Blue

Blue is the color of water and sky, associated with serenity, stability, inspiration and wisdom.

It has a positive effect on our wellbeing, giving off a feeling of calm.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt;

• During the time of the Roman Empire,

• Chinese culture,

• In Japan

• In Africa

SPIRITUALITY
Blue symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism =

• Christianity =

• Hinduism =

• Islamic =

• Judaism =

MARKETING
Blue connotes stability, reliability and wisdom, so companies that depend on customer trust and loyalty .

Common phrases using blue include:

• The blues/feeling blue = depression sadness

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Pop Tops

Have you ever noticed that plastic water and soda bottles are recyclable but their plastic tops are not? That really annoys me — why can’t the entire package be reclaimed?!

On a 3daysofdesign podcast episode, product designer Øivind Alexander Slaatto made a comment that stuck with me. When asked about his inspiration, he said he reflects on everyday life, observing people and his own frustrations. I really appreciate how he framed his work as first solving something irritating, instead of starting with making or selling something beautiful.

On a parallel track, LEED and BREEAM effectively measure and assess the sustainability of built environments. But what if there was a scale rating the varying degrees to which all design can solve problems? It could be similar to the global farm animal welfare standards, where each level builds on the previous:

• Level 1: No cages or crates

• Level 2: Enriched environment

• Level 3: Outdoor Access

• Level 4: Pasture-raised

For sustainable design, the levels could be aligned with the number of problems solved, for example:

• Level 1: aesthetic improvement

• Level 2: clarifies information

• Level 3: reduces waste

• Level 4: is regenerative

Of course aesthetics matter, but they are a basic requirement for good design. As the number of solutions increases, so does the design value… and my interest. I want to do more than “decorate”. I want to improve the world around us, and elevate how we feel.

I tentatively accumulated some plastic bottle lids during the pandemic, but had Level 1 ideas to use them for some kind of outdoor art. It wasn’t inspiring enough, so I moved on to another project and abandoned the whole idea.

Now, I’m revisiting this frustration and material with expanded curiosity. How can I use them to solve multiple problems with an elevated aesthetically result? Focusing on the garden, what other problems would I like to solve? Can they be combined to create screens or trellises for produce? Garden tools? How about supporting endangered insects by giving them shelter or nesting opportunities? or water receptacles?

This exercise may never make it past my own backyard, but you never know.

Design Hero: Natalie Chanin

On an intense business trip to Chicago, I stumbled on a designer that would influence not only my design sense but my mindset for decades. Her thoughts on slow fashion, the value of craft and sustainability were foundational to the experiments that eventually resulted in The Green Goat Project.

I’d had a long, depleting day of meetings, sonI escaped into the iconic Barney’s department store for a much needed dose of joy. Barney’s was unique — very well-curated, elevated and creatively inspiring. Catering to an affluent and culturally curious clientele, it was the perfect place for me to soak up style even if the price tags were above my budget at the time. Both the escalators and prices rose as you ascended floors, and they championed progressive, unique designers.

I’ll never forget seeing that Project Alabama jacket: it was constructed from layers of printed t-shirts, appliqued, stenciled, embroidered almost like graffiti, but also in a pattern. It was elegant but it also had the comfortable, friendly quality of a quilt. It was precious, yet made from common discards. Something a rock star would wear, and something I instantly wanted to learn to make. So I went home and did my online research, discovering Natalie Chanin —- the creative genius behind the work. There wasn’t a lot of info out there about their technique or philosophy. I tucked it all away in my mind as I got sucked into my job and day-to-day demands. But I never forgot her name.

Eventually, I found her online sewing course teaching the techniques used by her studio, Alabama Chanin. I dove in. I’d been doing needle crafts since I was a child. My mother taught my sisters and I to make clothes, curtains, cushions, quilts… anything we were curious in was learnable. I gravitated to embroidery and creating my own surface designs, so Natalie’s approach was a great way for me to inject my traditional skills with a new, modern sensibility. Overtime, I designed some of my own surface patterns and color palettes for my own wardrobe. Drawing inspiration from each book she wrote, I embraced not only details about her story, process and materials but also her philosophies on sustainability and Slow Fashion.

The underpinning of the studio is inextricably tied to her home town of Florence, Alabama, a former giant in the American textile industry that had fallen on hard times. She established a full studio, hired local quilters, and built a thriving business that creates high-value, high-quality garments. She also opened a school that teaches her beautiful techniques and sustainable clothing philosophy to students around the world. Her work sustains more than the planet — it sustains her local community by bringing tangible work and income. For the lucky people who have discovered Alabama Chanin School of Making, it sustains the creative spirit of thousands of home sewers and contributes to an increased sense of value in their needlecraft work.

Natalie Chanin’s story made me think about my own clothing choices. It challenged me as a designer and as a concerned citizen from a region reinventing itself. She gave me courage to try techniques that may fail, to experiment with colors and textures. The beauty of her work opened my eyes to the ideals of elevated recycling. She inspired me to reach beyond the predictable design of haphazardly combining pieces of wool to create a crazy quilt, to use my design skills to create something beautiful from discards.

Her evolving design work, her story, philosophy and values continue to inspire me and I am so grateful that she shares so open-heartedly.

#nataliechanin #designhero

A tale of three spaces

One of my strategy clients is looking for new office space and called me yesterday to get my input. A therapist and a corporate HR consultant, she’s looking for a professional environment that works for both types of client and gives her separation from home.

After listening to the features, benefits and drawbacks of her three options we talked to through the tactical pros and cons of each. One has a charming feel and nice downtown location but there are parking and access issues for clients with mobility challenges. Another one had great parking and professional decor but no windows. The third was significantly more expensive and required her to invest in a significant rebuild but would be very cool when done. All had good points and downsides. Any one makes sense on paper and would “work.”

Then I considered her brand and the perception she was building. Her initial key brand attributes include understated authority, safety, security, trust, openness, joy, inspired, confident, adventurous and hopeful.

For a counselor focused on mental and emotional wellbeing, how her clients feel is a key consideration for her brand. I challenged her to consider how they’d feel in each of the spaces. Her consulting clients rarely meet at her office - she goes to them. And the majority of the individuals she counsels prefer in person sessions to virtual. So they’re really her core audience when it comes to her built environment.

The tone of her space should feel safe and comfortable for people dealing with anxiety, depression and life crises. Natural light is more than a luxury here. Studies tell us daytime sunlight exposure has positive effects on mental health, and reduces the symptoms of various mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, while reduced sunlight exposure can trigger feelings of depression and anxiety. The windowless space would be working against her goals.

As baby boomers age and retire, she’s seeing an increase in patients with physical challenges that make stairs problematic. One of the spaces was on the second floor of a charming, historic building with narrow back stairs. Clients with canes and walkers would feel the opposite of secure, safe or confident before they get to her office, and after they leave her session. Not a match to her brand goals at all.

Looking deeper at the emotional impact of each space gave her a new layer of clarity. The choice of professional space is more than a real estate contract and location issue. She didn’t necessarily see it as a brand issue, and I didn’t frame it as strategy. But that’s what it was. Ultimately, we narrowed all three spaces out as they are and came up with other options to explore.

Office Space

As the new year kicks off, I’m finding myself thinking a lot about work environments.

When I talk with my former HR consulting colleagues about the future of work, I hear about the struggles large organizations have bringing employees physically together. Business philosophy and generational differences often come up, and the focus tends to be on willingness to comply and ways to encourage or entice staff to come back to the office. Real estate costs and profitability loom large. Plus there are certainly some roles that are task-focused, and workers who prefer to be remote or need to travel. Then there’s the opinion mill: “This generation just refuses to come to the office…. that generation is lazy… People will never want to go back to the office - why should we?”

On the other hand, I hear something slightly different in the trenches. The people I meet at live networking events are searching for in-person ways to consciously connect with others, collaborate and learn new things. Conversations with colleagues at my coworking space challenge the traditional assumption that professionals of different generations demand different things from their work arrangements. Increasingly, I’m seeing that even roles or industry don’t dictate preferences as much as they did pre-pandemic. It’s more personal now. There’s a desire to balance a paycheck with emotional wellbeing. Many people choose to pay a hefty monthly fee to work among other humans in an engaging place. Some coworking colleagues even work for large corporations, preferring the energy of a coworking space to their corporate office.

Employment is and always has been a relationship, not simply a transaction. The quality of any relationships is based on feelings, not logic. How people feel about the company drives more of their behavior than the paycheck does. And work environment plays a big part in how employees feel about their jobs. Open floor plans aimed at flexibility and efficiency resulted in cold, loud spaces that led to feelings of frustration and alienation. “Hotelling” meant no personal space and eroded a sense of belonging. When the pandemic drove people to the comfort of home, we felt safe and at ease. We could focus without struggling to tune out office banter.

I think the RTO (return-to-work) challenge is increasingly about a sense of place — one where employees feel comfortable, valued and connected. A place they want to be in. It's not about efficiency, complying to company rules or checking off the number of days onsite — the long game is about culture.

The big picture around work space is clearly evolving. A large number of people, regardless of age and profession, seem to gravitate toward work environments that provide more than their home office can – focus, social connection and inspiration. They want to connect with other people for impactful work and projects, not redundant meetings that can be done virtually. No one wants to waste time, energy or gas. Succession planning has eroded, and younger people are actually curious about business processes and recognize the need to be present to build relationships and opportunities to advance their careers. More senior folks long to share their knowledge and mentor people one-on-one. All of this is enhanced by communal spaces to gather in.

Leveraging the power of the work environment can be a powerful tool to build, foster and maintain a thriving culture. Brand strategy is key to developing an authentic culture that resonates with the right people for an organization, whether its employees or customers. Adding work space design to a robust brand strategy can be a key element to attracting and retaining key employees, which in turn improves innovation and profitability.

Office design is no longer a luxury — it’s a strategic business need. Coffee stations and lounge areas provide more than comfortable places to gather and exchange ideas — they create a sense of community and ease. Quiet spaces do more than block out disruptions, they set the stage for flow state and a sense of accomplishment. Windows do more than provide natural light — the views provide an expansive space for minds to wander into and distill information strategically. Color, lighting, and texture all affect the human experience and our potential.

How we feel matters, especially to the bottom line.

Constant Craving

I’ve been escaping into the nostalgic comfort of 1990s music, over the past couple of weeks.

Over the weekend I bumped into k.d. lang’s Constant Craving, a 1992 hit in the U.S., and started thinking about the lyrics. On the surface it sounds like a haunting love song. But I’ve heard its actually about all human desire and longing. Eventually it led me to considering those concepts in the context of modern design and branding.

Not that long ago, branding was really focused on selling. We highlighted features and benefits to consumers. Design was focused on aesthetic, differentiated styling. Products fed a consumer’s craving for status, practicality and newness. But it seems like our constant cravings have evolved and in response, modern marketing and advertising have expanded past profit into the realm on intention.

Why is brand story telling so essential to success now? Maybe because we want more than stuff - we want to feel more, find meaning in things and connect.

Don’t get me wrong — I crave the quick dopamine hit of McDonald’s just like everyone else. I don’t need a deep story or meaning from that, sometimes I just want a break from a stressful day.

But more and more I hear people of all ages talking about how they crave live connections. The pandemic certainly gave us the time and space to consider the things that really matter to us. Live, in-person experiences with other humans seem to be priorities for many of us. Brand stories are beacons that resonate with increasingly specific audiences, building culture and communities.

Seeing, doing, hearing, eating, moving… our value of connection with other people is on the rise. The places we gather in — restaurants, stores, work sites, public gardens, museums — are ripe with opportunity to elevate the human experience, and successful brands are embracing placemaking.

Look, our world is increasingly divided, and I know negativity and tribalism is a profitable and easy way for brands to increase profitability. But I’m an optimist, and I believe by crafting conscious products, events, spaces and experiences that genuinely connect us, they can also enable us to satisfy our craving for belonging. At least until the next craving hits.

Emotions + Branding

I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of emotion, lately.

Between the political climate and the upcoming holidays, emotions are getting stirred up. And it’s only human for us to want more of those that feel “good” and to avoid the ones that feel “bad". I’m learning to get more comfortable with my shadow emotions that feel negative, because pushing them out of sight doesn’t really solve anything. But when I stop and think about what they’re telling me I can own them and deal with whatever issue they raise. Sometimes they can even transform into a positive lesson.

Emotions play a massive role in branding. A brand’s effectiveness and authenticity is tested in the shadows, and the way they issues are addressed is often tested publicly. A solid brand strategy should bring up both positive and potentially negative market perceptions, with honest dialog about the most authentic way to manage issues. I find working with archetypes to be a great entry point to these discussions. Emotions are key to articulating the character makeup of the brand and target audience.

I find both clients and colleagues are really uncomfortable identifying and talking about the shadow aspects of identity. And its tempting to focus only on the aesthetic aspect of brand identity — to make it pretty and just get it checked off the to-do list. It’s common to see admitting challenges as admitting weakness. I think it’s a sign of strength and wisdom to fully know yourself, so that when the inevitable crisis hits your solutions come from a place of humility and authentic values. There’s nothing like corporate speak and spin to damage a brand reputation. We can all smell it a mile away.

Progress is an Antidote to Perfectionism

Graphic designers are notorious for being perfectionists. When we’re inspired and really in the flow, we have a strong drive to create work that completely expresses our vision and our potential. It’s intoxicating when you create something that feels spot on. And because there are aspects of our work that are very technical and detailed, we can get bogged down striving to do everything just right.

The devil is in the details.

That quote has been attributed to Mies van der Rohe, and I probably first heard it in art school. It was meant to focus us on the importance of getting the details right, since visual design can be thrown off by very small mistakes. I have heard that Mies may not of said it, or that the real quote is God is in the details. Either way, this is a great foundation for training future perfectionists. Add in Instagram and glossy media images and down the yellow brick road we go.

Now I interpret that phrase to mean too much focus on the details can kill progress, slow things down, create paralysis and blow the budget.

I still find myself intent on creating excellent work, but I’m far more aware of the line where perfectionism becomes a hazard. I’m able to weigh the value of time spent in perfecting details and make a conscious choice.

An example is around creating Photoshop mockups vs. developing new pattern concepts. I get great satisfaction from seeing my work applied in a 3-D rendering, and I often use existing mock-ups as a starting point. But sometimes I need something that doesn’t exist yet, so I create my own. I always get a sense of accomplishment when I’m done, but talk about time consuming!

At the same time, I’m feeling inspired to start a new pattern collection and that requires a ton of focus and time — plus I love the process. I’m at the sketching point and have good ideas floating in my head that need to be manifested with pencil and paper.

The key for me is to determine what my main goal is: perfection or progress? If I choose perfection, I’d invest a few days to get the mock up perfect then move to the next project. Problem is, at the end of the week I may get one project done yet lose the flow of inspiration on the patterns. If I choose progress, I’d ask myself if the mock up, in its current state, achieves the goal of communicating the concept. How much more value is there in the technical detail - is it really about pride? insecurity? fear of judgement? And what is the value of exploring the pattern designs? Inspiration is a gift, and when I’m in the flow it feels very expansive and alive. Creative exploration leads to pride, security and courage for me.

I’m choosing progress.

My Value Proposition

Over the past couple of years I’ve been in a career transition phase, giving a lot of thought and energy into determining what I want to do in my next chapter. I’ve explored several creative disciplines, indulging myself in things that I’m passionate about. I’ve met a bunch of interesting and very authentic people who have shifted my perspective on what is possible now.

A couple of things have become clear to me:

1) Beauty has an incredible power to connect us and improve our overall experience.

2) My mission is to serve the world by contributing my creative talents to elevate wellbeing through tangible experiences & environments.

I’ve applied my design skills to many arenas over my career, from corporate campaigns to editorial design to cycling jerseys for athletes to legal presentation exhibits for high-profile national court cases. I’ve leveraged my creative talents to educate, entertain, and build cases for justice. All of those are valuable and valid ways to apply design to improve the human experience and I’m proud of my accomplishments. But I want to do more than serve logical, intellectual purposes. I want to do more, impact people more emotionally and spiritually.

3) Beauty is an antidote to the ugliness around us all — I’m not referring to surface or cosmetic ugliness. I’m talking about the challenging aspects of our lives.

The world has changed — both the external world and my internal world. There’s a great deal of ugliness around us all. Politics, media, technology fears and social unrest seem to be growing. The level of distrust, cruelty and contempt is more palpable than any time I can remember. Yet internally, I sense there’s more to this all than meets the eye. The old paradigms of command and control are breaking down. Chaos brings an opportunity to quickly make lasting changes.

I intend to contribute to the positive, beautiful experiential aspects of this world. I’m most curious about exploring how design can improve environments - whether it’s for office design, restaurants, shops or gardens.

I’ve been very practical most of my life, accepting and adhering to the conventional belief that one has to choose between financial security and following their heart. That doing work aligned with one’s purpose is a luxury and even foolish. What if that belief is wrong?

This all feels a bit rebellious, risky… and very satisfying.

Compete vs. Collaborate

I feel like most companies are motivated by one of two underlying principles: competition or collaboration. Sometimes this is articulated and sometimes its more subtle. I don’t believe one is inherently better or worse. But I think its wise to know which one you’re dealing with; whether it be with a client or your own employment situation. And its important to know which fits you best.

The most common one I have encountered from a corporate perspective has been a competitive environment. Perhaps that’s a very American way of approaching things - after all, capitalist markets thrive with competition. By having rivals, some companies and individuals are pushed to improve in areas they wouldn’t without outside influence. Consumers benefit by getting better pricing and new features when companies vie for their business. Marketshare grows by conquest of your competitors’ audience. There’s a lot of money to be made by the dominant company - the winner. This is a bit of an established, old-school way to operate.

From the inside, companies that encourage a competitive culture also benefit by pushing people to improve in ways they may not without that push. When your pay increases are positively impacted by beating your coworkers or outside companies, the strongest contributors tend to deliver. Those with athletic backgrounds or personalities that love competition thrive here — its very motivating to be “the best”. The downside is that it can create an environment of distrust and obstructive politics. Winning means there’s a winner and a loser. If you’re not a winner, you’re a loser on some level. That’s means part of the workforce feels superior while the rest may feel inferior. The superior group has trust in the company and their managers, the rest can become leery in general. That’s a tough thing to manage and motivate. I drive for economies of scale can result in valuing quantity over quality.

A collaborative environment is one where all parties bring different strengths to the table and are open to sharing. It requires a significant amount of trust in your partners and sometimes feels a bit risky at first. But once you do a couple projects together and everyone wins, a momentum builds. Innovation can thrive in this environment of trust. I’ve experienced this culture more in small design firms. Designers, writers and illustrators work as peers on projects, each contributing their strengths; and if they are aligned they get a great flow going. This does require a certain amount of chemistry and that can take a lot of trial and error. The individual rewards and pay may not be as high as they are in a competitive environment at the outset. But over time, the competition in these situations is between the clients — if you’re a small team with in demand skills doing quality work you can only serve so many clients. Its easier to value bill as well. This feels like more of a win/win situation. There’s a good a mount of faith required.

The world isn’t black and white of course, and I am making generalizations. I’ve been in competitive environments that expect coworkers to collaborate and even build it into goals. Maybe it is possible, but there has to be a certain level of trust to truly be successful. If the underlying company culture includes distrust of your peers there’s an internal struggle going on for colleagues. People tend to build a trusted circle of peers that they stick with and new connections take time to build. Once those alliances are set, there can be a cap on growth and innovation.

I’ve never been a big competitor — I’m not athletically gifted and I don’t really care to be “better” than anyone else. I have always believed everyone has their own kind of genius, and superiority is an illusion that divides us instead of connects us. At one point, I took up tennis for exercise and to meet people. I knew I’d never stick with it when I started feeling bad for my opponents who were so disappointed when they lost. It wasn’t that important to me to win — I just wantd to have fun. I used to see this as a weakness, but now I see it as a strength.

And there’s a strength in being a great competitor, too. One isn’t better than the other… Life isn’t really a competition…

Green

Today’s post is inspired by the emerald green grass growing out my window today, brought to life by the first thunderstorm of the year. That iridescence makes the downpours and gloomy skies worthwhile.

Green is the color of nature, growth, renewal, prosperity, Ireland, ecology and money (in the US, at least). On the shadow side, green is associated jealousy and inexperience.

It has a positive effect on our wellbeing, giving off a feeling of calm and serenity. A walk in a green forest can reduce anxiety and ground us.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt; the god Osiris, king of the underworld, was depicted as green-skinned.

• During the time of the Roman Empire, people would soak items made of copper in wine, which caused a chemical reaction that resulted in a colored pigmentation referred to as verdigris

• Chinese culture, green corresponds to wood and represents the color of growth and development in the Five Elements ideology.

• In Japan on the 29th of April every year, they celebrate Greenery Day on the birthday of Emperor Shōwa.

• In Africa green symbolizes and fertility, the abundant and vibrant natural wealth of Africa

SPIRITUALITY
Green symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = balance, youth, harmony, vigor and karma. Buddhists believe that by meditating on green, your jealousy will turn into wisdom.

• Christianity = life, resurrection, new beginnings

• Hinduism = rebirth, new beginnings

• Islamic = paradise, nature, heaven, bliss, beauty, fertility. Allah described the people in heaven as wearing green silk garments.

• Judaism = renewal, hope

MARKETING
Advertisers use green on food packaging to imply freshness.

In North America, green is a commonly used as a brand color for financial institutions due to its association with money, growth and prosperity

Green is slang for environmentally aware practices, sustainability and climate improvement efforts so it used increasingly to signify climate-friendly products.

Greenwashing is a term applied to companies that try to appear more environmentally friendly than they really are.

Common phrases using green include:

• Green-eyed monster = envy

• Greenbacks = US dollars, prosperity

• Getting the green light = approval to move forward

• Green around the gills = feeling ill

• Going green = efforts to improve climate sustainability

• Being a little green = inexperienced

• Green Party = a political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice.

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Personal Archetypes

Although we use archetypes in branding, marketing and storytelling, Carl Jung originally studied them as tools of psychology. Their real power lies in how they influence and reflect the full human experience, not just our shopping profiles. If you consider your own habits, identity traits and ambitions against the universal human archetypes you can see the bigger picture of how you navigate the world.

This is more about personal development than it is personal branding, which has been a pretty trendy topic. We run into characters throughout our lives and we react or respond to them from the lens of the characters we have chosen to identify ourselves with. We all do it, and some of them are obvious: devoted wife/husband, singleton, nurturing mother/father, obedient or rebellious child, competitive athlete, gardener, artist, cook/chef, gambler, mentor, and ambitious entrepreneur to name a few. Then there are the less flattering ones like bully, dictator, victim, servant, people pleaser, and vampire. We all have some of these, and they show up in our relationships at home, at work, with friends and especially on social media. These characters can define and run our lives if they remain in our unconscious. And for a lot of people they do.

My life shifted when I started to really look at the story I had written for myself, and the roles I had embraced, both positive and negative. When I was totally honest with myself, I realized that some of my story had run its course, and I didn’t really want to continue some of those roles. The story was ok, but it wasn’t going anywhere satisfying. And life really is short, so what’s the point of settling for a storyline that doesn’t interest you? Playing roles you don’t enjoy? Why NOT be authentic? Once I waded through that mental muck, I learned the best part: we always have choices and the ability to write a twist into your story.

If you pay attention to your archetypes you realize that they evolve over time. You can choose to retire some of them, either because outgrow your need for them (obedient son, apprentice) or they no longer serve you and you want something more (victim, bully). You can thank these identities, be honest about how they served you and then bid them goodbye. They may pop up for a visit from time to time, but they no longer have the power to define you.

Who are you showing the world? showing yourself? or your family and friends?

And who do you want to be?

Visuals vs. Words

A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?

Well it turns out that an image is read by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. People are more likely to remember information conveyed with graphics vs. words alone, and consider images more engaging. Hence the effectiveness of infographics to convey complex processes and ideas. Icons transcend language and are understood across cultures.

Some writers argue that text is a visual too. But it takes the mind longer to translate the text characters into concepts than it does to recognize an image and trigger everything it associates with that image — positives and negatives.

To “illustrate” is to “throw light on something” — illustrations are often more effective ways to help people understand complex concepts, while photographs are more likely to depict a single example.

Archetypes 201

Leveraging archetypes is a common component in brand strategy and identity development. The 101-level focus is usually on articulating the personality that differentiates the brand in the market. But its also very important to identify the archetype mix of the ideal customer — and its not always a mirror of the brand identity.

Brands essentially have relationships with their customers or audience. And like any other relationship, to be satisfying both parties need to get to know and care about the other party.

So, after articulating the archetype mix of the brand itself, its only logical to identify the archetypal mix of the ideal audience as well. Sometimes, we even start with articulating the audience’s archetype mix first and auditing the existing brand against that.

The days of a product successfully marketing to “everyone” are long gone. - we are now a bunch of demographic islands with overlapping preferences. We don’t buy things anymore based solely on the features they offer and the price. We want more from our purchases, be it goods, services or experiences. Behavioral economics have made it clear that humans make most decisions from an emotional standpoint, even if we think we’re being logical. What we purchase say something about us, and we are increasingly aware of that. Brand identity isn’t just about the company behind the product — it’s increasingly about how the brand makes the purchaser feel about themselves.

Having an accurate and authentic read on a product’s key audience is critical for the bottom line. Building a long-term, trust-based relationship with customers takes ongoing efforts by the brand team, including refining and correcting as dynamics change.

Learning is an Antidote to Apathy

A couple months before my sabbatical, I started signing up for all kinds of creative classes that I had always wanted to take but never had the time to. In person or virtual, I just wanted to be back in that environment of exploring new things with other curious people. I was a bit overly ambitious and forgot how much time it takes not only to attend classes, but to experiment and do the assignments well. I admit to being overly ambitious, and not being able to devote as much to every class. But I did realize something about myself after awhile: I not only like learning, I feel more engaged in life when I’m studying something new, diving deeply into a subject.

I studied some topics via formal course over multiple months, like illustration and surface pattern design. But I also attended live lecture series on architecture at Cranbrook Museum of Art, the Detroit Historical Society, and public libraries. Sites like Creative Live, Skillshare, and LinkedIn gave me really fast, self-paced ways to learn new skills. I found YouTube videos to help overcome issues in a pinch when I was wrestling with some new technique in Photoshop and Illustrator.

For the past 10 weeks, I’ve been taking a Foundations of Gardening course. With weekly readings, classes and tests, its been a lot more work than I expected. I felt like I was back in college in a lot of ways. Over the past three weeks or so, I got overwhelmed and was ready to finish this up and take a good long break. Tonight was the last live class, and now I just have the final exam to take.

Funny thing is, I don’t really want that good long break anymore. It’s been awhile since I took a cooking class — maybe Korean or Thai is next up!

Yellow

It’s the color of the sun and gold — the warmest hue on the spectrum.

Yellow is generally associated with happiness: fun, energy, joy, enthusiasm, originality, hope, cheerful, brightness, imagination, and optimism. On the downside, it can imply cowardice, illness, caution, illness, and anxiety.

HISTORICALLY

• In Ancient Egypt, gods were believed to have gold skin and bones, so yellow was used for their skin tone in art

• In medieval times, the homes of those charged with treason were painted yellow, representing deceit

• In fourteenth century Japan, it represented bravery, wealth, and refinement. Warriors wore yellow chrysanthemums as a pledge of courage to the emperor and royal family.

• In many African nations, yellow is a symbol of high rank due to its resemblance to gold, implying money, quality and success.

• In Greece it represents sadness, in France it represents jealousy.

SPIRITUALITY
Yellow symbolizes different things across spiritual traditions:

• Buddhism = Buddhist monks wear yellow representing renunciation, humility and the separation from materialistic society

• Christianity = eternal life, happiness, optimism, renewal, purity

• Hinduism = purity, victory chastity. Also, yellow is the color of Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation, the salvation of humanity. It’s also the color of the solar plexus chakra, our source of personal power, self-confidence, sight, and success.

• Islamic = peace, spirituality, one of the four colors of Ramadan. In some traditions, its forbidden for men to wear yellow

MARKETING
Wearing yellow can actually boost your mood, however finding a shade of yellow that is flattering can be challenging

The most visible color in daylight, its often the choice of fast food chains especially on signs. It also brings on feelings of friendliness, happiness, and with red it implies speed.

Drawing the eye quickly, its used as a highlighter in advertising.

Implies bargain prices, speed and fun — think McDonalds, Best Buy and Ikea.

Common phrases using red include:

• Mellow yellow = relaxed optimism

• Yellow bellied = cowardice

• Yellow journalism = writing that is sensationalist with questionable accuracy and taste

• Gold star = award of merit

• Golden child = someone who is favored, can do no wrong

• Golden opportunity = lucky chance

• Golden ticket = winner

• Gold digger = someone who gets romantically involved for wealth

• Heart of gold = supremely kind person

• Golden arches = McDonalds

This list just scratches the surface, but underscores the importance of really knowing your target audience. Its wise to understand cultural impacts of colors as we expand into an increasingly global society.

Weeding

Today I took advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures and spent the day in the garden.

I’m so happy to be outside in the sunshine after being cooped up for four months. I plot out which plants need to be moved or divided. I asses the things that didn’t fare well over the winter and pull them out, making room for the new plants I can’t wait to try.

Interestingly, as I cleared away the dry leaves I discovered I’m not the only one who is getting started earlier than usual — the weeds are up in full force. But its so nice out, I don’t even mind weeding. Big tasks may make me feel accomplished, but its the seemingly minor task of pulling weeds that really seems to clear my head.

Somewhere along the line, I start to notice how much weeds are like thoughts — some are helpful and some are not. Pulling out invasive weeds is like stopping invasive or ruminating thoughts. Its satisfying to yank them out and discard them.

Its much likely for new plants to take root and thrive if the old weeds are removed first. In much the same way, its easier to get healthy habits to take root if you first remove the negative beliefs and thoughts of resistance first.

Bad habits, like weeds may pop up again. But they’re weaker the second time around, and much easier to manage.

The Sage

Another one of Carl Jung’s primary archetypes is the Sage: the wise pursuer of truth and knowledge.

In myths and stories, the Sage acts as a wise guide for the hero as they travel on their path. They share their insights to better the world. In many fairytales it is common for the Sage to overlap with the Magician possessing magical powers, like a Fairy Godmother or Dumbledore in Harry Potter. Valuable advisors and teachers, they ultimately can’t protect the hero from his/her challenges ahead.

Some common things associated with the Sage are wisdom, intelligence, understanding, life-long learning, balanced judgement, mental clarity, coaching, and strategy.

The shadow aspect is centered around false information — the Sage’s greatest fear is that their efforts are based on untruths and are therefore invalid.

Many of my clients have gravitated to this profile, especially those in the corporate world. The Sage is a very cerebral profile, and it often appeals to people who embrace logic as core to their own identities. It’s not uncommon for those from financial, manufacturing or engineering industries to have a hard time connecting with some of the emotional aspects of archetypes. The Sage can seem like a safe harbor for them during a workshop. But the secret sauce of archetypes lies in the feelings they elicit.

So this is one profile I really try to refine by exploring adjacent character variations like the Detective, Mentor, Researcher, Counselor, Advisor, Shaman, and Translator. True differentiation relies on articulating nuances that authentically resonate emotionally beyond “intelligence.”

Balance

Have you ever noticed how often people talk about needing more balance in their lives? It’s like we are on a never-ending quest for work/life balance.

I used to think balance was about proper allotments of time and energy to key aspects of life would increase my happiness. Being a rule follower, I gave my physical health focus by exercising and eating well, meditating for mental and spiritual wellbeing, and keeping my family and social connections strong. Of course, work was always the biggest challenge — I tried to keep reasonable hours but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Daily balance may not always be doable, but if I looked at my overall efforts over a week I could call it balanced.

But did that ever really raise my happiness level? Satisfy me more? Not really.

When I’m really honest with myself, I admit that some of my happiest times are when I’m wildly out of balance. When I’m in a creative flow, I am all in 100%. I let food and exercise slide, may not see family and friends much, and my sleep gets out of whack. But when I’m in the flow I feel more optimistic, connected and alive — I love it!

I’m also seeing balance as longer game than I used to. Maybe its not about daily, weekly or monthly measurement. Maybe balance comes over a lifetime. Lifestages have a tendency to pull our focus in different directions. An overwhelmed parent may seem out of balance on a daily basis, but the much longer empty nest years balance that out. Maybe blanace is something best judged from a rearview mirror.

I’m not saying I want to be irresponsible or let my health go or become a hermit. But balance just may be about allowing room for imbalance too.

In Praise of Hobbies

My parents were avid gardeners. Especially once they were retired. They spent hours in the yard, cleaning it up in the Spring and Fall and nurturing it through the summer. When I was a kid, I loved using the yard but it seemed like a lot of work. I didn’t understand that it was their hobby so it wasn’t a chore to them. Fast forward to me as a homeowner, and I am now a gardener too. It doesn’t feel like work to me now, either.

As a designer, I tend to pick up a hobby pretty fast and learn to do it well because I understand production and work well with details. Once in awhile, there’s a real temptation lurking in the background to turn it into something more… a side hustle. Well meaning friends and family are always making suggestions to explore a hobby as a business. That sounds like a nightmare to me.

The thing about a hobby is that it’s enjoyable because it’s an escape from the pressure of work and daily problems. As soon as it takes on a hint of professionalism, it gets serious. Perfectionism sneaks in. Something I used to love to do becomes something I have to do and all the fun goes out of it.

That’s why I love gardening as a hobby. It’s not something I’m going to do professionally or be hired to do for anyone else. I can screw stuff up, try something else, or just let weeds grow when I’m too tired to deal with it. It will never be perfect.