providing graphic design, branding, photography and marketing expertise to denver and the world
Quote
of the Week:
All solitary dreamers know that they hear differently when they close their eyes.-Gaston Bachelard
Just as I get used to writing "2007" on everything, here comes another year.
Happy New Year, loyal reader. This has been a great year at Notchcode. Lots of creative projects, and clients who actually get the fact that good design gets good results. We did a lot of interesting and worthwhile work. Some notable bits:
- I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Yahoo! Media Group Flash advertising guidelines (thanks, ClickHere, for being so patient). For someone who really loves trying to avoid using Flash, I actually do a lot of it now, and have gotten to the point where I don't cringe when someone asks me to to 20 versions of the same ad, with different specs, programming, actions, and dimensions.
- I got a even deeper into branding methodologies. Finding a good process for building a brand identity from the ground up can be a challenge. I found a great model in Alina Wheeler's work, and have built on it. It really doesn't matter if you are a low-budget startup or a multimillion dollar corporation; if you need branding work, the process is the same regardless of who you are. The difference is the resources you can bring to bear on things like competitive audits, testing, brand expressions, marketing, and the rest. But the philosophy and process is the same for a non-profit with a $5,000 budget as it is for a multinational corporation with a million dollar budget. This year I helped build two really nice brands for very different organizations, with different budgets, and by having a good process in place I was able to achieve success with both projects.
- Print advertising was on the rise this year. I know that some folks keep talking recession, and downturn, but we had a record number of print ad accounts show up at our door this year. These are fun, because I got to work with very specific goals for each campaign, and we applied tracking practices to measure success whenever possible. And I know people keep talking about how print is dead, yaddah yaddah yaddah--it really isn't. If you can build a solid print campaign, it can work very well within a lot of markets.
- Time management and project management is possible in a small office, if you have the right tools. Basecamp from 37 signals has been a great tool in keeping projects focused, on-time, and on-budget. And David Allen's Getting Things Done
methodology, along with tweaks online fron Kinkless, the Omni Group, and 43folders keeps me from wanting to drive my car off a bridge because I have too much to do.
- Sometimes the best projects are the ones you don't get paid to do. I could tell you horror stories about the pro bono work that comes with clients who assume that since you're doing it for free, then you must have plenty of time on your hands to make twenty additional revisions, change the concept right before it goes to press, and otherwise alter the scope of work and make your life crazy. Yes, that is the stereotype, and I have had my share. But I worked on a couple of pro bono project this year that were lovely, notably a re-election website for my local city councilperson, and ongoing work for a photographer friend of mine who makes amazing photographs of people, places, and things. They were both committed to the process, the project, and in making sure things worked well between us. Pro bono doesn't have to make you run the other way; just find projects you really care about, and get the right person on the other end of the project to align scope, expectations, and the rest with you so it doesn't go off the rails.
I got to meet some interesting and passionate lighting engineers. Passionate business executives. Passionate water and land use advocates. In fact, pretty much all of the clients around here were passionate about what they do. Which, obviously, helps make them so good at what they do. So a little unasked-for advice for 2008: be passionate about what you do!
- Once again, I have the most amazing vendors and partners in the world. I am talking about the great folks like Dave at Wandel, Keith at D&K, Tamera at Sprint, Justin at MailMasters of Colorado, the good folks at the local Compass Bank, and so many more. Combined with help, advice, and services from copywriter Jon, cartographer Nick, designer Heather, and SEO-program-dude Knox, Notchcode delivers a large agency footprint in a small agency package. You make me look good, and (more importantly) make my clients look great. Thanks, guys!
Have a great new year's celebration out there, and we'll see you in 2008.Labels: 2007, clients, holiday, work
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