When you talk to startups, CEOs, and others, it seems like everyone wants to be the “next Apple,” “just like Nike,” or to do things “the way Starbucks does.” Admittedly, these companies are icons and have surpassed the competition to become larger-than-life brands, symbols that stand for things both larger and more sweeping than the commerce they generate. But it’s not like any of them pushed a magic icon button to make it all happen. There’s no road map to guaranteed iconic status, or our world would be vastly different, to say the least. But if we dissect these kinds of rockstar brands, and remove the lucky breaks, the passion, sweat equity, and visionary leaders, what is left? We believe there are some fundamental activities remaining that help illuminate the roads a brand must take to becoming an icon.

Here are a few of them:

Ubiquity
You need to be everywhere your audience is. That doesn’t necessarily mean event-driven Super Bowl commercials or plastering your brand messages on every free inch of real estate. But it does require an intimate knowledge and understanding of the people you’re trying to reach, and then unobtrusively inserting your brand into their lives in useful and meaningful ways. This is less the persistent stalker syndrome and more the reliable, friendly presence. And it requires more than holding a sign that says “Remember, we’re here!” Today’s audiences want more from your brand than just a pathetic “Call me…?” Give them the means and a reason to follow you and follow up when their need arrives.

Repetition
To remain in that elusive “top-of-mind” position, it requires some sort of regular and consistent presence in the lives of your target audience. It’s up to you to determine the how and who, and which messages and means are crucial elements in your brand strategy. Repeat these in a way that doesn’t feel monotonous or self-absorbed (no one likes the people who only talk about themselves!), but slowly unfolds what you’re doing, what you’re about, and why it matters. This means that your brand’s messaging, look, feel, style, voice — all need to be consistent, working in concert to provide synergy that makes it sound like your organization speaks with one voice.

Emotional Connection
This might seem silly to a company that sells toilet brushes or distributes freight containers, but the honest truth is that nearly every purchase or product decision carries some sort of emotional weight to it, however slight. The hard part is finding out what that bit of caring is, and when it’s liable to happen to your audience. Someone might care very much about getting their morning coffee quickly, so the brand touchpoint of a fast line is crucial to evoking satisfaction. Simple, bold nutritional graphics might make a harried parent’s shopping a bit easier at the point of purchase. Audience empathy will lead to the discovery of these moments of emotional connection, allowing you to use your service, product, or offering to make a positive difference to them.

Spark
This is one of the least quantifiable aspects, but no less important in stepping up the ladder to brand stardom. What is a spark? It’s that “new and different” aspect that sets your brand apart from others. It could mean providing something that’s never been seen before (a Segway?), revamping an existing category (the iPad), or just offering a completely fresh point of view on familiar products (like Method did with cleaning supplies). The commonality in all of these is some type of “unique selling proposition” in marketing parlance, but we prefer to think of it as a brand’s soul, it’s spark, or reason for being. (And making money doesn’t count as a “reason for being.”)

Something Worth Sharing
Finally, you know you’ll have an iconic brand in-the-making when you have something people want to share with others. Sharing is a highly-overused term in our sphere of retweets, Likes, and thumbs up , but this principle has been around a lot longer than social media. In fact, it’s centuries old and very simple. Your brand needs to contain something that people want to tell others about. Other than the occasional brand train wreck, what brands are truly worth discussing? You need fans and people who want to selflessly evangelize about what you do, because they love it and want to tell others. The motivation might come from wanting to be the first kid on the block with the new toy, a desire to be the resident expert on something, or just an overflow of genuine delight.

These five aspects are no magic recipe, but instead, we hope that they’re a handful of crucial steps on the painstaking road towards brand greatness. Now get going.

With apologies and a tip of the hat to Kevin Costner for his wonderful Crash Davis speech in “Bull Durham”:

“Well, I believe in the Big Idea, the pitch, the hands, the power of a well-crafted phrase, the value of sketching, exquisite craft, late nights, that the work of David Carson belongs in the 1990s. I believe Paul Rand acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing advertising as branding and horizontal scaling of typography. I believe in the group critique, eyeball-searing visuals, under-promising and over-delivering, and I believe in long-term, ambitious, deep, professional dreams that will last the next three decades.”

It’s not just the hipsters who are doing it. Analog seems to be making a comeback. LP sales are climbing, people are resurrecting Polaroid-style film, preserving wooden type, buying vintage furniture and old-style printing with a vengeance. These are all natural reactions to seismic changes in technology and the ways in which we interact with objects. We can understand these sometimes-oddball interests and activities if they’re viewed through the lens of history. For hundreds — nay, thousands of years, human beings have interacted with physical objects and spaces in a particular way, whether it was hoeing in a dusty Nebraskan field, or signing a paper contract. But then digital devices arrived on the scene, and voila! Things have changed.

The Internet, cloud computing, capacative touchscreen devices, virtual models, avatars, message boards, electronic mail, Short Message Service texting on phones, and many other innovations have served to sever our centuries-old, hard-wired relationship with the good, old-fashioned physical object. But it seems like there’s a cultural memory or vestige of longing for some touch still hanging around, because the desire for analog experiences seems to be on the rise. So, what in the name of Thomas Alva Edison is going on? There are some things that physical objects do very well, where their digital cousins leave us a little cold. Here are a few reasons why yesterday’s gadgets, technologies, and ways of working just won’t die.

Holding something is like a relationship
It’s not just collectors who like to hold something in their hands. Whether it’s a baby, a baseball bat, or a diamond ring, the nature of the tactile experience brings us closer to a thing. Physical touch is a singular experience, creating a specific haptic bond, even with inanimate objects. Textures and touch hot-stamp our memories with emotion, and all of that is stored together in the recesses of our brains. That’s why running a hand over the polished fender of a ‘58 Impala brings some Boomers back to their teenage years. It’s very difficult to create a physical bond with an iTunes thumbnail.

This is one reason why many are experimenting with cassette-only music labels, collecting vinyl, and connecting with methods of creating and playing that date back to earlier eras. Previously it was assumed that to complete a task, to work or play with an object, that a person would have a specific interaction and get particular feedback or influence from a physical object. But with technological sea changes, many of the experiences we’ve had in the past — reading a newspaper, sketching a model, penning a poem, playing an arcade game — now come to us by way of glowing screens and digital devices. (The irony that I’ve written this entire article on my iPad and computer is not lost on me.) That’s not to say that these new ways of working and interacting are bad, but where they excel in efficiency and transferability, they can fall short in connection and permanence.

Old things connect us with history
For many in Generations X and Y , anything that isn’t the newest and shiniest falls out of fashion. To them, old stuff seems lame, antiquated, and worthless. Why watch a “boring” silent film when you can be rocked back in your chair by the sweet strains of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in Dolby 7.1 IMAX? And who wouldn’t prefer a Taylor Swift ringtone to some Stevie Nicks album? But for a growing group on the margins, there is value in connecting with a time period before your own. Sure, some of it is probably a fascination with “otherness” — something we didn’t grow up with has a alien nature to it, a patina of authenticity because it came from a “simpler time.”

But some of the appeal is also true curiosity about how things were done before. And not just for novelty’s sake, but because those experiences offer a time-rooted and unique interaction that modern creation doesn’t always afford us.  There is also an archaeological aspect to the search, a seeking for truth in what other generations did — what was it like? How do their creative impulses and executions compare to the way I do things? These are valid questions that need to be worked out, and sometimes the “analog way” might be the best path to explore.

Making something tangible is a richer experience
There is something satisfying about pulling a screen, developing film in a darkroom, or making Super 8 films. The act of connecting to an activity in a physical manner builds a sort of physical memory and satisfaction that mediated experiences can’t match. The output is something that can be held, turned over, cherished, filed, and admired. While we’ve tried to recreate these interactions (like the website page flips or iPhone apps), they come off as pale imitations of analog experiences.

In the end, our parents were right. There is such a thing as sweat equity — and building, assembling, or initiating creation with some physical expression leaves a lasting imprint on the world and the creator herself. I doubt we’ll be auctioning off the digital signatures or iPad sketches of famous people fifty years from now. The connection is not the same when something has never been touched.

They lead us to belonging
Finally, in discovering these analog means of creation or consumption, we seek to connect with other like-minded folks. Not everyone will appreciate these analog experiences, but in finding fellow students of physicality, we are also searching for identification and belonging to a group, tribe, or class of others who fundamentally understand us. Musicians jam together. Knitting circles knit. Audiophiles swap albums. This connection, this very human sense of belonging, seems to be even more fragile and scarce in a disconnected world that offers hollow, one-dimensional versions of “community” at the hands of Facebook, message boards, and LinkedIn groups. It’s a fundamental hunger for human relationship, and shared physical experiences are often more meaty than their appetizer-size digital counterparts.

All of this has to be postscripted with a disclaimer. It’s an ignorant and short-sighted man who scoffs at the future, and we certainly aren’t shaking our fists at the amazing innovations and technologies that tomorrow is ushering in. The future has afforded us amazing abundance, new experiences, and in many cases, deeply satisfying careers. But we’ll miss out on a treasure trove of beauty, creativity, and connectedness if we don’t truly consider all that the analog experiences have to offer.

It’s probably no surprise when I say that our blog, and Twitter account have been relatively quiet of late. Between moving into a new office, and a slew of new projects and proposals, we’ve barely had a chance to slow down, ponder, and drink in much of the outside world.

I speak for myself in saying this — that in the headlong rush towards the end of the year, I’ve barely been able to fit in daily tasks, much less the time to think deeply into open spaces. And I think my creative brain has suffered.

Sure, the analytical side of me has had a field day with proposals, strategic planning, organizing, and the like. But between this, and the demands of life (we are expecting our first child in March!) I haven’t been able to get enough white space.

It’s that white space that buffers, that allows the wandering mind to relax, unclench, and then meander through the vast storehouses of my subconscious. It’s the fun stuff, the joyous acts of creation, the hilarious whimsy that’s needed to refresh our creative parts, dare I say — even our deepest souls. That white space is so crucial in its many forms, the shower time where “next steps” and to-dos take a back seat to the aimless mind.

I need to clear off my plate, commit to ignoring the URGENT, and block out life’s steady thrum, in order to get some deep living in for the betterment of my creative heart and soul.

Even though I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions (I think we can decide to change any day of the year), I’m publicly committing to something different in 2012, a renewed devotion to developing, nurturing, and creating more white space for myself.

Anyone else want to join me? (You just have to be really quiet.)

We’ve just received the proofs for our upcoming book, “Damn Good: Top Designers Discuss Their All-Time Favorite Projects” and are fine-tooth combing one last time before the volume heads to the printer. We’re finalizing the details with our publisher, HOW Books, and everyone’s excited as the finish line draws near. We will be releasing some more images, spreads, and other sneak peeks of the book very soon, so be on the lookout.

Very few in our industry get into the design profession to run a business. For many creatives, business is the dirty word you have to use in order to keep doing the “fun” stuff — the creative and strategic acts of a design firm. But get far enough down the road, and you realize that managing a firm or business (whether you’re a designer, developer, marketer, or otherwise) is a great path to doing the kind of work you really love. Business stuff isn’t bad, and in fact, we’ve learned tons working closely with clients, managing teams, building relationships, and chasing down new projects. Along the way, we’ve found bits of hard-won wisdom that seem unrelated to design. But it’s crucial stuff — the kinds of knowledge that applies not only to design, but also to life in general. We have a lot of lessons to share (both good and bad), but here are a few worth repeating.

People Are People

Clients are people. Vendors are people. So are business leads, printers, payroll specialists, and telemarketers. Everyone we encounter during our business day is worthy of respect, courtesy, and kindness. We believe it’s so key to treat others as we want to be treated — because in the end, is there truly any reason not to? Do we want to be known as people who do otherwise? Reputation certainly influences how we deal with others, but most importantly, thy not add a smile and joy to someone’s day (or at least follow the oath of Hypocrates and “do no harm”) rather than add to their challenges?

Follow That Lead

Leads and projects come from the least expected places, so do your due diligence, reach out to people, and make connections everywhere you go. You never know what will occur — get and stay involved in the communities around you. Start and join interesting conversations with business people at cocktail parties and events. It might be a short, unsolicited email or the thread of a conversation that unspools to something big. Our first book was borne of a couple emails, a phone call, and a budding friendship of likemindedness. Totally unexpected, but in some ways, also totally according to plan. You never know. Keep nurturing these relationships as well — some sprout overnight, while others take years to mature.

Do What You Say You’re Going to Do

This has been recast in a number of ways, but bears repeating: Whether it means being a “(wo)man of your word” or “underpromise and overdeliver” this might be an element that makes or breaks your business. The world is full of people who will say just what you want to hear, or will quickly assure you that they’re the best fit, before even hearing your needs. But a carefully considered suggestion, offer, or initiative becomes a promise the moment you say it aloud. If you don’t deliver on the little things you promise, your successes in the big things are diluted. Failing to follow through on the small stuff — emails, phone calls, arriving on time to meetings — will eventually erode the crucial trust that clients need to have in you.

The best possible scenario is to make good on your every word, giving others no reason to doubt what you say — whether it’s a deadline, an email, or a followup call. If there’s any doubt in your mind, it’s best to hold back on the promises, and say nothing — or remain tentative for the sake of your reputation. But this isn’t just about your rep, it’s more about setting expectations and showing that you wisely will finish what you started.

Keep One Eye on the Road And the Other on the Horizon

This is probably true in any business, but maybe doubly so in running a design firm. It’s frighteningly easy to get wrapped up in the moment, the day-to-day of responding to emails, project proposals, and getting work out on time and on budget. But then you finally look up from the urgent, pressing concerns to realize your firm or department has been heading in a direction you never planned — or at best, you’re off course a little bit. That’s why we’ve found it’s crucial to have regular, planned vision and goal setting times, to recast and confirm where we’re going in the long term. This helps us make sure the work we do today will take us to our intended destination tomorrow. And of course, the opposite is also dangerous. It’s possible to spend so much effort and time on strategy, planning, and mission statements that you don’t have the mental, financial, or practical bandwidth to keep your business running. Both the present moment and the future destination are necessary, and that constant tug-o-war between them is at the heart of any great endeavor — design, business, or otherwise.

Keep Learning

This might be a memo right out of the Obvious Department, but the designers (and firm owners) who drop out of the leading edge and stagnate are often the ones who’ve ceased learning new things. The day your curiosity dries up and hardens is the moment you begin a countdown to irrelevancy. Whether it’s advances in technology, software, trends, better processes, or exposing yourself to new viewpoints and work, we all feed our creative souls on a diet of change. To ignore that hunger and starve ourselves of the latest and newest, will keep us from developing creatively and professionally. That soon leads to recycling the same old formats, solutions, and approaches, which will quickly show up in your work, studio culture, and the rest of life.

Clearly, the above nuggets are just tangentially related to our work of design, but ignoring them means ignoring the intangibles that let us be successful creative professionals in the first place. What creative business advice would you pass on to others?

After nearly two years in hiatus, the iam8bit art show is back, with a high-profile gallery opening next Thursday, August 11th! This show will be one for the ages, and definitely worth checking out. Started by our friends at iam8bit in 2005, the art show has featured hundreds of artists’ interpretations of their favorite 1980s video game heroes, heroines, villains, and damsels in distress — and this show should be the best yet.

Peep the awesome poster art above, created by our buddy Dave Crosland.

Also, the new iam8bit book, which we designed and co-published, will be officially released at the show.

Take a look for more info on the opening, and the evening’s festivities, which will include all-night ambiance by DJ R-Rated. Both Jason and Tim will be in attendance, so come down and join us for the festivities!

For both visitors and Chicago natives who are gathering for this week’s HOW Design Live, we’ve put together a cheat sheet of our favorite places, food, and things to do in the city.

This city is so much more than hot dogs, gangsters, and tall buildings. Chicago has the reputation as the “city that works” and we’re really proud of the title that let’s everyone know that we’re good at getting it done. Designers and firms of all stripes call the Windy City home, from well-known agencies like VSA Partners, Crosby Associates, SMBOLIC, and IDEO to trailblazing firms such as Seguara, Inc, Grip Design, 50,000 Feet, Someoddpilot, Coudal Partners (and ourselves, of course). Chicago is even home to creative collectives like Quite Strong and The Post Family. There’s so much to do in this city, so consider the suggestions below just an appetizer of what’s available to do, see and eat in the Second City.

Chicago is one of the country’s greatest public transportation cities, so almost anything you want to see or do is accessible via El train, cab, bus, or by foot. We’ve given handy locators below in distance from The Hyatt and HOW Design Live, along with Google Maps links.

Eats

If you’ve been living under a rock for the last 10 years, you might not know that Chicago is considered a world-class dining city. We have amazing eats from foie gras to a particular style of hot dogs. So, here are a sampling of the gastronomical delights available here:

Frontera Grill
This is the casual Mexican restaurant of Rick Bayless, which he turned into an empire.
(1 mile from The Hyatt | map)

XOCO
This other “Little Sister” Mexican restaurant of Bayless’ is more of a quick-service cafe that leans towards amazing versions of popular street food.
(1 mile from The Hyatt | map)

Gino’s East, Pizzeria Uno, Chicago’s Pizza
The debate rages on about what is the best Chicago-style deep dish pizza, but these are a few of the authentic city’s best, and you can make up your own mind. (And for our money, it’s all about the dark horse small chain of Chicago’s Pizza.)
(Ginos: 1.3 miles from the Hyatt | map / Uno: .8 miles from the Hyatt | map / Chicago’s: 4.9 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Portillo’s
This local hot dog chain has exploded into the suburbs, but still has a single location in the city. Try the shaved Italian Beef sandwich, a must-try Chicago original.
(.9 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Kuma’s Corner
A hard-rock attitude coupled with arguably the city’s best burgers.
(6.8 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Hot Doug’s
Doug is known for great Chicago style hot dogs, but those in the know line up for his homemade sausages with gourmet fixings, and duck fat fries. Amazing. (6.5 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Margie’s Candies
This candy-store/old time ice cream parlor has been providing sugar-induced comas since 1921 — and we don’t think the interior has changed since. Check it.
(4.9 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Charlie Trotter’s
Some people say this world-famous, high-end establishment is the best restaurant in America. Not sure how you follow that up other.
(3.4 miles from The Hyatt | map)

The Map Room
Lots and lots and lots of amazing beers from all over the world.
(4.7 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Half Acre Brewing
One of several great local breweries (which could easily be its own list!), these guys also give tours of their North Center facilities.
(7.1 miles from The Hyatt | map)

“The Bean” sculpture at Millenium Park

Tourist Stuff

Sure, as designers, many of us pride ourselves on not following the rank-and-file, but there are certainly a few things that are worth braving the tourist crowds for:

Picasso Statue in Daley Plaza
This amazing piece was one of the first large-scale art installations, and was unveiled in 1967. Still beautiful today.
(.6 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Millennium Park
This more recent addition to Chicago public life is beautiful and people-friendly, with the mind-bending “Bean” sculpture and the interactive video screens of the Crown Fountain. Hit up the Art Institute while you’re there.
(.7 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Chicago History Museum
If you’re interested in the Chicago Fire (the epic destruction type, not the soccer team) or the riotous era of ’60s politics under Mayor J. Daley, this is the place for you. Excellent exhibits and insights into what makes Chicago so great.
(2.3 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Architectural Boat tours
One of the best ways to take in the great architecture of the Loop in a short amount of time — some tours are only 90 minutes.
(.1 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Wrigley Field
The second oldest ballpark in the major leagues, this grand old dame is still a jewel, even if the team on the field is often less so.
(6.2 miles from the Hyatt | map)

The Historic Water Tower
One of the oldest structures in the city, it now houses a free art gallery, and is one of only a few structures to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.
(.9 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Segway Lakefront Tours
A great way to check out the beautiful avenues up and down the shore of Lake Michigan, riding a goofy-looking device that was supposed to “change transportation forever.”
(1.5 miles from the Hyatt | map)

Chicago Beaches
Along with a lakefront comes some great beaches, and two of the best are the North Avenue Beach and Oak Street Beach.
(1.9, 1.1 miles from the Hyatt | North Avenue Beach map | Oak Street Beach map)

Sears (don’t call it Willis) Tower and John Hancock Building
Two of the tallest buildings in North America reside here in Chicago, and both are amazing feats of architecture coupled with outstanding views of the city.
(Sears Tower: 1.3 miles from the Hyatt | map / John Hancock Building: .8 miles from the Hyatt | map)

The Art Institute of Chicago

Design Nerdiness

The Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing
The recently-completed brand new Modern wing of the Art Institute is beautiful and well worth the short walk. Kick it Ferris Bueller style with the Lion statues out front on Michigan Ave.
(.8 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Smith Museum of Stained Glass
It’s super-cool, and closeby on Navy Pier.
(1 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Uncle Fun
Oh so much more than a toy store.
(4.7 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Rotofuji
Supercool designer toy store. Get your vinyl on.
(4 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Quimby’s
Another awesome indie bookstore that “favor the unusual, the aberrant, the saucy and the lowbrow.”
(3.5 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)
If you’re really into modern art, the MCA is the place to be, with challenging and excellent work. While you’re there, peep The Historic Watertower across the street.
(.8 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Portage Theater, Music Box Theater
To get an authentically classic moviegoing experience, check out either of these independent, restored movie houses, with all of the glitz and beauty of their eras.
(Portage Theater: 8.3 miles from the Hyatt | map / Music Box: 5.2 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Salvage One
A gorgeous collection of restored, vintage and midcentury modern furniture and found objects.
(2.8 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Hanger 18
Super cool artsy gift shop. Representative of a whole wave of similar shops that dot the city, but worth the trip.
(6.8 miles from The Hyatt | map)

Delicious pizza image by Eric Chan. Millennium Park image by Kelly Johnson. Art Institute image by Steve Blane. Images used with permission under Creative Commons license.

During the research phase of a recent identity project, we spent some time revisiting numerous examples of what we like to call “fluid identities” — logo systems that use multiple iterations of a mark (or series of marks) to communicate a particular aspect of a brand. These might take the form of a logo that changes with each viewing, or a singular mark that gets impregnated with different imagery, depending on the context. At one point, these types of projects were few and far between, but now these isolated examples have grown into a full-blown trend. The days of the static logo are certainly not extinct, but this persistent way of thinking about malleable identities seems like a portend of things to come.

A logo system comprised of many moving parts and contextual styles is clearly not right for every project, and this approach shouldn’t be used carelessly or without deep consideration for the brand connection. Instead, this way of thinking about a fluid identity is another (powerful) tool in the designer’s “bag of tricks.” Like any other design approach (whether it’s a grid style or a Photoshop filter) this is not a gimmick — it’s a way to solve the client’s identity design issues. The examples we’ve collected probably do the best job in explaining the needs and rationales for such a project, so you’ll find them below. We’ve grouped them into categories based on how their mechanics and fluid natures are utilized. We hope this article will serve as a useful resource, so feel free to leave examples we haven’t unearthed in the comments below.

Identities based on the brand’s DNA

Even though they are different, each of the following examples uses some concrete part of their brand’s DNA to populate the fluid nature of the identity.

Client: MML Mobile Media Lab
Designers: Etienne Bourque-Viens (Pixel Circus), Raphaël Daudelin (FEED), Michael Longford (York University), Anouk Pennel (FEED)
Description: Echoing the client’s multimedia approach, the identity “is constantly changing and will mutate over time.”

Client: AOL
Designers: Wolff Olins
Description: People use AOL ostensibly as a search engine, to find all sorts of things, so this identity leverages that multiplicity with a wide variety of supporting images.

Client: SECCA
Designers: Pentagram
Description:“The final identity conveys a continuing flow; the logo literally moves and fluctuates, echoing the constant change of SECCA’s galleries and community programs.”

Client: Casa da Música
Designers: Sagmeister
Description: This identity is based upon the shape of the Casa da Música in Portugal, the building designed by Rem Koolhaas.

Client: Get Up Hair Identity
Designers: Alexis Rom Estudio
Description: The DIY nature of the stamping process allowed stylists to customize their identity materials in a wide variety of ways.

Client: New Museum
Designers: Wolff Olins, Omnivore, Droga 5
Description: The unique shape serves as a containing window to emphasize or deemphasize different graphic elements to great effect. The logo is fluid, with New and Museum serving as ‘bookends’ to frame whatever message is needed between the words.

Client: MIT Media Lab
Designers: Richard The, E Roon Kang
Description: “The logo is based on an algorithm that produces a unique logo for each person. A custom web interface was developed to allow each person at the Media Lab to choose and claim their own individual logo for his/her business card, as well as a custom animation software which allows people to create unique animations for any video content the lab produces.”

Identities that morph to fit their design applications

Client: PWC
Designers: Wolff Olins
Description: This scalable identity uses shifting panes of color to adapt and fit any space or medium, using size and scale appropriately and powerfully.

Client: ITI
Designers: Heydays
Description: “The logo can be seen as just a flat artwork, but can also be seen as a cube felt with colors. The multicolored supporting graphic illustrates the logo folded out, and comes in a number of different versions. This communicates both the adaptability of the system, and life taking different directions. Appearing different on every surface, the visual expression is a representation of life, freedom and possibilities.”

Client: Nickelodeon
Designers: Tom Corey, Scott Nash, Alan Goodman
Description: This whimsical identity was designed with TV screen use in mind, and helped transform the flagging kids’ network, from 1984-2009.

Client: Knopf
Designers: Various
Description: The famous Knopf Borzoi logo changes with nearly each book jacket design, depending on the needs and whims of the jacket designer.

Logos that change based on external variables

Client: Nordkyn
Designers: Neue Design Studio
Description: “The visual identity is based on two main ingredients; our newly developed payoff, ‘Where nature rules,’ and weather statistics from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. A feed of weather statistics affects the logo to change when the direction of the wind or the temperature changes. On the website, the logo updates every five minutes.”

Logo enclosures that house value-adding content

Client: MTV
Designers: MTV In-House Design Team
Description: “We really wanted to see the logo featured in a new way, and this was really meant being able to house all the great things that are happening at MTV at any given time.”

Client: NYC Inc Company
Designers: Wolff Olins
Description: The city’s identity mutates with a grid-like structure and a variety of “fillings,” using color and photo elements to remix the logo in an endless variety of ways.

Client: Museum of Arts and Design
Designers: Pentagram
Description: “We wanted a way of writing the name that could embody the values of the Museum, something that seemed inventive and surprising, and that could appear in different ways on different occasions. The Museum, after all, is dedicated to artists who take typical forms—say, vessels, or chairs—and transform them over and over again. We hope that the simple forms of the new logo will permit just that kind of transformation.”

Additional factors to consider before undertaking a fluid identity project:

The pieces need to equal the whole.
Many audiences will never see more than one iteration of the logo system. So, if any individual variant is weaker than a singular logo would be, the overall identity will suffer. Showing 100 variations of a mark might look great in a design case study, but the multiplicity probably won’t matter to your audience — most of them will assume the logo they see is the primary graphical face of the organization. So, all the qualities of a great identity must be present in each and every variation of your mark, which is admittedly a tall order.

Does it fit the brand?
As identity designers, we are always of conscious of helping our clients’ brands stand out. The idea of doing something new or different isn’t insignificant, since our media maelstrom forces brands to do increasingly more to gain visibility. Designing a fluid identity can help bring that needed awareness to an organization, but it shouldn’t be a gimmick at heart. This way of thinking about identity design only works when it’s an outgrowth of the brand’s distinctive DNA – some essential characteristic of the company or organization, whether it’s the nature of change, the style of a building, or illustrating the whimsy needed to play in a specific industry. Some brands might need to show diversity of service or product, while others see flexibility as a crucial competitive advantage, and other organizations have evolution written into their foundations.

Is the system/usage built to support a modularity?
A fluid identity works especially well for Nickelodeon and Knopf, because of the structure the logos exist in. Both companies have flexibility to play with the makeup or look of their logo, but this additional freedom only works because the logos live within rigorous support systems — the Knopf Borzoi always appears on the spine of a book it’s tied to, its size is relatively consistent, and it always shows up in that familiar paperback/hardcover environment. The regular use of media and placement adds a consistency that a pocket folder or Times Square billboard could not. Nick’s identity worked because viewers were guaranteed to see many permutations of the logo per hour on their television screen, preventing any confusion or weakness that the single viewing of one version might cause.

What do normal logos do well? (Maybe you don’t need a fluid logo)
It might be enticing to consider a variable or fluid identity for your client, but before you decide that a changing logo is the ticket, consider making your current mark work harder. Maybe it just needs to be more flexible across applications to have the visceral impact that’s needed. A well-designed, thoughtfully-considered mark can be ready to make the jump from the printed page, to a web version, to an animated intro on the latest iGadget. Good designers have those end requirements in mind before putting pencil to paper, and they stay at the forefront throughout the project duration.

Correction: Additional information about the New Museum identity has been added with help from that project’s director, Suzie Ivelich.

Whether you call it crowdsourcing, spec work, community-based design, or participatory creation, it’s fundamentally the same animal. Crowdsourcing is the act of oursourcing tasks (in our case, design) to a large group of people as part of an open call for solutions or deliverables. This might take the form of a contests, RFPs, or clients who want a “test drive” before committing to a creative firm.

In the design world, some examples are crowdsourced logos, tshirts, and a variety of other marketing and design initiatives. While the crowdsourcing concept has worked its way into the business practices of some organizations, the execution is still controversial. AIGA, the professional association for design, has taken a stand against it specifically and also contributes to the ongoing dialogue against its use. Heated comments and criticism always fly in this debate, but most of the questions boil down to one for practicing designers: Is this practice “the way of the future” or is it a deeply-flawed model of working in design and branding?

At the risk of oversimplification, we think it’s the latter. In a nutshell, crowdsourcing strategic design work hurts both designers and their prospective clients. While crowdsourcing as a technique takes many forms, design firms and their clients are usually attached to the process in work like logo design, print, tshirts, name generation, etc. But the road to crowdsourced design success looks to be a mirage. We’re approaching this discussion specifically from a design industry perspective, so most of our thoughts are focused along those lines. However, it’s definitely worth noting some honest and practical ideas about business scenarios where the strengths of crowdsourcing are better utilized.

Briefly, Where Is The Design Brief?
Nothing will shipwreck your efforts more quickly than setting off on a journey without the destination firmly in mind. This happens all the time when design projects begin while still lacking a set of strategic objectives. Sometimes a project’s goals are varied and multi-faceted. While we do what’s needed to help clients focus their efforts, the process of landing on a set of objectives is like dance. It requires back and forth, initiation and response. Good designers play interviewer and really dig into the needs of the client, and this part of the discovery process is time-intensive, requiring a level of trust. It can’t be communicated easily in a single sentence or a quick website writeup. In general, the broad crowdsourced call to a large group of designers isn’t going to be specific or concrete enough for the process to work well. Not all clients know which questions to ask for a project to head in the right direction, even if they know the eventual answers. That’s some of what experienced designers bring to the table, an important part of the relationship-building process that’s the foundation of solid end results. Crowdsourcing doesn’t lend itself well to this important first step in the process.

The Client “Leap of Faith”
Another client rationale for requesting spec work or crowdsourced design is a form of the “first date” butterflies. We sometimes hear from new and potential clients (especially those who haven’t hired design firms before) about the trepidation they feel in beginning a project. What should they expect? How do they know if they will like the results? How do they be sure the design firm will do a good job without seeing the final work? These are hurdles first-time clients have to overcome, and it may go beyond their normal comfort zones. But it’s helpful to lay out how this process works best. A design firm’s portfolio is a good indicator of the scope and quality of their work. Obviously, we all put our best foot (work) forward, but the projects a firm shows should be the level of quality you can expect if you end up hiring them. There are a few things prospective clients should look for but the specific needs are up to the project itself. At some point, after the necessary conversations, reference checking, and scrutiny of a firm’s work, clients need to take a leap and make the decision. But it’s the same kind of choice we all make when choosing which dentist or mechanic to hire – there’s no such thing as a “trial root canal” or “practice break repair.” Just like the designer-client relationship, those decisions are built on reputation, trust, and perception of quality. The sticking point is that in those instances, most of us ignore process itself, just focusing on the end result, whether it’s clean teeth or a new muffler. A good design relationship requires a little bit more involvement.

But all that said, once you’ve worked through a project with a new client, that initial nervousness can evolve into a strong relationship that rewards mutual trust and communication, making subsequent projects simpler, easier, and even better.

Why It Hurts Designers
As crass as it might sound, money is at the core of this debate. It’s all about the Benjamins. We like to think that all great designers do the work “for the love of the game,” but few of us are able to survive on that passion alone. Design love doesn’t pay the office rent or keep the lights on. This is a problem, because most crowdsourcing arrangements are weighted to heavily favor the “client,” and designers absorb most or all of the risk. A designer creates a finished deliverable, spending time, energy, and resources (all of which have value) without any guarantee of compensation. Unlike a conventional client-firm agreement, in this scenario, the client isn’t bound to pay for the work. That crowdsourcing client has no incentive to build a working relationship or to utilize the designer’s time as they would when making a financial commitment – and the designer has no leverage in drafting a fair agreement.

This arrangement might work for hobbyist designers, but for those of us who make a living charging for design expertise and services, it’s a very poor business model. The fine print in some crowdsourcing agreements is also frightening – the devil’s in the details when companies gain unlimited rights to the “winning” crowdsourced artwork, allowing them to profit from it ad infinitum, without due licensing compensation stipulated at the outset.

Now, it’s been reasonably stated that participation is voluntary and no one is forcing designers to enter into these agreements. Rightly so. But the overall effect and perception built by crowdsourcing degrades and devalues design as a valuable business asset, which hurts all designers in the long run.

Even putting aside those concerns, crowdsourcing just isn’t built to solve strategic design problems well. Sure, clients might occasionally be able to get a nice-looking logo or a solid tagline from these efforts, but crowdsourcing falls flat in instances where strategy, partnership, and other crucial intangible elements are needed. Here are some of the scenarios where crowdsourcing doesn’t work:

Crowdsourcing doesn’t work…

When a one-on-one partnership is crucial

A good design relationship requires trust, time, commitment (and the safety net that paid contracts create) to dig deeply with a client. A prospective client who invests no time or money into a design solution (like in a typical crowdsourced scenario) will value it in the same way: zero. It’s low on the priority list, little time will be invested, and the end product will suffer. But clients who are willing to pay four, five and six figures for commissioned work quickly learn that having a trusted design ally to partner with leads to the best, valuable solutions. In those situations, both parties are invested heavily (time, money and reputation for each), capturing the focus of everyone involved.

If quantity is the driving factor

Some companies jump onto the crowdsourcing bandwagon because they see it as a way to get huge pools of concepts to choose from at minimal cost (that in-house teams can later implement). After all, aren’t more options always better? Not in these scenarios. Too many weak options can confuse the project’s main objectives, and a variety of opposing voices can muddy the decision-making process. There is much to be said for seasoned professionals helping to curate and filter concepts in concert with a client. This fast-food menu scenario of crowdsourcing doesn’t typically offer that.

When the problem is open-ended or nebulous

Designers are trained to expand on challenges like the client who asks that a new brand identity “makes our company seem trustworthy.” That statement is not a creative brief, but just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the beginning of the process that will eventually tease out what that exactly means. Are there relevant historical issues in the client organization’s past? What does “trustworthy” mean to this particular group of decision-makers? Usually, the crowdsourcing apparatus functions like a radio broadcast – a one-way street  – and further clarification is rare. Open-ended briefs or vague opening agendas can be a gold-mine filled with excellent nuggets for the right design team. But 5,000 independent designers working from the same fuzzy notions will never be able to dig as deeply as a team who has priority access to narrow the focus alongside the client.

Crowdsourcing Is Useful…

When you’re trying to solve a discrete problem

In times where there is seemingly one way to do something, the crowd can be extremely efficient in solving binary problems. Advice sites sites make use of this strategy, drawing on the expertise of qualified people who are already filtered or self-selected for competence. The ideal situation is to find or build a qualified community, and leverage their knowledge to solve a specific problem or issue. If you want to know the best way to install a hard drive or the correct ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog, crowdsourced wisdom might be the way to go.

When you want simple actions or opinions from a larger sample size

Mountain Dew’s Dewmocracy initiative that allows fans to select their favorite flavors are a great use of crowd opinion. In a scenario like this, vast numbers do really matter. Quantity is going to be the most helpful feedback for marketers and food scientists, and the Internet has a strong, built-in filter of interest for people to find a product or service like soda. But clients still need to filter these results, unless the voting criteria are very clear and specific.

When you need financing or other non-creative assets

Kickstarter has built a loyal following and practical business model around the use of like-minded crowds to rally around a singular purpose. The interest and excitement of helping a product come to life (and deriving a benefit of discounts, preorder status or creative credits) is a potent combination. It works well because the benefits are stated clearly, and both parties are guaranteed to get something in return. It’s also a venue for entrepreneurs and designers to fund their own production outside of the typical corporate structure. This set of operating principles are scalable because the “client” is still financing design, production or some other creative activity, albeit in much smaller amounts.

The idea of tapping creative communities for overall group efforts (like MakerBot and Behance) open up some exciting possibilities, but crowdsourcing will have to evolve in order for it to be fair, powerful, and equitable for all parties.