The Planning Lab » Design

Designing an agency

Leon — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:56:45 +0000

Entrance: Welcome to a British Gentlemen’s Club

Our advertising agency is expanding its offices next month, and discussions on how the interior design of the office should look like has been a topic of interest among many (including myself). As I’m quite allergic to Barcelona chairs and Arne Jacobsen, I’ve made my own concept boards. Here’s a how an advertising agency should look like, in my opinion. Keywords: Functional, personal and fun.

Like it?

Meeting room: keepin’ it clean. Big table, retro chairs.

Idea rooms: eclectic and inspiring, bring your own personal things.

Landscape area: open, social, efficient.

The Copywriting Room: inspired by Harvard Law School.

In love with a lamp

Leon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:40:50 +0000

Where substance still rules

Leon — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:52:46 +0000

Inspired by friend of mine (a laid-back creative director, now who would have guessed that?), I've been thrown in to the esoteric world of hi-fi products (still the affordable end of it though).

This world is quite the opposite of modern branding. Product quality rules and package design looks like shit. I really hope it stays that way.

Zeitgeist

Leon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:08:30 +0000

Helvetica porn

Leon — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:05:54 +0000

Got my Helvetica edition Moleskine today… I know it's a bit vulgar, but still…

Eye candy.

Leon — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:00:38 +0000

Too much work today left me with little blogging, so here's a visual treat instead:

A 1974 Bitter CD. You don't have to be a petrolhead to love it.

Flickr

Creative starter: weekend decadence

Leon — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:45:23 +0000

The worse our weekdays are, the more precious our weekends become. So in recession times, brands can be more useful than ever. I'm not talking about the obvious consumption like alcoholic beverages, but a full spectrum of innovations that make life easier and more enjoyable for city people, depending on what brand you are. Think in terms of a shift in priorities: although the weekend is only 20 percent of the week, people will spend 80 percent of their hedonistic life here, including budget.

Here's a mindmap. What products, services, utilities or other innovations come to mind?

Lego for grown-ups

Leon — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:23:25 +0000

MOCpages (via NotCot)

Ideas for 2009: Innovation planning

Leon — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:32:35 +0000

Cool milk on the go.

An innovative product beats innovative advertising, so maybe it's time for advertising planners to explore the domain of product development.

The market of today requries a balance of fast thinking, cost efficiency and above all creativity. This is where the modern advertising agency can excel compared to brand consultants and design agencies – not exactly known to be fast or cheap. Working with service delivery has also been an area where digital agencies have been successful.

Product/service innovation doesn't have to be complicated either. It's just a matter of shifting perspectives: from promise to delivery. In other words, spend time on innovating a product or service instead of spending time on innovating advertising message.

The milk bottles above is a simple example of identifying a new area of usage and target group behaviour with a repackaging as a result – without reinventing the wheel. Other ways and examples are:

1. Clustering of products and services into new offerings – Modernash IKEA service

2. New sales channels and customised offerings for – Dominos Pizza Builder

3. Develop new features – Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

4. New segmentation of target group – Penguin Books Dating

5. Develop accessories – Monocle Shop co-developed luggage

6. Knowledge services – Apple Store Genius Bar

7. Providing extra information – Dominos Pizza Tracker

8. Adding to the assumed lifetime – Filippa K second-hand store

9. Improving customers’ skills – Nikon School

10. Setting up extra or better contacts – Comme des Carçons Pocket Shops

11. Friendly delivery systems – Insinger private bank Shoebox

The important thing about innovation planning is to improve customer value rather than persuasion. Positive side-effects include full accountability (results on sales rather than ad effectiveness) and inherent PR value if done correctly.

Copy this design

Leon — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:46:37 +0000

I really like American prescription pill bottles. For us that don't live in the US and only see these bottles in the movies they are a symbol of something synthetic, dirty and dark. Kind of the opposite of fresh Scandinavian design.