Power Couple

"Kathman, who has led the world's largest employee-owned brand design firm (formerly known as Libby Perszyk Kathman) for a decade, says the design business 'is a small, but global industry.' That means he and his wife - they recently marked their 25th wedding anniversary -are frequently on the road and not together. Grubow, who has led brand identity programs for Olay, Pantene and Herbal Essence, makes six trips a year to China."

Look Who's Talking

Extractable Presidential Units

Reading Tea Leaves and Campaign Logos

Wait For It ...

The 10,000 Hour Question

"The thing I find myself worrying about is 'expertise in what?'. What have I spent 10,000 hours learning? As I do more and more stuff that's not advertising I think I'll start to find out just what it is I've learned. I'm looking forward to that. But, more importantly, what are we asking people at the start, or in the middle of their careers, to spend 10,000 hours doing? Will it be any use to them 10,000 hours later? Are we making them experts in something that won't be around 10,000 hours later, or are we giving them expertise in something that will last? That seems like an important thing to wonder about."

chicken-sexing, expertise and 10,000 hours of something

TAXI!

If the new NYC Taxi logo does not seem to be the smoothest work of design, that may be because it traveled a bumpy road on its way to more than 26,000 yellow cab doors.

Reviews Trickle In for New Taxi Logo

Globally Relevant

"Ford was once one of the 10 most valuable brands in the world. They're no longer on that list, but Toyota now is. How did Toyota—and the other nine companies—do it? There are 5 characteristics that all top global brands have in common."

Why Global Brands Work

When In Doubt, Simplify. Then Simplify Just a Bit More.

"'Keep it simple, stupid.' That's the advice every executive has received on how to share strategy with employees. The subtext is often, 'Keep it simple, because your people are stupid.' But you don't need to embrace simplicity just so your people can comprehend your message. The point of simplicity is more fundamental: Simplicity allows people to act."

Analysis of Paralysis

This Would Never Happen on my Watch

Redesign of the Week

A BusinessWeek for a Busier World

Persuading the Functions

"Clearly, the job of building a design practice that spans a global enterprise like HP is at least as much about management as it is about design. Lucente has taken on the task with a deft political hand. 'At HP,' he says, 'it's all about persuasion -- making our best effort and then letting people decide whether they want to take us up on it.'"

Streamlining HP

Connecting Beyond :30 Intervals

"Many large marketers are taking huge chunks of money out of their budgets for traditional media and using the funds to develop new, more direct interactions with consumers — not only on the Internet, but also through in-person events.

"Adventurous companies like Nike have been experimenting with these alternatives since the 1990s. But now, even the most conventional marketers are making these alternatives a permanent — and ever bigger — part of their advertising budgets."

The New Advertising Outlet: Your Life

2007 MoD

Fast Company Masters of Design

Designing a Better Manager

"RitaSue Siegel, a headhunter who has placed myriad designers in upper management and executive positions, insists that all major corporations offer executive training programs to high-potential employees, including designers. She points, for instance, to Procter & Gamble (PG) where 'designers get training in memo writing, giving winning presentations, and finance for nonfinance managers.' As an example, she singles out Jon Denham, a former associate director of design for P&G hair care, whose broad business training helped him land a job as first-ever vice-president of design at another major consumer products company (a move soon to be announced)."

Wanted: VPs of Design

Onslaught

New Bravia Ad Multiplies Like Bunnies

When Bad Names Happen to Good People

A few words of advice for what not to do...

Seven Deadly Sins of Company Naming Changes

Fascinating Web Site ...

...for all design geeks. Brand New dissects corporate and brand identity re-designs. With an active roster of catty commenters, it can be a bit addicting. For a truly guilty pleasure, check out the reaction to the new 5/3 work.

Also great for case studies.

Brand New

Take Two

Chicago's Rising Star

Como se dice?

"The estimate worked up by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies for 2007 is $928 billion. Those are dollars spent inside this country by Hispanic consumers, American-born citizens as well as green-card residents and the undocumented, on things they want or need: batteries, iPods, laundry soap, lawn chairs, motor oil, Bulova watches, new-home loans, Volvos, takeout pizza, cellphones, power saws, swimming pools, deodorant, airline tickets and plasma TV’s. It’s $200 billion more than was spent two years ago. Propelled by continuous immigration and larger family size, the dual factors that are making the Hispanic population multiply faster than any other in the United States, the spending figure is expected to top a trillion dollars within the next three years."

How Do You Say ‘Got Milk’ en Español?

Hey, Who Hi-Jacked My Brand?

"Throughout the day we asked three key questions: 1) What does it mean to no longer have creative control of your brand? 2) How does social media enable new forms of co-creation? 3) How can your customers become your biggest allies in the creation of new ideas? There were no easy answers, but two consistent and valuable themes surfaced."

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