Design for the Why

Recently I watched a TED video about how great leaders inspire actions. One of the things he said really struck me about advertising. We shouldn't design for the “what” but for the “why.”

I also watched “Art & Copy” which is a movie about advertising and inspiration. As I watched it I noticed that some of the best advertising campaigns and tag lines hit the “Why?” on the mark. A couple of the ads they talk about are the 1984 Apple ad, Nike’s “Just Do It.” and “Got Milk?”

The Apple ad is a classic. Not once does it show the product in the ad but it does show the logo and introduces us to the resonating idea behind the Macintosh, a change, freedom from one system the ability for anyone to use a computer. The rest of the Apple ads hit the why also; i.e., "Think Different" and the "Get a Mac." The why of what they do is behind all their ads.

Nike’s “Just Do It.” got to the core of what they, as a company, are about. Getting people out and exercising, preferably wearing Nike shoes. There ads focused on people doing not on what they wore. At the very end of the ads they showed the shoe. In “Art & Copy” they discuss how the “Just Do It.” phrase effected people and how it gave people the courage to make a change. It motivated them to get up and do “it.”

The third slogan “Got Milk?” goes to that fear you have each morning with a bowl of cereal or in the evening with a rich slice of chocolate cake. The original ad of the guy getting the prize phone call and not being able to answer because he is out of milk hits the mark. They do mention the product but they get to the “why” of the “what.”

Too often as designers we focus on the “what” when we should be focus more on the “why.”

Low Country Gold

I'm on a BBQ competition team and every now and than I get to do some design work for it. Recently we decided to custom label a sauce and I designed the label. Projects like this are great, as I love both design and BBQ and can do my own thing. Ultimately the owner of the team has sign off so I do have to make sure my design fits his vision.

Once we decided to label a sauce we had to come up with a name. We had chosen a mustard style sauce that fit well with the low country style of the Carolinas BBQ. We suggested names to each other as we brain stormed some were decent, Carolina Gold, some not so much, Butt Juice. We finally settled on Catchafire for Q Low Country Gold.

The name sounded good and I figured the hard part was done. I was wrong.

As I approached this design I wanted it to be specific for the product but generic enough to use the design with other possible BBQ sauces, rubs and hot sauces. I also wanted the design to stand out among other sauces. Many sauces have a similar look to the label design so they don't differentiate themselves when sitting on a shelf. Buyers shop with their eyes first.

So I turned to my sketch book. I find I have better results if I work in analog before I go digital for this type of work. I also find I am working through various designs in my head too. During this project I had a brilliant idea for the label when I woke one morning. I sketched it out and then created on the computer. It didn't translate well for the look I wanted.

After a couple more days of sketching and letting the ideas percolate, it hit me. I did rough sketch of my idea so I wouldn't forget it and when I had time later I created it in the computer. At first it wasn't working for me but after looking at it and tweaking it here and there it started to coleus into what my vision was.

You may purchase a bottle of it over at the Catchafire for Q web site

To iPad

I broke down and got an iPad. I ended up not getting the 3G one but opted for the 64gb wifi
one. It is very cool. As i said in my previous post it is the device I have been waiting for. It is very slick in it's design and functionality. Yes it is like an oversized iPhone but the extra screen-estate allows the apps to be easier to use. In the Fall when OS 4.0 is released for it it will truly rock.

I've heard many complain about no USB port but honestly I don't see the need for one. I think Apple's solution with the adapter that connects via the charging port is great. You can use it when you need to. The Apple USB port will allow you to use items, other than just a camera, with the iPad. There are also apps out there that let you transfer your files to the iPad via wifi.

I have found using the iPad is one of the most natural computing devices I have used. It may be because I'm used to using the iPod Touch or I'm a geek and love gadgets but when I picked it up for the first time it just felt right. Typing on it isn't bad at all, though I do tend to hunt and peck, it seems to go faster on the iPad than on my laptop.

Will the iPad replace the laptop? Probably not but it will give you a supplemental device that is easier to carry with you and make some tasks easier to do that you would normally do on a desktop or laptop. I don't see doing whole projects or designing web sites on it. But blogging, getting ideas down, sharing ideas with others and tasks like that the iPad is well suited for. It is also great for reading PDFs. I HATE reading PDFs on a computer. To me it's just not comfortable. I got the GoodReader app and it makes reading PDFs like I think it should be. It is like holding a book in your hand and you can turn it to a comfortable angle and read. It is also great for reading comics.

Will it replace your iPhone or iPod Touch? Probably not. The iPhone and iPod are easy to transport. You put it in your pocket and go. You can pull it out just about anywhere and hold it in your hand without any trouble. You can't do that with the iPad. Both have their uses but I don't think the iPad will will replace them for their convenience.

Apps

I have gotten a few apps for the iPad that I think are pretty cool. One of the coolest sketch apps out there is Sketch Book Pro. This is a very neat app for drawing and sketching. You can do quick doodles and get an idea down and save for later or you can take your time and do a full blown picture with layers, shading and other effects.

GoodReader is the best PDF reader I have found. It has great functionality that allows you to pull PDFs from various sources including a network, Dropbox, any URL and shared drives.

Marvel Comics app is a very nice comic book reader. There are a couple other comic readers that carry independent comics too but for most of your favorite super heroes you can find them on the Marvel Comic app.

As an amateur astronomer I have found Star Walk to be one of the coolest apps out there. You can set your location and it will show you the night sky, stars and constellations you can view from there.

For weather I use the tried and true WeatherBug. I like the interface and find it very easy to use.

And for Twitter I use Twitterrific. It is a great app and very easy to use. It has a nice clean interface also.

These are just some of the apps I like and I'm always looking for more cool ones to add so let me know which apps you like to use. Overall I love my iPad. I think Apple got it right.