Visual Resource of the Moment: Wovenplay

Source: wovenplay.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Theme of the moment: get inspired by Wovenplay. I'm in love with the stunning photographs featured on this children's clothiers' website, despite the fact that it is not abundantly clear what this retailer is even selling from its online "store." Perhaps the utter mystery is what drew me in after all but, regardless, Wovenplay's site is loaded with great photos of kids playing dress-up and pretending. I highly suggest that you have a look.

Wovenplay's online photos evidence a very smart method of branding akin to that of Anthropologie, another retailer that focuses its advertising less upon product than upon lifestyle. Year after year, Anthro has crafted an image that speaks to consumers through ethos and aesthetic. The ethereal, artistic quality of its magazine photos make viewers want to buy into the brand. Even its stores are decorated with care and are highly stylized and individualistic, a stark contrast to the traditional department store approach.

The editorial nature of Wovenplay's digital archives has me itching for more and likewise just itching to work on some of my own creative work. I love that in viewing a photo on this website I am transported to another place, a place of the child's imagination. This place is one often captured by the lens of one of my favorite photographers, Helen Levitt. Now deceased, Levitt's work has spoken to me for quite a few years and each time I reflect back upon it i'm reminded of a quiet stillness and excitement about childhood that I often long to recapture. Likewise, the photos from Wovenplay stir up a sense of restlessness for the times in which all things seemed possible and the weight of responsibilities carried little consequence. There's something good about responsibilities and accountability, but there is also something wonderful about the sense of freedom and wonder so often exuded in a child's demeanor. Most adults, I think, could stand to learn something from the likes of Wovenplay's subjects. A sample of Wovenplay's work is provided above, but you'll have to visit the site to get the full experience.

Blending Business and Design to Extend the Bottom Line

Source Image: @boetter via flickr

If the mantra of the twentieth century business world was “getting things done,” then the mantra for the twenty-first may well be “building smarter businesses.” As the recent years’ recession has worn heavy on many a good business plan in the works, many executives have realized that business as usual just will not work anymore. Increasingly, these leaders are turning to creative problem-solvers to help them move into the future. And simultaneously, creative entrepreneurs are turning the wheels of business in new and different ways.

A growing number of sources are recommending that businesses bring creatives into the boardroom, not to build marketing strategies or media mobilization plans, but to help re-envision business models and craft innovative problem-solving strategies. Companies like game-changing design firm IDEO are redefining the conceptions of what artsy-types can offer the business world. Simultaneously, business schools are developing DesignMBA programs and design schools are offering emphases in fields such as design management. The business world is changing, and many are taking note.

This growing movement is picking up speed in a variety of realms, and believe me, it’s one to watch. London’s Royal College of Art and the Imperial College of London have launched the DesignLondon program, aimed at bringing together MBAers, engineers, and design students for collaborative learning and doing opportunities. A continent away, Hong Kong's government has developed the DesignSmart Initiative, which is intended to fuel innovation by partnering businesses with designers. And here in the US, renowned US design schools such as Pratt and SCAD now offer programs in design management, a field that equips professionals for work on things like branding schemes, organizational planning, and strategy discussions.

Whilst some companies have solicited the thoughts of creative directors and their comrades for years, the idea of including designers in business development has only recently become trendy and is still by no means mainstream. Amidst the seasoned business crowd there remains a lingering skepticism about the kinds of ideas that designers might bring to the table. Some worry that an over-emphasis on creativity might lead companies to overlook the basics of business administration. Others doubt designers’ abilities to develop scalable, sustainable solutions to everyday business problems.

Meanwhile, numerous sources suggest that creatives have something unique to offer the business world, and perhaps also vice versa. Consider, for example, a simple search for “design thinking” on the Harvard Business Review website. Or take it down a tier and start searching for the terms “organizational design” or “employer branding” amongst the business world. The linkages are interesting and growing rapidly.

Truth be told, both the business and the design realms still have a lot to learn about one another. And, perhaps it should be said that the learning may very well begin with realizing that neither artmaking nor business development are easy. If there’s one thing that “The Great Recession”(as it’s now being called) has taught us, it is that there are no easy answers. The work that is needed is challenging, perplexing, and at times unwelcomed. But, the need for a rebranding of the notion of business as usual in today’s economic, social, and cultural landscapes is unmistakable.

As I navigate my own way in these murky waters, I’ve been encouraged by the words of Wendell Berry in his recent book Imagination in Place, which I’m currently reading. In one of the earlier chapters, Berry talks about the importance of both knowing and imagination for thoughtful living. His words suggest that to thoughtfully live into the world we must be able to simultaneously know some corner of it and its problems intimately and possess the capacity to re-imagine that corner of the world as something more than what it is now. For me, this is part of the appeal of bringing design to the business world, and just as much bringing the principles of good business to the likes of artists and designers. The two realms are not, and should not, be considered separate-for truly good design thinkers are also good business thinkers, and truly good business thinkers know how to operate a bit like designers. Both are capable of dreaming of a better world and translating that envisioned reality into something that lives in the present moment-whether it’s a strategy, a work of art, or a physical commitment to a people and place. As they find their way into our lives in one form or another, their dreams-turned-reality have the ability to change us and give us the courage to live into our own dreams even when it feels like we’re stuck in slow motion. 

For an excellent read on this topic, check out Tim Brown's 2008 piece for the Harvard Business Review entitled "Design Thinking."

Change in Branding

Re-inventing the wheel seems to be the American dream these days. From GE who has completely revamped its image to IBM, who is leading the way with its "A Smarter Planet" commercials, companies across the country are looking to poise themselves in a renewed marketplace. With the failure of many get-rich-quick schemes of the '90s internet boom to the major shortfalls now seen in Wall Street short-trading, it seems that the once-imagined idea of using shortcuts to make it rich has crumpled. And so, accordingly, many corporations and companies have sought new ways to brand themselves and are even seeking new opportunities in the marketplace that might not lead to quick sales, but could very well result in major long-term gains.

In the midst of a changing marketplace, these companies are suggesting that cutting edge equates with products and services that are niche, sustainable, and innovative. Whether true or imagined, these concepts are popping up all over the marketplace. Take, for just one example, Cadillac's commercial for its 2010 SRX: "Re-envisioned. Reorganized. Reactivated. All designed to reignite the soul..."

Sure, that song by Phoenix is catchy. But, my question as we run across these images of "re-imagined" commodities is whether or not the end product has actually changed. Is Cadillac's 2010 model really any better than the 2009? Do Americans, even the rich and privileged few, really need a Crossover Cadillac when their stocks are still tanking and the unemployment rate is still soaring?

For the past week, i've been reading Yvon Chouinard's (yes, I just posted about him) book Let My People Go Surfing. On page 94, in the midst of a discussion on simplicity, Chouinard says:

Complexity is often a sure sign that the functional needs have not been solved. Take the difference between the Ferrari and the Cadillac of the 1960s. The Ferrari's clean lines suited its high performance aims. The Cadillac really didn't have functional aims. It didn't have the steering, suspension, torque, aerodynamics, or brakes appropriate to its immense horsepower. But then nothing about its design really had to work. All it had to do was convey the idea of power, creature comfort, of a living room floating down the highway to the golf course. So, to a basically ugly shape were added all manner of useless chrome gingerbread: fins at the back, breasts at the front. Once you lose the discipline of functionality as a design guidepost, the imagination goes amok. Once you design a monster, it tends to look like one too."

What do Chouinard's thoughts mean for the "Cadillacs" of 2010? Now, i'm not here to cast blame on any particular company or brand, rather i'm here to ask a few questions, challenging the status quo. At first the idea of re-inventing and re-thinking seemed intriguing and novel. But what happens when everyone seems to be doing it? Whose marketing schemes add up to more than mere puffs of smoke? Is what we really need a new kind of car, or something different altogether?

A Lofty Facelift

Has anyone noticed the slow rebranding of several retail chains in light of the current economy? One company that has caught my interest in its rebranding efforts is Ann Taylor Loft. From what I can tell, their product selection has not changed all that much, but they are taking a trendier and more youthful approach to marketing. Take the image below for instance:

Image: Ann Taylor Loft

I just got the new holiday mailer last week, and I must say it's the only magazine that came in the mail all week-and that's during the influx of pre-Black Friday mailers, mind you-that I actually kept. The images were catchy, and quite honestly made me want to check out the newest offerings in person.

In addition to changing their marketing approach over the past nine or so months, ATL has also upgraded their website and changed the way they do coupons. All in all, I think that the brand has done an excellent job of repositioning itself to appeal to an enlarged consumer base. Only a few years ago, Loft's target customer was a mid-30-something making around $75K per year. Perhaps the income level hasn't changed, but it seems to me that the target customer may have changed slightly. Their image-particularly the one advertised in their mailers and through their store windows-strikes me as something new for the brand. How to sum in a few words? Sophisticated casual; simple but refined elegance.