According to Wikipedia ‘Why’s an interrogative pro-abverb used mostly in questions that are concerned with causality. Somebody asking “Why is the sky blue?” would want to know what circumstances have transpired to create the situation to make the sky appear blue.

Recently I read Brooke Capps article in Ad Age “Want to Build a Powerful Brand? Don’t Forget Core Values” Published April 24, 2007. In her article Capps suggests that asking the question “why?’ is one of the fundamental ways to help one different their brand to make it innovative and substantial.

‘Ever wondered why?’
Allen Adamson, managing director, Landors Associates, maintained that “strong brands start off with a crisp idea of what’s different and why that difference is relevant.” In presenting the points contained in his book, “Brand Simple,” he raised the Jerry Seinfeld query: “Have you ever wondered why…?” This, Mr. Adamson said, is the question that generates true innovation. Timberland, he said, came from the shoe maker’s founder stepping in a puddle and asking himself why it’s so hard to find a truly waterproof shoe. Baby Einstein was born when a mom wondered why there was no educational programming for the 9- to 14-month-old set.

While this question proves to be essential in many scenarios of the industry it has been my primary tool in sanely communicating with clients about design work. Sometimes a client insists on you executing a project in a manor that contradicts every fiber of your being. Perhaps they require you to put a drop shadow on the entire body copy or feel that pepto pink emotionally communicates their software company.

The truth is that every parameter should be a conversation. A question up for discussion. Jaded designers often accept ridiculous requests and work around them. Writing off the outcome of the project as “Just a piece I won’t include in my portfolio”. We all are guilty of taking the easy route a few times.

Peeling back all the layers of color theory and design principals we get to the heart of what a truly innovative designer is. The core responsibility of a Creative is to be the one who asks “why”. Not only when it is appropriate, but when it is completely unprecedented and unexpected. When eyebrows are raised and eyes dart, someone has to be the one to question the status quo. Thats how the best solutions are found.

Technorati Tags: wonder why, ask why, Brooke Capps

At night before I tuck myself into bed I pray to a higher being and request things like world peace, ending poverty, and someone to invent a more viable option to PowerPoint. There is a distinct possibility that some headway is being made with one of those requests. As previously established, I am extremely averse to the Microsoft application. Flashing that sparkly smile boasting that confident stride, Google has once again landed on a Monopoly property with a whole handful of tricks up its sleeve. Man, am I excited to see if this investment is going to have a high return.

No Whammies, No Whammies.. Big Bucks!

I am aware that there are a lot of people out there who don’t feel the same as I on the PowerPoint argument. A colleague of mine named Brian King actually loves PowerPoint so much that he bought the domain “http://www.IlovePowerPoint.com”. When I asked Brian why he is such a fan he replied “I don’t think it’s too bad. It is the lowest common denominator, everyone in the business world has it. Rather than hating it, I embrace it.” However, he does admit that if Google came up with an application that fixes the flaws of PowerPoint, his feelings could be reconsidered. Ironically, if you go to http://www.IlovePowerPoint.com you will see that Brian adorns the page with Google adwords.

According to http://www.tonicsystems.com Google acquired “the San Francisco-based company that provides Java presentation automation products and solutions for document management”. I have never used tonic systems but get the impression it does not have the full functionality that PowerPoint currently posses. In an AP press article Google Chairman and Chief Executive Eric Schmidt stated ‘It does not have all the functionality nor is it intended to have all functionality of Microsoft Office, It seems to be a better fit to how people use the Web.’

Eric says this now, but in my fantasies he is saying…
“It doesn’t Woop PowerPoint ass now, but oh… it will… it will. Mu ha ha ha!”

Technorati Tags: Google, PowerPoint, Microsoft, tonicsystems, presentation, Eric Schmidt

One of my family’s favorite activities when I was a kid was playing the board game Monopoly. Like an episode of Gilligan’s Island, we always began to play optimistically in complete denial of how the tale was scripted to end. By the end of the game my father usually bought up half the board, loaded it with hotels, and my younger sister then naively landed on his property unable to pay the consequences discouragingly exited the dining room in a flood of tears.

Google plays board games similar to my dad. Yahoo and Microsoft sit in a smoky room with cigars and hash it out with Google and Rich Uncle Pennybags to see if who can roll doubles the most. Google at the helm of a tiny pewter battleship glides past Go and buys up the most properties nearly every round. With Yahoo and microsoft hot on the battleship’s wake it seems like they are always one roll behind some of the best real estate. Seeming to negotiate nearly ridiculous deals, Google doesn’t just make investments, it invests defensively.

Purchasing Double Click at nearly 10 times its revenue may seem like a reckless buy on Google’s part, but I believe its more of a statement than a venture. Google is in it to win it, and they are making no bones about it. My curiousity lies in Yahoo, what will happen to one who plays the game slowly but surely? With solid investments like UpComing.org, Del.licio.us. and Flickr they have a fairly valuable corner of the board. When the others land on their property they may not be getting hotel values, but they have a steady cash flow that prays on those who roll solid numbers.

During my childhood The possibility of embarking upon game of monopoly was daunting. The challenge to overtake a superpower was thrilling, but watching tiny Toni leave the room in shambles was heart-wrenching. Sometimes people get tired of never winning. They give up and go onto playing games like UNO and Jenga. Other times, it only toughens them up to win more. At the age of 23 my sister will mercilessly kick some ass in monopoly, but it took her getting wooped for years to make it happen. With Yahoos tough skin, I am interested to see if the outcome will be similar.

The internet is often the keeper of accidental treasure and inspiration. While searching for some photography online through the Library of Congress two years ago, I stumbled upon an exceptional gem of a resource. Buried deep amongst pages of digital layout lies a remarkable little darling of pure, hand-painted, graphic design. Originally untouched by Adobe Photoshop or a digital printer, the product of authentic artistic talent.

The Library of Congress online catalog of WPA posters is a sure source of visual stimulation. Created by President Hoover in an attempt to provide relief to millions of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression, the administration provided thousands of projects for out of work artists.

Once upon a time Designers used pencils and paint to hand draw precise letter-forms and produce effects that are similar to that of Photoshop filters.The accuracy and style was phenomenal. No Pen tool was available to get the curves just right and no “cut and paste” to recycle pre-produced graphics. Each letter drawn with exhaustive care rather than being instantaneously spit out by a blinking cursor. While one would think this could only produce work that pales in comparison of what the mighty Macintosh helps assemble today, the contrary is actually the case. The Artists of the WPA helped to enlighten generations of designers to come.

What fascinated me when looking through these posters was the direct connection between the stylization of the 1930s and what you see now in advertising. Whether we consciously realize it or not, the work of the WPA left a lasting impression in the world of visual communications.

So when the daily grind of being in the creative industry is getting you down take a moment and check out the Library of Congress Collection. Take in the ornate simplicity of a poster created for the Philadelphia Zoo, or contemplate the rich curvature of Charles Vershuuren persuading you to attend the Water Carnival in Central Park. Why not take advantage of this repository for creativity, these works belong to all of us.

[techtags: WPA Posters, Vintage Design, Library of Congress, Inspiration, Poster Art]

There are different levels of expertise when it comes to the Google Search.

The E-creeper. This is the uber- advanced Googler who can find your X-girlfriends Wedding Photos and tell you the current street address of your third grade teacher. They usually are savvy enough to know how to track the IPs of those who come to their myspace account, so dare not to outsmart them. While this sounds like a sketchy MO, its good to know an E-creeper in desperate situations. Never date one, they have the possibility of making your life sheer hell.

Advanced Searcher. Track down a photo? Find that campaign mentioned in a blog? No problem for this smart search engine explorer. Finding relevant information is what this person excels at… using quotation marks and search engine commands when seeking answers. They have a solid awareness of how the web works and often can take control of their own destiny by using search engine optimization on their personal web ventures.

Basic Finder. These people are thinking big and getting big unfiltered results. Like using an atomic weapon to solve a rat problem, you are going to find what you searched for but hit everything else in the process. Most people fit here, using google as a tool, but really having no idea the magnitude of power they can leverage from its enormous capabilities.

You can Google that? These people are completely oblivious to the fact that a search engine can provide many of the answers to life’s mysteries. Sure they use the internet, but they would never consider leveraging its power. The ignorant and lazy often fall into this category, not realizing they can get the answers all on their own. It frightens the crap out of me how many people I encounter who are on this level.

So why does it matter what category you fit in. You may not even know what you don’t know, and that is exceptionally dangerous. As a designer, developer, internet professional, or human being it is your duty to become involved in the world of interactive media. There sits this fantastically wide ocean of pure knowledge. It is littered with static, garbage, and porn, but when you are capable of diving in and pulling out that gem of information you will become that much smarter than you were before. Search engines are your guide. Get to know your guide on a more personal level and they will show you where all the locals hang out. The Locals always know where the best Fish tacos are. And what is a successful trip to the sea of knowledge without some good-ass fish tacos?

[techtags: Google Searching, Search Engine, E-Creep, E-Creeping]