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New iTunes icon: upsetting the Apple cart?
The release of a new iTunes icon last Thursday has had the Interwebs a-buzz. From twitter profiles to its very own Facebook page, from articles on Forbes.com to Job’s reaction to the buzz posted almost everywhere, this little icon has a world of users… well, unsatisfied.
The ruffled feathers over this redesign—possibly as fraught with disappointment in the digital sphere as the Tropicana brand disaster of 2008 (okay maybe not soo boisterous!)—seems to us a bit over the top.
I asked some (might I say, often opinionated!) colleagues what they had to say about the new mark. With respect to execution and style: a resounding “what’s the big deal?”
We all have aesthetic opinions (we started as a design firm, after all), but is there more to this topic than just jabs at bevels, gradients, and (overuse of) Photoshop?
Eric replied with this, “…if anything, there might be an interesting discussion based on the fact that the program is a lot more than a music player—it’s an opportunity for communication design (name + logo) to encapsulate and symbolize not only what it is now, but what it could be in the future….”
Says Roger: “The issue is not how you do the notes but whether the notes even make sense.” Roger added, “the mark could complement the program rather than illustrate it.”
Tamsen felt like it was a missed opportunity to take advantage of what iTunes has evolved into from its origins as a way to create and manage personal mp3 libraries: a program that, in many ways, has become a comprehensive facilitator of our listening / entertainment lives. In other words, she says, “Why not reflect what it is, rather than what it used to be?”
(And on that note: in addition to missing the boat on pushing it past a simple connection to music, Apple seems to have missed an opportunity to elevate the mark beyond its two-dimensional iconic form. Why not extend their HTML5 and CSS3 creativity to their thinking on icon design?)
Meg’s take: “I think the new icon reflects the reality that music comes to us in multiple forms nowadays—mp3s, CDs, the resurgence of vinyl, streaming programs, etc. All the old icon brought to mind was a CD or DVD—and I don’t own many of either anymore. I’d likely have chosen something more monochromatic, but it definitely stands out on my dock. Really, though, I don’t think anyone is going to not use iTunes because they don’t like the icon, and it’s not going to change anyone’s relationship with the brand.”
One of our developers, Matt, immediately saw the icon as “sticking out from the rest of the OSX default set. Unsure if this was a direct move to separate it away from the pack or to use the bolder blue to make it stand out and create more of a ‘home’ for users.” Otherwise he felt iTunes 10—like its player—is nice and smooth in visual execution.To Matt’s point, if Apple had a simple design refresh in mind, why not stick to a systematic approach and update the icon to sit happily among its OSX cousins?
So you can see, our reactions to Apple’s design choice is mostly rooted in its concept. We may not all like the way the icon looks, but does it matter? As Meg pointed out, none of us (and we might suggest, none of you) are going to stop using iTunes in protest over design decisions about its icon.
Perhaps Apple’s icon design woes are of its own making: We (the world—not just us here on Blackstone Square) have come to expect Apple to unleash technology and design that exceeds our expectations, often wildly. So an unremarkable design? Pretty remarkable.
What do you think?
Categories: Uncategorized
It’s the power of… what? Sustaining relationships, in good times and bad.
In tough times, we often seek to reconnect with and deepen the most positive relationships we’ve developed over the years, in both our personal and professional lives. You want people you trust in your corner when the chips are down… and renewing those bonds provides a source of both comfort and strength.
In that same way, I’ve recently had the great fortune to reconnect with several clients we’ve worked with in the past. Many companies and organizations are facing funding cuts and slow(ing) sales in this economy, but when projects come up, they want to work with people who get what they’re about, and who they trust to provide value when resources are stretched thin.
Each one of these conversations has reinforced how important relationships are in what we do. You can offer a great product or service, but what keeps people coming back again and again is the connection you build with them over time—the shared experiences and vision that trump all else.
I recently had lunch with someone I’d worked with years ago, and our conversation soon turned to a discussion of past projects. But what I quickly noticed was that we were speaking less about the projects than we were about the people.
“She’s such a wonderful designer and always showed tremendous grace under pressure.”
“He is so smart in his approach to design thinking, which raises the bar for everything for us—it makes you think!”
“I always feel respected and listened to, and that is so key to a successful partnership—with anyone.”
“He knows how to listen.”
We didn’t talk about budgets. We didn’t talk about proposals. We didn’t talk about plans.
We talked about people. We talked about relationships. We talked about stuff that would never show up in an estimate… but made all the difference to the success of the project.
What’s underneath is what sustains. There will always be people who can compete with you in terms of offerings, but are they taking the time to care and build a connection?
So, to answer the question in the title over this post, it’s the power of…
Smart, thoughtful approaches to both everyday and extraordinary challenges
Grace under pressure (and a sense of humor never hurts as deadlines loom)
Resourcefulness, accompanied by a sort of fearlessness: the proverbial “whatever it takes” attitude
Comfort in the reality that someone is looking out for your best interests
If, in today’s tweeting, blogging, always-online world, a brand is a mosaic—then isn’t a successful relationship also a mosaic, where different pieces of the puzzle shine at different times, and the whole is truly greater that the sum of its parts?
What is it about the relationships you’ve built over the years that makes them last?
And what do you value the most in those with whom you work?
Categories: Uncategorized
What’s in a name?
There it was, hanging innocently enough on the wall, offering me a fresh paper towel to dry my hands. But it was the little name plaque on the front that caught my eye: “Advantage Marketing Associates”. It wasn’t until I read the tiny, tiny type underneath that I found out they sell janitorial supplies.
Really?
Realizing that this wasn’t likely a new venue for selling advertising space, I wondered what they thought might be wrong with, say, “Advantage Janitorial Supplies.” Isn’t that more clear and direct? Why did their company name strike such a dissonant chord with me?
Not long ago, we (as a practice) struggled with how we would position ourselves—summing up what we do in just a few words—when we went to market.
We’re no longer just a “graphic design studio” (as we might have happily called ourselves 30 years ago), because we offer much more in the way of services, and bring a much wider and deeper perspective to our—and our clients’—work.
But what could we call ourselves so that people would get it? “Communications firm” says it, but couldn’t that also be applied to a telecommunications provider?
In our case, explaining “who” came along with some of the “what”: we offer brand-focused strategy, design and digital media.
But back to the paper towel. Nothing wrong with, as the Army used to say, trying to be all that you can be—nothing, of course, except for the risk that in reaching so broadly, you lose focus… and fail to break through the clutter.
First impressions matter; that’s why we understand the urge to tell us not only what you do, but how you do it (better), what makes you stand out from the crowd, and why we should care—right off the bat. But if your name needs serious explaining, you could end up never getting the chance to make that explanation.
So “Advantage Marketing Associates”: as a distributor of many products to many markets, it makes a little more sense, but it sure took a while after the initial “doesn’t compute” moment to think through what they might be going for.
Should it have? Is it just me?
What do you want a name to tell you?
And what doesn’t a name need to say?
Categories: Uncategorized
Digital Friday: do you still see “social” as the new kid on the block?
We often speak of social media platforms like they’re still very much the “new kids on the block.”
And true enough — new platforms and applications and technologies are popping up every day, week, month.
But did you know YouTube has been around more than half a decade now?
It’s true — we’ve been looking up cat videos so long that it feels like we’ve always been able to. In fact, the search function within the YouTube site is reputably the second-largest search engine on the internet… after Google, of course.
And Facebook? Turning five next year.
Even “upstart” Twitter is long past the terrible twos.
Some companies have seen the community-building possibilities of the web since the very beginning of the “social revolution”, while some are still tiptoeing around the edges, wondering if the new age of transparency is going to leave them far too exposed.
Where do you stand?
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re dipping your toe in to these waters… or diving right in daily.
But here’s the question: how long do you think it takes technology to become a normal part of our lives? How long does it take until we can’t imagine our lives without it?
And the biggest question of all (and one we deal with daily) is this: how long can the brands and organizations that still don’t see social technology as relevant to their operations now — and their future — hold out before choosing not to take a step forward leaves them several steps back?
Or are we already there?
What do you think?
Categories: Uncategorized
2009: The year in blog posts
With the holidays upon us, we thought we’d celebrate ’Round the Square’s first year with the Best of 2009: your favorites, our favorites, and a couple of gems you might have missed.
- 12/26: Brand Judo
- 12/27: The three stages of social media anxiety
- 12/28: Popular and politically incorrect
- 12/29: “Don’t lipstick” and 25 other lessons of management
- 12/30: How to grow ideas
- 12/31: I got tagged
- 1/1: Tuning in by turning off
- 1/2: The first way you’re wasting your story
- 1/3: Trust Agent + ? = $$
- 1/4: Stones or Beatles?
- 1/5: Time is your enemy
- 1/6: 10 tips for an effective design process
- 1/7: Six (scientific!) steps for social media success
- 1/8: The audacity of design
Enjoy!
Categories: Branding, Design, Digital Media, Outside the Square, Quadrupedal Posts, Strategy and Management, Uncategorized
Round the cooler
Most companies, big and small, have something akin to a water cooler, coffee kitchen, or lunchroom where staff gathers and casually talks about anything…anything but work, that is.
Does what we do for a living shape our opinions, our choices regarding things outside of work? For instance, does being a designer influence my choices around television shows, restaurants, getaway destinations?
We thought it would be enlightening to poll our colleagues from time to time, and any of you who would like to share, to find out what you’re watching, reading, eating and doing when you’re not working.
For our first category we’re borrowing the title Must See TV.
Will, Design director
[Project Runway]. I was hooked from show 1, season 1, the innovation challenge. After driving through New York’s famous fashion district, the 12 confused contestants were dropped off in front of a Supermarket with $50 and a half hour to purchase all the materials they would need to create a couture cocktail dress. The results from many of these unknown, untested designers was absolutely inspiring. Especially memorable for me are Austin’s dress made entirely of corn husks and Nora’s “look” constructed, or rather deconstructed from a folding lounge chair.
Six years later and I’m still a die-hard fan. Sure it’s worn a little—like a comfortable pair of not necessarily designer jeans. But it still has the power to thrill me. A couple of weeks ago, the 12 remaining contestants (they started this season with 16) visited the Los Angeles Times printing presses. The show moved this sason, new city, L.A. and new channel Lifetime. The previous five years were on Bravo. After the plant tour the designers were brought into an area filled with stacks of newspapers. On the word “go” they had 15 minutes to gather up as much newspaper as they could—the material for this week’s challenge. The show is currently available on ON DEMAND so I won’t give anymore away. See it for yourself ,if you haven’t already.
Below are some of my colleagues answers to the questions: If you’re only allowed to watch one TV show a week what would it be and why?
Kerri, Designer
[Mad Men]. No question. Though I’m not a die-hard must-watch weekly fan (Sunday nights at 10 pm doesn’t always agree with beginning of the week anxiety) I certainly love every episode I can catch. The wardrobe and set designs alone are reason enough. But what keeps me thinking about the show is the story-line and character development. I’m finding—especially in this third season—the personalities of the characters and their actions are quite seamlessly blended with the state of social and political situations. Betty Draper, for instance, is a very well educated woman of the 50′s but obviously bored by her daily “homemaker” status. She openly displays anger and resentment towards her husband, Don, and life in general. When given a charm to remember their romantic trip to Rome, she retorts annoyed—it will not have been a memento of a lovely trip, it will have been a reminder of her monotonous reality. Watching Mad Men reminds me of how lucky I am to be a woman born in the latter half of this century.
Summer, Designer
[Mad Men], of course! Set in a 1960s New York ad agency, ad man Don Draper’s mysterious past is less than intriguing, but what I like about Mad Men (besides the hilarity of agency egos running rampant) is its striking visual acuity. Many scenes (and a very special mohair man-cardigan) are steeped in shades of brown and tan, but gorgeous, rich color asserts itself everywhere: Joan Holloway’s garnet and moss dresses always juxtaposed against red#1 (her hair) and red#2 (her lipstick); Pete Campbell’s stone cold blue, old-money suits; Betty and Don Draper’s sea foam, tufted velvet headboard. Even when the palette is subtle, the costuming and sets are carefully crafted into delightful and inspiring layers of color.
What would you choose?
Categories: Uncategorized
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