http://www.jasonlittle.co Jason Little Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:48:37 +0000 http://www.jasonlittle.co en http://www.jasonlittle.co/Brad-JESS-WEDDING http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/Brad-JESS-WEDDING Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:48:37 +0000 Jason Little 5247145 <img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/b75077fc0572137018a9c6274c2f4701.jpeg" width="600" height="402" width_o="600" height_o="402" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/b75077fc0572137018a9c6274c2f4701_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217273" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/9c3d2b909d88f10fa9711ac1ed8a5ed1.jpeg" width="600" height="900" width_o="600" height_o="900" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/9c3d2b909d88f10fa9711ac1ed8a5ed1_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217263" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/84b0c614e5a3e5d0ed9b93cfe15c7153.jpeg" width="600" height="845" width_o="600" height_o="845" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/84b0c614e5a3e5d0ed9b93cfe15c7153_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217268" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/57304b97522bb9b700c38fa28bf3680f.jpeg" width="600" height="400" width_o="600" height_o="400" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/57304b97522bb9b700c38fa28bf3680f_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217271" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/e4d64a27bb43b2341c6dd5a722f1d7cb.jpeg" width="600" height="400" width_o="600" height_o="400" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/e4d64a27bb43b2341c6dd5a722f1d7cb_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217274" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/37e84f75dd10e25b8c1da80e19db76fa.jpeg" width="600" height="400" width_o="600" height_o="400" src_o="http://payload147.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/5247145/37e84f75dd10e25b8c1da80e19db76fa_o.jpeg" data-mid="28217265" border="0" align="left"/> Brad and Jess are getting married. What? When did this happen? Has it been that long? He’s asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes. But, what about the journey that lead to this occasion? We saw the invite as an opportunity to give friends and family a window into their life together over the past three years, filling in the gaps they may have missed out on. From the minds of both Jess and Brad, the questions they have asked themselves are timelined to create their story, culminating in his popping the big question. Brad and Jess are getting married. What? When did this happen? Has it been that long? He’s asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes. But, what about the... http://www.jasonlittle.co/STEVE-LI-ACUPUNCTURIST http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/STEVE-LI-ACUPUNCTURIST Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:25:23 +0000 Jason Little 4518383 <img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steveli_4LR_800.jpg" width="800" height="518" width_o="1179" height_o="764" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steveli_4LR_o.jpg" data-mid="24000219" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steve_li_silhoutte_rotate_800.jpg" width="800" height="582" width_o="1622" height_o="1181" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steve_li_silhoutte_rotate_o.jpg" data-mid="24000217" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 1 card_twr_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 1 card_twr_o.jpg" data-mid="24000201" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 1 cards_isisLR_800.jpg" width="800" height="615" width_o="1181" height_o="908" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 1 cards_isisLR_o.jpg" data-mid="24000204" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 2 cards-LR_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li 2 cards-LR_o.jpg" data-mid="24000207" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li business_various_800.jpg" width="800" height="865" width_o="1181" height_o="1278" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/Steve Li business_various_o.jpg" data-mid="24000210" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steveli1_800.jpg" width="800" height="557" width_o="1041" height_o="726" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518383/steveli1_o.jpg" data-mid="24000224" border="0" align="left"/> Steve Li is an acupuncturist with outstanding skills. He cures everything from tennis elbow to crippling back problems, he's that good. His business is predominantly driven by word of mouth. His customers will typically take several business cards and hand them out to friends as they preach his miracle work. By taking the idea of recommendations as a key driver for his business, his approving customers donate their business cards, to be re-used as a physical sign of their endorsement. Each card is punched through with his details and passed on to potential new customers, showing that the business card's owner had received treatment by him, and that they endorse his abilities. Steve Li is an acupuncturist with outstanding skills. He cures everything from tennis elbow to crippling back problems, he's that good. His business is... http://www.jasonlittle.co/SHANGHAI-BIENNALE-SYDNEY-PAVILLION http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/SHANGHAI-BIENNALE-SYDNEY-PAVILLION Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:14:34 +0000 Jason Little 4518258 <img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/3_posters_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/3_posters_o.jpg" data-mid="23999461" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/3-card_stack_800.jpg" width="800" height="520" width_o="1181" height_o="768" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/3-card_stack_o.jpg" data-mid="23999464" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/bag_detail_800.jpg" width="800" height="566" width_o="1772" height_o="1254" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/bag_detail_o.jpg" data-mid="23999469" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/bikebrickwall_shanghai_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/bikebrickwall_shanghai_o.jpg" data-mid="23999472" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book open_800.jpg" width="800" height="564" width_o="1181" height_o="834" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book open_o.jpg" data-mid="23999481" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book_cover_800.jpg" width="800" height="573" width_o="1772" height_o="1271" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book_cover_o.jpg" data-mid="23999484" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book_stack_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/book_stack_o.jpg" data-mid="23999489" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/card_stack_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/card_stack_o.jpg" data-mid="23999495" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/cover_stack_800.jpg" width="800" height="575" width_o="1181" height_o="850" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/cover_stack_o.jpg" data-mid="23999501" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/floating_books_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/floating_books_o.jpg" data-mid="23999516" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/floating_wall_big_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/floating_wall_big_o.jpg" data-mid="23999528" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/indoor_shanghai_800.jpg" width="800" height="413" width_o="1181" height_o="611" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/indoor_shanghai_o.jpg" data-mid="23999533" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Interior_combo_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Interior_combo_o.jpg" data-mid="23999538" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/overview_800.jpg" width="800" height="561" width_o="1772" height_o="1243" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/overview_o.jpg" data-mid="23999545" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/poster_fold_out_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/poster_fold_out_o.jpg" data-mid="23999549" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shang_book_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shang_book_o.jpg" data-mid="23999565" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shangbook_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shangbook_o.jpg" data-mid="23999586" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shanghai_flyers_800.jpg" width="800" height="602" width_o="1181" height_o="890" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shanghai_flyers_o.jpg" data-mid="23999590" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shanghai_title_800.jpg" width="800" height="229" width_o="1181" height_o="339" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shanghai_title_o.jpg" data-mid="23999596" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_3Posters_800.jpg" width="800" height="388" width_o="1181" height_o="574" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_3Posters_o.jpg" data-mid="23999599" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_bag_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_bag_o.jpg" data-mid="23999610" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_brochure_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_brochure_o.jpg" data-mid="23999623" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_circle_F-B_800.jpg" width="800" height="580" width_o="1181" height_o="857" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/Shanghaii_circle_F-B_o.jpg" data-mid="23999632" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shnaghai_IPAD_800.jpg" width="800" height="675" width_o="2048" height_o="1730" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/shnaghai_IPAD_o.jpg" data-mid="23999660" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/spread_list_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/spread_list_o.jpg" data-mid="23999696" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/totesfb_800.jpg" width="800" height="533" width_o="1181" height_o="787" src_o="http://payload110.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4518258/totesfb_o.jpg" data-mid="23999714" border="0" align="left"/> ‘The Floating Eye’ was the curatorial theme of the Sydney Pavilion in the Shanghai Bienale, the largest international art event in mainland China, attracting over 8 million visitors. Sydney was part of the Inter-City Pavilions, offering observations of a city’s shifting references and influences. The challenge was to convey the varied perspectives of the city’s transforming reality observed though its demographics, environment, history, politics, geography and society. We built a visual language of symbols, combined and intertwined by a shifting graphical interpretation of the lens of the viewer. The result was a striking device that helped vistiors navigate the exhibition, whilst articulating a theme that avoided the need for wordy articulation. ‘The Floating Eye’ was the curatorial theme of the Sydney Pavilion in the Shanghai Bienale, the largest international art event in mainland China, attracting... http://www.jasonlittle.co/FLUX http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/FLUX Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:19:09 +0000 Jason Little 4481857 <img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos4_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos4_o.jpg" data-mid="23783020" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos5_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos5_o.jpg" data-mid="23783021" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos_o.jpg" data-mid="23783015" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos3_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos3_o.jpg" data-mid="23782072" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos6_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos6_o.jpg" data-mid="23782076" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos2_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos2_o.jpg" data-mid="23783017" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos7_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos7_o.jpg" data-mid="23783023" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos9_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos9_o.jpg" data-mid="23783026" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos10_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos10_o.jpg" data-mid="23783027" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos8_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload109.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/4481857/logos8_o.jpg" data-mid="23783025" border="0" align="left"/> ​A specialist group of consultants focussed on breaking new ground in sustainability of the built environment, needed to define and portray a clear identity to the industry and clients. The result is a flexible identity that follows the organisation's innovative and unorthadox approach. One that goes back to basics, stripping away all that is unneccesary, and championing the anti-engineering approach to everything they do. A complete graphic system, the flux identity strikes through the greenwashing clichés and clutter that crowd the sustainable category, creating an immediate presence that can’t be ignored. ​A specialist group of consultants focussed on breaking new ground in sustainability of the built environment, needed to define and portray a clear identity to... http://www.jasonlittle.co/MEMBER-MENTOR http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/MEMBER-MENTOR Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:35:04 +0000 Jason Little 1236831 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236831/1106151246350886.jpeg" width="600" height="848" width_o="600" height_o="848" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236831/1106151246350886_o.jpeg" data-mid="5973465" border="0" align="left"/> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236831/1106151246351060.jpeg" width="600" height="419" width_o="600" height_o="419" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236831/1106151246351060_o.jpeg" data-mid="6147288" border="0" align="left"/> http://www.jasonlittle.co/BUNNAHABHAIN-WHISKY http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/BUNNAHABHAIN-WHISKY Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:55 +0000 Jason Little 1236852 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236852/1106151246365134.jpeg" width="600" height="747" width_o="600" height_o="747" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236852/1106151246365134_o.jpeg" data-mid="5973765" border="0" align="left"/> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); http://www.jasonlittle.co/DESIGN-A-BETTER-WORLD http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/DESIGN-A-BETTER-WORLD Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:43 +0000 Jason Little 1236851 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld_o.jpg" data-mid="5974327" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld2_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld2_o.jpg" data-mid="5974328" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld3_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236851/betterworld3_o.jpg" data-mid="5974329" border="0" align="left"/> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); http://www.jasonlittle.co/MARCUS-PIPER-THE-OTHER-41MINS http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/MARCUS-PIPER-THE-OTHER-41MINS Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:34 +0000 Jason Little 1236811 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236811/1106151246350961.jpeg" width="599" height="399" width_o="599" height_o="399" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236811/1106151246350961_o.jpeg" data-mid="5973368" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236811/1106151246351019.jpeg" width="600" height="850" width_o="600" height_o="850" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236811/1106151246351019_o.jpeg" data-mid="5973370" border="0" align="left"/> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); http://www.jasonlittle.co/THE-MORE-THINGS-CHANGE http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/THE-MORE-THINGS-CHANGE Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:29 +0000 Jason Little 1229307 by Jason Little Desktop Magazine July 2010 www.desktopmag.com.au ​PLUS ÇA CHANGE, PLUS C’EST LA MÊME CHOSE / THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME. When was the last time you walked through the supermarket and were stopped in your tracks by something new and unexpected? Or picked up a magazine that was radically different from the rest on the shelf, and that didn’t show the same types of advertising, of the same types of products, all blurring into sameness and insignificance? I pretty much turn into a robot when I’m shopping these days. I automatically take the same products with the same colours, shapes and sizes, rarely thinking too much about it. Time goes by with little interest or independent thinking and, after an hour or so, I’m past the checkout, with my bags and the sad realisation that a small moment of time in my life has disappeared, never to be retrieved. I’ve also ended up with a bunch of products that were the same as last week, and that are designed around tapping into a kind of familiar purchasing cycle, which is something that’s been bothering me lately. As consumers we are faced with so much competition vying for our attention, yet it’s ironic that the prevailing reaction of most companies and their products is to mimic, steal or borrow any perceived successful traits of the competition, and ultimately end up in a similar place. It’s a short-lived legitimate road to success. With everyone doing this to each other, it paves a clear path for anyone who dares travel in a different direction. Differentiation is the key to increased performance of a brand. You can command a higher price for a longer period of time. Once everyone has caught up, as they inevitably do, the key is to renew that differentiation to stay ahead. Without this leadership mentality, you can be sure to end up in the insignificant pile, topped by the latest challenger brand that was smart enough to think differently. The law of averages says that there’s safety in numbers, but the laws of probability say pick a different path and you’re bound to end up in a different place than everyone else. So with this in mind, rather than blame the clients, the brand managers and the research companies that filter everything down to be the same, I’d like to take a different stance, and blame the designer. Yes – that’s us – the ones who are at the coalface, creating this sameness. Allow me to clarify. We as designers solve the problems that clients give us. If we, as the supposed experts, give the same hackneyed thinking to each brief, and we churn out the same standard responses, then tell me, isn’t it us who have the power to stop this nonsense? I was recently asked why I always feel the need to openly challenge the prevailing opinion of the group in meetings and critiques. Apparently it can sometimes appear that it is simply to be contrary for the sake of it. My response? 'I see nothing wrong with that'. Constantly questioning everything? Challenging the expectations of others? Never being satisfied with the answer at hand? Why, isn’t that what being a graphic designer is all about? To me it’s the difference between a talented or average designer. Without this attitude, what we usually end up with seems to draw on similar ideas based on similar sources of inspiration, with results that tend toward sameness. Take the recent stint of interviewing designers I’ve been doing, in London and Paris. What I see are plenty of designers in the UK that look like they’ve been working at Spin, NB: Studio, Bibliothèque and Cartlidge Levene. The same can be said of Australia, where, for a while there, I remember everyone looking like they had worked at Frost, Mark Gowing Design or 3 Deep. Only they hadn’t. They had just replicated the surface value of the work, without the level of thinking that existed behind it. It’s great that aesthetics are understood, and good visual design is appreciated, but what concerns me is the one-size fits all approach, no matter what the project or brief they may be faced with. There is something else, too. Based on my own experience as a young designer, it’s easy to be in awe of what we know is good, or at least told is good. Fresh from looking at a D&AD or the AGDA annual, it’s all too easy to think: ‘If I do work just like that, I too can be a great designer.’ As visual people it makes sense to us. Unfortunately, that’s half of the population of designers out there. Hence with everyone looking at the same stuff, monkey see, monkey do, we end up each year with global tributes to the cutting edge designers of the past year. So where is the risk-taking? Where is the bravery in taking a chance and doing something that isn’t already accepted by everyone else? Obviously in today’s fast paced culture of immediacy, deadlines are tight, budgets are reduced and the pressure to deliver seems that much greater. With this in mind, it’s easy for the majority to opt for the fastest solution for inspiration, the web. The design blog as culprit? Or merely just another source on top of awards annuals, studio websites and the new proliferation of design picture books? Let me put it this way. There is nothing more disappointing to a creative director than a designer showing them someone else’s work on the concept board and saying: ‘So here’s my big idea’. In fact I take that back, there is something worse, and that’s hiding the source of the idea in the blind hope that no one in the room, especially the creative director, is going to notice that they are in fact looking at the latest Turner Duckworth packaging, but with a different name. And that’s the rub. Many designers are content to deliver carbon copies because it takes less effort than the thinking and problem solving required for the job at hand. It’s time to stop looking around for inspiration, and instead look long and hard at the problem. Without the due diligence at the outset, no amount of style will hide the absence of an idea. So ask yourself this: have you ever done a piece of design that has truly stood out as being exceptional? Redefined the category or industry, and inspired a whole generation of designers and clients alike? The kind of work that generates the response, ‘I wish I’d done that’? Three or four years ago at work in Sydney, I was relatively new to a design agency, and finding my feet. I was in continual learning mode, and a lot of what I saw and heard shaped the way I think and act in my job today. My managing director at the time, Michael Graham, would often spout business jargon and phraseology throughout the day. But one of the most powerful pieces of advice I remember was his response when I asked him a trivial question about getting in some new books into the studio. He said: 'It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission'. He was echoing the words often attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, a pioneer in the field of computer science. A now commonly used phrase throughout the business world, especially by managers, this phrase has a transformative power. It is an open expression of trust and encouragement of independent thinking. As a designer, it pretty much gave me licence to do what I thought best – for clients, the team and the way we did the work. The fact of the matter is this: not everyone is given the opportunity to follow their intuition so openly, but it is always there, even if it’s not obvious. For the most part there will always be excuses from the majority to avoid ever having to take the lead, such as: ‘It’s not fair’, ‘I wasn’t given the same chances’, ‘The client ruined my work’, ‘My boss didn’t let me grow’, ‘I never get to work on good projects’, ‘I had no time’, ‘I’m too busy’, ‘I don’t get paid enough’, ‘I don’t work with good clients’… I was in Barcelona last week on a project and met up with Alex Trochut at his studio for a chat. Pioneering designer, typographic master and overall nice guy, he’s also a design god to all the young designers I work with. Anyone not in the creative industry may tend to think of all designers as being created equal, but as we discussed the merits of his Bob Dylan poster by Milton Glaser, leaning against a wall, it was glaringly obvious within the first few moments of our discussion that they are most definitely not. For the most part, good designers are a dime a dozen, but the great ones are as rare as hens’ teeth. Glaser is one of them, and now so is Trochut, the Spanish 28-year-old who’s taking the industry by storm. Yet what’s so special about these designers? For a start they have disruptive offerings of their own. A purpose, a drive and a desire to achieve something better and unique than existed before, to be inquisitive and never stop challenging the client or themself. In any agency there will typically be a handful of people throughout the agency’s life, who will be remembered long after their departure for their contribution to the company, the industry and maybe even the world. I’ve worked with a handful of designers in my lifetime like this. The ones who ooze creativity without even trying – the creative creatives. They stand out a mile from the rest, and it’s a great place to be as a designer. One good project leads to the next. Everyone else improves through either working directly with this designer or feeling the competition or pressure to deliver better ideas. Clients benefit massively. The studio portfolio improves and in turn the reputation of the studio increases. All because of the catalyst designer. Who wouldn’t want to be that? Everyone has the potential – it’s just a state of mind. Finally, here’s a thought. The next time you drift through a supermarket, consider yourself as one of those similar products on a shelf packed with choice. Why should you be chosen over the next one? What can you offer that’s different and better than the others? What’s so special and unique about you? Would you be Fruit Loops, porridge, muesli or Coco Pops? I suspect the majority would fall into ‘own brand’ territory – great value and almost the same quality as the original. The thing is, just like own brand products, you can try to match the best, but will rarely innovate and break new ground. As best-selling author of The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier, wrote: 'You can’t be a leader by following the leader'. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); by Jason Little Desktop Magazine July 2010 www.desktopmag.com.au ​PLUS ÇA CHANGE, PLUS C’EST LA MÊME CHOSE / THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THINGS STAY THE... http://www.jasonlittle.co/AGDA-EVENTS-CALENDAR http://www.jasonlittle.co/following/jasonlittle.co/AGDA-EVENTS-CALENDAR Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:23 +0000 Jason Little 1236455 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar_o.jpg" data-mid="5972244" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar2_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar2_o.jpg" data-mid="5972250" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar3_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar3_o.jpg" data-mid="5972255" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar4_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar4_o.jpg" data-mid="5972257" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar5_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar5_o.jpg" data-mid="5972262" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar6_800.jpg" width="800" height="600" width_o="1181" height_o="886" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/1/60138/1236455/calendar6_o.jpg" data-mid="5972264" border="0" align="left"/> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22488731-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();