness is about designing for human desire and pleasure and I Make My Case is a good example allowing the consumer to become the designer in order to achieve the greatest level of pleasure possible.
I believe there is something 'cooltural' about I Make My Case too. It really offers a unique experience. Everyone is used to seeing and having the same generic phone cases, so it is nice to be presented with the opportunity to be different. We are constantly looking for something unique that only we know about and that we can show off to others. It helps separate ourselves as individuals. This isn't specific to just I Make My Case, but to all of the companies that allow you to personalize your phone, iPod, computer, etc...
There is a blog entry on Three Minds that covers I Make My Case, which mentions some of the pros and cons that I looked at.
Me To We Style
Me To We Style describes themselves as being "a new social enterprise that is committed to providing ethically manufactured, quality apparel for the socially-conscious consumer. Our product line is domestically produced, sweatshop-free and made using certified organic cotton and viscose from bamboo."
They have a partnership with Free The Children and donate 50% of their profits to help support international development projects.
Environmental influence is important for their brand. They show responsibility by showing an interest in the world today and trying to fix problems that exist. The company is beneficial to both society and the environment.
Me To We Style shows aspects of rationaissance. They are about going beyond the short term, looking to the future and positively affecting the world. Their brand is functional and rational while their designs are stylish and iconic.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Blog 3
#1 Apple
The first company that comes to mind when considering how design directly impacts brand is Apple. Everything associated with Apple is designed well, and creates a great brand as a result. Everything from the OS to the little magnetic charger port on the Macbook has been designed with a customer in mind. It’s no secret that Apple is not just branding products, but an entire lifestyle.
This ad http://www.apple.com/imac/design.html is a great example of how design can directly impact a company’s market. This ad is sleek, informative, and really invites the user to explore the product. At the same time, the catchy taglines and ‘sexy’ photos of the machine are geared towards a select group in the market.
In one of the David Reports, a quote came up in the “responsibiz” section that struck my interest. “Objects should always be appropriate, durable and functional”. All three of those are seen in Apple’s products. Hardware designs are catered towards the “everyday” use, but only make minimal, appropriate alterations to design. Apple’s software as well as hardware are tested for durability, and It’s apparent that their designs are highly functional also.
Design plays a big role in what makes Apple’s brand stand out amongst other electronics in the market today.
#2 Starbucks
Another great company that comes to mind when thinking about design is Starbucks. Like Apple, everything at Starbucks appears to be designed to cater to the customer. All of Starbuck’s graphical elements appear to be “down to Earth”, and this supports the Starbucks brand. Starbuck’s mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time”. http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement . This is apparent through their friendly staff, eye-catching advertising and atmosphere.
Speaking of Starbuck’s atmosphere, the entire chain is full of “custom” designed stores, catered towards a certain demographic in the area. This atmosphere creates a great user experience, and again supports the company’s brand.
One of the David Reports states “Emotions make us buy, whilst feelings make us keep. How can a product get a meaning; tell a story which goes beyond temporary lifestyles and makes us associate and recognise?”
No doubt, Starbucks is creating an emotion through its designed elements, making for a better user experience and adding to the overall mission and brand.
#3 Burton
Burton is also a company that comes to mind as one where design plays a solo role in the company’s brand and market. Like most extreme sports gear/apparel companies, Burton is branding an entire lifestyle, and this is apparent throughout all of their designs. Burton’s homepage, http://www.burton.com/ does a great job at setting the mood and giving a unique personality to the brand. Burton’s market is clearly geared towards 18-35 year old males (and some females).
The second David’s Report states “Spirituality is no longer just something for the New Age communities but is about to become a centre part of the mainstream cultural awareness. Mind, spirit and body are central.”
Burton’s “soul” is seen through its design elements. A great deal of personality is revealed through board designs and apparel aesthetic.
The first company that comes to mind when considering how design directly impacts brand is Apple. Everything associated with Apple is designed well, and creates a great brand as a result. Everything from the OS to the little magnetic charger port on the Macbook has been designed with a customer in mind. It’s no secret that Apple is not just branding products, but an entire lifestyle.
This ad http://www.apple.com/imac/design.html is a great example of how design can directly impact a company’s market. This ad is sleek, informative, and really invites the user to explore the product. At the same time, the catchy taglines and ‘sexy’ photos of the machine are geared towards a select group in the market.
In one of the David Reports, a quote came up in the “responsibiz” section that struck my interest. “Objects should always be appropriate, durable and functional”. All three of those are seen in Apple’s products. Hardware designs are catered towards the “everyday” use, but only make minimal, appropriate alterations to design. Apple’s software as well as hardware are tested for durability, and It’s apparent that their designs are highly functional also.
Design plays a big role in what makes Apple’s brand stand out amongst other electronics in the market today.
#2 Starbucks
Another great company that comes to mind when thinking about design is Starbucks. Like Apple, everything at Starbucks appears to be designed to cater to the customer. All of Starbuck’s graphical elements appear to be “down to Earth”, and this supports the Starbucks brand. Starbuck’s mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time”. http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement . This is apparent through their friendly staff, eye-catching advertising and atmosphere.
Speaking of Starbuck’s atmosphere, the entire chain is full of “custom” designed stores, catered towards a certain demographic in the area. This atmosphere creates a great user experience, and again supports the company’s brand.
One of the David Reports states “Emotions make us buy, whilst feelings make us keep. How can a product get a meaning; tell a story which goes beyond temporary lifestyles and makes us associate and recognise?”
No doubt, Starbucks is creating an emotion through its designed elements, making for a better user experience and adding to the overall mission and brand.
#3 Burton
Burton is also a company that comes to mind as one where design plays a solo role in the company’s brand and market. Like most extreme sports gear/apparel companies, Burton is branding an entire lifestyle, and this is apparent throughout all of their designs. Burton’s homepage, http://www.burton.com/ does a great job at setting the mood and giving a unique personality to the brand. Burton’s market is clearly geared towards 18-35 year old males (and some females).
The second David’s Report states “Spirituality is no longer just something for the New Age communities but is about to become a centre part of the mainstream cultural awareness. Mind, spirit and body are central.”
Burton’s “soul” is seen through its design elements. A great deal of personality is revealed through board designs and apparel aesthetic.
Blog 3
Blog 3
Example #1 – Daimler/Mercedes-Benz (Wilhelm Maybach)
The Brand Daimler/Mercedes-Benz has first and foremost been a company that has stood the test of time, has resonated as an icon born from it's unique heritage, and has dared to break the rules time and time again; redefining luxury, durability and foresight into the future of automobiles.
Wilhelm Maybach developed the first vehicle to be fitted with his 1900 DMG 35-hp engine, on December, 1900. This automobile, is considered the first “Daimler/Mercedes-Benz” or “the first Mercedes”.
His last name is familiar to many of today's automobile affectionados that are accustomed with the newly re-born line, Maybach. http://www.maybachusa.com/index.php (for the entire Maybach web experience). http://www.motorsportscenter.com/uploads/maybacholdeengineneweengine600.jpg (for an image of the Modern Maybach engines making 500 plus horsepower)
Maybach epitomizes true modern automobile technology excellence today and in 1900. It's heritage had lived through Mercedes Benz of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Wilhelm's first new Mercedes had a very low center of gravity, featured what was considered to be an extremely high performance engine for the time. and it featured a new radiator system, that incorporated an organically inspired “honeycomb” shaped design; revolutionizing engine cooling.
This vehicle created a massive stir at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1901, it was innovative, dynamic and had forward thinking in many other new ways, never before thought of in automobiles. Stuttgart, Germany was now the world leader in vehicle innovations. Maybach/Daimler/Mercedes-Benz took a courageous step forward in thinking about what a vehicle should be and who it should be tested and refined for then and now.
This first vehicle, "the first Mercedes" was a major step forward at the time with many other new engineering insights that set Mercedes-Benz up for what it has become today. Mercedes_Benz has lived within that Spirit of Wilhelm Maybach, clinging to its Stuttgart heritage, building innovation through design for the purpose of pursuing what is possible in luxury, iconography and identity.
For a modern example of the Mercedes-Benz brand....and a sample of “IT's” design refinements...see the link below. While watching, ask yourself...Is this a stylish vehicle? How does the exhaust note sound? Does this product have good aesthetic (i.e. timelessness) and does its look have durability in a future market? I have a feeling the SLR 722 will have it's own timeless essence associated with it as it does so many other Mercedes Benz vehicles. If I had $5,000,000 to buy, insure, secure and keep on my own track with my own mechanic...I would definitely buy one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eqJ4HXOQVA
(Looking through the lens of humanity.) All I can say about this is that when a car company looks through the lens of humanity, humanity looks back. The communication is clear. Ever seen this image? https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh2oITeH-GgoNTNOZmw-Vnn7xM203GC_q63vgO36dUAUNvBYnh8_7NdpTwS9xeNd530i9rDLUBCq341A9My_0rSuPUdi6YoMEYtddeXsLR3YVhOxj8thbM_bDajon0dmYKQwXIbUsszM/s400/Mercedes-Benz-logo.jpg
Example # 2
For example 2 I am going to keep that link think going and discuss this 12 person design group are among the first non-german designers to do design for BMW, and many other German brands.
BlueInkAgency
These guys started largely as a fashion branding company. I my self have read that many designer fear branding fashion because it is so short lived and lack of good aesthetics involved. Good aesthetic must be timeless in nature.
In our new and improved recession era, fashion is being defined by the fashion of the super giants, I.e WalMart, Target, blah-blah-blog!
Blue Ink Agency brings their direct heritage, their local linguistics and apply their ideal into streamlined, sensible solutions, with individual say from within the agency.
Designer example. http://www.nicholasdeakins.com/
I think this is a great example of fun, engaging, basic, eco-aware branding and products.
Going through their work container reminds me of why I wanted to become a designer in the first place because of the engaging simplicity and the clear communication from creator to audience. But fore most, because I wanted to design fashion with purpose, i.e. exoskeleton body suits, etc. http://blueinkagency.com/#work-container
This company functions for me as a visual representation of form following function; enabling branding through potentially enduring iconography and connecting their brands to their audiences, through individual lines of communication. This is because their branding process follows simplicity and meaning first, through understanding of their client. Their works stands for something visually an emotionally and then solves a problem.
Because art is, the question creator. We as Designers must answer the questions.
Their (example #2's)work encompasses alot of design digital...Web design, photography, marketing, web design, advertising design and print, publishing; whatever is in their scope of possibility, all in a recession minded fashion. Recession proofing is to cost cut and streamline in the development process.
I like these guys because of the lens from which they are looking. They understand the value of creating a well thought out concept first, then rolling it out with hour power.
Their style is local and reflects the feeling, emotions, concepts, issues and all that each designer brings to the table but they also are providing solid marketing solutions to their customers who are recession minded. They connect their client to their clients intended audience because the designers expose themselves constantly to the realities of the world.
Locally, their work resonates the free, simplistic and targeted component needed to make the right connections with their audiences. They know not to over power people with imagery they can't identify with. Each team member is encouraged to express themselves on their own blogs within the agency, further extending the individuality of the agency.
http://www.blueinkagency.com/#about-container
Their methods seem to be thoughtful unique, rightly place in their own niches.
Example # 3
Sustainability. When I think about brand sustainability, customer loyalty, I have to think about coke.
http://www.dot-design.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/coke4.jpg
Coke is brand. Prove it?
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2009/1/coca_cola_bubbles.jpg
Coke evokes emotional response, always. Brite colors and negative and implied spaces help the audience navigate to the emotion Coca cola wants you, the consumer to feel.
Coca-Cola knows nostalgia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIk7Q_DJIgQ We've all seem and remember the bears. I can't say the bears are my favorite. They have their time and place. They are seasonal for sure, at least for me but the commercials brings families together because they are really, about bringing the family together to enjoy a Coca-Cola.
And also apply s simplicity to it's brand. Simplicity always allows for a more universal appeal to a diverse and dynamic audience. Kids and parents are the bears!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXdsaYHUn1M&NR=1
Example #1 – Daimler/Mercedes-Benz (Wilhelm Maybach)
The Brand Daimler/Mercedes-Benz has first and foremost been a company that has stood the test of time, has resonated as an icon born from it's unique heritage, and has dared to break the rules time and time again; redefining luxury, durability and foresight into the future of automobiles.
Wilhelm Maybach developed the first vehicle to be fitted with his 1900 DMG 35-hp engine, on December, 1900. This automobile, is considered the first “Daimler/Mercedes-Benz” or “the first Mercedes”.
His last name is familiar to many of today's automobile affectionados that are accustomed with the newly re-born line, Maybach. http://www.maybachusa.com/index.php (for the entire Maybach web experience). http://www.motorsportscenter.com/uploads/maybacholdeengineneweengine600.jpg (for an image of the Modern Maybach engines making 500 plus horsepower)
Maybach epitomizes true modern automobile technology excellence today and in 1900. It's heritage had lived through Mercedes Benz of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Wilhelm's first new Mercedes had a very low center of gravity, featured what was considered to be an extremely high performance engine for the time. and it featured a new radiator system, that incorporated an organically inspired “honeycomb” shaped design; revolutionizing engine cooling.
This vehicle created a massive stir at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1901, it was innovative, dynamic and had forward thinking in many other new ways, never before thought of in automobiles. Stuttgart, Germany was now the world leader in vehicle innovations. Maybach/Daimler/Mercedes-Benz took a courageous step forward in thinking about what a vehicle should be and who it should be tested and refined for then and now.
This first vehicle, "the first Mercedes" was a major step forward at the time with many other new engineering insights that set Mercedes-Benz up for what it has become today. Mercedes_Benz has lived within that Spirit of Wilhelm Maybach, clinging to its Stuttgart heritage, building innovation through design for the purpose of pursuing what is possible in luxury, iconography and identity.
For a modern example of the Mercedes-Benz brand....and a sample of “IT's” design refinements...see the link below. While watching, ask yourself...Is this a stylish vehicle? How does the exhaust note sound? Does this product have good aesthetic (i.e. timelessness) and does its look have durability in a future market? I have a feeling the SLR 722 will have it's own timeless essence associated with it as it does so many other Mercedes Benz vehicles. If I had $5,000,000 to buy, insure, secure and keep on my own track with my own mechanic...I would definitely buy one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eqJ4HXOQVA
(Looking through the lens of humanity.) All I can say about this is that when a car company looks through the lens of humanity, humanity looks back. The communication is clear. Ever seen this image? https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh2oITeH-GgoNTNOZmw-Vnn7xM203GC_q63vgO36dUAUNvBYnh8_7NdpTwS9xeNd530i9rDLUBCq341A9My_0rSuPUdi6YoMEYtddeXsLR3YVhOxj8thbM_bDajon0dmYKQwXIbUsszM/s400/Mercedes-Benz-logo.jpg
Example # 2
For example 2 I am going to keep that link think going and discuss this 12 person design group are among the first non-german designers to do design for BMW, and many other German brands.
BlueInkAgency
These guys started largely as a fashion branding company. I my self have read that many designer fear branding fashion because it is so short lived and lack of good aesthetics involved. Good aesthetic must be timeless in nature.
In our new and improved recession era, fashion is being defined by the fashion of the super giants, I.e WalMart, Target, blah-blah-blog!
Blue Ink Agency brings their direct heritage, their local linguistics and apply their ideal into streamlined, sensible solutions, with individual say from within the agency.
Designer example. http://www.nicholasdeakins.com/
I think this is a great example of fun, engaging, basic, eco-aware branding and products.
Going through their work container reminds me of why I wanted to become a designer in the first place because of the engaging simplicity and the clear communication from creator to audience. But fore most, because I wanted to design fashion with purpose, i.e. exoskeleton body suits, etc. http://blueinkagency.com/#work-container
This company functions for me as a visual representation of form following function; enabling branding through potentially enduring iconography and connecting their brands to their audiences, through individual lines of communication. This is because their branding process follows simplicity and meaning first, through understanding of their client. Their works stands for something visually an emotionally and then solves a problem.
Because art is, the question creator. We as Designers must answer the questions.
Their (example #2's)work encompasses alot of design digital...Web design, photography, marketing, web design, advertising design and print, publishing; whatever is in their scope of possibility, all in a recession minded fashion. Recession proofing is to cost cut and streamline in the development process.
I like these guys because of the lens from which they are looking. They understand the value of creating a well thought out concept first, then rolling it out with hour power.
Their style is local and reflects the feeling, emotions, concepts, issues and all that each designer brings to the table but they also are providing solid marketing solutions to their customers who are recession minded. They connect their client to their clients intended audience because the designers expose themselves constantly to the realities of the world.
Locally, their work resonates the free, simplistic and targeted component needed to make the right connections with their audiences. They know not to over power people with imagery they can't identify with. Each team member is encouraged to express themselves on their own blogs within the agency, further extending the individuality of the agency.
http://www.blueinkagency.com/#about-container
Their methods seem to be thoughtful unique, rightly place in their own niches.
Example # 3
Sustainability. When I think about brand sustainability, customer loyalty, I have to think about coke.
http://www.dot-design.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/coke4.jpg
Coke is brand. Prove it?
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2009/1/coca_cola_bubbles.jpg
Coke evokes emotional response, always. Brite colors and negative and implied spaces help the audience navigate to the emotion Coca cola wants you, the consumer to feel.
Coca-Cola knows nostalgia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIk7Q_DJIgQ We've all seem and remember the bears. I can't say the bears are my favorite. They have their time and place. They are seasonal for sure, at least for me but the commercials brings families together because they are really, about bringing the family together to enjoy a Coca-Cola.
And also apply s simplicity to it's brand. Simplicity always allows for a more universal appeal to a diverse and dynamic audience. Kids and parents are the bears!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXdsaYHUn1M&NR=1
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Blog3-Design Trends
Patagonia
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/home
The first brand that I have chosen to explore is Patagonia. Patagonia specializes in producing quality clothing and apparel for the outdoors. Patagonia has built a strong brand identity that resonates with its audience due not only to the quality of their products, but also their dedication to the environment.
One of the main reasons that I have chosen to take a closer look at Patagonia is because they have not only made the design of their products central to the ideals of the brand, but they have expanded upon that by creating and participating in programs to preserve wildlife and the surrounding environments in which they live. One particular program that Patagonia is involved in is the 1% for the Planet program. This program is a group of businesses that donate one percent of their earnings toward protecting the environment.
(http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1960&ln=32)
Patagonia has been a leader in the outdoor apparel industry for many years now, one of the reasons for this is the design driven quality of their products. These products are designed in order to endure the elements in which their audience enjoys. They have kept this idea close the the heart when designing new product that are central to the ideas and elements of the outdoors. Their ideals are central to that of "Responsibiz" that is discussed in the 5 new design trends reading.
Patagonia has done everything in its power in order to become completely transparent in terms of environmental design by creating what they call "The Footprint Chronicles". This allows the customer to trace any particular product from its initial design to the distribution stage using many different types of media such as video and photos. This allows the customer to see that the brand is doing everything in its power to create socially and environmentally responsible products that are crucial for a successful brand today.
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/footprint/index.jsp
-Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. ~Patagonia
Google
www.google.com
It is hard to think about innovation in a brand and not mention Google. Google's simplistic design and ease of use caused this brand to become what seemed like and overnight sensation that captured the hearts of computer users all over the world.
In the beginning, Google's simple page layout confused its viewers. These users had become so used to the search engines that had pages filled with advertisements and other needless clutter that they thought the Google page would not fully load. This type of simplistic design is what Google has become known for, putting the functionality of the site before the form of it.
In addition to having one of the most innovative search engines on the web, Google has been on the front lines in the up and coming market of cloud computing with products such as Google Docs, Calendar, and Gmail. In the David Report it is discussed how important it is to innovate and break the rules in order to differentiate yourself from your competitors, and Google is doing just that by coming up with out of the box thinking that has provided us with these cloud computing services.
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
As far as advertising for the Google brand goes, they have done a great job of portraying their simplistic, to the point design. Take their recent Superbowl ad titled "Parisian Love"This ad exemplifies the simplicity of the brand , and shows exactly what their product is all about...searching the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU
In addition to Google's innovation they have become a very sustainable brand as well. They have taken a lead in producing product that will help users monitor their home energy use right from their fingertips. The program called Google PowerMeter is designed not only to conserve energy, but also to help each user save some money. (http://www.google.org/powermeter/) Aside from this particular program, Google also has a "green" campus that is offered to all of their employees. This ranges from having an on campus garden that is used to feed employees to arranging rides to work on bio diesel powered employee shuttles. Google is truly doing all it can to improve quaility of life for both its users and its employees.
http://www.google.com/corporate/green/index.html
Nike
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/?
Nike has become an iconic brand in our society. This is in part because of the central role that design has played in producing all that Nike has to offer whether this be a new shoe line or and iPod accessory.
Nike is a brand that has developed new technologies and ideas that allow design to be put into the consumers hands with tools such as NikeID. This project gives the customer near full control of designing the style of their shoe. Programs such as NikeID have been extremely successful in that they have helped to reconnect the consumer back to the brand in a way that not many other brands have been able to do. By being able to design your own shoe you are able to immerse yourself in the Nike brand without feeling as if you are trapped by what the brand would like you to wear. People are beginning to understand that we as consumers have more control than we may think when it comes to what brands can sell us. Nike is a brand that has realized consumers want more control over the products that they buy, so that is exactly what they have given them.
http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jsp?sitesrc=uslp
Another way in which Nike has broken down some boundaries as discussed in the 5 new design trends reading is that they have expanded upon just selling athletic shoes and apparel. Now you can find the Nike brand in places that many people never would have expected such as skateparks or even in the apple store. This type of expansion has allowed Nike to continuously reach new audiences that may have never accepted the Nike brand (i.e. skateboarders, snowboarders, action sports community) Nike has broken down these barriers by finding out what is important to these communities and providing those assets within their products.
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nke6/en_US/?sitesrc=uslp
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/home
The first brand that I have chosen to explore is Patagonia. Patagonia specializes in producing quality clothing and apparel for the outdoors. Patagonia has built a strong brand identity that resonates with its audience due not only to the quality of their products, but also their dedication to the environment.
One of the main reasons that I have chosen to take a closer look at Patagonia is because they have not only made the design of their products central to the ideals of the brand, but they have expanded upon that by creating and participating in programs to preserve wildlife and the surrounding environments in which they live. One particular program that Patagonia is involved in is the 1% for the Planet program. This program is a group of businesses that donate one percent of their earnings toward protecting the environment.
(http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1960&ln=32)
Patagonia has been a leader in the outdoor apparel industry for many years now, one of the reasons for this is the design driven quality of their products. These products are designed in order to endure the elements in which their audience enjoys. They have kept this idea close the the heart when designing new product that are central to the ideas and elements of the outdoors. Their ideals are central to that of "Responsibiz" that is discussed in the 5 new design trends reading.
Patagonia has done everything in its power in order to become completely transparent in terms of environmental design by creating what they call "The Footprint Chronicles". This allows the customer to trace any particular product from its initial design to the distribution stage using many different types of media such as video and photos. This allows the customer to see that the brand is doing everything in its power to create socially and environmentally responsible products that are crucial for a successful brand today.
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/footprint/index.jsp
-Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. ~Patagonia
www.google.com
It is hard to think about innovation in a brand and not mention Google. Google's simplistic design and ease of use caused this brand to become what seemed like and overnight sensation that captured the hearts of computer users all over the world.
In the beginning, Google's simple page layout confused its viewers. These users had become so used to the search engines that had pages filled with advertisements and other needless clutter that they thought the Google page would not fully load. This type of simplistic design is what Google has become known for, putting the functionality of the site before the form of it.
In addition to having one of the most innovative search engines on the web, Google has been on the front lines in the up and coming market of cloud computing with products such as Google Docs, Calendar, and Gmail. In the David Report it is discussed how important it is to innovate and break the rules in order to differentiate yourself from your competitors, and Google is doing just that by coming up with out of the box thinking that has provided us with these cloud computing services.
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
As far as advertising for the Google brand goes, they have done a great job of portraying their simplistic, to the point design. Take their recent Superbowl ad titled "Parisian Love"This ad exemplifies the simplicity of the brand , and shows exactly what their product is all about...searching the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU
In addition to Google's innovation they have become a very sustainable brand as well. They have taken a lead in producing product that will help users monitor their home energy use right from their fingertips. The program called Google PowerMeter is designed not only to conserve energy, but also to help each user save some money. (http://www.google.org/powermeter/) Aside from this particular program, Google also has a "green" campus that is offered to all of their employees. This ranges from having an on campus garden that is used to feed employees to arranging rides to work on bio diesel powered employee shuttles. Google is truly doing all it can to improve quaility of life for both its users and its employees.
http://www.google.com/corporate/green/index.html
Nike
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/?
Nike has become an iconic brand in our society. This is in part because of the central role that design has played in producing all that Nike has to offer whether this be a new shoe line or and iPod accessory.
Nike is a brand that has developed new technologies and ideas that allow design to be put into the consumers hands with tools such as NikeID. This project gives the customer near full control of designing the style of their shoe. Programs such as NikeID have been extremely successful in that they have helped to reconnect the consumer back to the brand in a way that not many other brands have been able to do. By being able to design your own shoe you are able to immerse yourself in the Nike brand without feeling as if you are trapped by what the brand would like you to wear. People are beginning to understand that we as consumers have more control than we may think when it comes to what brands can sell us. Nike is a brand that has realized consumers want more control over the products that they buy, so that is exactly what they have given them.
http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jsp?sitesrc=uslp
Another way in which Nike has broken down some boundaries as discussed in the 5 new design trends reading is that they have expanded upon just selling athletic shoes and apparel. Now you can find the Nike brand in places that many people never would have expected such as skateparks or even in the apple store. This type of expansion has allowed Nike to continuously reach new audiences that may have never accepted the Nike brand (i.e. skateboarders, snowboarders, action sports community) Nike has broken down these barriers by finding out what is important to these communities and providing those assets within their products.
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nke6/en_US/?sitesrc=uslp
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Blog 3
In the David Report they conclude by saying “ According to us, good design is a clever solution to a problem. Design is about humans. Always. That is why it has to be culturally connected. We are not machines. You always have to see design trough the lens of humanity.” The three examples I picked use humanity and responsibility as central ideas to their design and brand.
I want to use Plus Minus Zero as my first example of how design and branding is playing a central role in branding and communication in the marketplace. Plus Minus Zero was founded by Naoto Fukasawa. He is the creative genius behind all of their products. He has won many awards for his cutting edge designs and continues to push design foreword in creative and useful ways. Plus Minus Zero designs electrical appliances and sundry goods for domestic objects that range from wristwatches to heaters. His products have a futuristic appeal and tend to look extremely simplified and focused on form and function.
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/fukasawa.html
The merit of this brand cannot be overlooked. They design products to push the possibilities of design into a new era with seemingly timeless products. Fukasawa’s philosophy on design is to create products that “seemed to exist but didn’t.” In other words he creates products that consumers feel at home with at first glance as if they seem to fit naturally into the human landscape. His products highlight the simplicity of design and how it should be used in the future to enrich people’s lives and drown out bad design. Bad design tends to have a short life span and comes and goes with the ever-changing consumer trends.
http://en.plusminuszero.jp/#/about/
In the David Report they mention Fukasawa’s designs in one of the five key design trends, Rationassance. “Rationassance goes beyond the short term and fleeting trends. It is about functioning and often rational things that at the same time are stylish and iconic.” Fukasawa epitomizes this design trend with his seemingly timeless and stylish products.
Plus Minus Zero’s designs is the essence of their brand. They focus on creating harmony with humanity by providing products that are stylish, functional, iconic and timeless. A strong emphasis is put on the responsibility to create useful products that will stand up to the changing fads and last a significant amount of time. Maybe even to be passed down from generation to generation.
http://en.plusminuszero.jp/#/collection/
I really like Plus Minus Zero. I think we need to see more of this in the future. I think with Fukasawa we are seeing the future of design take shape. To refer back to the David report once again they mention breaking the rules. Dare to be different. “Do not forget the mantra that applies to the development of all sorts of products, differentiation!” Plus Minus Zero is breaking the rules of design by pushing it foreword in a positive and enriching way, and maybe this is the start of responsible, timeless design of the future. They differentiate from the majority and by doing that they show us what is now possible.
My next example is the O.S. Initiative. To summarize this brand makes accessory products with leather remnants from Australian cricket balls. The leather waste is typically discarded in Australia. The O.S. Initiative takes the waste and turns it into original products. My focus will be on their product line called Good Sport. One of their products in the Good sport product line is called the Bowling Arm. The Bowling Arm epitomizes the essence of the brand. “The Bowling Arm is a simple idea- it’s about making something out of nothing. It supports the design and production of sustainable product ideas and embraces the joy of story telling.”
This brand can be recognized for its socially responsible merit and dedication to sustainability. We can relate the connection of The O.S. Initiative to the ongoing struggle and concepts of making sustainable, responsible products for the future of consumerism. More and more the consumer is becoming socially responsible through the products they choose to buy and interact with and more and more companies are looking for ways to produce and provide those sustainable products.
http://osinitiative.com/welcome-to-os-initiative
The Sustainability Gap in the David Report states that “if sustainability is to be accepted into the DNA of design, and not ultimately something rejected as something alien, it must evolve into something that, directly and intensively delivers value and well being itself to users, citizens, consumers.”
The value of the O.S. Initiative’s products comes from the beloved game of cricket. “ The game of cricket unites Britain and commonwealth nations in a shared sporting mystique. It is part of the Australian experience; played by communities through decades of change it has long been associated with notions of “fair play” and good sportsmanship. The mystique of their products is parallel to the mystique of cricket.
http://osinitiative.com/good-sport
The O.S. Initiative can be directly related to one of David Reports five key design trends, Responsibiz. They define resposibiz as clever, humanistic and responsible. They relate humanisticly to people through the mystique of cricket using cricket balls to produce their products. They are also responsibly using discarded leather which otherwise would end up in a landfill somewhere.
The O.S. Initiative’s product designs help to create their brand. Their brand speaks of sustainability, responsibility and industrious fashion.
This is a great example of a company who is striving to change the way products are made. By using leather waste they create something out of nothing. I only hope to see more of this in the future. It’s time that companies really push towards taking responsibility for the products they produce and work toward more sustainable and ecologically friendly goods.
My last example is Toms shoes. When you purchase a pair of shoes they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. They utilize the purchasing power of individuals for the greater good. “ Toms one for one business model transforms customers to benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.”
The merit of Toms is unprecedented. Toms has personally relied on being socially responsible by giving children in need shoes. To quote the David Report “ Really successful design always looks through the lens of humanity; life enriching products that speaks both to our hearts and our brains.” I think that this is evident with Toms shoes that focuses on humanity through their products. They tell stories through their products that have cultural relevance and evoke meaning. They also focus heavily on differentiation by redefining the social responsibility of a shoe company.
http://www.toms.com/our-movement/
Toms can be directly related to a few of the David Reports five key design trends. Responsibiz and Breaking Boundaries. They focus on responsible humanistic values by supplying shoes to needy children when consumers by a pair of their shoes. The one for one mentality, for every pair of shoes Toms will give a pair to a child in need. “Breaking Boundaries is about breaking new ground.” The David Report also mentions intersection. In the report Frans Johansson said, “ People who can step into an intersection of different fields or cultures are those who will change the world.” Toms is breaking boundaries between cultures with their shoes and possibly changing the way we consumers contribute to the greater good of humanity.
Toms product design reflects the brand. Their products are simple, organic looking shoes that seem to fit across many cultures. They are not extravagant or flashy, they serve a purpose and tell a story which is ultimately tied back to emotion and humanity. Their brand stands for humanity and responsibility for the greater good.
I think Toms really highlights the ideas and concepts within the five key design trends. Toms is built on the idea that consumers can actually make a difference in some child’s life. I love it!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Blog Exercise #3 – Design and Brand Trends
Read the following regarding design trends:
http://www.davidreport.com/File/update/353/
http://www.davidreport.com/File/update/360/
Using the speculations, assessments, and postulations provided in the materials find three real-world examples of how design is playing a CENTRAL role in branding and communication in the marketplace.
Write a summation of each example and detail its merit, its connection, how it is using design as brand, and why you found it to be a good example. Be sure to tie your findings directly to the essays. Conduct additional research as necessary to support all of your assertions. Provide links to material that supports each assertion.
YOU MAY NOT WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY POSTED. This means that the sooner you begin the project the more choices you will have!
The blog entry is due on March 9th at Midnight
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Blog 2 - Ron C.
How has consumer behavior has shifted in the past, and will shift because of this recession?
Consumer behavior is influenced by many factors. Technology is always progressing and causing changes to the interaction between customer and product/service. For instance, the revolution in the film world when VHS became popular and people no longer relied on movie theaters to see movies. Economic changes can affect how much consumers spend versus how much they save as well as what they spend money on. Recession usually causes people to save more. When consumers spend during a recession they are more likely to seek out the best deal or buy lower quality products that are less expensive than their favorite brands.
www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/05/recession-tales-saving-vs-spending-a-tough-battle
I would argue that consumer behavior has already been affected by this recession. With such a high unemployment level and costs that continue to rise, most people have already changed the way they buy.
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/new-rules-the-crisis-has-changed-consumer-behavior/
How does design develop brand truth?
I think design develops whatever the client would like to suggest to the customer is the truth about the product. Design can obscure the truth by focusing attention on the brand’s message, while downplaying any possible negative truths about the product. For example, many new drugs on the market like Lunesta, which is disguised as a helpful drug that helps you fall asleep...never mind the fact that it has been shown to cause suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, amnesia, depression, anxiety, headaches, nausea, constipation, and severe allergic reactions. The design focuses on the possible beneficial effects, and only mentions the other things because the company legally has to.
http://www.drugs.com/lunesta.html
Is there a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty?
Sometimes happiness and brand loyalty can be fused into one, like maybe Apple, but I would argue that the two are different. A product or service may increase my happiness, but it’s not necessarily the brand that gets the credit. The brand is one of many vendors who offer the product I desire. If one outshines the rest I may stick with it, but it’s not the brand that makes me happy...it’s the product/service. For instance, roller coasters make me super happy, and the one at Six Flags may be my favorite because it’s closest and consistently fun, but the roller coasters at Knott’s Berry Farm will provide the same thrill when I’m there.
http://scottjeffrey.com/2009/11/source-of-happiness/
Blog 2 James
Consumer bahavior has made a dramatic shift from consumer behavior. Primarily, more and more people are wanting creting control over the branks that they identify themselves with. The products that they consumer are the products that the consumer wants to have creative control over.
Due to the recession, modeling products first digitally for the consumer, involving them in making structured choices, to give the consumer an exact idea of what their self created end product may look like.
The Recession too blankets society in a cover of fear and worry. Worrying if their standard of living is going to change as their dollars buy fewer and fewer goods.
One of the great things that makes Nike ID so successful, is exactly what the brand implies. It's taking "Nikes" and it take "you" the consumer. Through means of technology, parts of peoples lives that may take a hit dorectly due to the recession, may still enjoy the same standard of living through wireframing the consumer/consumption process.
The recession to makes people worry that everything with be commodified and everything that we look like is a brand of some commercial entity.
When talking about design and develping design truth, truth in design come from the interactive process that is enveloped in the design. The process and the visualization of the actualization of any product, from start to finish, given a period of time, helps reaffirm design truth.
Is there a difference between producing brand truth versus brand loyalty? Absolutely. Cosmetics typacally are brands that have claims that they just can't live up to; claims that are more justly found on the business end of the plastic surgery knife. But purchasing a brand of cosmetics for a woman can be an exilirating experience, especially based on the precept that this cosmetic may actually do something for them. The cosmetics give the consumer a sense of happiness, satisfaction and contentment and the reassurance of a consistent brand, keeps the customer loyal and coming back. Loyalty, comes from the consistent reinforcement of what the brand stands for to the customer. During a time of recession, companies need to make sure that they position themselves as accutely and accurately as posible.
Intersting...where does the reponsibility of happiness lie. As to whether or not we should be happy, the question is are we happy and where does that happiness come from? From within, from the things and items that we seek out?
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/blog/post/the-pursuit-of-happiness-are-we-responsible/?src=keyword_s=yah_K=SearchForHappiness_C=Altruism_G=PursuitOfHappiness_Happiness_M=broad&OVRAW=what%20is%20the%20difference%20between%20brand%20truth%20and%20brand%20happiness&OVKEY=and%20happiness&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=28960431521&OVKWID=253534770021&OVCAMPGID=4115649521&OVADGRPID=12304091409&OVNDID=ND2&ysmwa=_sUeHUWMJPn2aYSI7Q_yIWgcSMpAGukhijCU1ifLN52dOOek9qltgqDh7G5TzhVI
Due to the recession, modeling products first digitally for the consumer, involving them in making structured choices, to give the consumer an exact idea of what their self created end product may look like.
The Recession too blankets society in a cover of fear and worry. Worrying if their standard of living is going to change as their dollars buy fewer and fewer goods.
One of the great things that makes Nike ID so successful, is exactly what the brand implies. It's taking "Nikes" and it take "you" the consumer. Through means of technology, parts of peoples lives that may take a hit dorectly due to the recession, may still enjoy the same standard of living through wireframing the consumer/consumption process.
The recession to makes people worry that everything with be commodified and everything that we look like is a brand of some commercial entity.
When talking about design and develping design truth, truth in design come from the interactive process that is enveloped in the design. The process and the visualization of the actualization of any product, from start to finish, given a period of time, helps reaffirm design truth.
Is there a difference between producing brand truth versus brand loyalty? Absolutely. Cosmetics typacally are brands that have claims that they just can't live up to; claims that are more justly found on the business end of the plastic surgery knife. But purchasing a brand of cosmetics for a woman can be an exilirating experience, especially based on the precept that this cosmetic may actually do something for them. The cosmetics give the consumer a sense of happiness, satisfaction and contentment and the reassurance of a consistent brand, keeps the customer loyal and coming back. Loyalty, comes from the consistent reinforcement of what the brand stands for to the customer. During a time of recession, companies need to make sure that they position themselves as accutely and accurately as posible.
Intersting...where does the reponsibility of happiness lie. As to whether or not we should be happy, the question is are we happy and where does that happiness come from? From within, from the things and items that we seek out?
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/blog/post/the-pursuit-of-happiness-are-we-responsible/?src=keyword_s=yah_K=SearchForHappiness_C=Altruism_G=PursuitOfHappiness_Happiness_M=broad&OVRAW=what%20is%20the%20difference%20between%20brand%20truth%20and%20brand%20happiness&OVKEY=and%20happiness&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=28960431521&OVKWID=253534770021&OVCAMPGID=4115649521&OVADGRPID=12304091409&OVNDID=ND2&ysmwa=_sUeHUWMJPn2aYSI7Q_yIWgcSMpAGukhijCU1ifLN52dOOek9qltgqDh7G5TzhVI
Elliott's Blog Post #2
· How has consumer behavior shifted in the past, and will it shift because of this recession?
I believe that consumer behavior usually changes when new products and new technologies are created. Personal CD players used to be the item to own in order to listen to music on the go. As soon as mp3 players like the iPod were invented, consumers ditched their CD players and jumped on the mp3 player band wagon. We as consumers always want to be up to date with the current trends and the newest technology.
Consumer behavior will probably not change during the recession if no new devices or gadgets are being produced. However, if a new method of listening to music is created that is better than the iPod, then consumers will doubtlessly follow the new trend regardless of whether they are in a recession or not.
· How does design develop brand truth?
Every aspect of design is trying to support the brand and develop brand truth. Take Quiksilver for example, they describe themselves as a company that "produces and distributes clothing, accessories and related products for young-minded people and develops brands that represent a casual lifestyle driven from a boardriding heritage." The design of their website (http://surf.quiksilver.com/index.aspx) reflects this feeling and helps give the brand some truth. They are more believable as a brand with their surfer imagery and hand written typography than if their designs were say grayscale with small typography and fewer images.
· Is there a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty?
I think so. To me producing happiness is very short term whereas creating brand loyalty is more long term. You can create a good advertising campaign that will win over customers and they may buy your product and experience "happiness", but as a company you must be able to deliver in the long term and keep your customers satisfied. Creating a brand that customers become loyal to is more important than producing short bursts of "happiness" for your customers that eventually wear off.
I believe that consumer behavior usually changes when new products and new technologies are created. Personal CD players used to be the item to own in order to listen to music on the go. As soon as mp3 players like the iPod were invented, consumers ditched their CD players and jumped on the mp3 player band wagon. We as consumers always want to be up to date with the current trends and the newest technology.
Consumer behavior will probably not change during the recession if no new devices or gadgets are being produced. However, if a new method of listening to music is created that is better than the iPod, then consumers will doubtlessly follow the new trend regardless of whether they are in a recession or not.
· How does design develop brand truth?
Every aspect of design is trying to support the brand and develop brand truth. Take Quiksilver for example, they describe themselves as a company that "produces and distributes clothing, accessories and related products for young-minded people and develops brands that represent a casual lifestyle driven from a boardriding heritage." The design of their website (http://surf.quiksilver.com/index.aspx) reflects this feeling and helps give the brand some truth. They are more believable as a brand with their surfer imagery and hand written typography than if their designs were say grayscale with small typography and fewer images.
· Is there a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty?
I think so. To me producing happiness is very short term whereas creating brand loyalty is more long term. You can create a good advertising campaign that will win over customers and they may buy your product and experience "happiness", but as a company you must be able to deliver in the long term and keep your customers satisfied. Creating a brand that customers become loyal to is more important than producing short bursts of "happiness" for your customers that eventually wear off.
Blog2-Tyler Kellogg
Customer behavior will always fluxuate in order to accommodate the economic times, however I feel that because of our current economic situation, also known as a recession, customers are looking for a way to become more individual. Companies such as Nike, Oakley, and even Burton are the ones that are providing this for their consumers with NikeiD, or customizable goggles from Oakley and personalized phrases or artwork on the bottom of your snowboard deck from Burton. Although for these corporations, now that they have given the customer this amount of power, it is not really something that can be taken back from the consumer. It will be interesting to see how Nike and companies who adapt to personalizing their products for consumers adjust to this in the future.
Burtons Series 13 Project
http://www.series13.com/Default.asp
Design helps to develop brand truth in many ways. From beginning to end the design process determines the direction of any company or idea. These different elements of design from everything from color palette to a TV commercial are ways to tell the customer what exactly this company is about and also why they are important. If a single element of a companies branding strategy is off, it can completely mislead a customer in the brands message. If a customer is misinterpreting a brands message the there is a quite obviously something wrong within the design and the way that the brand is being represented. These two elements must work hand in hand in order to reach the consumer in a way that is both interesting and important in order for the brand to become successful and gain a loyal consumer base. In addition to this the brand must establish itself in a way that is able to differentiate itself from the rest of the marketplace and establish some sort of meaningful connection with its audience.
http://www.smithandjones.com/content1264
Personally I feel that there is a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty. Although I also feel that these two must follow a similar path in order to create a successful brand. If a customer is not happy with a product or brand, chances are they will not return to buy or use that product again. As a brand you must be able to make the customer happy with the product that you create before you can even begin to think about them becoming loyal to the service that you provide. In this way I feel they are quite similar, however there are many products out there that may make me happy, but this does not necessarily mean that it is going to make me loyal to that specific brand. Although chances are I may feel more comfortable buying that particular brand again, I may feel that there is another brand out there that could possibly do it better. I truly feel that happiness and brand loyalty fall within the product that is being sold and the consumers wants and needs. This issue also deals with the idea that although one product may taste, look, or feel better or worse, the consumer may still buy a particular brand based specifically on status of the brand. For example, take our recent study of Starbucks. Many people love the taste of Starbucks coffee. It makes them happy even when paying $3 to $5 per cup. Even though the taste and status of this coffee may the consumer happy, there are other factors that come into play when discussing brand loyalty, such as what type of ethical business decisions the company is making. I know that I am not the only person who feels this way about this particular coffee giant. Although drinking a cup of their coffee may make me happy in terms of my own taste buds, this does not mean that I will return to their store again simply based on their business decisions.
Burtons Series 13 Project
http://www.series13.com/Default.asp
Design helps to develop brand truth in many ways. From beginning to end the design process determines the direction of any company or idea. These different elements of design from everything from color palette to a TV commercial are ways to tell the customer what exactly this company is about and also why they are important. If a single element of a companies branding strategy is off, it can completely mislead a customer in the brands message. If a customer is misinterpreting a brands message the there is a quite obviously something wrong within the design and the way that the brand is being represented. These two elements must work hand in hand in order to reach the consumer in a way that is both interesting and important in order for the brand to become successful and gain a loyal consumer base. In addition to this the brand must establish itself in a way that is able to differentiate itself from the rest of the marketplace and establish some sort of meaningful connection with its audience.
http://www.smithandjones.com/content1264
Personally I feel that there is a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty. Although I also feel that these two must follow a similar path in order to create a successful brand. If a customer is not happy with a product or brand, chances are they will not return to buy or use that product again. As a brand you must be able to make the customer happy with the product that you create before you can even begin to think about them becoming loyal to the service that you provide. In this way I feel they are quite similar, however there are many products out there that may make me happy, but this does not necessarily mean that it is going to make me loyal to that specific brand. Although chances are I may feel more comfortable buying that particular brand again, I may feel that there is another brand out there that could possibly do it better. I truly feel that happiness and brand loyalty fall within the product that is being sold and the consumers wants and needs. This issue also deals with the idea that although one product may taste, look, or feel better or worse, the consumer may still buy a particular brand based specifically on status of the brand. For example, take our recent study of Starbucks. Many people love the taste of Starbucks coffee. It makes them happy even when paying $3 to $5 per cup. Even though the taste and status of this coffee may the consumer happy, there are other factors that come into play when discussing brand loyalty, such as what type of ethical business decisions the company is making. I know that I am not the only person who feels this way about this particular coffee giant. Although drinking a cup of their coffee may make me happy in terms of my own taste buds, this does not mean that I will return to their store again simply based on their business decisions.
Blog 2
People today are given the luxury of providing their own look and feel for certain products. Marking will soon have to adjust a considerable amount more than they have over the past several years in order to retain interest in the market place and keep up with the competition. With the arrival of the Web a new form of advertising was possible where companies are able to pinpoint their target demographic by tracking user habits or advertising based on page content. Furthermore, classic mediums for advertising have been loosing attention to the web as younger people are finding interest in rich media online, and social networking sites. This article in New York Times discusses the newest trend in advertising, which is advertising on Webisodes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/media/24adcol.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimestech
Halfway through last year there were over a hundred newspapers to close down because of general interest moving towards the web.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-death-of-the-american-newspaper-2009-7
As people get more and more used to the interactive and pinpoint style marketing techniques, reaching a customer base by way of print will soon part of antiquity.
Design is the communication tool that companies have to inform and promote. When good design brings clarity of your message to a customer they know and understand the purpose of a brand. Truth can partly be the message that you are trying to communicate but that’s only half of the formula. You have to be sure that people understand your message.
Happiness is a fleeting moment that can’t be produced by a product or a brand. The best you can do is to provide accommodations for a person to be happy. You can lend a positive attitude that some may follow and if you do this with efficiency and consistency you may be able to gain brand loyalty from those who are receiving your message, but they are definitely not the same. People can be loyal to a brand through some very unhappy times, and it could even be the product making them unhappy (e.g. Microsoft makes people unhappy all the time but they still sell computers).
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/media/24adcol.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimestech
Halfway through last year there were over a hundred newspapers to close down because of general interest moving towards the web.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-death-of-the-american-newspaper-2009-7
As people get more and more used to the interactive and pinpoint style marketing techniques, reaching a customer base by way of print will soon part of antiquity.
Design is the communication tool that companies have to inform and promote. When good design brings clarity of your message to a customer they know and understand the purpose of a brand. Truth can partly be the message that you are trying to communicate but that’s only half of the formula. You have to be sure that people understand your message.
Happiness is a fleeting moment that can’t be produced by a product or a brand. The best you can do is to provide accommodations for a person to be happy. You can lend a positive attitude that some may follow and if you do this with efficiency and consistency you may be able to gain brand loyalty from those who are receiving your message, but they are definitely not the same. People can be loyal to a brand through some very unhappy times, and it could even be the product making them unhappy (e.g. Microsoft makes people unhappy all the time but they still sell computers).
Blog 2 Jacob Imlay
• How has consumer behavior has shifted in the past, and will shift because of this recession?
The following blog outlines consumer behavior shifts and it’s effects during the great depression. http://tribalinsight.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/part-four-recessiondepression-whats-going-to-happen/ During the Great Depression consumers had less money so they rarely save and purchased only necessities. Resulting in companies changing identities to make products and services cheaper as a way to attract consumers. The author of the article made many predictions dealing with consumer behavior in the current recession; believing that low-priced goods will be more desired, services will be acquired less often and put off purchasing current technologies. Consumers in the current economic state are more conscience of what they spend their money on, so it is not surprising that one would think that non-essential commodities would be acquired less often. The author’s last prediction however is not accurate, new technology continuously produced and rapidly consumed.The technology market strategy has started to move towards quality, affordable, sustainable products. This is evident in the new iPad, which advertises it as a revolutionary device at an affordable price. http://www.apple.com/ipad/
• How does design develop brand truth?
Design finds an element the brand already contains which is exclusive or specialized and brings it to attention making it the brand truth. MasterCard’s identity is a great example; they did not change the company service they only advertised that they care about “What Matters”. Lawrence Flanagan’s developed the identity, “What Matters”, after extensive consumer research. He said 'Listen to the consumer' they will explain what is important in the brand and their expectation. Developing a brand identity that can be supported through out the brand is needed to develop brand truth. This should be a single, memorable expression of what the brand encompasses. An example of how this can go wrong is the rebrand of RadioShack to The Shack; the new identity does nothing to support the brand while making it seem ambiguous, by shorting its name, confusing customers. http://creative-brand.com/thestory/?p=800 Showing how a poor brand identity can lead to loss of brand truth, even for an established company.
• Is there a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty?
Yes there is a difference because brand loyalty is a product of consistent consumer happiness. Brands can produce happiness but be inconsistent in pleasing the consumer, causing the brand not to build loyalty. People will be more inclined to trust a brand that they have had previous positive experiences. Happiness broad term an can encompass many aspect of a customers experience. The customer can be happy with their overall experience with a brand but not be satisfied with certain aspects and associations, causing the brand not to gain the consumer’s loyalty. This is evident in the following study, which details how poor customer services leads to the loss of consumers. http://www.physorg.com/news157300871.html One interesting aspect of the study is that customer service build emotional ties between a customer and their service provider. Happiness is an emotion while brand loyalty is an emotional tie.
The following blog outlines consumer behavior shifts and it’s effects during the great depression. http://tribalinsight.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/part-four-recessiondepression-whats-going-to-happen/ During the Great Depression consumers had less money so they rarely save and purchased only necessities. Resulting in companies changing identities to make products and services cheaper as a way to attract consumers. The author of the article made many predictions dealing with consumer behavior in the current recession; believing that low-priced goods will be more desired, services will be acquired less often and put off purchasing current technologies. Consumers in the current economic state are more conscience of what they spend their money on, so it is not surprising that one would think that non-essential commodities would be acquired less often. The author’s last prediction however is not accurate, new technology continuously produced and rapidly consumed.The technology market strategy has started to move towards quality, affordable, sustainable products. This is evident in the new iPad, which advertises it as a revolutionary device at an affordable price. http://www.apple.com/ipad/
• How does design develop brand truth?
Design finds an element the brand already contains which is exclusive or specialized and brings it to attention making it the brand truth. MasterCard’s identity is a great example; they did not change the company service they only advertised that they care about “What Matters”. Lawrence Flanagan’s developed the identity, “What Matters”, after extensive consumer research. He said 'Listen to the consumer' they will explain what is important in the brand and their expectation. Developing a brand identity that can be supported through out the brand is needed to develop brand truth. This should be a single, memorable expression of what the brand encompasses. An example of how this can go wrong is the rebrand of RadioShack to The Shack; the new identity does nothing to support the brand while making it seem ambiguous, by shorting its name, confusing customers. http://creative-brand.com/thestory/?p=800 Showing how a poor brand identity can lead to loss of brand truth, even for an established company.
• Is there a difference between producing happiness and producing brand loyalty?
Yes there is a difference because brand loyalty is a product of consistent consumer happiness. Brands can produce happiness but be inconsistent in pleasing the consumer, causing the brand not to build loyalty. People will be more inclined to trust a brand that they have had previous positive experiences. Happiness broad term an can encompass many aspect of a customers experience. The customer can be happy with their overall experience with a brand but not be satisfied with certain aspects and associations, causing the brand not to gain the consumer’s loyalty. This is evident in the following study, which details how poor customer services leads to the loss of consumers. http://www.physorg.com/news157300871.html One interesting aspect of the study is that customer service build emotional ties between a customer and their service provider. Happiness is an emotion while brand loyalty is an emotional tie.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Blog 2
Consumers often choose a specific brand out of personal experiences or their social and economic situations. Brands must be aware of this and either adjust themselves accordingly or make a convincing case for why they should still be chosen over the trending brand. Our current recession is a particularly interesting example of consumer behavior shifts and the design of brands because of the complexity involved in markets right now. http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/04/consumer-spending-recession-leadership-managing-mckinsey.html Betsy Bohlen, Steve Carlotti and Liz Mihas tap McKinsey Quarterly for information about current consumer behavior trends and analyze its projected impact on brands. A shift is occurring in which consumers are being more conservative with their purchases and testing the waters of off brand products instead of the better-known companies. As a result of this shift some companies will design a brand that evolves with the consumer market and begin creating products and advertising for cheaper versions of their once popular product driving the idea that the customer truly effects the direction of the design and brand itself. But at the same time we will see companies who continue their current brand strategy no matter the economic situation because they deem themselves a reliable brand that the cheaper alternatives cannot compete with in quality.
The Forbes article also takes note of an important new influence on brand in the form of customer research of products before purchase. Brand truth can be tested by whether a consumer community has positive or negative experiences with not only company aspects as; product, price, costumer service and convenience but also the brands design which influence general appeal and marketing. Essentially brand truth identifies what the limits of your company’s image are in the minds of the consumers. What is your brand and what is it not? (http://www.corporatelogo.com/articles/sales-strategies/brand-truth.html) Design will develop brand truth by exemplifying all the positives the brand will do for the consumer over the competitors and take it to the edge of its limitations. The design will reveal hidden aspects of the brand that are important to its customers and illuminating a clear, concise identity in their minds.
According to Essortment.com’s article on brand loyalty (http://www.essortment.com/all/brandloyalty_pqk.htm), “Consumer behavior is habitual because habits are safe and familiar.” A brand’s trust is essential to developing a habitual ‘safe’ and ‘familiar’ net in which the consumer can fall in when they are unsure of which product to choose. If a consumer is happy about a product and repeatedly turns to it for continuous positive use then it has generated loyalty. The two ideas go hand in hand.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Blog 2
1. I think to some degree, consumers have always played a big role in the design and branding process for most companies. The spending behaviors of consumers may fluctuate with the economy. There have been several shifts in the behavior of consumers over the last few decades, almost always in relation to the economy. When times are bad, consumers look for the products that will give more bang for their buck, vs. more buying expensive products when times are good. It’s apparent that in the midst of the most recent recession, people have been spending their money a little more carefully. Consumers are also spending more time researching products before they make purchases. Forbes has a great article that goes into detail about the spending habits since the recession.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/04/consumer-spending-recession-leadership-managing-mckinsey.html . It says that for products like Alcohol and tobacco, people continued to buy the same brands after the recession; but bought cheaper versions of medicine and some foods. It’s apparent that the products people were willing to spend the same amount of money on have gained customer loyalty, and offered some service that couldn’t be duplicated.
2. Design can really make or break the truth of a brand. Everything that the company stands for, and is known for by its costumers need to be seen in a visual way, through design. Everything from the company’s logo, color scheme, and packaging needs to further add to the experience of the company. Customers can make judgment calls about companies based solely on their advertising, whether its “true” or not. A company called Clean Design shares their view about designing truth for their client’s companies. http://www.cleandesign.com/process.html
It says that “find a truth about your brand means we have made a direct connection with you and your audience. It’s all about emotion and experience, and design can create that.
3. I think producing happiness amongst customers is what essentially creates loyalty with that company. People will return to that company if they happy with their service/product, and had a good experience as well. Concerning the customizable products from the readings, it seems like those companies are all about creating happiness for the customer. The buyers are given a chance to “participate” in the creation of their own products, allowing customization and personalization. They are given the tools to create a product that they will be happy to have, not simply pre-made designs that requires some sacrifice on the customer’s side. Loyalty will come because of the positive experiences had by the customer.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/04/consumer-spending-recession-leadership-managing-mckinsey.html . It says that for products like Alcohol and tobacco, people continued to buy the same brands after the recession; but bought cheaper versions of medicine and some foods. It’s apparent that the products people were willing to spend the same amount of money on have gained customer loyalty, and offered some service that couldn’t be duplicated.
2. Design can really make or break the truth of a brand. Everything that the company stands for, and is known for by its costumers need to be seen in a visual way, through design. Everything from the company’s logo, color scheme, and packaging needs to further add to the experience of the company. Customers can make judgment calls about companies based solely on their advertising, whether its “true” or not. A company called Clean Design shares their view about designing truth for their client’s companies. http://www.cleandesign.com/process.html
It says that “find a truth about your brand means we have made a direct connection with you and your audience. It’s all about emotion and experience, and design can create that.
3. I think producing happiness amongst customers is what essentially creates loyalty with that company. People will return to that company if they happy with their service/product, and had a good experience as well. Concerning the customizable products from the readings, it seems like those companies are all about creating happiness for the customer. The buyers are given a chance to “participate” in the creation of their own products, allowing customization and personalization. They are given the tools to create a product that they will be happy to have, not simply pre-made designs that requires some sacrifice on the customer’s side. Loyalty will come because of the positive experiences had by the customer.
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