Peter Behrens: Father of Corporate Identity

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

Portrait of Peter Behrens

In our modern culture, we don’t have to look far to see brands that are strong and well crafted, that everyone can easily recognize. But corporations didn’t always have brands with consistent identities and messaging like they do today.

When we think of the origins of branding and corporate identity, most often we think about the 50’s and 60’s when big business discovered the power of advertising. This notion is furthered in our culture by movies and shows like Mad Men where we follow the exciting lives of Creative Directors and Account Executives in that time period, crafting amazing and strategic ad campaigns and building the brands that we are all familiar with.

But is that really when it all started? Or did branding and corporate identity have its start much earlier? Certainly in America, the 50s and 60s were a heyday for building corporate identities. But in reality, a man named Peter Behrens first conceived of the idea of designing a logo and creating a comprehensive corporate identity in Germany, during the Industrial Revolution.

So, who was Peter Behrens and how did he come up with the notion of creating a corporate identity? To understand this, we need to look into the life and work of this amazing creative man.

Peter Behrens was true Renaissance Man of the Industrial Revolution with multiple skills and interests. He “was a true visionary and the first Renaissance designer of the modern age, moving with ease from one discipline to another—painting, architecture, product design, furniture design, and graphic design.” [2]

He was born in Hamburg in 1868, and studied painting until the age of 21. He was married at age 22 and moved to Munich where he began his career as a painter, illustrator and book-binder.

He was interested in bohemian ideas of life-style reform and traveled in circles of like-minded artists. In 1899, Behrens became the second member of the recently created Darmstadt Artists’ Colony, where he designed and built his own house as well as everything inside it—from furniture and textiles to paintings and pottery. “The building of this house is considered to be the turning point in his life, when he left the artistic circles of Munich and moved away from the Jugendstil towards a sober and austere style of design.” [5]

In the early 1900s, he became one of the leaders of architectural reform in Germany and one of the first architects of factories and office buildings utilizing a modernist materials palette of brick, steel, and glass. He was capable of designing things in all design fields with his multidisciplinary background. “As a painter turned architect he was a proponent of the idea of total work of art and was experienced in all kinds of design work” including product design. [1]

He was also a teacher and influenced his students with his teachings on design for industry, as well as everyday objects and products. A group of his students, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Adolf Meyer, and Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus school in Dessau, Germany), would ultimately alter the direction of twentieth-century architecture and design worldwide,

He started doing graphic design in 1902 producing typefaces, catalogs and book covers. Throughout his career he designed many typefaces including Behrens-Schrift(1901-7), Behrens-Antiqua (1907-9), and Behrens Mediaeval (1914).

Cover Design, 1902

In 1907, Allegemein Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG), Germany’s largest electrical utility and industrial producer, hired him as an artistic consultant. While at AEG “he created a unified brand for every aspect of the company’s visual environment—office buildings, factories, and visual communication materials.” [2] He was never an official employee for AEG, but worked in the capacity of a consultant.

His work was based on modernist design elements and principals. In defining his approach, Behrens stated, “Design is not about decorating functional forms—it is about creating forms that accord with the character of the object and that show new technologies to advantage.” [2]

“The work he did there is of significant note because it is generally recognized as the first fully developed corporate identity, much preceding the corporate identity heydays of the 1950s and 60s.” [3] Additionally, his scope of work was way more than just the branding and advertising of the AEG products, but it was everything visual including the buildings and even the products that they sold.

The buildings he designed for AEG included factories, retail shops and worker’s housing.

AEG Turbine Factory, 1908–1909. An early example of Industrial Classicism.

AEG had him design several products as well, including lamps, kettles, table fans, a mantelpiece clock, and a toaster. Behrens approached his product designs with a consistent logic of “simplicity, minimized ornaments and a logo.” “All his designs had the same simple image which makes his products speak the same design vocabulary and this differentiates them from the competitors in the market.” [1]

Industrial clock designed by Behrens for AEG in 1909

Behrens’ creativity and skill was so diverse and AEG looked to him for consultation on every aspect of their business. Prior to Behrens, AEG had employed Franz Schwechten, one of the most famous architects of Germany. Schwechten was famous for designing with historicist themes and he designed some factories and principal buildings for AEG. One of his pieces was a gate on Brunnenstrasse and a highly ornamental logo for the company that was attached to it.

When Behrens came on board, he redesigned Schwechten’s logo, which was really just simplifying it from being highly ornamental to being clean and readable. This was in-line with his overall design approach for everything. Behrens said that he “seeks for a simplification in order to have ‘clear proportions’ not ‘rich ornamentation.’” [1]

AEG Logo 1 – Simplified version of Schwechten’s Gate Logo, 1907

Behrens ended up designing 4 versions of the AEG logo over a period of time (1907-1912) and finally ending with a version that the company still uses today.

The second version he designed was in 1908 and it had “more to do with handwriting when it is compared with the first one.” [1]

AEG Logo 2, 1908

The third was designed later that same year and is “the most celebrated logo of AEG.” [1] This logo includes a unique typeface that Behrens designed for AEG.

AEG Logo 3, 1908

There are several pieces where this logo shows up, including advertisements for products and it is even stamped on one of their buildings:

Turbine Factory AEG Logo and Inscription

The fourth and final version he designed keeps the same typeface as in version 3, but simplifies it further and is the version that the company still uses to this day:

AEG Logo 4, 1912

AEG Logo Today

In addition to the Logo, he created marketing materials to advertise the products that he was designing for the company. His graphic work included posters, brochures and advertisements:

AEG Arc Lamps Poster, 1907

AEG Filament Lamps Poster, 1907

AEG Ad for Slave Clocks, 1910

AEG Poster Designs, 1908-1910

The end result of all the design work for the buildings, products, and marketing materials that he did for the company shows a continuity unseen at that time. In his graphic works he used a clear and abstract graphic language. The typeface and the logo that he designed drew attention to product and company. “His products are children of industrialization and set the firm clearly apart from the competitors with their clear and unornamented designs, which are carrying the logo with great dignity. His buildings for AEG that were representing the company, had the same logo and same basic geometries which made them to belong to the same giant AEG family.” [1]

Peter Behrens around 1913 in his office in Berlin

Peter Behrens was a pioneer in everything he did. Not only was he the father of German industrial design, but he was the first to create the concept of Corporate Identity, creating logos, advertising material, and company publications with a consistent, unified design.” [4] His influence can be seen in post WWII corporations, such as Braun or McDonald’s, and his Industrial Classicist ideas (incorporating ancient Greek or Roman style to a structure) were spread around the world by his students. [5]

“His visionary approach not only influenced the entire AEG corporate culture, it became the first seminal example of corporate identity and branding that would inevitably become a primary force within the design professions in the later part of the twentieth century.” [2]

References

[1] Uygar Boztepe. “Peter Behrens Symbolism in the First Corporate Identity Design.” Izmir Institute of Technology, 2012. Web, accessed May 8, 2013.http://library.iyte.edu.tr/tezler/master/mimarlik/T001049.pdf

[2] “Peter Behrens and the AEG Brand.” Rock Paper Ink, 2011. Web, accessed May 8, 2013. http://rockpaperink.com/content/article.php?id=38

[3] “Peter Behrens.” Design Is History, 2013. Web, accessed May 8, 2013.http://www.designishistory.com/1850/peter-behrens/

[4] “The father of industrial design.” AEG, 2011. Web, accessed May 8, 2013. http://www.aeg.com/en/About-AEG/History/

[5] “Peter Behrens,” Wikipedia, 2013. Web, accessed May 8, 2013.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Behrens

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Hi-end Typography

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

In my studio I specialize in designing hi-end collateral and marketing materials for brands that I work with. One of the techniques that I use to capture this look is to increase the horizontal and vertical typographic spacing as a way to alter the persona of an otherwise simple typeface. In my experience, tracking out a title or logo type is an effective technique to create a simple high-end look. The addition of space between the letterforms tends to give a sense of elegance, especially when using a simple typeface that might otherwise look rather mundane.

For example, below I am showing 3 logos for luxury retail brands:

In each of these pieces, a simple typeface has been selected and the letterforms have been spaced out. The simplicity of the typeface tells the reader that the brand doesn’t need to overdue it to be top in their class. A less is more approach. This paired with the addition of the extra space elongates the read and makes the brand seem very important in the mind of the reader.

The same effect happens on simple typefaces for sub-heading and minimal body copy:

In this web slide, the typeface is very simple and the letterforms have been tracked out. This gives an air of class and simplicity that when used correctly can visually set off a hi-end brand.

For large areas of body copy, altering the vertical space can have the same effect. Below are several examples of simple typefaces with exaggerated leading. The added white space tends to feel hi-end and luxurious:

Of course this is not the ONLY definitive way of creating a high-end look, however it is an effective technique that I have used often. Especially when dealing with luxury contemporary brands, this creates a simple, modern, hi-end feel for a layout.

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Modern Pictographs

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

If you’d like to see the presentation version of this post, you can link to it here.

______________________________

Modern Pictographs
The Influence of Pictographs & Ideographs on Contemporary Logo & Icon Design.

Introduction

Pictographs and ideographs are all around us. When we hear these words, most of us probably think of ancient hieroglyphics and cave drawings. Well, that is correct… pictographs and ideographs are a very old method of communicating words and ideas and were first presence of typographic mark making in history. But they are also tools used in modern day graphic communication and are seen everyday in our contemporary culture.

Modern graphic design shares the same goal as ancient pictographs and ideographs. At the root of each, lies a system that has been developed to communicate a message or idea through simplistic representational imagery.

To understand this, we need to first have a clear definition of what Pictographs and Ideographs are.

Definition

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes a pictograph as “an ancient or prehistoric drawing or painting on a rock wall” and “a symbol belonging to pictorial graphic system.” [1] In ancient times, pictographs were simplistic drawings that represented what they looked like. “A continuous series of connected triangles symbolized mountains, a continuous series of waves communicated water, a hollow circle communicated the sun, and a circle with another circle in the center symbolized the moon.” [2] While it hasn’t been proven, it is often thought that they were used in storytelling by providing visual cues for the storyteller.

In the most practical way, pictographs are an early form of writing, as they were symbols that communicated meaning by graphically representing a subject. Systems developed to combine pictographs into ideographs, as they were symbols that represented ideas. “A stick figure and mountains with several suns communicated distinct geographic areas and a stick figure with an open hand symbolized a friend.” [2] Their use can be traced back as far as 30,000 BC and they have been discovered in multiple parts of the world.

Historical Examples

Influence on Contemporary Design

The idea of a pictograph or ideograph is not unlike contemporary logo and icon design. In contemporary graphic design, logos often incorporate imagery that is meant to represent a subject or an idea. Icons online can be seen on just about every web page out there, and the use of representational symbols in way-finding systems is commonplace.

One of the main reasons that our society utilizes symbolic imagery in contemporary design applications is for universal and cross-cultural communication. Technological advancements has made our modern world much smaller than it used to be, and the ability to communicate with people of various backgrounds and cultures is crucial.

It is commonplace to have people of various ethnic and language groups present in the same community, and the use of pictographs and ideographs can be very effective in communicating basic ideas. Another common application is in high-traffic multi-cultural centers like International Airports.

Many simplistic icon systems exist today for various applications. Much of what is seen in common public places has been developed by The National Park Service, as well as the Department of Transportation. Both developed sets of pictographs and ideographs that are recognizable and currently in use today in a variety of ways.

National Park Pictograph and Ideograph System [3]

Department of Transportation Pictograph and Ideograph System

“This system of 50 symbol signs was designed for use at the crossroads of modern life: in airports and other transportation hubs and at large international events. Produced through a collaboration between AIGA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), they are an example of how public-minded designers can address a universal communication need.” [4]

Conclusion

In conclusion, the human race from ancient times to modern has continually practiced a method of communicating basic words and ideas through the use of simplistic representational drawings.

This can be traced back to the origins of written language itself, and has persisted through the ages to our contemporary cross-cultural communication in modern societies and the digital environment. Making marks that have universal meaning to the members of the society is perhaps one of the most significant and basic defining characteristic of human development and our ability to think in an abstract way.

References

1] “Pictograph.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web, accessed April 10, 2013.

[2] “Unit 1, Topic 1, The Origins of Written Language,” SCAD Graphic Design Seminar:
Typographic Theory-GRDS-733-OL, 2013. Web, accessed April 10, 2013. http://elearning.scad.edu

[3] “Map Symbols & Patterns for NPS Maps,” National Park Service, 2011. Web, accessed April 10, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/map-symbols.cfm

[4] “SYMBOL SIGNS” AIGA, 2013. Web, accessed April 10, 2013. http://www.aiga.org/interior.aspx?pageid=3079&id=2847

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Korean Invention of Metal Movable Type

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

When we learn about the history of printing and the invention of metal movable type, we mostly discuss the significant and innovative contributions that Johannes Gutenberg made. While he invented the printing press and a variety of other items (a mold with punch-stamped matrices, a type-metal alloy, papermaking, and an oil-based ink [1]) and processes to perfect printing, and he was the first to come up with metal movable type in Europe, was he the inventor that technology? It is widely known that metal movable type existed in Asia approximately two centuries prior to Gutenberg’s use of it. So, was Gutenberg exposed to the metal movable type technology from Asia? Did that influence of inspire him to create the new technology in Europe?

Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468)

Artist Rendering of Gutenberg in his Shop

In order to investigate this issue, let’s take a brief look at the history of Movable Type in Asia. Movable type was first invented by Bi Sheng (990-1051) in 1040 AD in China. Bi Sheng experimented with both ceramic material as well as wood for his movable type. He abandoned wood in favor of ceramics because the wood grains and the unevenness of the wooden type after being soaked in ink. His ceramic movable type was successful and used as late as 1844, however it wasn’t practical for large-scale printing. The letterforms were criticized by some as being “fragile,” but in reality they were actually very hard. The process he went through to create the ceramic movable type was described by the Chinese scholar Shen Kuo (1031–1095):

When he wished to print, he took an iron frame and set it on the iron plate. In this he placed the types, set close together. When the frame was full, the whole made one solid block of type. He then placed it near the fire to warm it. When the paste [at the back] was slightly melted, he took a smooth board and pressed it over the surface, so that the block of type became as even as a whetstone.

For each character there were several types, and for certain common characters there were twenty or more types each, in order to be prepared for the repetition of characters on the same page. When the characters were not in use he had them arranged with paper labels, one label for each rhyme-group, and kept them in wooden cases. [3]

Wooden movable type was re-Invented in 1298 by Wang Zhen in China by using a more durable wood than Bi Sheng tried. Zhen made more than 30,000 wooden movable types and printed 100 copies of Records of Jingde County, a book of more than 60,000 Chinese characters. [2] Wooden movable types were used continually in China; even as late as 1733 and in many cases was preferred over metal movable type because “woodblock technology also facilitated book illustration, which was far more advanced, and more common, in East Asia than in the West.” [6]

Song Moon Woodblock Plate

Haein-sa Temple with Preserved Woodblocks to Print Buddhist Tripitaka

Yuan Dynasty Woodblock

The wood movable type system was later improved upon with the invention of metal movable type by Choe Yun-ui in 1234 AD in Korea. He adapted the bronze casting techniques in use at the time to make coins, bells and statues to make metal type. He would first cut the letters in wood, and then press them into a clay like sand in order to create molds. The molds were filled with molten bronze to make the letterforms. [2]

Restored Metal Movable Type from the Goryeo Era

One of the earliest recorded works printed with this new technique was a piece about Confucian ritual published approx. 1234. [5] The Jikji from 1377 in Korea is the oldest book in existence printed with metal movable type. It is an “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings.” [5]

Jikji Spread – 1377

Jikji Type

The Jikji was printed 78 years prior to the 42-Line Bible created by Gutenberg in 1455.

42-Lined Bible – 1455

The use of metal movable type spread all across Asia and was used to print books, encyclopedias, government documents, and money.

Bronze Removable Type Book – 1490

Jiaozi 11th Century Paper-printed Money

Bronze Cast for Money

While there is no direct evidence that Gutenberg was “inspired” by the invention of metal movable type in Asia, it has been theorized that perhaps he was exposed to the method because of the widespread practice of trade between Asia and the Europe recorded at the time. In 1274, shortly after the invention of metal movable type in Korea, China and Korea launched a joint expedition to Japan and private merchants actively traded by sea with mainland ports, which were known to have depots of European traders. “Consequently all of the conditions existed for the transmission of significant technological information from Korea to Europe.” [6] Trade continued between Asia and Europe through the 14^th century.

So, did any of that trade include the new metal movable type technology or books printed during that time? Did any Asian items end up in the hands of Gutenberg sparking the idea to develop his own version of metal movable type? We may never know for sure, and “while there is no “smoking gun” to establish a direct connection, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence suggesting that East Asian printing influenced early Renaissance Europe” [6]

References

[1] “Johannes Gutenberg,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web, accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/249878/Johannes-Gutenberg

[2] “Movable Type,” Wikipedia, 2013. Web, accessed April 25, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movable_type

[3] “History of Printing in East Asia,” Wikipedia, 2013. Web, accessed April 25, 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_printing_in_East_Asia

[4] “Jikji,” Wikipedia, 2013. Web, accessed April 25, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jikji

[5] “Korea, 1000-1400 AD,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. Web, accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=07&region=eak#/Key-Events

[6] Thomas Christensen, “Gutenberg and the Koreans,” RightReading.com, 2010. Web accesses April 25, 2013. http://www.rightreading.com/printing/gutenberg.asia/gutenberg-asia-9-korea.htm

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GRDS 701 Project B Presentation: Mastering Design Style

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

For Project B in GRDS 701, I have furthered the topic that I presented in Project A on Design Style. For this presentation, I propose the idea that all designers need to master the understanding and use of Design Styles as an important part of their professional development.

Here’s the YouTube Link to the Presentation:

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GRDS 701 Unit 8, Blog Entry 2: Living a New Creative Process!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

Last week I posted about a new Creative Process that I really liked called the Ideative Process. I felt that it would be a new and inspirational method for becoming more creative and I could integrate it into my existing model.

Well, I have to say, that was easier said than done, but I am excited for the challenge! As I mentioned, it’s the D (Deviate) step in the process that is so difficult for me. I am a creature of habit… always have been. I could literally eat the same thing for lunch every day and be happy. In fact, there are many weeks where I DO exactly that! I guess I get stuck in my ways…

I can totally see the benefits of following the new process and Deviating from my normal routines… but following through seems to be so difficult. Why? It’s not like I’m scared of doing new things… not at all! I love doing new things and going new places. If I had to guess, it’s an auto-pilot response to the normal everyday activities like driving or getting lunch. I’ve done these things a million times, so instead of consciously being aware of what I’m doing, I fall into auto-pilot.

Well, no more. It goes beyond my work…This is a habit that I want to… even NEED to break to live life with more varied and dynamic experiences and become a more creative person. I never thought a PROCESS would affect me like this! But this exercise has really opened my eyes. It’s exciting. I need to be more conscious of the mundane everyday activities and consciously BREAK the routines!

Well, this week, I have made some progress! Not only am I NOT sitting in the same café as I write this, but I have booked an exciting Spring Break trip to the Virgin Islands! Talk about breaking routines! I’m taking this bull by the horns and having some NEW EXPERIENCES!

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The QR Code: An Innovation Case Study

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

WHAT IS AN INNOVATION?
Inspired by Everett M. Rogers

This can be a concept that is widely misunderstood. Most people think of an Innovation as an Invention, but it’s more than that. An Invention can come and go without ever becoming a successful innovation. In order to actually be an innovation, a social group must accept it. Innovation is when an original idea, invention, product or process successfully diffuses into a user group. This can involve the development of a new technology, or just be a new way of doing something. Rogers discusses Innovation as an “idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption.”¹ With this definition in mind, this presentation will review and analyze the various aspects of a contemporary innovation, the QR Code.

WHAT IS A QR CODE?
“Creative Destruction” or Evolution

The QR Code is a relatively new innovation that is actually still in the early stages of adoption in our culture. When I began this study, I actually set out to discuss the QR Code as a FAILED innovation because I personally saw them as a fad or a gimmick that will eventually be forgotten. To my surprise, the data actually tells quite a different story.

The QR Code is an abbreviation of Quick Response Code, and is “a kind of 2-D (two-dimensional) symbology developed by Denso Wave (a division of Denso Corporation at the time) and released in 1994 with the primary aim of being a symbol that is easily interpreted by scanner equipment.”² Unlike a simple barcode that only stores information horizontally, a QR Code is a matrix barcode and has the ability to store information both horizontally and vertically, thus a 2-Dimentional Code. This gives the QR Code the ability to hold vastly more information than it’s predecessor, approximately 350 times more.

QR CODE HISTORY
Unintended Consequences

Sometimes new technologies are radical paradigm shifting innovations, and other times they are incremental and improve upon an existing technology. With the QR Code, diffusion as a marketing communication tool came way after its invention, and required other innovations to take place to evolve it from its original use.

The QR Code was originally developed in 1994 for Toyota, and used in their automotive production tracking. It probably would’ve stayed as such if it weren’t for the creation of a handheld web enabled mobile device, the smartphone.

In 2000, Ericsson released the first smartphone to the market, followed by Palm in 2001 releasing the first phone capable of web browsing. As this innovation took the market by storm and improvements were made, smartphones became more and more sophisticated adding capabilities such as taking photos, and installing apps. In 2010, the first barcode scanning app was released for a variety of smartphone platforms.

While the QR Code was initially created as a means of commercial tracking, since then it has become a popular vehicle for advertisers and brands to interact with consumers. These change agents were key in evolving the QR Code from its original use to a more broad communication tool. In 2011 “QR codes begin to gain prominence in America thanks to some large company campaigns such as Best Buy and Macy’s.”³ With a simple QR Code Scanner, a consumer can have a wide variety of brand specific experiences tailored to a particular product or message. The uses vary from directing the user’s browser to a company website, to installing an app on the user’s smartphone, to giving detailed product information, to downloading a coupon or other offer.

Beyond marketing and advertising, the diffusion of the QR Code as a means of communication has made an impact on several other industries and has been seen used in a variety of unintended ways, including: directory information, entertainment and transport tickets, governmental use, labeling, shipping, and even in currency and payment transactions.

WHO’S USING QR CODES?

Categories and Characteristics of Adopters

According to a recent study by Pitney Bowes⁴, Americans ages 18-34 are leading the adoption of this innovation as a way for advertisers to communicate with consumers. In this study of 2000 Americans, nearly 40% of young adults have scanned a QR Code in some form of media. While there have been attempts to use QR Codes in almost every form of media, traditional printed forms are the most likely to elicit a response. QR Codes in magazine ads, posters, direct mail, or product packaging receive almost double the response over websites, emails and tv ads.

In Europe and other countries, the study shows that the adoption of QR Codes has been slower, with an average of less than 25% of young adults having responded to them.

We are only in the first few years of diffusion of this innovation. Given the rate of response with early adoption by the tech-savy young adult population, it is only a matter of time before the majority of consumers have adopted this technology. The studies point to the laggards being the over 35 crowd, who are slower to accept new technologies and methods of communication.

HOW IS A QR CODE AN INNOVATION?
Attributes of Innovation

In terms of Rogers’ five Attributes of Innovation, the QR Code can be seen in the following way:

Observability – EXTREME
Today, QR Codes can be seen all over the marketplace in the US and other countries. They are being used in all forms of media including print, packaging, direct mail, tv, web, email, and social media.

Trialability – MEDIUM
A user need only try to scan a QR Code once to determine their response and potential acceptance of this technology as a method of communication with a brand. The challenge in this is educating the consumer to know what a QR Code is and how to respond to one, as well as the consumer having the needed equipment in the first place. Studies indicate that there is still much work to be done on this front, “with over 50% of respondents claiming not to have heard of them; possessing a phone with no capability (39%) or don’t know how to use them (30%).”⁵

Complexity – MEDIUM
While the use of a QR Code isn’t high complexity, it’s not completely without issues either. There are often errors when using the scanning apps, and getting a clear photo of the QR Code can be challenging. User error can be a roadblock, and if a user finds it difficult to get a clear scan, feeling frustrated they are not likely to try again. Marketers can combat this by making sure the QR Codes are printed at a decent size for the audience. Additionally, this could be a contributing factor to the adoption skewing towards a younger, more tech-savy audience.

Relative Advantage – EXTREME
The QR Code can hold over 350 times the amount of information that a standard barcode can hold. Additionally, while a barcode must be read in a specific orientation, a QR code can be read from any direction or orientation, and even when damaged the QR Code can retain its data.

Compatibility – EXTREME
While diffusion of this innovation from its original use to its current wider applications has been incremental, the development of smartphones, mobile apps, and built in cameras set the stage for QR Codes to be a consumer communication tool for marketers. As such, the QR Code is extremely compatible with the current technology, culture and consumer market.

LOOKING FORWARD
The Future of the QR Code

Currently the QR Code is being used in all forms of media to communicate with consumers in a variety of ways, and has been widely accepted by the tech-savy 18-35 year old consumer.

Most analysts agree with what the studies have revealed, that the adoption of QR Codes will continue to rise and not just fizzle out as a passing tech fad. As covered, there are some challenges for marketers to overcome in order to see the real benefit of engaging in a deeper way with the consumer. Continued education of the consumer is key to the adoption, both in knowing what the QR Code is, but how to use it. Also the payoff for the consumer has to be real, and not a dissuade them from continued use because of poor implementation. “A QR code should always be accompanied by a ‘performance-bond’ (outcome guarantee) as concrete as possible…

Scanning a mobile QR code should be a shortcut to valued content or offers, not an effort, nor a disappointment.”⁶

While adoption of the QR Code technology as a marketing communication vehicle is still growing, it is evident that critical mass has been achieved and that the technology will eventually become a standard response method for consumers. This is a good example of an innovation that has incrementally developed and has had unintended consequences of influence over a variety of industries. While there is still much work to be done, the numbers show that full consumer adoption is achievable as marketers continue the efforts to educate the non-tech-savy user, provide tangible benefits, and perfect implementation.

¹ Everett Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, (New York: Free Press, 2003), 12.

² Denso Wave Corporation, “About 2D Code,” QR Code.com, 2000-2010, http://www.qrcode.com/en/aboutqr.html

³ “The History of QR Codes,” QRCodesinMarketing.net, http://www.qrcodesinmarketing.net/history-of-qr-codes.html

⁴ “US Ahead of Western Europe in QR Code Usage,” EMarketer.com, 2013, http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Ahead-of-Western-Europe-QR-Code-Usage/1009631#DM2rQVwbkPCIT65b.99

⁵ Dave Chaffey, “QR Code Statistics,” Smart Insights.com, 2010-2012, http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/qr-code-marketing/qr-codes-location-demographic-statistics/

⁶ Dave Chaffey, “QR Code Statistics,” Smart Insights.com, 2010-2012, http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/qr-code-marketing/qr-codes-location-demographic-statistics/

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GRDS 701 Unit 7, Blog Entry 2: Dealing with Clients

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

This week for my second blog entry, I decided to write about an issue that has been top of mind for me the past few days – Dealing with Clients.

There’s a saying that I’ve heard on occasion, “Advertising would be perfect if there were no clients!” This sentiment is one that every designer feels at some point or another in their career. I’ve been dealing with clients of various types for 15 years and every one of them is different.

I’ve had clients that respond to the work that I show them as if I were ‘the god of design’ and practically fall all over themselves giving me praise about how much they like the concepts… wanting to run with ALL of them! LOL! These are the types of clients that I LOVE, but they too have their own challenges. Obviously for multiple reasons, but especially for campaign effectiveness, we can’t run with ALL of the ideas presented. I’ve found that leveraging their respect for our work and counseling the client to make a good decision about which direction to head in has been the best strategy. This is where my “Agency Recommendation” goes the farthest.

Then, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve had clients that are NEVER happy with a single thing we do! I even had a client once, (worst client ever but I won’t name names) who sat down and had multiple threatening talks with me about my team’s work saying that he felt we weren’t creative enough… eluding to my team being fired if we didn’t do better. Set aside all of the compliments he received from the audience about our design work, and that my studio even won an Addy Award on one of the projects we designed for him… some people are just never happy! These clients are toxic for morale and counterproductive to the work. Some indicators to help you recognize this type of client can be how many designers (and other staff) they have gone through in the past 6 months, how much time they devote to meetings and giving feedback, how they respond to contracts and invoices, and if they are willing to give a defined scope of work outlining what criteria (if any) they will measure “success.” That particular client experience had red flags all over the place and ended up being a big expensive business lesson for me, one that even required lawyers to settle our differences!

Most of my client experiences, however, have been somewhere in between those extremes. Another good saying is that “great work requires a great client,” and this is so true! The best clients are ones that understand that the work that we do is a collaborative process… it’s not a box of cereal that you pick off the supermarket shelf. It requires a give and take of strategy, ideas, creativity, time and trust. There will always be certain client issues that are irritating for us, like having a million changes to a piece, or changing their minds halfway through the process, or taking weeks to make a decision then when they finally do they want it turned around in a couple of days! LOL! These issues come with the territory of Advertising and Design. Starting out as a new designer in the industry, they can be very frustrating and difficult to deal with, but no matter how good the client is, they are universal issues and don’t define an individual client.

Giving good Client Service takes practice, and reading a client comes with time and experience and they are all different. Ultimately, every client relationship is just that… a relationship. And just like other relationships, they can be good or bad and have the ability to turn on a dime. They all have their own unique personalities, expectations, and temperaments. For designers, it’s important to keep in mind the key indicators that I described, and be mindful of any red flags that show up, as well as how the client makes you and your team feel. Remember that as Designers, our job is to strategically interpret and visually communicate the client’s message to a designated audience. We are working FOR the client…but we also have to be able to work WITH them! I have a saying in my studio that we make “Happy Clients by Design.” I believe very strongly in going the extra mile, and bending over backwards to make a client happy! However, when the situation calls for it, saying no can be the best way to protect yourself and your team.

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GRDS 701 Unit 7, Blog Entry 1: How Do You Design?

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

While reviewing the creative process models presented in Hugh Dubberly’s “How Do You Design?”, as well as through the additional research that I have performed on this topic, I have come to the realization that while my own creative process works well for me, there are tons of ways that I could improve and build upon it.

The process that I use accounts for the full life cycle of a client campaign in my studio from start to finish. I could see adding additional steps within each phase of my process, particularly in the Concept Development phase. A model that I found online called
The Ideative Process has been the most inspiring for me in this Concept Development phase where Ideation is key. The process is based on the acronym IDEA:

I – INUNDATE YOURSELF INTO YOUR IDEATIVE FIELD

D – DEVIATE FROM YOUR ROUTINES

E – ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE VIVIDLY

A – ASSEMBLE IDEAS IDEATIVELY

The website says that the process is to basically “Collect as much information as possible into one place, then pick and chose among the available items to Assemble your Ideas. Then test different combinations until you have a solution.” It uses an analogy of a child playing with varied types of blocks; these are “new blocks” of knowledge and experiences that we have created in our brain throughout the process. Some of these blocks have been created from INNUDATING ourselves with information and experiences related to the subject we are brainstorming ideas for, while other blocks were created by the new and diverse array of experiences had while DEVIATING from our routines. All of these blocks that we are playing with have a multitude of connections in our brain because we ENHANCED them by engaging our emotions and all five senses when experiencing them. As we ASSEMBLE our ideas, we draw upon the blocks and try to fit different pieces together. Some pieces will fit together that are expected – they belong together. While others will be unexpected connections that are made with pieces that shouldn’t go together at all, just like a child at play.

While other processes that I read about talk about brainstorming or ideation, this process is a practical guide on HOW anyone can be more creative and come up with ideas. As I drill down on the Concept Development phase of my creative process, these will be the actual steps that I will begin to practice to maximize my creativity. I am particularly challenged by the DEVIATE step and look forward to purposefully putting myself in new situations and new places to break out of my own routines. I tend to be a creature of habit! Even as I write this post, I am sitting in the same café that I have sat in the past several weeks. Starting with little changes like working in a different café will be a good start… who knows, I may eventually work up to something really crazy like shooting a machine gun, or finally going on a missions trip to help bring relief to a disaster area!

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GRDS 701 Unit 6, Blog Entry 2: Flow

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Timothy Carvalho

The concept of Flow was very interesting as presented by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the article, “Finding Flow.”

While I haven’t read about this specific idea before, it is similar to some other concepts that I have been exposed to. For example, the idea of being so engrossed in a task (like driving a rout that you’ve driven before) that you lose track of time… you start out driving and your mind wanders, then all of the sudden you are at your destination… I have heard this described a “trance” state of mind. Or in a spiritual framework, achieving “enlightenment” or “nirvana” would be similar ideas.

In a creative framework, this idea of “flow” is similar to a concept I’ve written about before in a previous blog post where I reviewed a TED talk given by author writer Elizabeth Gilbert. In this talk, she describes an “elusive inspiration,” this universal feeling that all creative people come into contact with at one time or another in their career where they feel as if the inspiration for a piece literally is coming from somewhere else. As if there is a Spirit of Creativity that has breathed upon them and the work just “flows” effortlessly through the artist as a vessel.

While each of these various concepts are a little different, they all share similarities and seem to have a similar end result. I personally have experienced this a handful of times in my career… I agree with many of the criteria outlined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to achieve this, however it isn’t so formulaic for me. In addition to having certain environmental needs met, I also need to feel genuinely inspired by the goals of the work. In order to feel that I way, I need to connect with the project in some deeper way. Not every project that crosses my desk is one that I am connecting with in that deeper way… some are just basic or straightforward. Others have a goal or a theme or a philosophy that I feel strongly about, it resonates with me emotionally or spiritually, and through that inspiration I am engulfed by the project, experiencing a “flow.”

While not every project can be like that, when it happens it is like a magical type of experience. One where I am not just pointing and clicking for a client, but where I feel like the work is allowing me to express something meaningful. Maybe on a small scale, but perhaps someday on a larger culture changing scale, who knows… perhaps the Spirit of Creativity will bless me with an opportunity like that someday!

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Timothy Carvalho

Strategic Brand Communication

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