here it is

Jul. 22‘09

When you’re a designer at heart, you can’t help but put your skills to good use regardless if the project is business or personal (and in this case, it’s personal).

I find myself taking advantage of every opportunity I can to make the most of my passion, even through everyday life. Being a designer in the marketing business, it is oftentimes required that you scale back your wacky creative ideas and take the more refined, conservative approach. That’s why even a two-year-old birthday party is an opportunity to let the creative juices flow.

Throughout my years in the design industry, I’ve learned to never underestimate the power of presentation and first impressions. The scale of the event or cost of the product you’re selling doesn’t matter. It’s how it is presented to your audience that will get them excited—even if it’s only a two-year-old’s birthday party!

This birthday invitation was printed as a poster, rolled up, tied with ribbon and mailed in tubes. Now, the only drawback is making sure the party lives up to the hype!

Birthday Poster Invitation

May. 15‘09

I know how to write a really lame positioning statement. How could I not? The examples are ubiquitous. If you’re in need of a lifeless, verbose positioning statement for your product or service, please follow these five time-tested steps.

  1. Understand your product, target audiences and competitive landscape really well.
  2. Pick the one thing you do differently that your target actually cares about, and will continue to care about for several years.
  3. Write it in a concise statement using positive present tense: “The Nitro-Ball is the only toy ball with an unstable core of liquid nitrogen.”
  4. Get tons of feedback from colleagues and ensure each of them makes a contribution, however small. Don’t stop until you have an edit from everyone and consensus from all.
  5. Hang signs around the company with the new positioning statement: “The Nitro-Ball is, was, and will forever be the only entertainment-enhanced spherical projectile for children of all ages, of every race, creed, size, ability and species with explosive power, for explosive fun and also it will literally explode if it falls outside the 3 degree range of stability.”

You may be thinking “the statement in step #3 was actually pretty good.” Bzzzzz! Incorrect. There is one serious flaw with the initial statement that the untrained eye wouldn’t pick up. It looks way too short when framed next to the incomprehensible 1,500-word company vision statement. It’s too easy to remember, internalize, act upon. Where’s the challenge?!?