Why do creative people get notes like this all the time?

“Hope your having a great day!

I stopped by your desk, but you weren’t there so I just left my notes for you, I hope you don’t mind

I only have a few changes, I know we thought we were done, but I just showed it to my boss for the first time, and she wanted to make a few edits.

First, her name is spelled wrong. (Oops!) We better get that right! And the one address on the back is out of date. Also, apparently we are changing the rate that’s on the inside. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much!”

What if my auto mechanic decided to send me the same sorta message… “By the way, I actually have this bolt that was supposed to be somewhere on your car, I just forgot all about it. You don’t mind coming by to let me fix that up for you, do ya?”

Constructive criticism sounds to many people like something you are meant to give a first grader, but we need to use this technique throughout our lives, with our partners at work, and even with our adult family members. If you want to ask someone to make a change (i.e., give some criticism), it’s best to do it in a constructive way, to keep the peace and nurture important relationships.

I work with a group of artists and writers on a daily basis, and every once in a while someone comes into my office complaining about how a client is going over the line with their critique. Almost as often, I get a client coming into my office asking me why an artist got their feathers all ruffled just because they wanted to make a logo bigger. How can this be avoided?

1. Avoid disputes from the beginning. Make the project expectations crystal clear before anyone gets started. If the project is defined on paper on a creative brief or job description sheet, it will be easier for someone to execute. Ask at this stage what your creative team needs from you. And be specific about what is expected to be delivered at what deadline. At the next level, it’s easier when critiquing to point out what is missing, if anything. Then, leave room for a second round of drafts.
2. Make changes clear. When you receive something and you know there will be many changes, take some time to be specific about what is obviously wrong or missing. If you have your job description on paper, this will be simple.
3. Don’t be too clear. If you’ve delegated work to someone, don’t take all the fun (er, job satisfaction, that is) out of it by dictating font sizes or changing colors just because you feel like you need to make some comment. Ask yourself if your end audience will see a difference in the changes you are suggesting. If not, zip it! And remember, you have sent this work to this person for a reason – because you are too busy, because they are a specialist, because they have access to more resources – let them do their work.
   I’ll just say this now, in case no one has ever told you – graphic artists/designers as a rule do NOT like it when someone stands behind them and watches them make changes – that’s pretty much universal.
4. Be clear about what is right. If you find yourself filling a piece of paper with red marks, invest in a green pen. Is the headline good? Do you like the font choice, or photo selection? Circle a few things you definitely want to keep. These choices took time, and your appreciation of these items will make your creative partner feel a bit more at ease.
   Start your feedback conversation by mentioning one of these items, and come back to one of these at the end of your discussion for a good ‘compliment sandwich.’
5. Language is important. If you didn’t create it, you may not understand the creator’s motivation behind the way the project was done. Some language that has been helpful for me:
   • I see what you’re doing here, but what if you tried some less formal language?
   • I like this color combination, but it might be a bit bold for this product.
   • This section is great, but I think we may have gone into too much detail for our audience. Can you break it down for the outsider to understand better?
   • This image is really exciting, but I’m not sure if it fits the character of the rest of the piece. Do you have some others you can show me?
6. Disaster plan. If what you have received is nothing near what you thought you asked for, then something could have gone wrong from the job description point. Keeping communication open is imperative, so everyone is in the same frame of mind. Maybe the project manager will step in with — “I must have really steered you in the wrong direction, we’re going to have to reboot this,” or something like that – to get everyone on the same side, and restart the project rather than slicing and dicing what’s been done.

The creative process doesn’t have to be painful. It can be a fun, collaborative adventure if it’s approached in the right way. I hope these hints will help you down that path!

I am a bit overwhelmed with the number of reviews that I have read this week, and most of them were not for movies or books. They were for television ads.

But last Sunday was the Superbowl!

So, right at the beginning of the game, we had to rewind it a minute or two with the Tivo because I missed the introduction of the Steelers while I was taking mozzerella sticks out of the oven. Other than that, we wanted to experience the Superbowl and the ads with the rest of the world. Honestly, with the rest of Twitter.

I was trying really hard to keep up with all the comments about all the Superbowl ads on Twitter, but the number of people following comment categories like #adbowl and #brandbowl and #sbads has grown to an immense number. It is really impossible to read all the tweets as they fly by. I finally gave up and resorted to reading blog posts after the game.

I learned that Network Solutions has a clever GoGranny online video, complete with an endorsement by the woman behind BlogHer. And GoDaddy answered some complaints about their GoDaddy Girls with a more, um, brainy? online ad. I can’t find it again.

Back to the rest of the Superbowl ads… I’ve noticed that I really like ads that show a character in a number of settings. It gives you a feeling that you’re getting a full story and not just being sold at. I think this is why I liked that Old Spice commercial so much.

So my favorites ended up being:

• Living Social – Apparently didn’t show in all markets, but it shows a lot you can do with Living Social and it’s pretty funny.
• CarMax – The ad takes the metaphor ‘kid in a candy store’ to the max.
• Chrysler – It really shows that Detroit has heart.
• VW Passat – It’s not the mini Darth Vader that gets me, it’s the music, which is unforgettable and meaningful to me. I covet that Force for myself.
• NFL Best Fans Ever – Most of these shows have been part of my life, but this gets on my list for the “we can’t miss the commercials” at the end.

I’d love to hear your votes for best ad of 2011 – which ones did you like and why? Did some turn your stomach?

We lost some big names in entertainment this year, I just wanted the chance to say one last goodbye to some of my favorites.

• Actor Patrick Swayze, 57 – I really enjoyed Dirty Dancing and many more of his movies.
• Director John Hughes, 59 – His films were some of the first that I rented from video stores and watched over and over again.
• Actress Farrah Fawcett, 62 – What a courageous documentary she made at the end of her life.
• Actor Dom DeLuise, 75 – Always made me laugh.
• Actor Ricardo Montalban, 88 – I still want to visit Fantasy Island.
• George Michael, sports broadcaster, 70 – I watched his ‘Sports Machine’ show for years in DC.
• Vic Chesnutt, singer/songwriter, 45 – Just an amazing talent.
• Actress Brittany Murphy, 32 – I loved her voice work for King of the Hill.
• Ed McMahon, 86 – I’ll remember him from Star Search, way before American Idol.
• Pitchman Billy Mays, 50 – He could sell me the shoes on my feet, what a guy.
• Walter Cronkite, 92 – Sad to see him go, but that’s the way it is.

There were many more notable deaths, as The New York Times notes in their annual review.

My mom just sent me this photo she dug up of my 13th birthday. You’ll see I’m proudly displaying my new ‘boom’ box. (hah.) Not too long after receiving this, I joined, much to my dad’s chagrin, the Columbia House Record & Tape Club. Remember that?

The deal was always similar – you get a dozen albums or so up front for a penny (or nothing) and buy some number at Club Price in the future to fulfill your agreement. The Club Price was expensive, and then there was shipping and handling. And of course, like other mail order clubs, there was the required rejection card or else you automatically got the monthly selection and a bill to go with it.

I joined when cassettes were the prevailing format, although you could opt to get a vinyl LP if you wanted. VHS movies snuck in at some point, then DVDs became available. They eventually added a frequent buyer program. Reflecting back, it was an amazing transition of direct marketing and music sales.

Now, it’s http://www.columbiahouse.com/ and they’re focusing on DVDs.

I don’t remember all of the tapes in my first order, but some of them were:

• Duran Duran – Rio
• Styx – Kilroy Was Here
• Van Halen – 1984
• Eddie Murphy S/T (the parents did not like that one)
• Def Leppard – Pyromania
• Michael Jackson – Thriller
• Wierd Al Yankovic in 3-D
• Men At Work – Business as Usual

Here’s good old Dick Clark’s commercial for Columbia House on YouTube for you:

Did you ever belong to the Columbia House Record & Tape Club? Did you fill in the gold box or tape a penny to an order form? Do you remember your first 12 albums you ordered?

It’s almost here, and the Internet is aflurry with Superbowl predictions. About the ads. And the advertisers are all happy to be talked about. In previous years there was huge secrecy about what each ad was going to be about, but this year, if you want to see the ad ahead of time, watch it! Watch it again! Show it to your friends!

I love the buzz, I always watch the game, partly for the ads, and partly because it would be un-American not to. Go Steelers! Enjoy the ads!

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/brendan-collins/do-right-thing/super-bowl-commercials-roundup

Update: this is now running in English in America.