Comments on: CEOs Are From Mars…

By: Jim Tausch

Jim Tausch — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

As creative director of a meeting production company, I face this problem every day. You’ve articulated it perfectly. You are so correct in pointing out that we need to learn more about the business goals and objectives of the companies we work with — it’s the only way to sell them on a creative idea. At my company, we do extensive research and stakeholder analysis before we begin the creative — it takes discipline — but it works. The result is that we can pretty much sell a concept on the first time through without much trouble. Our research enables us to nail it — and the freedom of knowing that what we are doing is right for the company (or client) allows us to be even more creative.

Hey, it worked for Darren Stevens…

By: Andrew Robbins

Andrew Robbins — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Amen, sister. Great article.

By: Carolyn Donovan

Carolyn Donovan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This was a poorly written and disrespectful article. It insulted business people and patronized design people.

While there were kernals of truth found in the article, phrases like ” …the CEO’s natty suede loafers” and “…managers simply don’t comprehend” caused me to doubt the authority and professionalism of the author.

If the jist of the article was about understanding the business side, my feeling is the author doesn’t. Don’t make fun of your customers or your opponents; they will sense this and dismiss you.

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think the questions in bullets are excellent and plan to draw on them in my own project pitches and launches.

By: Uri Ar

Uri Ar — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In my experience, the rare occasion is the one when designers or IA do not understand the business objectives and the target audience.

The tension starts to build when designers/IA are asked to do the impossible:

Either to sell a product or service that does not accommodate human behavior or perception (i.e. web banners), or to accommodate unreasonable task in order to meet numbers (“I don’t care if it’s not possible, but the numbers say you have to be %125 utilized”).

Another point of friction is lack of respect and therefore understanding for the designers/IA skills and role (i.e. “my daughter is very talented, even her art teacher said so, I’m going to bring her in on the next design review” or “this is beautiful, can you just change the background color, I don’t like green. What do you mean it’s not that simple, just use that bucket thingy in photoshop, even I can do that”).

And then, of course, there’s the famous “I didn’t understand that signoff means that I can’t change everything anytime I wanted to”.

Bad design is bad business. There is enough research and facts that prove it. It should be part of businesspersons’ training.

By: nameless for now

nameless for now — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In a recent interview at the studio where I work an IA candidate was told “I need someone at level 7 or 8 in Visio”. When said IA asked “Can you explain to me what that means?” there was dead silence.

I won’t even tell you about the “gorilla marketing” memo.

By: Bob Allen, IA

Bob Allen, IA — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Most of the “business” types aren’t – really! If they were business-oriented they would immediately understand the old Arabic saying, “If the merchant doesn’t have what the customer wants – he has nothing!”

Sorry Carolyn, but if the business types focused on satisfying the Customer’s needs they would find the bottom line would overflow…maybe even enough for some more natty suede loafers. //EKJ//

By: Mrs. Web Architect

Mrs. Web Architect — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been my experience that not only do designers and busness personnel not work well together, but the architects and the visual designers don’t either.

Food for Thought, but you have forgotten the underlying issues that most artists(visual designers) have working with IA’s.

By: Eoin O'Connor

Eoin O'Connor — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It’s great that the communication industry, whatever it’s discipline, still is unable to communicate to itself. Designers dress in black and suits know nothing – what agencies do you guys work in?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It seems that CEOs are from Mars, quite literally. I was given a task to develop metrics to assess a creative group’s creativity, productivity, and quality. Anyone ever had to do this? Please e-mail me and let me know!