tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69414155066031088362024-03-14T01:11:02.488-04:00idea:logiaA blog of the idea, by the idea, for the idea.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-5780360115496967892009-12-16T14:46:00.000-05:002009-12-16T14:47:25.459-05:00When he speaks, we listen.<object width="400" height="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6141185&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6141185&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/6141185">Toni Segarra presenta el Master Communication Design Lab</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/iedmadrid">IED Madrid</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Tony Segarra is one of the smartest Creative Directors in the world. He is also a successful leader and an impressive creative.<br /><br />In this video he speaks about the role of the "new" creative director and the talents of the new communication creative.<br /><br />Noticed the used of the word design in the masters title!<br /><br />Enjoy it.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-3044940862045414852009-12-08T11:02:00.003-05:002009-12-08T11:19:20.773-05:005 ways to improve your portfolioWe are exposed to hundreds of opinions and points of view daily. Perhaps it is the truly significant revolution of this past decade, the surge of the advise.<br /><br />Every where you turn, there is someone giving you tips, shortcuts, advise, insight, rules, laws... This comes from the need to position oneself as a "brand" that adds value to the community, yet a lot comes from offer and demand... the more people come to the internet, blogosphere or twitterville looking for knowledge, the bigger number of people who offers it.<br /><br />Identifying the true valuable advise from the noise is also an exercise of patience and practice, but there is a lot to be learned daily from a few well known and not so well known individuals and magazines out there.<br /><br />In this case, I found it in <a href="http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/5-tips-on-how-to-create-an-effective-online-portfolio/">BitRebels </a>(a first time visit for me)<br /><br />Creating a portfolio online is easy, but creating a portfolio that stands out, sells your talent and gets your foot on the door is a bit more difficult.<br /><br />I found these 5 point to be simple, insightful, logical and smart (which tend to be good ingredients for analytical thinking)<br /><blockquote>1. <strong>Do Good work</strong> – <p>2. <strong> Make it Simple and Concise – </strong></p> <p>3. <strong>Include Case Studies -</strong></p> <p>4. <strong>Give your Portfolio a Human side – </strong></p> <p>5. <strong>Killer design -</strong><br /></p></blockquote><p></p><br />I have come to learned that the most difficult step is to keep things simple.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-11266419411960136592009-11-07T08:21:00.007-05:002009-11-07T09:11:57.043-05:00Here is the beef.Classics.<br /><br />These ads came out when I was starting my career as a junior copywriter and they helped me to understand what good creativity looks like.<br /><br />Thank you to everybody who made this happen.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9cmT8M_67ow&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9cmT8M_67ow&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hm9ECZtv2ps&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hm9ECZtv2ps&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M0n0Dq_AqgI&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M0n0Dq_AqgI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeboMEq10Ms&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeboMEq10Ms&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZhPS84h2FgE&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZhPS84h2FgE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5MCexKWU7HQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5MCexKWU7HQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-43898861972032351542009-10-14T14:20:00.002-04:002009-10-14T14:28:00.485-04:00For everyone<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4116727&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4116727&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4116727">Noteboek</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/evelienlohbeck">Evelien Lohbeck</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />You should follow this advise:<br /><br />Be different and stand out, create something, put it out there, get feedback, be real, be humble, try again, don't listen to the majority of critics, do your own thing, develop you own voice, be respectful, be tasteful, be meaningful, do something that makes you proud, execute the idea, be an idealist, adjust your expectations, read, watch, communicate, socialize, respect women, love kids, understand differences, do what makes you uncomfortable, ask for directions, leave the table still hungry, believe in the idea, never give up and surround your self of people who are smarter, faster and hungrier.<br /><br />To Ander, Alani, Avi and Amaia.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-18465795158562878302009-10-09T16:42:00.005-04:002009-10-09T17:09:58.755-04:00TAXI wisdom.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Ss-gKkRnGgI/AAAAAAAAAGY/dUtgHLf4hIA/s1600-h/banner-davidnobay.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 262px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Ss-gKkRnGgI/AAAAAAAAAGY/dUtgHLf4hIA/s320/banner-davidnobay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390703382382451202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.designtaxi.com/index.php">TAXI</a> is a Design/Creative network I just recently discovered.<br />My humble apologies to those who have known about it for discovering it with such delay. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pero nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena</span> and in this case, the reward is valuable.<br /><br />Obviously the people running TAXI are doing a lot of great things. Great contributors, Portfolio Showcasing, Careers, articles and even interviews with brilliant Designers and Creative Directors.<br /><br />And it is in the interviews section where I found this interesting <a href="http://www.designtaxi.com/article.php?article_id=100537">interview with David Nobay</a>, partner at Drogba5 Australia and <span style="color:gray;"><i>the No. 1 most awarded Creative Director in Australasia.<br /><br /></i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I really like some of his thoughts about your portfolio if you are starting in advertising:<br /></span></span><blockquote>I’d rather see one brief, pushed out into every possible media opportunity, than 8 or 10 convenient couplets of poster and TV scripts.</blockquote>On business partnership:<br /><blockquote>But passion is what keeps up the energy in a start-up. All of us expect the same level of commitment and honesty from each other. That sense of balance is a real key. </blockquote>On direct mail and digital:<br /><br /><blockquote>most people in adland dismissed what we did as “junk mail”, but at its very heart, the methodology was not dissimilar to the eulogy you hear from so-called digital gurus today: The science of accountability; The journey to a response; The sense of brand-utility. Attention/Interest/Desire/Conviction/Action.<br /><br />Sound familiar? Twenty years ago, it was the rudiments of every successful mailpack, but today it’s just as current to the connectivity of the web. Sure, digital and mobile are a much more exciting palette to paint ideas with, but the basic challenge is the same: take people on a journey that’s based on them interacting, connecting and responding.<br /></blockquote>On being a creative leader:<br /><blockquote>Winning awards is easy compared to building a team of creative people who truly believe in you and your mission.</blockquote>And about the present (not the future, refreshingly)<br /><blockquote>These are scary times for many. But for those of us who are comfortable with the currency of ideas, it’s also the most exciting period in our history.agency team. </blockquote>And finally:<br /><strong></strong><blockquote><strong>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the creative world for the next 10 years?</strong><br /><br /><b>David Nobay>></b>Momentum.</blockquote>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-69142551521196480822009-09-25T11:17:00.004-04:002009-09-25T11:31:15.556-04:00If new business is your business.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SrzfNDDD6AI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/D0_LpXYZLQw/s1600-h/risky20sign1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 251px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SrzfNDDD6AI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/D0_LpXYZLQw/s320/risky20sign1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385424669677709314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Alex Bogusky offers great <a href="http://alexbogusky.posterous.com/if-you-have-to-be-afraid-of-something-then-fe">insights </a>into their (CP+B) new business process:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Tell other people your dreams. </span><br />People would laugh and they would point and they would say “There go those guys that wanted to be great!” FAIL! But to succeed you have to risk failure. So eventually decided to tell the whole agency what we wanted to become. Our mission statement. We had a friend who was at Fallon in the early days and he had been a part of creating there’s and I don’t know if I remember it exactly but it was very simple and basically said that they wanted to be, “The most awarded agency in America.” We thought about what we liked about the ad biz and it wasn’t awards it was the culture jamming. So our mission became, “To create the most talked about and written about advertising in the world.” Within weeks the stalemate between the status quo and something new had been broken and the agency began to clearly move toward this new shared goal. Out of the thousands of little decisions that shaped our future you could feel that more than half were suddenly talking us someplace we wanted to go. I wish we had had the courage to do it sooner.</blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The clients you currently have are your true new business machine.</span><br />I see so many people overlook this. “If I only had a client like this or a client like that.” It’s key to have a clear idea in your head of the new ground you hope to break and the new case history you hope to prove with each new client before you start work. What is going to be different about the agency six months after the arrival of your new account? How is this new revenue and this new campaign going to make your agency smarter and more capable than it was prior?</blockquote><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Find some real passion in the building for the business or take a pass on it.</span><br />We have a rule that says we can’t pitch a piece of business unless at least one of the partners is passionate about that business. In the end you will be defined by your clients. There are no two ways about that. Such is the lot of the parasites of the business world. Agencies.</blockquote><blockquote style="font-weight: bold;">4. Don’t model yourself after other agencies. </blockquote>Great points, all of them. My favorite is the importance of a mission that' s easy to embraced by people.<br /><br />That makes the whole difference between being successful and not. Knowing who you are and what you want, and being able to communicate that.<br /><br />PS: I also agree with the title of his post: if-you-have-to-be-afraid-of-something-then-fear mediocrity<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="file:///Users/iescudero/Desktop/risky20sign1.jpg" alt="" />Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-2341291597492289062009-09-25T11:05:00.001-04:002009-09-25T11:07:10.997-04:00Advertising is not a magnet of talent.<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsQCLgVYmEg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsQCLgVYmEg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />During an interview with Jeff Benjamin, the Interactive Executive Creative Director at CP+B, Jeff discusses the amount of talent available or the lack of enough talent rather:<br /><br /><blockquote>It's not that we don't get talent, we just don't get the volume of talent that we need. We need to think about what we are doing to attract people.<br /><br />We need (Google quality people) to come to our agency, but they are not interested.<br /><br />What we value in this people is their entrepreneur spirit, they invention abilities, but the agency is not making and attractive pitch.<br /><br />People want to make things that matter, but big advertising agencies are not perceived as the ideal place to the nurture entrepreneur personality.</blockquote><blockquote>The one question I ask during my interviews is: what's the last thing you invented? because I want to know that people can think and deliver ideas, passionate about making things that have not been made before, because it's a big part fo the interactive future.</blockquote>Great points made by Jeff, that compliment perfectly with this post <a href="http://thinkingalaud.posterous.com/4566561">"the time is now" </a>about how fear is killing creativity in advertising agencies.<br /><br />We know where we are, we know what we need, the talent is out there, let's make this happen, let's rush forward into the future where advertising is again the magnet for crazy talent and rebels and mavericks.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-46724403328937164992009-09-24T16:58:00.003-04:002009-09-24T17:29:45.653-04:00what's the point of the story?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7KQ4vkiNUk&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n7KQ4vkiNUk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Ira Glass shares with us how to tell stories.<br /><br />he’s talking about video production, but his points are easily applied to any other "creative" realm.<br /><br />In this insightful series of videos he explores anecdotes and reflections and what they mean to the story.<br /><br />But hidden within his "reflections" are some very interesting thoughts, like being in charge of telling a story means being ruthless editing what works and is interesting.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Finding a decent story takes more time than producing the story. Anybody in the creative field should spend enough time looking for stories.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Failure is a big part of success. You need to be on a schedule to produce things every week and before you know it, you will have something special, something people are going to want.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The most important thing for you to do is to do a lot of work.</span> (my personal favorite)<br /><p></p></blockquote><p><em></em></p><blockquote><p><em>The first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good — it’s not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, your taste is still killer and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you. A lot of people never get past that phase and a lot of people at that point quit. </em></p> <p><em>And the thing I would just like say to you with all my heart is that most everybody I know who does interesting creative work, they went through a phase of years where they had really good taste and they could tell what they were making wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be. We knew that it didn’t have the special thing that we wanted it to have and the thing to do is — everybody goes through that. And for you to go through it, if you’re going through it right now, if you’re just getting out of that phase or if you’re just starting off and you’re entering into that phase, you’ve got to know it’s totally normal and the most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work.</em></p><p>Two mistakes most people who start make are: we imitate the people who are already doing what we want to do.</p><p>But you need to be yourself. There is already a real one of who you want to imitate.</p><p>The second problem is that we tend to be interested about ourselves, but in most stories the other person is more interesting.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Make sure to watch all 4 videos on you tube.</span><br /></p></blockquote><p><em></em></p>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-58220329546546702532009-09-24T16:40:00.002-04:002009-09-24T16:53:39.193-04:00You can't survive on content alone.<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="400" height="264"><param name="flashvars" value="webhost=fora.tv&clipid=9901&cliptype=highlight"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="movie" value="http://fora.tv/embedded_player"><embed flashvars="webhost=fora.tv&clipid=9901&cliptype=highlight" src="http://fora.tv/embedded_player" width="400" height="264" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br /><br />What drives the creative process of a Wired cover?<br /><br />"Attention to details", says Scott Dadich.<br /><br />I think that the information in the talk is interesting, but what my main take away is some people are natural communicators and some are not.<br /><br />Perhaps regular people are suffering due to TED and FORA itself, who offer us such a range of amazing conference and talks, hosted by brilliant communicators.<br /><br />The truth is, speaking, presenting or sharing information in front of a crowd is always hard and intimidating.<br /><br />The more value to those who can be memorable and entertaining and unforgettable.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-11775404282702878482009-09-22T10:17:00.003-04:002009-09-22T10:22:34.332-04:00If focus groups were in charge of Human evolution.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OORnMYoWX9c&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OORnMYoWX9c&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />It is not a surprise that creative professionals have a hard relationship with Focus Groups. Overall the type where ideas are subjected to approval and scrutiny.<br /><br />That is why we need to watch this video and ask ourselves, what would have happened if?<br /><br />Focus groups are an ideal tool to gather information about the consumer's needs and state of mind towards a category or product.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-42032262114922910192009-09-01T11:25:00.003-04:002009-09-01T12:10:07.569-04:00Safe to Fail.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sp089XDkqCI/AAAAAAAAAGE/iSjdDBDwqeo/s1600-h/pixar.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 522px; height: 231px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sp089XDkqCI/AAAAAAAAAGE/iSjdDBDwqeo/s320/pixar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376520555008927778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If there is anything the last 6 months have taught me is this: Pixar is the most creative company in the world.<br /><br />Look at that record: 10 films; 10 hits. An unmatched streak in the history of filmaking.<br /><br />what is their secret? How can they create original, creative, smart and successful films one after the other?<br /><br />According to their Chief Creative Officer J. Lasseter their <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007794.html?categoryid=1050&cs=1">mantra</a> is: "It's safe to fail."<br /><blockquote>The trick is to make those mistakes as quickly as possible and move on, a philosophy Lasseter picked up from colleague and computer science pioneer <a class="infusionLink" omd="zodJump('http://widgets.zibb.com/images/_jump.gif?tag=InfusionJS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.variety.com%2Fprofiles%2Fpeople%2Fmain%2F253548%2FEd%2520Catmull.html%3FdataSet%3D1&gsid=4498485&entitytypeid=16&lid=253548&title=Ed%20Catmull&intref=infusion&variantName=Ed%20Catmull&zodid=134')" alt="Ed Catmull" href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/people/main/253548/Ed%20Catmull.html?dataSet=1">Ed Catmull</a> </blockquote><blockquote>"When you think about science, it's about experimentation, and 99% of the experiments fail, but you learn from the failures and you move on," Lasseter says. "That's the great thing about Ed. He's always wanting people to keep pushing, keep experimenting, keep trying, and we always learn and keep moving forward."</blockquote>For all the technical advances that have impressed audiences about Pixar, Lasseter's greatest innovation has been to extend a principle of positive risk-taking to the creative process.<br /><br /><ul><li>He is adamant that teams not be allowed to sequester themselves or work too long without sharing their progress with others. Lasseter doesn't believe in mandatory notes, introducing instead what he calls the "creative brain trust" at Pixar, a peer-support strategy in which all the directors and key story people from around the company get together and selflessly help on one another's films. "It doesn't matter whose idea it is, the best idea gets used," he explains.</li></ul><ul><li>"Make it great." That's the mantra I've been living with ever since, just do everything we can to make it great," says Lasseter, who found confidence in Jobs' relatively hands-off approach to Pixar over the years, trusting the creative talent to steer the studio in the right direction. Lasseter put into effect was dismissing the suits and shifting the focus from an executive-led operation back to an artist-driven enterprise, where the ideas for feature films "come from the heart" of individual filmmakers.</li></ul>What I find interesting about Pixar and their "safe to fail" approach is that it is intuitive and insightful about the creative mind and the creative personality.<br /><br />We creatives need that that door to experimentation always OPEN.<br /><br />Because once you let go of the fears of judgment and failure, you can truly explore all possibilities, be your self, share your heart.<br /><br />Its about working in the ultimate creative ecosystem where ideas are grown to become great ideas.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-85389461850659649462009-08-28T20:13:00.000-04:002009-08-28T20:14:15.218-04:00How to make long distance presentations<object width="400" height="230"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4285702&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4285702&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="230"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4285702">KingpinzTX.com Logo Options</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/honestbros">Honest Bros.</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-62315598391358228092009-08-17T22:15:00.003-04:002009-08-17T22:32:02.212-04:00Thinking design.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SooO7EiAOkI/AAAAAAAAAFs/hCL8JAdmDGc/s1600-h/getexcited_spruce_500px_artworkimage.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 360px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SooO7EiAOkI/AAAAAAAAAFs/hCL8JAdmDGc/s320/getexcited_spruce_500px_artworkimage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371121913584171586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Anybody who has the word "creative" as part of his or hers job description deserves some credit.<br /><br />Yes, from the outside it looks like is all fun and games. But in the inside is more like an engine that never stops, always going faster than it should, making as few stops as possible.<br /><br />It's intense and it's a challenge, but it is the most amazing job I know.<br /><br />Some of the most creative people I know are designers.That's why I thought that it would be good to share some thoughts about thinking like a designer.<br /><br />The original list is Garr Reynold's blog; <a href="http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2009/08/10-tips-on-how-to-think-like-a-designer.html">Presentation Zen</a><br /><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(1)</span> </strong><strong>Embrace constraints.</strong> Constraints and limitations are wonderful allies and lead to enhanced creativity and ingenious solutions that without constrains never would have been discovered or created.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(2)</span> Practice restraint.</strong> it takes discipline of mind and strength of will to make the hard choices about what to include and what to exclude.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(3)</span> Adopt the beginner's mind.</strong> As the old saying goes, in the expert's mind there are few possibilities, but for one with the beginner's mind, the world is wide open.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(4)</span> Check your ego at the door.</strong> This is not about you, it's about them (your audience, customer, patient, student, etc.).<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(5)</span> Focus on the experience of the design.</strong> It's not the thing, it's the <em>experience</em> of the thing.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(6) </span>Become a master storyteller.</strong> Often it's not only the design — i.e., the solution to a problem — that is important, but the story of it. This is related to #5 above. What's the <em>meaning</em> of the solution?<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(7)</span> Think communication not decoration.</strong> Design is about solving problems or making the current situation a little better than before. Design is not art, though there is art in design.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(8) </span>Obsess about ideas not tools.</strong> Good advice is to go analog in the beginning with the simplest tools possible.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(9)</span> Clarify your intention.</strong> Design is about choices and intentions, it is not accidental. Design is about process.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(10) </span>Sharpen your vision & curiosity and learn from the lessons around you.</strong> Design is a "whole brain" process. You are creative, practical, rational, analytic, empathetic, and passionate. Foster these aptitudes.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);font-family:Arial;" ><strong style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 0);">(11) </span>Learn all the "rules" and know when and why to break them.</strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);font-family:Arial;" ></span></span></p>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-22940318794832277312009-08-11T07:48:00.003-04:002009-08-11T07:55:42.151-04:00A happy client?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SoFb_Aq4lcI/AAAAAAAAAFk/RMw15GWRU_U/s1600-h/radioactive-happiness-face.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 371px; height: 278px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SoFb_Aq4lcI/AAAAAAAAAFk/RMw15GWRU_U/s320/radioactive-happiness-face.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368673368872097218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />From a fellow <a href="http://thinkingalaud.posterous.com/">Posterous</a> blogger,<a href="http://ryanpeal.posterous.com/10-easy-and-creative-ways-to-make-a-client-ha"> 10 ways to make a client happy</a>.<br /><br />This is a more relevant topic today than ever, because clients have more choices and agencies are desperate to keep the accounts they currently have. So, seeing a client smile can make everybody sleep better at night.<br /><br />This points work, they are smart and they help, but at the end, in my modest experience, the client-agency relationship is like any other, you can't be happy unless you are happy inside.<br /><br />These are the 10.<br /><ol><li>Give Them a Morning Dose of Insight. </li><li>Go Hang Out. </li><li>Think Outside The Scope. </li><li>Always Provide Key Learnings. </li><li>Be A “What About” Person. </li><li>Introduce New Experts. </li><li>Showcase New Technologies. </li><li>Package Up The Right Success For Free. </li><li>Get Out Of The Office. </li><li>Host A Free Creative Workshop. </li></ol>Read the entire post his blog <a href="http://ryanpeal.posterous.com/">Ideas, imagination and stuff.</a>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-13361494550015794262009-08-09T12:01:00.005-04:002009-08-09T14:01:08.198-04:00Don't judge a book (or anything) by its size (or its cover)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sn8LBl3Id3I/AAAAAAAAAFU/8PfgandL6nc/s1600-h/45-Nano-Cases-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 437px; height: 327px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sn8LBl3Id3I/AAAAAAAAAFU/8PfgandL6nc/s320/45-Nano-Cases-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368021402820048754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Many times we run across things that we immediately process as unattractive or uninteresting.<br /><br />This tape looks old and dated. It reminds us of a different time when listening to music was restricted by time (45-60-90) or by forward and rewind.<br /><br />But I want to tell you, that this small, ugly, dated or unattractive objects might pack the biggest surprise sometimes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sn8LuXN_oEI/AAAAAAAAAFc/UGDeZgUvcyA/s1600-h/45-Nano-Cases-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 427px; height: 318px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Sn8LuXN_oEI/AAAAAAAAAFc/UGDeZgUvcyA/s320/45-Nano-Cases-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368022171983519810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I recently finished one of the most inspiring, educational and influencing books I've read as part of my <a href="http://52on52.blogspot.com/">2009</a> quest<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-How-Good-Want/dp/0714843377">It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden</a>, is a small book. It's a thin book. It's divided in chapters of 2 to 4 pages. And it's not in anybody's top 100 books to read before you die.<br /><br />Still, this is perhaps the book with the most knowledge-per page ratio that I've read recently.<br /><br />the reason this book might fool you is because Paul Arden doesn't go around in circles; he says what he has to say and moves on.<br /><br />He thoughts are concise and organized. Well writen and intelligent. Based on experienced and relevant.<br /><br />I was going to summarize some of the most important thoughts here, but I feel like it might spoil your experience when you read it.<br /><br />I just have to tell you that with this book, like many other things, people or ideas, is not about the cover, it about the content and that is a beautiful lesson to learn from it.<br /><br />Even though it might be the least in Mr Arden's mind.<br /><br />Enjoy it.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-55742419107870912492009-08-03T21:32:00.004-04:002009-08-05T22:36:05.536-04:00Disruption is Liberation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SneQz49_ptI/AAAAAAAAAFM/81CX-aVComU/s1600-h/Stormhoek+disruption.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 258px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SneQz49_ptI/AAAAAAAAAFM/81CX-aVComU/s320/Stormhoek+disruption.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365916702175373010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mad-blog.com/2009/07/30/disruption-is-liberation/">Disruption is Liberation</a><br /><br /><blockquote><br />Well, of course we work in partnership with them. We don’t just come up with an idea and force it on them. Disruption is a step-by-step process. We work together to unlock the ideas that were lying dormant within their brands. Disruption is about identifying the self-imposed restrictions that can stifle creativity. We call these restrictions “conventions“. The “disruptive idea“ is one that overturns these conventions and allows a company to adopt a unique standpoint, which we call the “vision“. From that, they discover a new truth about their brand, referred to as the “brand belief“. This is a fundamental statement about the brief and should guide all aspects of communication all “brand behavior“.</blockquote><br /><br />One of those thoughts that needs to be shared.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-55802468656966452872009-07-29T19:02:00.004-04:002009-08-05T22:36:38.655-04:00<object width="400" height="307"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5802318&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5802318&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="307"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5802318">Joshua Porter</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1119725">MFA Interaction Design</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>A great idea by Liz Danzico<br /><br />she sought out the advice of digital designers and designer conspirators far and wide, to ask them to respond to the following: <p> <em>So you’re thinking about becoming a designer? If I could tell you only <b>one thing</b> about going into the field, my advice would be ___________ .</em> </p>These are their<a href="http://interactiondesign.sva.edu/blog/entry/video_notes_from_the_field/"> answers</a>:Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-55636446084516575832009-07-29T10:45:00.005-04:002009-10-25T11:25:21.813-04:00Emotional advertising<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mV-OmkAHYg8&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mV-OmkAHYg8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtU0S1rG2fM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtU0S1rG2fM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />This is one of the first ads I remember watching when I started my career in advertising.<br /><br />Great concept, great casting, great song, beautifully executed.<br /><br />A strong call to action in 3 words, and a strong emotional idea.<br /><br />"Stay in touch"<br /><br />I want to call my dad every time I see this ad.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-52772629142212909122009-07-25T08:42:00.003-04:002009-07-25T08:53:33.351-04:00Increase your creativity.It seems that the phrase "distance yourself from the project" has actually a lot of insight.<br /><br />According to a set of studies published by <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=an-easy-way-to-increase-c">Scientific American</a> by By <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=2107">Oren Shapira </a> and <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=2106">Nira Liberman</a> psychological distance (anything that we do not experience as occurring now, here, and to ourselves) increases our ability to be creative.<br /><br /><blockquote>Consider, for instance, a corn plant. A concrete representation would refer to the shape, color, taste, and smell of the plant, and connect the item to its most common use – a food product. An abstract representation, on the other hand, might refer to the corn plant as a source of energy or as a fast growing plant. These more abstract thoughts might lead us to contemplate other, less common uses for corn, such as a source for ethanol, or to use the plant to create mazes for children. What this example demonstrates is how abstract thinking makes it easier for people to form surprising connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, such as fast growing plants (corn) and fuel for cars (ethanol).</blockquote><br />These means that we can actually take some steps to increase our creativity:<br /><br /><blockquote>traveling to faraway places (or even just thinking about such places),<br />thinking about the distant future,<br />communicating with people who are dissimilar to us, and<br />considering unlikely alternatives to reality.<br /><br />Perhaps the modern environment, with its increased access to people, sights, music, and food from faraway places, helps us become more creative not only by exposing us to a variety of styles and ideas, but also by allowing us to think more abstractly.<br /><br />So the next time you’re stuck on a problem that seems impossible don’t give up. Instead, try to gain a little psychological distance, and pretend the problem came from somewhere very far away.</blockquote>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-87555475101715164772009-07-21T13:29:00.002-04:002009-07-21T13:34:07.980-04:00Stand out imagination and creativity.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cd6-n7MhVg8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cd6-n7MhVg8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />What if you bought a bike on Ebay, write a wicked ad hoping to sell it for much more than you paid for it just a few days earlier?<br /><br />The guys at George Patterson Y&R did it and created this video to share with the world the results.<br /><br />I have talked often about creativity being a state of mind. A way fo seeing the world that can't be contained or just apply to advertising.<br /><br />Creativity wins because makes us feel different and unique.<br /><br />Why clients see a threat on this?Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-88251036515431715262009-07-18T11:57:00.003-04:002009-07-18T12:01:22.295-04:00Stop and move on.It's part of being a creative; you get stuck.<br /><br />You seem to be unable to move forward and everything looks like a roadblock.<br /><br /><a href="http://zenhabits.net/2009/07/take-lots-of-breaks-to-get-more-done/">Zenhabits</a> offers some advice to become more productive by taking a break.<br /><br /><blockquote>when you don’t take breaks and allow yourself to recover, you’re less than 50% there. <strong>50% you = 50% work.</strong> <p>It’s obvious that taking short, rejuvenating breaks is the more effective way to work. So what are some examples of these types of breaks?</p> <ul><li><strong>Change channels.</strong> Most of us do a lot of work on the computer, so doing some kind of physical activity for 10 or 15 minutes can be a great way to change our state. Bodyweight exercises, a brisk walk, or yoga can be a great way to get your body moving and put yourself in a different state.</li><li><strong>Breathe. </strong>Do 10 or 15 minutes of meditation, focused on your breathing.</li><li><strong>30 second headstand. </strong>Support your feet and legs against a sturdy wall (or tree).</li><li><strong>Juice it. </strong>Stop by your local health food store and get a wheat grass shot or vegetable juice.</li><li><strong>Refuel. </strong>Eating some kind of snack or small meal every 90 minutes is a great way to keep your glucose and energy levels steady. Go for fresh, organic fruit or a salad to get a quick pick-me-up.</li><li><strong>Power nap. </strong>A 20 minute nap in the afternoon feels awesome and rejuvenating.</li><li><strong>Motivate. </strong>Take a time out and listen to a Paraliminal session, guided meditation or personal development video on YouTube.</li><li><strong>Flood your body with consciousness. </strong>This is something I’ve been doing lately that’s been really working for me. Take 10 minutes out to lie on your bed and flood your body with consciousness. Focus your awareness first on your toes and feet, then gradually move your focus up through your body, into your legs, pelvis, torso, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Then back up through your arms into your neck, up your throat and into your face and your head. Really focus on feeling the energy in your body and only move your conscious awareness up your body after you’ve <em>really felt it</em> in the last part.</li><li><strong>Total relaxation. </strong>This is a follow up to flooding your body with consciousness. After you’ve completely immersed your body in awareness, focus on relaxing each muscle in your body. In the same way previously, start with your toes and work your way upward through your body. Really let go and relax.</li></ul> <p>These are just a few ideas for ways that you can really relax, recover, and rejuvenate your body. Once you do that, you’ll be re-focused, recharged, and ready to work at 100% capacity.</p></blockquote><p></p>Hopefully, next time we are pressured with a deadline we will remember to stop and take a break so we can deliver on time.Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-41119155784672413752009-07-17T07:02:00.003-04:002009-07-17T07:06:28.105-04:00Awards for what they are.<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DlFzAMFq-N0&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DlFzAMFq-N0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Creative, funny and original.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.boondoggle.eu/">Boondoggle</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> is the agency responsible for the very successful </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.boondoggle.eu/#/case/2">Axiom Banners</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Awards are good to win, but are not the golden ticket.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">well done Boondoggle.</span>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-68982850512985659482009-06-29T13:15:00.002-04:002009-07-01T06:37:06.413-04:00Service the customer.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Skj20AEwvZI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Tqfl_0VdbpI/s1600-h/tweet-door-sign.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 455px; height: 456px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/Skj20AEwvZI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Tqfl_0VdbpI/s320/tweet-door-sign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352799530363436434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Most of us do customer service in one way or another. And most of us believe that customer service represents an investment and a commitment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Customer service has become the ultimate commodity.<br /><br />We all have had experiences dealing with good and bad examples of customer services, and some even have created an equation: it takes 8 good experiences to erase one bad experience.<br /><br />You can find an interesting definition on Wikipedia: </span><br /><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">"</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">– th</span>at is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><p></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Dealing with the customers expectations is complicated because our expectations tend to be higher and even unrealistic.<br /><br />But the fact remains that customer service is about <span style="font-style: italic;">enhancing the level of customer satisfaction</span>. And that is pretty tangible, easy to measure and easy to design a program and tactics around.<br /><br />Why is excellent customer service so hard to find then?<br /><br />Are our expectations so unrealistic? Why are companies so in the <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/02/starting_over_w.html">defense</a>? why is it so hard to hear the words "<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/04/youre-right.html">you are right sir</a>"?<br /><br />I think that customer service is misunderstood. I believe that most companies and people feel that since clients expectations are so different and unrealistic, they will never be met and since I can't satisfy everybody, I aim at the middle and go on with it.<br /><br />Obviously this is the wrong tactic in a day where so many people can so easily share their experiences and opinions.<br /><br />I'm not an expert but I am an avid observer and I think that there are 3 easy ways to enhance customer satisfaction:<br /><br /></span><ol><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Listen to consumer's experiences and questions and engage in an honest conversation with your customers. Create an environment that facilitates this exchange.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Reward those who care enough to speak about your brand or service, even if it is bad. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Consider every moment an opportunity to enhance my experience. Be creative and innovate your service in unexpected ways. You will always over meet an expectation that people didn't have.</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br />If you like this article, please tweet about it.<br /><br /><br /></span>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-62995533261883448022009-06-25T15:37:00.005-04:002009-06-26T09:55:13.994-04:00Innovation; immediate or reliable?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SkPc_F44aJI/AAAAAAAAAE8/PtVA3-XvIes/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 509px; height: 362px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SkPc_F44aJI/AAAAAAAAAE8/PtVA3-XvIes/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351363758716905618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What can I say? <a href="http://www.loopland.net/portfolio/superheroes/">Superheroes</a> are powerful and super and heroes, but they are also reliable.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When Ryan Jacoby a business designer at IDEO (http://www.ideo.com) asks the question: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Innovation; immediate or reliable?</span> in one of his recent posts at his blog </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.ryanjacoby.com/">do_matic</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, I immediately thought about immediate.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But he makes a brilliant case for reliable:</span><br /><br /></span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></p><blockquote style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><p>So, if innovation is in part about bringing new things into the world, this is where I come out:</p><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>I want reliable people posing provocative questions and processing more immediate inputs.</strong></p><p>"Reliable people" are those that have learned to spot patterns through experience and many cycles of learning. Such people exhibit a relentless curiosity that drives them to learn and challenge their patterns frequently. Ultimately, I want such people working close to the questions and looking to be surprised and contradicted by what they find as quickly as possible.</p></blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I really like that Ryan has decided to put his thoughts available to us for immediate and reliable access to his mind and expertise.<br /><br />We all need superheroes and the people at Ideo can lead us to safe and wonderful innovation, that's for sure.<br /><br /><br /></span>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941415506603108836.post-11979164364009191732009-06-25T14:45:00.009-04:002009-06-25T15:28:24.865-04:00Havaianas. Brasilian design and creativity.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SkPJLH3tHDI/AAAAAAAAAE0/gbJ_KD-fmPA/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 431px; height: 362px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aX2N1rWOzjo/SkPJLH3tHDI/AAAAAAAAAE0/gbJ_KD-fmPA/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351341975174716466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you have been to Brazil, you know the flip flops that have become part of the Brazilian national pride.</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.havaianasus.com/"> </a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.havaianasus.com/">Havaianas</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> are fun and colorful. They also capture the essence of the Brazilian personality: Easy, relax and go well with every occasion.<br /><br />But Havaianas also has an image to build and a brand to keep and they do a great job doing just that.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jRtwK-IvJ0Y&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jRtwK-IvJ0Y&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />I have 8 pairs, so I use what I preach. Just so you know.<br /><br />via <a href="http://zambrano.posterous.com/">zambrano</a><br /><br /><br /></span>Iñaki Escuderohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279895704133380069noreply@blogger.com0