Stephen Lee Ogden

The C Words

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:42:14 +0000

As a consumer / designer / advertiser I try to articulate what makes me pull the trigger on a new purchase. I don't buy the cheapest or the most expensive ... so as a consumer buying in the middle of the market offerings, how do I decide?

That sorta question crosses the desks of an entire industry of marketers every day. Making a product or service more appealing than its counterparts is a strange art.

I could spill my personal discoveries about what sells to me ... but I would rather talk about what doesn't. I've refined my thoughts to three simple words that don't sell (to me).... Chance, Collect, & Combined.

'A Chance to win' ... an old marketing favorite. Incentive to win something makes a lot of people buy a lot of garbage they wouldn't otherwise. These sorta things used to be instant. Open a 'specially marked' (designed) bottle of coke and you might win something instantly. These days you get a code and a web address, you log-on and then feed the marketing machine all your personal info. And then get the bad news. 'Please try again' ... no thanks.

'Collect them all' ... nothing drives repeat business like getting people to 'collect'. When did collecting become part of our culture? Buying things just to get closer to a complete collection baffles me. Marketers know it sparks a desire in some people that can make the most useless of items highly desirable (thus raising their perceived value). And the bigger the gap between actual value and perceived value ... the richer the retailer becomes.

'Combined Experience' ... seems to be a buzz phrase that means absolutely nothing to me. Why do local marketers think that if you add up the years of experience on the job .. it will affect a purchase decision? How would that scale nationally? Wal-Mart has 4,568 years of experience in retail? Tell me more about what you've done in those years. 'Combine' your experience with a good marketing provider and shape a message with substance. That would sell to me.

These thoughts remind me of a book that floated around the agency (back then) called 'Words That Sell' ... I would imagine there are dozens more.

Design Guilt

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:35:01 +0000

A question left unanswered in my design education has been nagging me lately. I've spent years thinking about design projects, trends, gestalt, and clients I'd love to work with. I've examined the subtleties of type and the mood of color. I have spent years creating. But when should I not create? When and how do I choose who I will work for? Is there such a thing as design guilt?

I once designed a brand package and a few marketing materials for an attorney in another state (this was at my past position). The project was simple enough but the client's philosophy and practice conflicted with a few of my own basic beliefs. I did the work anyway under the pretense that my perception was inaccurate and that the firm indeed sought to defend the defenseless. After all, I had never spoken to the company directly. l regret that. My assumptions proved accurate and my work now profits a law philosophy my personal ethics disagree with.

In a world full of free thought, ideas will eventually conflict with one another. There is a difference in projects you aren't interested in and projects that cross your personal boundaries. It's hard to define when to say no. And in some cases no is not an option. I was fortunate to work for an employer who shared a lot of my personal ethics. Since I'm now self-employed, these are questions I have to address personally. It's easy to pass on personally objectionable work when your hopper is full ... but when you get hungry for work, what then?

Design has always been closely tied to my personality. I find it difficult to remove myself from design and often don't stop working even when the sketchbook is closed and the computer is put to bed. I dream about project solutions and invest more than time into each project. Being so tied personally to my work ... devoting myself to a product or service I wasn't comfortable with would inherently decay my own personal integrity.

Since I began my design career I have turned down about 5 different projects based on personal objection. These clients were all understanding and respected my hesitancy to involve myself with something I couldn't personally devote myself to. Even when the design of those projects would have been extremely fulfilling and profitable, avoiding guilt and the decay of my own standards means more.

Milton Glaser's article in Metropolis magazine, The Road To Hell, describes the broader consequences of designing without any ethical parameters. I would encourage any designer to set boundaries and stick to them.

So I ask, who would you not work for?

25 Random Things About: Me.

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:50:25 +0000

On facebook, a ton of my friends have been writing these lists as a sorta tidbit, behind the scenes look into their lives. I'm following the trend and writing a few things people may not know about me.

1. I've been approached to design several tattoos. I have never designed a tattoo.

2. My wife has made me laugh uncontrollably more than once.

3. I want to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in it's entirety.

4. I am a creative person ... including my spelling.

5. I'm exaggerating, perhaps ... but I have the best friends I could ever ask for. Friends that make me laugh, think, and forgive me when I've wronged them ... which is more than I deserve.

6. I'm always looking for new friends.

7. I believe women who wear high-heel leather boots have a confidence issue.

8. I've focused on being a designer since the 9th grade in high-school ... probably the reason I had a 2.2 GPA upon graduation.

9. Riding the springy-bouncy horse when I was 3 or so ... I got ejected and broke my leg. Subconsciously, I think that's why horses intimidate me a little.

10. I would rather have a baby than a pet. (exception: kangaroo)

11. The only sport I keep tabs on is Pro-Cycling.

12. I think that the more people that attend a party, gathering, or social get-together ... the dumber the collective conversation gets. Therefore, I prefer groups of around 4-8 at most or it's just social banter.

13. I regularly debate turning my photography into a commercial endeavor.

14. I hold strong opinions on women's fashion. Trends are over-rated.

15. Religion and politics should be discussed openly. People died for our right to share ideas but few exercise it.

16. The Bible is God's word and that He'll judge us based on our obedience of it. So you might want to read it.

17. I did not vote for Obama. Although I was incredibly impressed with his marketing machine.

18. I once got pulled over for speeding twice in one day ... without telling a lie, crying, or showing some leg, I got out of both tickets. I've slowed down since then.

19. Lightening once struck the ground 20 feet from where I was camping ... scariest second of my life. I considered it a warning.

20. My wife is 90% directly the opposite of me.

21. I'm a spender, not a saver. And knowing this ... makes me all the wiser.

22. I am very analytical about everything ... this has made me a good designer, an insightful friend, and a difficult husband. I'm working on it.

23. I like hugs but never know when they're appropriate.

24. I'd like to learn to play the mandolin or the banjo. I need a teacher.

25. One of these 25 items is a lie.

Helvetica & Univers

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:39:44 +0000

I recently watched Gary Hustwit's documentary about the typeface Helvetica, a clean sans serif type. Most people at least have heard of Helvetica and some know it so well they claim love. Throughout the documentary ... most of the celebrity graphic and type designers interviewed praised Helvetica in every way imaginable ... it's perfect, it's simple, it's universal, it's this and that. Only a few brave souls dared to say a cross word about the typeface while all the others held a sort of religious respect for it ... almost giving Helvetica divine infallibility.

What surprised me, and now inspires me to write, is that the history of why Helvetica became so popular was skated right over. Yes, it's everywhere we look now ... on signs, ads, brands, all over the web, it's vogue.

The cart shouldn't come before the horse. Helvetica was designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 and It could be argued that the success of Helvetica could be largely based on the marketing money put behind it by Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei, the Swiss Type Foundry that commissioned Miedinger. It's popularity is directly tied to it's availability for both designers and printers in Europe and later universally. Abode really sealed the availability of Helvetica by incorporating it as a postscript typeface in most computers. People like coke because it's heavily marketed and readily available ... not because it's the perfect soda.

Helvetica wasn't chosen by designers but for designers by those selling it as a product. Adrian Frutiger designed the Univers typeface years before Helvetica was released. Univers was released by Deberny & Peignot which had very little ability to financially compete with the Helvetica marketing machine. Frutiger released 21 faces in the year before Miedinger released one version of Helvetica.

The idea that Helvetica is the authentic late 1950's typographic wonder is highly debated. Some love both Univers and Helvetica or choose a side and stand firm. I respect Adrian Frutiger immensely for his ability and contributions to design and typography. I felt the documentary missed the origins of Helvetica's fame and totally ignored the significant Univers vs. Helvetica debate. A few designer friends of mine had never heard of Univers ... sad.

I consider myself an open-minded designer and choose type based on a few fundamental things: 1. What does the project need to communicate? 2. What typefaces do I own or can I afford to purchase for the project? 3. After I've considered A&B - I decide using my instinct. What accomplishes the goal of the project best. I try to avoid typographic habits and consistently consider type as each project dictates.

If I had to pick a side I would, without doubt, pick Univers as the superior typeface. It looks great in body text whereas Helvetica isn't balanced as well. Although, I use Helvetica when I feel it suits the need. The heading of this blog is set in Helvetica while the top nav is all Vectora, another beautiful Frutiger typeface.

If nothing at all, every designer should try Univers and quit running autopilot with Helvetica ... there is a difference.

Goal Oriented.

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:13:04 +0000

This was a tough year in a lot of ways. I finished school (finally), worked freelance on top of a full-time job, and just recently made the jump to owning my own company. Those things are great and good (and extremely time consuming) but the main thing I wanted to do all year was ride my bike. I've always been a day-dreamer as well as loved the outdoors. When I ride those 2 wonderful things come in perfect harmony. I can ride for hours thinking about everything and nothing at all. I love that. So before the beginning of the year I declared (to myself) that I would ride 1,500 miles in 2008. That's basically from Bowling Green, KY to Tampa, FL and back. Today I met that goal.

My 09' Physical goals include: Cycle 2,250 miles & Backpack 100 miles.

Join me.

Beautiful Junk

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:18:06 +0000

April and Greg (Studio Calico) managed to get us after-hours access to a 5 story antique shop in Paducah, KY. 2 floors of which aren't typically open to the public (I soon found out why). They were scrounging for unique items to add to their monthly kits ... basically anything in a large quantity. I was looking for anything and everything. We spent about 6 hours total rummaging through every pile, heap, stack, bucket and box of dusty, dirty, smelly, beautiful junk. We found a lot of amazing things and since Ray, the owner, was cutting us huge deals ... we came back with an SUV full of treasures (zero buyers remorse).

01: Circus Poster made with wood-type printing. When I saw that massive 28 inch tall #2 I was in love. I like how it's only comprised of typography.

02: The owner had a decent collection of old stamps (mainly pharmacies) and wood type words. I like the letter-forms on these (Especially the 'g' in Drug).

03-04: I found 2 really awesome pennants. 03 is for Mammoth Cave KY (25 minutes from my house). 04 is Ogden Utah (need I explain?).

05: This is an academic journal book (sorta like a Blue Book). The type was interesting and printed with golden metallic ink. Though dirty it's still very vibrant.

06-07: I came home with a few theater tag signs. "Double Feature" and "Starts Fri.". I would guess these were hand drawn / cut and would go beneath a theater poster. They have brilliant, rich color.

08: Sun Drop tin sign. This was upside down collecting water in the rafters of the 5th floor antique dungeon. I felt compelled to save it. The gold is metallic ink and all the letters are embossed. I plan on cleaning this up quite a bit. It's at least 3 feet wide.

I often go to thrift, antique, and junk stores to find inspiration. The old way just seems so much more beautiful to me. Custom lettering, hand-cut screen printing, and brilliant colors. There is an amazing tactile splendor of good paper, printing, and ink. A lot of the objects I found used one or two color printing which reminds me that simple is beautiful.

Designer / Business Man

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:59:56 +0000

I quit my job as an "art director" at a small ad agency in rural Kentucky to go work for my dream boss ... myself. That's right, in the heart of an "economic down-turn" and on the brink of a grand-paw told us so / survival-of-the-fittest recession ... I have chosen to brave the world of sole-proprietorship and hang out my shingle as a provider of design and advertising. After all ... it's those who take risks whom reap rewards. This decision has not come quickly. After nearly 4 years of day-in day-out ad work I have decided to manage my own clients from my home studio. It's a well calculated endeavor.

This isn't un-trod ground for a free-thinking designer. I think every designer wants to, has, or at some point will try to wing it on their own. Those who make have more than design talent. They have to have a well-rounded understanding of the design / business process, have a few long-term clients, and understand that it's not going to be a check cashing no-stress party. After months of thinking, reading, and planning ... I have concluded I am ready and willing. If nothing else ... I've got more than enough confidence.

Even if failure is all I encounter, I will learn the broader aspects of the design business as well as gain more in-depth client interaction. I embrace all these things with the understanding that few make it.

My main client will be StudioCalico.com. I will be creating patterned papers, stamps, print promotions, advertising, and a trade-show environment. Studio Calico is a scrapbooking internet re-seller who's business is moving head-on into the manufacturing and design of scrapbooking materials. I will lead the transition as design director of all product and promotion. This will provide me with the opportunity to explore more hand processes including custom typography and the frequent creation of original patterns.

No, I'm not nervous. Yes, I am very excited, determined, and confident this is the best move I've made for my career yet.

Wish me luck.

100 Miles

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:35:37 +0000

A year ago this month I convinced my wife to let me buy a bike. Not just a target special, a run-of-the-mill cruiser, or a yard sale bargain ... I bought a mid-level road bike worth ever dime of the ::::cough:::: I paid for it. That was a year ago. Since then I've clocked almost 2000 miles of Kentucky's beautiful countryside slowly transitioning from a newbie cyclist to a not-so-newbie cyclist. All in preparation for this past weekend, the Clarksville Sunrise Century. The "Century" part being a reference to the length, 100 miles in a day.

I had worked up my fitness over the spring and summer of this year to manage 65-70 miles without killing myself. I've done several 50 mile rides and completed a very hilly 70 mile tour just a month ago. So the prospect of my first century ride at this point in my fitness wasn't insane, just challenging ... very challenging.

I got up at 4am to meet a friend and make the hour long journey to Clarksville. The ride started at 7am. This meant, for me, that I would be tired from the start. We pulled in, got geared up and lined up with about 300 other riders all poised to make the distance. My motto was "pace yourself" which was promptly, nearly comically thrown out the window when I experienced what a 50 cyclist pace line is like. In short ... it makes going 23mph feel as easy as going 12 mph alone. The first 38 miles were a blur. By far the fastest 38 miles I have ever done. The next 18 or so were a similar tour-de-force of pace lines and fast speeds. I was pushing myself faster than I was fit to handle. At mile 65ish I began cramping in my right leg. Like driving a 4 cylinder car with only 2 working. My pace plummeted and quickly the last 30 miles took almost as long as the first 70. I couldn't keep up with or contribute to pace lines and no matter what I ate or drank ... the cramping didn't go away.

The slower pace was actually rather nice. Riding 20 mph in a pace line is an adrenaline rush ... but it's also quite nerve racking and takes 100% attention. Your front wheel is inches from the bike in front of you and the guy behind you is the same. So the only view you get to take in is the butt in front of you. Once my cramping ensued, and my pace went from rocketeer to mouse-ceteer, I was able to relax on the bike and really enjoy the very rural areas I was riding through. I rolled across other riders taking their time and got to have some brief conversations with them. For the most part though, my last 30 miles was a solo crawl across corn and tobacco fields and through a few one-horse towns on the KY/TN boarder. The weather was a tad windy but otherwise partly sunny and bright.

My first century was very much a challenge. My goal was to finish, which I did. I throughly enjoyed every mile and now possess a better understanding about what it takes to ride that sort of distance. Keep in mind, in the tour-de-france they ride over 100 miles a day, racing, and for 3 weeks in July. That blows my mind.

My finish time was clocked at 7:09:08 ... which included a few rest stops. I should be able to destroy that time next year if I don't cramp. A pace line of about a dozen riders set the record time this year at 3:44:16 .... that's over 26 mph, no stops .... Most impressive.

I bet they don't remember any of the views.

Role Playing.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:47:35 +0000

I've been reading a lot lately about what a client is to a designer. Some look at the relationship much like a parent / child relationship. The client is the daddy and the designer (or agency) is the child that despite whining, begging, stomping, and screaming ... ultimately submits to the clients every demand. We look up to daddy with starry eyes because he puts the food on our table, sets the rules, pays the allowance, and can drive the car. We occasionally rebel and do something we don't have permission to. After a quick spanking we are back to doing exactly and only as they say. We only call the shots when the client allows. This position is never so blatant ... it usually occurs behind smiles, compromises and thoughts like "after all, they are paying us" ... and it amplifies subtly over a period of time. Eventually you do nothing without their request. You remove yourself as an influential expert to a simple tool to realize the clients ideas.

Another train of thought is that the client is a partner. Like husband and wife ... client and designer scuffle, fight, argue, compromise, and make babies (finished projects that is). As partners, both are invested equally. The client is financially invested and as the party who will ultimately deal with the outcome of good or bad design ... takes on a certain level of risk. The designer invests his or her expertise as a visual communicator and eventually (and hopefully) delivers a compelling design that meets the goals of the client. Both bask in the glow of a successful project. This is the ideal situation.

I'd like to think that every client I deal with is a partner. We mutually respect each other and work on level ground for the ultimate good ... in my dreams. Right? Its really easy to sit back and blame the client for a relationship that isn't balanced. Fact is, most clients don't know how to treat designers and agencies. They view us somewhere between the expertise of a lawyer or a doctor and the voice they hear when you pull up to the McDonald's drive-thru. It's my job to instill in them that we are experts in visual communication. Train the client to respect our abilities, time, and advice. This training must come from the very beginning ... not weeks into a project or it will never happen. Designers need to stop blaming the client for being a bad client and start taking the blame themselves. We are to guide clients to strategic design. Of course there will be bad clients. People who insist, demand, change, amend, "improve", and don't listen. Take steps to end those relationships. A bad client can depress your team and damage the most important emotion a designer has ... morale. Happy designers design more efficiently and more affectively. Good clients are good business whether you're making bank or making a budget.

Having the communication skills necessary to become a partner with a client doesn't come overnight. Time will hone your abilities to be an expert. Until then ... be an expert in training. If you cannot communicate your value to a client ... how can you communicate the client's value to a consumer? When people respect what you say and do ... they will respect your fees all the same. Be the client's expert ... not their child. Lead with confidence and deliver good work.

Don't ever forget (or let your client forget) ... Good design is good business.

Design U

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:12:21 +0000

I graduate from college in about a month. This will be the grandiose finish to seven years of credits, classes, projects, deadlines, frustration, and a lot of really hard work. I can't help but look back over the past seven years and think .... what did I learn? And, could I have become a designer without college? After all, design is a career of talent and experience not credentials and accolades.

I once posed this question during class and it was met with mixed reviews. My perspective, at the time, was that design college was optional and that if you had an ounce of talent and a little ingenuity, you could teach yourself the technical side and learn the fine art in due time ... with the internet and sites like lynda.com ... you can learn quite a bit from home ... and for thousands less than university. I once met a woman who had done just that. She had a painting degree and proceeded to teach herself design via online tutorials. She was very very good.

My instructor's perspective was that college was essential and that employers respect a degree. Sort of a credential of legitimacy to a client or a none-creative employer. Which I completely agree with. That silly piece of paper degree can open doors. Although, I got my current design job without even having a resume' ... much less a degree. I know a lot of degree toting 'designers' who are essentially unemployable as such.

My conclusion is that university is essential for a developing designer. Not because you'll be handed a skill-set or tricks that will ensure him or her success. Not because the end goal is not achievable through less expensive and less time consuming ways. And not because you have to. Many employers would hire a talented, experienced designer who did nothing after high school. University is essential because at no other time in your life will you be able to weld a metal frame for a concrete sculpture, design a logo for a ray-gun, and grease a stone for a litho print. University offers opportunity. Opportunities like failure, ambition, and defense of a great idea. Your peers are in the same boat as you so you learn from everyone's mistakes, successes, and complete failures. The real world offers little tolerance for the learning curve and a bad grade seems insignificant to a costly project gone south. University lets you grow up a little before you have to grow up a lot.

Never forget that design is 50% art and 50% business. Some universities teach very little of the other half. You'll go a long way once you're as comfortable sending an invoice and signing a contract as you are sketching thumbnails and rendering comps.

Stay in school.