Don’t Fit In, Stand Out.
To stand out from the rest a company must embrace thought-provoking, concept driven graphic design. The recession is here, whether we like it or not, but despite the constant gloomy projections, we believe it is essential to use the downturn as a learning experience and look forward with optimism. Now more than ever creative thinking is essential for any business wishing make substantial gains on their competitors.
The economic downturn is global and we need to act globally. We need to be proactive. If we are willing to share our ideas and learn from those around us, we can face the current storm with confidence. IDEO in association with the Guardian Newspaper see the recession as a catalyst for change. They are gathering together the leading creative minds in a bid to inspire and innovate. You can check them out here. Cabinet a UK not-for-profit network has also been established to inspire new ideas and opportunities in the creative community. And Pentagrams Michael Beruit recently posted an article on design observer about what to expect in a recession along with five helpful tips to see you through the tough times.
Historically Creativity always comes to the fore during an Economic downturn. The inventor of Scrabble, Alfred Butts, declared: ‘If there hadn’t been any Depression in the Thirties, there wouldn’t have been any scrabble.’ He was an out of work architect with way too much time on his hands spending most of his day doing crosswords when he dreamt it up. There are many examples of similar triumphs. The last time there was an economic downturn (due to the dot-com crash) Apple increased its Research and Development budget, the result … the ipod. Despite the recession internet usage is still growing as other areas contract. In fact approximately 85% of people in Ireland have internet access at some stage during the day. Let’s not forget that the web, as Weiden + Kenndy’s Tony Davidson points out is like the wild west. The trick for us is to communicate our clients’ message/services/products as creatively as possible and help them stand out from their competitors.
In a recent episode of AMC’s Golden Globe winning series Mad Men Don Draper, the lead character, asks a potential client ‘Do you want to fit in or stand out?’ I immediately scribbled it down in my notebook, I’ll use that I thought to myself.
Bob Gray
Design Director
February 2009
