The Creative Process

Everyone’s creative process is different. Do you start with a blank sheet of paper, a white screen and stare at it until something pops into your head or jump right in and get going? I like to mull things over for a couple days and start with an idea or vision of what I am going to do.

Sometimes thoughts come to me while I am driving or sleeping and I wake up with a vision of how I am going to do something. My friend says her best creative comes to her in the shower. I also know people like to work in coffee shops with the buzz of people, music and caffeine all around them. I can’t disagree that a good cup of joe always helps get the mind moving. Another colleague likes to share all her ideas and talk through them.

What’s your creative process? Do you start with words, photos or maybe a sketch? If I don’t have a clear direction to begin with, I may need to get inspiration from surfing the web for either stock photos or fonts or just browse other web sites. Books are great, but sitting in front of the computer is just easier since we are all so programmed to multi-task anyway – God forbid we miss an email coming in.

I also have a collection of ‘cool samples’, that’s the label on my bin. I save direct mail pieces, invitations, magazine articles or anything I see that seems to have ‘done it right’ – whether it’s a great headline, a smart way to do a reply card or call to action, or something with fun colors or paper. It’s useful to look through these things periodically and see what others have done.

Then there are those great resources that paper and print reps are always bringing in to inspire us. Some have lovely foil embossing techniques others have crazy one-of-a-kind die-cuts or 10+ color fluorescent UV printing. I love seeing all these fancy techniques and sometimes it sparks an idea. Often, clients can’t always afford these over-the-top extras, but sometimes there is a way to achieve a similar technique affordably too.

The best way to get inspired could be to just get out of your element. Stop in a gift shop, the grocery store or hop on the subway or a bus – just somewhere with a lot of sights and sounds. Just sitting in quiet place – a park or quiet café with just a notebook and your thoughts can be a nice way to clear your mind and allow creative ideas to stream in too.

To me the hardest part about the creative process is the idea. Once something is down on paper or started on the computer, editing it to be a solid final creative entity is easy. Figuring out how to turn on the creative juices is one thing but working on something in progress is another. So start thinking, get inspired and work ‘your process’. Once you’ve identified what your process is, it’s a lot easier to know how to work with it, not against it.

A Burst of Sunshine

Lemon, citrus, charteuse, goldenrod, mustard, solar. Whatever shade you call it – it’s yellow.

Yellow is everywhere right now. From wall colors to dishes to clothing, retailers have the trend pegged. Crate & Barrel’s new catalog features a ‘banana’ colored mixing bowl and J.Crew is promoting custom Sperry duck boots in ‘lemon twist’. Benjamin Moore is showing kitchen walls painted ‘grape green’ against dark chocolate cabinets. And Nordstrom’s features a pattern of yellow sun rings on their main Juniors’ webpage. Shop windows, catalogs, commercials, product packaging and websites are all featuring this peppy color. It must be because springtime is calling for a little bit of sunshine to brighten our dull and dark winter palettes.

It’s easy to follow this design trend. Pair a citrus yellow with charcoal gray or black to tone it down, or a complete a vibrant palette with a pool blue, grass green and tangerine orange. For a modern look, use lots of white and a splash of hot pink against big blocks of lemony yellow. Or mix a soft butter yellow with light teal, pale pink and brown for a vintage inspired design.

Printing on a yellow paper stock is also a way to get a richer hue instead of printing a process yellow on a white stock. Using yellow on the web is a bit trickier; it doesn’t always display accurately on monitors and can be hard to read as type. It makes a great background, though, and a variety of colors look great with it.

Does this yellow trend invoke happiness? It sure is cheerful. Picture a field of daffodils or sunflowers against a cloud-free blue sky. It can only make you smile.

Will the lean to yellow last? Unless you are planning to completely overhaul your brand look, corporate colors, wardrobe or living room, your splash with yellow doesn’t need to stand the test of time. Like the sun, you can just welcome its presence, especially after a dreary winter. Everyone seems hungry for this burst of color to brighten the more neutral hues around us. So go ahead, find a yellow hue that’s right for you. Feel the glow!

What’s Your Personal Brand?

I recently designed a program for my friend and former boss’ memorial service. The program was supposed to reflect him and his style. It got me thinking about everything that goes into a personal style or brand. How do we determine what someone else’s style is?

Maybe it’s in the clothes we wear, be it all black and grey or bright orange and red. Many friends reminisced about my boss’ bright pink shirts and bold purple ties. It could be reflected in the patterns we love – soft feminine florals, bold stripes or textured neutrals. Some choose to make a personal statement through how they decorate their houses or offices. I love sleek and modern interior décor but usually surround myself with a mix of modern and traditional pieces since all modern can be stark and cold.

All of us have a personal style, but not everyone is deliberate about translating that to our personal brand. I designed and digitally printed personalized thank you notes with hot pink, purple and spring green graphics on a softwhite paper for my daughter after she was born. Everyone said how cute they were and that they are “so her”. Did I start creating her brand already as an infant by the typeface, color and paper choices? I wonder if she’ll choose a completely different style and brand as she gets older – no doubt!

I designed an identity for a colleague a while ago who has bold, curly red hair. I created a twisty curly red graphic element that tied into the letters in her name. She continues to use this for her personal stationery and claims it “fits her perfectly”. This red curly-q is now part of her personal brand, a trademark of sorts.

In branding and design, we are taught to be consistent. It’s almost driven down our throats and in turn we teach our clients to be consistent. Use your logo in the same way every time, stick to the brand manual and use the same colors and fonts, pick a standard paper – all these choices create your brand.

Maybe our personal brand is just ingrained in who we are. It’s how we sign our name, the words we use, our speaking style and the colors we prefer. And while consistency can be a good thing, sometimes we all can become a bit stale even in our personal brand. Always wearing all black and white and pinstriped? Shake it up a bit – it’s a new year. Add a dash of citrus yellow or a pop of red, splurge on a new striped lunch bag, change your default email font to a serif instead of Arial, or spec a colored envelope for your next identity project instead of white. Come on, even corporate brands need a bit of refreshing now and then.

Brand Legacy

 

Peter Hill, the founder of Peter Hill Design, passed away last January after battling bladder cancer. Peter’s friends recently gathered to play in the first annual, memorial charity golf tournament in his name. This event exceeded all expectations for participation and funds raised. The generosity and outpouring of support continues to amaze me. Peter left a lasting impression on so many people.

I am proud to carry on his legacy as the new company owner to the business he created over 13 years ago. As we planned my purchase of the company last fall between his chemo treatments and settling into our new office space, keeping his name as the company name was always a topic of discussion.


If we changed our name, how would the brand continue and our clients find us? If we kept it, how would we explain who Peter Hill was to new clients? My biggest fear was losing clients to too much change and the impression that the company no longer existed. Keeping the name was one way for us to show them our service would stay consistent. Many companies face these challenges, but especially when the founder’s namesake is in the company name. Does the founder in fact become the brand?

Many law firms continue with partner names in their titles long after the partner leaves. If Oprah died tomorrow would HARPO cease to exist? I doubt it. The brand equity that she has created is off the charts successful. As much as Oprah brings to her company, she has a whole team around her that really helped create her brand. Ralph Lauren is on the verge of retirement at the age of 73 and his megabrand will likely continue as-is without his leadership. His son, David, is posed to take over according to a recent Fast Company magazine article. Although David has a different vision, he will take his father’s company and continue to build on the established brand equity. It helps that David has the same last name but even if he didn't, I am sure “Ralph Lauren” will still be in existence years from now.

It’s been 9 months for now us without Peter, and so far the name has stuck. Our brand has stayed consistent and our clients have stayed with us. Peter’s name truly became the company brand. Prospects haven’t inquired to why there is no longer a ‘Peter Hill’ at Peter Hill Design. Our company culture, without our original leader, isn't too terribly different from when I started here over 10 years ago. Our small, close-knit team has stayed working together and our vendor and client relationships have stayed consistent.

What’s behind the name is what makes it valuable – the customer relationships, products and people. We might change our name down the road, but for now, "Peter Hill Design" still has brand equity and a nice ring to it!