Why Helping People Works For Us...
23 October 2007
Recently I received this lovely note... (names changed to protect the innocent). My reply is published beneath.------------------
Dear Nick,
Please excuse us but we couldn't let anymore time pass without thanking you for your very kind interest and advice given to our son Patrick, who has shown a keen interest in web design which has only been deepened following your input.
-snip-
We realise that you must be a very busy man and truly appreciate the time and advice you have given Patrick.
-snip-
Once again we offer you our sincerest thanks
Yours sincerely
Sam and Carol (parents of Patrick)
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Hello there Sam and Carol,
I'm never too busy to receive such a kind message, so thank-you.
The truth is we get quite a few messages from people Patrick's age... and I tend to think that anyone who wants to learn should be encouraged. Patrick is different from most of the others though... because he has stuck with it. Most of them don't, whereas Patrick has been bugging me for ages :-)
So basically I think Patrick is a credit to himself, and to you... and I hope that my seven-year old will have that same kind of attitude when he's that age.
-snip-
... my experience is that there are never enough happy, self-motivated people to go around. For that reason I'm sure Patrick will go far, and I'm glad to help him out here and there on the way if I can.
All good wishes,
Nick
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That's it... except for the couple of things worth commenting on.
Firstly, it rarely hurts to ask. When "Patrick" first got in touch he did it with that enthusiasm of youth... not necessarily with any real expectation that we'd help him out. He gave it a shot and got lucky.
"Giving it a shot" seems to get harder as we get older... and Patrick has reminded me that sometimes it is worth trying an unlikely approach... of which more soon.
The second thing is simple. Although helping out people like Patrick doesn't bring us any treasure, it sure makes us feel good... which is a really good return for a few minutes of time now and then. I'd recommend it as an alternative to sitting in the cellar counting your money.
Posted by Nick Warren at 7:27 AM
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Breaking my own rules, Part Two
16 October 2007
If you've followed the story so far you'll know that a few weeks ago I decided to go ahead and get some new business cards made, despite the fact that Mike (our multi-talented designer) was on his holidays. "Pffftt", I thought, "How hard can it be to design some business cards? We'll just keep it simple."
But the more I thought about it the more "simplicity" seemed like the wrong approach. The simple card was so borrrrring... Name, Phone Number, email address... SNOOOOOORRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE. It had all the personality of a green bean. I wanted much, much more.
After all, what is a business card for? It certainly isn't about giving someone my contact details in a handy, wallet sized format. Do you keep the cards other people give you? No, neither do I.
So perhaps it's about two things; making a connection with someone, and keeping your name in front of someone for a little while after you've said "good bye".
So I started to ask myself some questions:
- How will I make this dull, green bean piece of communication, more interesting?
- How will I add hooks, drama... stories?
- How will I make each card different?
- How will this reflect me, and the personality of the business?
Then things got fun... and here's the card that I am now carrying around in my wallet. It's not simple, in fact it is deliberately complicated. Some of the type is tiny, and you have to make an effort to read it. Sure it has all my contact details, but it also has story headlines, personality hooks, hieroglyphics and yes... a space for a little doodle on the back of each one. Why not?
Posted by Nick Warren at 8:22 AM
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Why Semantic isn't cool
01 October 2007
We were having a discussion last week about the Semantic identity, web site design, and how it might evolve. Generally I favour bright happy colours but we do have to accept that design-wise these are miles away from the muted minimalism of "cool" design.Disclaimer: I love cool, minimal design as much as the next iPod toting Apple fan-boy, and I dislike complexity for it's own sake. But... sorry, I have a problem with "cool" in relation to Semantic, and last week I worked out what it is.
Cool people never seem to have much fun.
They seem, to me, too knowing... too cynical, too much a part of their "costume". The essence of coolness is to not be moved by anything that isn't also cool. Check out your local teenager for details... although at least they will grow out of it.
At Semantic we aim to have a lot of fun, and we talk to anyone. Sure, we happily do cool design for Clients whenever it is the best solution for them, but that isn't who we are. Who wants to be cool when you can have fun instead?
Posted by Nick Warren at 2:03 PM
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Ahhh... Venice
Ciao. As you may have guessed from the photo I have recently been in Venice, an extraordinary and evocative place. Somehow it seems to exist in a world entirely separate from anywhere else...
And yet on I think Venice has some things to teach us here at Semantic, and perhaps more generally.
1) Anything is possible
These folk built a city (on sticks) in the middle of a lagoon. It may also very well be the most beautiful city in the world. What excuse do we have for not getting things done.
2) Be a place, not a thing
A clever friend of mine once likened great brands to bells... you can look at them from different angles, but wherever you strike them the ring sounds the same. They are consistently great.
In contrast most places (or businesses) are attractive because of one or two great "things". The rest of the experience may be just "okay"... but the landmark features (Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Pyramids, Customer Service, Speed of Delivery... whatever) make up for it.
Venice is different. Move away from the main tourist traps and it gets, if anything, more beautiful. It's not about the landmarks (although it has many)... it's about the whole place having the same great feel, and it reminds me why we draw smily faces on our invoices.
3) Beware the success that breeds failure
The worst thing about Venice (and I'm aware of the irony) is tourism. Every day we descend plague-like from cruise ships, ferries and planes. We arrive by road or train, and we all head to St Mark's Square and the Rialto bridge. On any day less than two in ten of the people on the island are Venetians. Some say it's more like one in ten. 1 in 10!
Venice is a victim of it's own magic and you can see it in the crowds and in the queues. Tourism takes the edge off of the experience... maybe not a lot, but some.
Semantic is a small agency, and we have to remember that the reason our clients love us is the service we provide. It's the service that has driven our success... but the success also threatens the level of service we offer. This is an old conundrum for us, but one that Venice throws into sharp relief.
Posted by Nick Warren at 1:11 PM
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