WaMu's WTF Advertising

David Sherwin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:12:22 -0400

Sometimes, when seeing an ad whizz by you on a bus, or hearing a spot on the radio, you can reach straight through the ad to the creative brief -- and in a good way. A creative solution to a well-defined business problem can have a sort of elegance that practically sparkles when you see it, brimming with energy.

This isn't one of those ad campaigns. I unveil to you: Whoo hoo! (See the TV ads on their microsite here.)

Fast Talk Response -

David Sherwin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:01:22 -0400

No, and especially if you're working smart. There is no reward for staying late because of inefficiency.

Fast Talk Response -

David Sherwin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:09:48 -0400

I think a better question to ask is: Why aren't telecoms taking more risks with the user experience on their handsets? There has been plenty of innovative talk about where mobile and smart phones can go in the near future. I think there is too much fear in extending some of those features into the market and being seen (initially) as novel. Novelty doesn't always equal sales.

Sorry, We're Clopen Source

David Sherwin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:02:08 -0400

My brilliant colleague Carrie Byrne came up with the title of this post and the term. I'm just the messenger.

Clopen source is the spirit of open-source application creation -- crowdsourcing, product development by a vocal community, free sharing of information to encourage innovation separate of a technology provider -- with very strict boundaries that ensure the profit of the key patent-holders. The key boundary is the device that holds the applications.

Plotting the Impact of Creative Ideas

David Sherwin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:09:01 -0500

See the visual models associated with this post at http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2008/03/plotting-the-im.html

The wall has twenty or thirty sketches pinned to it, and you're in a big group of designers, account managers, project managers, and other creative types trying to determine which ideas make the cut and get executed for the big client meeting. The creative director turns to the group and says, "So, which of these ideas do you like the best?"

Channel Marketing + Sales = Branding

David Sherwin — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:00:33 -0500

I love it when marketing managers talk about how it's their job to help funnel leads to salespeople, and that they can't control anything after that magical transference of responsibility.

I also enjoy it when salespeople talk about how they spend too much time sifting through weak leads from those same marketing managers to close a sale.

Fast Talk Response -

David Sherwin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:45:07 -0500

Not have children.

People seem to forget that the legacy you leave is a lingering footprint as well.

Fast Talk Response -

David Sherwin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:34:13 -0500

In your exit interview.

Comment on Node ant

David Sherwin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:30:26 -0500

The MacBook Air is an appealing machine visually, but after spending even a few minutes working on it, the responsiveness of the processor/bus and the weakness of the battery life are major dings in its overall usability. For checking email, surfing the Internet, and light typesetting, it's a fine machine and definitely top notch. If you're a designer that's dealing in heavy photography/video/audio assets for their daily trade, a MacBook Pro is a much smarter option and can bear much heavier lifting.

Comment on Node ant

David Sherwin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:25:49 -0500

This is worse than just contests... companies are popping up that are positioning themselves as eBay/auction sites for idea generation. They post creative briefs and offer cash to the "best ideas" that are posted for the brief. I've coined this process microconcepting (like microstock such as iStockPhoto.com) and it's definitely a detriment to any designer trying to run a legitimate creative business and build long-term strategic relationships with their clients. Read more about it at http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2008/02/idea-profession.html