J H I Blog

It’s basically a simple idea to do more with less, but it’s never easy to get there. This maxim is especially true in the realm of communications and never more important than right now.

As never before in history, we are being literally attacked by a tsunami of incoming data, messages, tweets, and all manner of advertising and social connections. Readers/viewers bristle at the thought of wading through paragraphs of copy when they are already thinking about what they will need to move onto as soon as they are done here. So, as a designer, has dealing with pervasive societal Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) become the playing field where successful communications are crafted?

Instead of organizing a lot information into a predetermined box, if we can define the idea and create a concept to express that idea, do we really need a lot of words? The words will be necessary, but later on in the progression of the conversation, but not in the beginning, where it’s critical to get attention in today’s loud media whirlwind.

By example, several years ago, while traveling in Sicily on a quest to visit the famous pastry shops of the island, we stopped at Maricante’s Pastry Shop in the ancient port of Siracusa. (They now have a web site:  http://www.barmarciante.it/HOME.HTM). Ask for a business card and you get this simple idea:

Depending on how you hold the card you either see a smiling face with the inscription: “I ate a pastry from Maricante”, or, I’m obviously having a bad day frowning face with the inscription: “I didn’t eat a pastry from Maricante”. Bypassing the layers of details that may explain why, they get right to the point: happy or sad, the choice is yours. You know all you need to know right now. The product is made with love and is intended to make you feel good…don’t you want that? The mental synapses fire faster than any computer processor and the reader instantaneously attaches a lifetime of experience unclouded by extraneous and complicated layers of information.

Fast-forward to an earlier Apple Computer campaign and poster for the brightly colored bubble Macs from a few year ago. Again, a strong strategic vision and simple and powerful expression create a conversation that defies words! Yum.

Yum says it all, doesn’t it? Not delicious, or any other word, but the quick non-labored immediate response we reserve for when we are surprised by how good something is and don’t feel the need to investigate why. We see it and we know it’s good. But, what is it that’s good: the arrangement of the products in a circle in all their attractive colors; the unique forward thinking demonstrated by a company that would even consider producing such a modern and compelling product? Or, is it expressive of the affirmation of the already common knowledge that to buy and use an Apple computer is an uncomplicated and delicious experience? It’s all of the above.

How does this thinking get applied to the many different forms of communication that we need to produce like web sites and brochures, where a few more words are critical because we are operating in a different venue? The answer lies in strong strategic thinking and a commitment by all parties involved to respect the position of our audience and engage them without unnecessarily burdening them. A marketing communications conversation has a beginning, middle and end. Are we being conscious of the first impression we are making? As our audiences get to know us, are we giving them just what they need at that particular point so that they will actually want to move forward with us? Do we really stop and anticipate their needs or are we just doing data dumps and hoping for the best?

At J H I, we take this seriously; strategy in the development of concept, copy, design and a clear understanding of the proposed conversation form the structure of the process we pursue for our clients.

Now that I’ve been introduced a few times on the blog, I thought it was about time I made my blogging debut and gave a little glimpse into the life of a design intern! As the newest addition to the J H I team, I’ve been busy from the time they gave me a computer and the number to the J H I credit card – for Staples office supplies and lunch orders of course! Here are just a few of the things that I’ve designed over the past few months, working with John Homs, J H I’s creative director.

CenterStage asked us to create the identity for their Youth Open House, “Lights Up.” This was a great opportunity to create a youthful, fun identity for a new event in Richmond. In addition to that logo, I designed a few billboards for Center Stage youth programs and it’s been really exciting to see them when I am driving around town!

I also designed an identity for Dominion Resources GreenTech Incubator here in Richmond. It was recently started to assist businesses focused on energy efficiency and green technologies.

And, rounding out my experience with working across all mediums, I recently completed the Twitter background for First Market Bank to help them campaign for the Shorty Awards , the event that honors top tweeters in various categories. I mean, who doesn’t love #Bacon?!

As a final note, J H I is happy to be joining the ranks of facebook. Click to become a fan of J H I!

J H I is featured in the January issue of Grid Magazine.  Grid is a new publication serving the Greater Richmond Region, and J H I is honored to be featured in the “Innovators” section of the publication – believe us when we tell you that we’re among excellent company.  Check out the article here. And remember, its always a good idea to share good news with a friend!

From our friend Patricia Breman, Senior Consultant at Strategic Business Insights:

Volkswagen and ad agency DDB Stockholm are launching a behavior-change campaign linking positive behaviors with fun. The “Fun Theory Campaign” is an initiative to promote environmentally friendly behaviors and is ultimately about driving environmentally friendly cars. The idea behind the campaign is to demonstrate that acting responsibly can be fun. Several experiments are under way. One converted a staircase in a Stockholm subway station into working piano keys. The result: 66% more people chose the stairs over the escalator. Another uses cartoonlike sound effects to make throwing rubbish into the trash can fun. That bin collected 41 kilograms more trash in one day than did a standard bin nearby. This campaign is a stellar example of advertising at its best: a big idea that can work across all media, including social and viral.