End of the month quote

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ” - Leonardo DaVinci

Make it simple, link from How to Save the World

How To Be Creative

Change This "Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

Nor can you bully a subordinate into becoming a genius.

Since the modern, scientifically-conceived corporation was invented in the early half of the Twentieth Century, creativity has been sacrificed in favor of forwarding the interests of the "Team Player."

Fair enough. There was more money in doing that way; that's why they did it."

Apple Store coming to Yorkdale Mall

Is an MFA The New MBA?

Fortune: "Vying for an edge in business? These days elite MFA (master of fine arts) degrees are the ones in demand. People with a design education "take bigger leaps creatively," argues Mark Breitenberg, liberal arts chair at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, pointing to grads in management at BMW and Nokia."

This all sounds great and promising but creative people still have a big hurdle ahead, not everyone is receptive to this idea. Just take a look at some of the qualifications companies are asking for brand managers, product development, innovation managers etc.

The I.D. Forty

"The list is, of course, a standard journalistic device. It makes good copy. It fills the pages that issue. It’s a talking point and something for readers to think about (a bit). And it’s marvellously flattering for those who are included."

Christmas comes once for Zellers

It appears Zellers has gotten something right this past Christmas 2004, their TV advertising. Actually the ones to be thanked are the people at Leo Burnett in Toronto, led by CCO Judy John. The spot was magical, playful and sophisticated, Zellers? Unfortunately this campaign is a big waste, more like a veil hiding the ugly bride beneath. The agency produced what I think to be one of the best campaigns to ever carry the Zellers name and they delivered. But the Zellers stores don't seem to deliver the same message or promise made.

If you wander into a Zellers today, you look around confused and get the same feeling as being at one of the Ministry of Transportation offices. Limited merchandise, selection and poorly designed stores. Strategy Magazine referred to this spot "…continues the Target-zation of Zellers", what a load of horse mucky. Target and Zellers are on the opposite ends of the experience spectrum. All the best marketing isn't going to help if the product is poor. They don't have the same categories of merchandise as Wal-Mart and this gives them the opportunity to shine in the selected ones. The pharmacy has huge potential, affordable chic furniture, fitness equipment, games, dvd, electronics are areas which can bloom. Give women a reason to come, give us all a reason.

Zellers has been in a perpetual state of hibernation which global warming can't cure. The only thing that came out of hibernation was the slogan "The Lowest Price is the Law" after Wal-Mart entered Canada. It's official they think they're a government of Ontario ministry.

Remember Logan's Run?

Johnny Carson Passes Away

Growing up I watched Carson nightly and in that time you actually begin to develop a feeling you actually know this guy. "Carnac The Magnificient!" is gone, impossible! It's a sad day. First he leaves us and then we get stuck with Jay Leno, he was never funny. Leno and Adam Sandler should be dating each other.

If my face appeared in every living room for 30 years straight, I would aslo keep a low profile after retiring. He said he was going away.

Thanks Johnny

Password Safe

I've been moving files over to my new computer and one of the things I can't live without are the different passwords and usernames for online stores, banking etc. Password Safe stores all your passwords in an encrypted database. One password and it unlocks the whole database.

Apple's Tipping Point: Macs For The Masses

I have been thinking about buying an iPod Shuffle, who can't resist the price. Interesting observation from Paul Nixon. "Apple will go down in history as a company that patiently built its brand equity through high-quality products and design -- and then, when the time was right and audience the largest, brought their superior computing experience to the masses."

A Conference on Business Design The New Competitive Weapon?

On Jan. 28 the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management in Toronto will be presenting their annual business conference "Business Design The New Competitive Weapon". After you finish attending that conference you might be interested in the one presented by the Amish "The Tractor the New Competitive Weapon on the Farm". At first I was pleased to read of such a conference since it promotes the value of design but at the same time I was frustrated. Let me explain where we are presently. After the Roman Empire collapsed, the knowledge of making concrete was lost for 1,500 years until it was rediscovered. Today's familiar concrete was first rediscovered in the middle of the nineteenth century. In the year 2005 some people have now discovered concrete again.

The Rotman School has been doing a great job in promoting design recently through articles in their alumni newsletter, too bad it's not sent to all business leaders. This conference is just a nice way of telling business leaders we missed something along the way but don't feel bad about it.

Business education has failed us and so has design education. This is a good case for interdisciplinary education. York University in Toronto has a great campaign on its web site promoting itself as "The Interdisciplinary University". The inability to see how all elements fit together or the big picture can be the downfall of any organization.

Here is a great example of how an organization went downhill because of its poorly managed brand. Read the article Frederick's of Hollywood at Harvard Business School, Working Knowledge. From my perspective it's a no brainer, if this company had a creative on board managing the brand. All the solutions outlined from the logo redesign, store design, web site, catalogs etc. would never been neglected if design was valued. Thanks to the new CEO Linda LoRe who does get it. This brings up the question as to why today organizations believe that a brand manager should be someone with a MBA. Brands are built by creative people and should be managed by them. Long-standing slogan at Fast Company: The new MBA is an MFA...old news.

The speakers at the conference appear to be all business leaders with the only recognizable design leader being Tim Brown, President and CEO, Ideo Inc. The day this conference is held and business people will be paying to hear a panel of designers speak we shall know it's working. Possibly in 1500 years we shall see the results, until them I shall continue to pretend they have discovered something new.

All I know is that companies who do get it have been profiting greatly.

Good to Great: The book is worth $27.50 for page 85 alone

"Page 85 has what I believe to be the ultimate summarization of the required mindset for a startup. And, it doesn’t come from an entrepreneur. It comes from a sailor. Author Jim Collins calls it the “Stockdale Paradox”. "

Apprentice 3: Book vs. Street Smarts

This season will be interesting with the whole idea of who will win, someone with a high school education or a college graduate. The high school grads named their team appropriately "Net Worth" since their total net income is 3 times higher than that of the college grads. Trump said he isn't sure if they are more successful, this coming from a highly educated man who himself has gone bankrupt once. Let me remind you of some college dropouts, does the name Larry Ellison from Oracle ring a bell, Bill Gates, how about Richard Branson a high school dropout who started Virgin.

What really worries Trump about this whole idea was summed up as "did I waste my time" translated did I waste money. This is the reason he refuses to believe the success already obtained by team "Net Worth". What is success then?

It's not the high school education or the college education, the difference is the person. This has been proven many times. People believe that if you didn't pay for it you obviously didn't gain anything…free education, how absurd.