the designers clock

Lovetime2

Over the weekend I had a very interesting conversation with a really close friend, and they were telling me a story about a friend of theirs who happens to be a the owner of a prominent hair solon, Hairstylist, an Artist. In the mist of the conversation I started to understand and design an idea about something that I have never articulated, because until now, I have not had a reference point OR a "mind shifting" experience that I could pull from. Well, thanks to the conversation that took place, I feel that I have what it takes to describe and idea that for all intents and purposes, I am going to call... 

The Designers Clock 

About two years ago, I got into a "word match" with a design project client about my fees that I will never forget. At that time my fee was 120.00USD/hr and for the life of them, they could NOT understand why I charge so much for my craft, my ART. To them, 120.00USD was far too much for me to be charging for the "work" that they "perceived" me doing. Most people look at the "art of earning" as follows: "trade of skill and time for dollars" or.... 

Skill + Time = X 

This model is perfect for occupations that require what I call "hand to end result" or "mind to end result" productivity.  In other words, IF what is being traded, the task at hand, has a very defined and structured "end result", the model of "trade of skill and time for dollars" model is perfect. However; there is a different model, and most Artist will fall into this category, and it looks more like this... 

Skill + Passion + Soul + Spirit / Time = X

This model suggest that the artist, the "creator", invest more into the window of time than simply his or her "ability" or "skill" BUT they invest very intimate and inward parts of who they are. These investments compound the time, and where what's being discussed is 1 hour, the true discussion is much more. Let me try and use the story my friend told me to illustrate this... 

The Hairstylist  had decided that he was going home at a predetermined time, however; a client (another artist) called in and asked if he could see her for a hair drying. Based on the idea that it was JUST a hair drying, the Hairstylist agreed to go over his predetermined time. Upon arrival the client asked if he could also do her bangs, and he (the Hairstylist) refused. He told the client that he was already extending his time, and he would not be able to do the bangs... The Client get's upset and suggest the idea that because she is an artist and he is an artist he should understand going the extra mile and making the client "happy". The Hairstylist stood his ground and reiterated the fact that she was spilling over into his time, and that he would not do the bangs... Long story short, the client get's upset (though her hair upon completion was immaculate) and the Hairstylist was left feeling confused about why this artist could not understand his art... 

In this instance you had one artist applying the Skill + Time = X model, and not thinking about the Skill + Passion + Soul + Spirit  / Time = X model. While the Hairstylist was actually saying ... 

"Ms. client, I have had my soul, my passion, my spirit and all that I am engaged my art all day, and I honestly need to rest..." 

The client was saying 

"Mr. Hairstylist, I am here for a seemingly simple task that should only take you 15 more minutes..." 

SO they were speaking two distinctly different languages. 

The Designers Clock is comprised of much more than just skill and time. It's compounded by a soulful investment, that authenticates the designers craft and makes them who they are. In the frame of "time" a true Artist will transcend the obvious trade of skill/time balance and enter a space that calls for a much greater investment that can only been seen with the naked eye AFTER the "work" is done... 

Vincent creates not only a beautiful, amazing, one of a kind design; he captures the essence of a person and the vision. He does not just create with his head, he creates with his heart and soul, with passion, bringing concepts to life!" Staci J. Shelton, Visionary. Life-Enthusiast. Communicator. Dreamscaper. Free-Thinker Energy-Changer...Consultant

So, when you ask a true Artist to give you just "15 more minutes" OR when you can not understand the audacity of their fees - think about the totality of the investments, the "creators cost"... The Designers Clock.

broadsharing: wfxl fox31 good day - twitter design (remixed)

Updated_goodday_twitter

This is a revised version of this project - with talent Anchor @ChinaSellers and Meteorologist/Co-Anchor  Mat Ortiz

Project: Twitter Layout Design
Designer: Vincent Hunt
Complete Project: http://tr.im/FOX31GOODDAY

interview: anil gupta - finding innovation in every corner

Anil_gupta_lead

Indian management expert Anil Gupta seeks to reduce poverty by championing those who are knowledge-rich and rupee-poor.

The Design Observer Group

Full Story: http://tr.im/anilgupta

people in the fog

Fog

A few weeks ago, my Personal Brand Manager Hajj Flemings ( http://twitter.com/hajjflemings ) asked a very profound question. Well at least TO ME it was profound, he asked...

"If you did not have Twitter, or Facebook, OR any social network for that matter, would you still have a solid personal brand?"

AT the exact same time, I was dealing with a personal "refinement" issue that I was weeding through and so with out a moment delay, I put this question to the test... I wanted to know what would happen if I stopped delivering content to the Social Networks that I belong to and concentrated more on the research and discovery side of what I do. WOULD my "followers" stop following me? WOULD my Facebook "friends" stop being my "friend"? Would people stop listening to me? 

What I discovered was indeed eye opening to ME. Key word here ... "Me". 

The first question that I had to tackle was this big "me" idea. If you noticed, the concerns I had about my social engagement, they all revolved around the sustainability of ME, and this is absolutely counter intuitive. Social Networking, and as it pertains to your brand, has nothing to do with YOU, BUT it does have everything to do with THEM - your friends, your followers. Social Media is a vehicle for exchange. It gives you, the Brand Champion, the ability to serve your audience in a very unique and profound way. AND this service should not be limited to the confines of the networks that you belong or contribute to, you should be producing some sort of tangible experience that fuels or "bolsters" your online engagement. May it be a book, a product, service, or brand that extends OUTSIDE of the online space, what you do off-line should be just as powerful and bold as your online experience... AND this leads me to the meat of what I want to share with you....

People in the fog...

When I was a kid, I can vividly remember going outside with my friend Kenny in the fog. Kenny and I were and ARE the best of friends, he is like a brother to me. When we would play in the fog, and Kenny would run off into it (the fog), I would be compelled to call his name, for the assurance that he was okay, that he was well, that he was there. The fog, played as a barrier between he and I, and at all cost I would not let the fog be a barrier to our play... Our engagement. AND when I would vanish into the fog Kenny would call my name, and he would instantly gain the assurance of me being there... In the fog, with him. This is social. This is connection.

Over the past two weeks I quickly realized that without continual engagement with my online audience, I am easily forgotten, I fall into the fog, out of site, out of mind. I contribute this idea to the fact that as a Designer, I am designing artifacts that in effect have a very limited reach. I need to be designing bigger, but that's a totally different idea all together. Fact is I have not built sustainable social connections...

Gulp.

I have not given enough, cared enough, NOR have I done enough to win a "yell" in the fog. The stark realization - IF I can go back to Hajj's original question... I would have to say...

No.

Right now, with the grace of a few, for the most part, my social network is "people in the fog". AND I am willing to bet that a bunch of your followers and "friends" are people in the fog too! Seth Godin says it this way...

"A lot of these fans followers are faux. Sunny day friends. In one experiment I did, 200,000 followers led to 25 clickthroughs. Ouch." ~Seth Godin ( http://sethgodin.com )

People in the fog...

Thought to take with you...

Give more "tangible stuff", write a book, a compelling essay, design something BIG, that has a little legacy tied to it. Care more, learn your followers, "friends", cause 100 to sound like 10,000, just takes a little yelling in the fog. Do more, go out of your way to let your followers, and "friends" KNOW they care, DO MORE!!

disruptive talent: chief design officer (cdo)

Today I was sitting with a Colleague ( Antwon Davis - http://antwondavis.com ) and we were sharing ideas about a recent role he was offered at a "start-up" company. The role that was offered to him was a "Chief Marketing Officer". After a few minutes of debate about the role, and after some real "truth telling" we or HE discovered the role of CMO is not actually what he is designed to be or do. This is HUGE, because I really feel that there are a LOT of us doing things that we are not authentically designed to do. YES he is a pretty savvy "Marketer", however; he is a MUCH stronger "Design Thinker". SO with that said... I offered to him an idea, the idea of a CDO or Chief Design Officer.

Chris_hacker

Chris Hacker - Chief Design Officer, P&G 2008

This role is a role that I came across about 90 days ago, AFTER having a conversation with Antwon Davis. We discovered that there is a gap between top level executive management and the design initiatives at many of todays companies. Procter and Gamble recognized the same thing and hired Chris Hacker in 2008 as a Chief Design Officer, with the role of leading design and innovation at a top level within the ranks of the innovation giant. Kia hired Peter Schreyer and he came along with an idea ...

"Only through design can we capture our customers hearts..." ~ Peter Schreyer

Peter_schreyer

Pictured Above: Peter Schreyer - Chief Design Officer, KIA

So now, finally, corporations are rethinking how they view design. IN FACT corporations are starting to value "design thinking" as a robust approach to management that sparks creativity and drives innovation. Giving "design" a seat on the board, gives design a voice, design with a voice transforms organizations from simply analytics and numbers to ideas and innovation, from cold and methodical, to soulful and rich.

The Chief Design Officer - 

The Chief Design Officer leads organizations in the pursuit of design excellence at every level while driving innovation and building stronger communication channels between organization Builders and creative assets. The CDO oversees the organizations creative interest while harnessing the power the organizations ideas for the purpose of developing breakthrough new products, services and brands. The CDO champions design thinking, and builds organizational momentum around the ideas and possibilities presented by marketplace challenges.

The above description is surface at best, however; my hopes are that reading it, it will give you some insight to what I feel will be one of the most disruptive roles we will see emerge in the coming days, weeks and months as the creative economy evolves...

emily pilloton: project h design... manifesto

Emily

"We need the design world (particularly industrial design) to stop talking big and start doing good; to put the problem-solving skills on which we pride ourselves to work on some of the biggest global issues; to design for health, poverty, homelessness, education, and more..." 

Read the complete manifesto: http://tr.im/projecthmanifesto

pamela green jackson: soulful intervention

This past week, I had the privilege of sitting down and talking about design and innovation with Pamela Green Jackson. Pamela Green Jackson is one of those people who you encounter and instantly your life is transformed. AND what makes the transformation so special, IS NOT what she directly does for you, but what you sense about her when in her presence. She is what purpose looks like. 

Pamela is the CEO and Founder of an organization called "Youth Becoming Healthy", her battle is child obesity. After a life changing event, the passing of her brother, Pamela decided that she would dedicate her life to fighting this silent killer. 

You can learn more about her project here... http://ybhproject.org 

For the past few months we have been chasing each other, because she mentioned that she wanted to re-brand her project, and do something different with her web presence. After a study of both, I realized that her project was missing a solid core brand, and her web presence was slightly dated (functionality wise). I wanted to heighten the visibility of her projects soul and I honestly feel that design is the seat of the soul, so I wanted to demonstrate this through her project. 

After a "meeting of the minds" and some real "soul searching" we decided to keep the iconic "apple" at the center of her brand, yet at the same time we wanted to raise the bar from what she had, to something new and fresh... 

The outcome, is her new brand, that I have affectionately decided to call ... "Yum" 

(download)