Because Anybody Can Talk It

The Talk:

The Walk:

Yeah, we've all been there at least once. All the sugar coated pre-gig hype - the awesome vacation time, amazing health insurance, the nurturing work environment, the value of knowledge sharing and team work,and let's not forget the incredible bonuses and raises... Yeah right.

I guess it because of the above that I find this site to be the perfect gallery of visual analogies for all things corporate and Ad Agency related...

After all is said and done there's always so much more said than done: Pundo3000.

Cheers and a Big Gracias to everyone that truly walks it - you know who you are and you Rock!

That's Right

HMK

Yes! The Answer is No!

No is the Answer! And Yes! Thank God, is all I have to say!

The Question: Do I have cancer?

As of about 20 minutes ago - No! But it sure has been an interestingly surreal and iffy 6 months...

I quietly celebrated my first official year of working from home after being canned from my first (and last!) advertising agency gig last Valentine's Day.

I covered my self-employment tax nut, mortgage and overhead and even managed to get away for my birthday in October and spend an awesome 10 days in Vancouver with my wife and a few dear and very close friends.

I've got a pile of awesomely interesting and fun projects on my plate - not to mention a couple of incredible job opportunities.

In a nutshell, I am, as I have been for 46 years so far, quite Blessed.

The only major hurdle in our lives to date has been the futile attempt at obtaining heath insurance. Due to a misdiagnosis 4 years ago - one which has been corrected in writing by the very same doctor but for some reason is still a delaying factor - I've been waiting since January 2008 to get coverage.

Meanwhile, starting right after Christmas I began noticing small traces of blood in my urine.

While waiting and inquiring for approval and as the blood thing got progressively and visually more evident, I proceeded to get some independent bloodwork done in an effort to expedite things and have results in hand as soon as I did get covered.

(I walked into Health Check USA, the nation’s leading direct-to-consumer medical testing service started right here in San Antonio in 1987 and got both a blood and urine test, fasted for 12 hours and went back for another blood test. 48 hours and $130 later I had my results via the secured site and in hand via snail mail. I sent PDFs of all the results to my buddy Reagan who's dad is a urologist in Austin. He assured me I wasn't dying, but I should see a doctor asap.)

Fast forward to March. Still waiting in vain for coverage and now I've got clots of blood mixed with my already bloody urine. Now I'm really beginning to worry.

At this time I had the bills and my income tax covered, I'd already prepaid the broker that's suppose to be getting my underwriting resolved and I'm waiting for checks in the mail for completed work, but our bank account was getting dangerously close to nada.

Then comes last Wednesday night. I go to pee and it's basically all blood.

Oh My God.

I'm floating above myself in disbelief and realize that although I'm not in any pain, I'm in real trouble. I need help right freaking now and I can't afford to go to the emergency room. Welcome to America!

Ok. Stop. Breath. Think.

I immediately call another buddy, Brent, one whom I should have called months earlier but for some reason I promised myself I wouldn't bother him and call in a favor unless it was absolutely necessary. Duh. (I know, I'm an idiot for waiting, I blame it on the lack of blood to my brain...)

So, within an hour of me calling Brent and having my blood work PDFs forwarded to his brother Brian, now Dr. Given and his colleague, a urologist, Dr. Ralph, I had an appointment for Friday morning along with the assurance, based on the PDFs, that I would indeed be ok for another 24 hours and I'd make it until then.

PDFs Rule!

Next challenge: Money. I decided I needed to spend Thursday morning doing everything I could to expedite some billing and get some cash in the bank.

It didn't take long. I can't tell you how truly lucky I am to be able to pick up the phone and with minimal explanation the first and only 2 clients I called dropped off checks to my home. No charity - all for work completed or in progress. Thank you. Thanks you. Thank you. Chrissy, Brette, Bill, Dalton, Tina, Tish, Bryan, Liz, Matt, Conrad, Garrett, Buddy, Richard, David, Alan, Jacky, Mitch, Amelia, Jackie, Warren, Carol, Hillary, Greg, Emily, Reagan, Brent, Brian, Ralph, John, Jacquie, (I could really go on and on for a while!), thanks to every one for simply just being there.

Long story short, and without insurance or the gnarly details being wide awake and having my penis probed while my wife Chrissy held my hand during the initial examination on Friday morning, Dr. Ralph explained that I in fact had a tumor in my bladder.

I went in Monday for the surgery to have the mass removed and, although I'm still a little sore and on some meds for another day, I just heard from Dr. Ralph that I am AOK and cancer free!

Yes! That's Right - My Guardian Angel rocks!

Sure, I've got follow-up probes every three months for the next year or so to simply monitor the situation but the great news is that I've got the second chance I've (we've!) been praying for.

Yes! Thank You.

Now, I'm not really an astrology reading kind of guy, my wife and I usually like reading ours after the fact and just for grins, but after hearing from Dr. Ralph I just had to look at what mine says for today. According to Linda Black, here's my Libra scope for today, the first day of the rest of my life, May 15th 2008:

"You're back in control. You can assess the situation easily and figure out what to say or do to get whatever you want. Once you decide what that is, make your move."

That's Right!

Thanks for everything y'all.

HMK

Now That's Something...

This looks pretty cool.

The SomethingStore is a fun new website that operates simply: They will send you something, an item selected randomly among many things from their inventory, all-in, including shipping for 10 BUX US.

According to the site:

Your Something May Be Anything

It maybe something you need, something you want or something you desire.

Yours may be a cool gadget, rare book, table game, handmade necklace, reverse clock, box of gourmet chocolates, set of shiny shower curtains, popular video game, big-box retailer gift card, the latest version of a software, a set of kitchen knives, a pair of designer jeans, garden tool, kitchen appliance, unique home decor item, electronic equipment, magazine subscription, office supply item, or ...

Your something will most likely be brand new, though it may also be refurbished or antique.

This reminds me of the awesome $25 Grab Bags my buddy Reagan and I have ordered from Surplus Shed. Surplus Shed buys, sells, and trades government and other surplus and used optical and electronic items.

The 3 Grab Bags I've ordered in the past were well worth the $25. Each came with an enticingly geeky mix of lenses, mirrors, prisms, along with few strange optical things. Awesome! Plus, no two Grab Bags are the same.

And dig this, if you're not happy with what comes in your mystery box they'll give you your money back, no questions asked!

So, what are you waiting for - surely there's somebody on your list worthy of Something Special of the Mystery Kind!

The SomethingStore
Surplus Shed Grab Bags

That's Right

HMK

Paint vs Patina

Ponder This...

From time to time during conference Q&A sessions I’m asked “How did you create the culture at 37 Signals?” or “What do you recommend we do to set up an open, sharing company culture like yours?”

My answer: You don’t create a culture. Culture happens. It’s the by-product of consistent behavior. If you encourage people to share, and you give them the freedom to share, then sharing will be built into your culture. If you reward trust then trust will be built into your culture.

Artificial
Artificial cultures are instant. They’re big bangs made of mission statements, declarations, and rules. They are obvious, ugly, and plastic. Artificial culture is paint.

Real
Real cultures are built over time. They’re the result of action, reaction, and truth. They are nuanced, beautiful, and authentic. Real culture is patina.

Don’t think about how to create a culture, just do the right things for you, your customers, and your team and it’ll happen.

That's Right

HMK

Thanks to Jason over at Signals vs. Noise.

Living Color!

"Do you freak out if someone asks you to match print colors to Web colors? Or, maybe you just can’t decide whether the orange would work better with the blue or the green. Either way, many designers may not realize how easy it is to choose a palette for that new Web design. Additionally, many designers might be surprised to learn that they can stay on top of color trends with a few visits to fashion design Web sites.

"All those tips and more are listed below in this list of 101 color resources for Web designers. The categories are listed alphabetically as are all the links contained within each category. Although the sites are numbered, this does not mean that one site is better than others. Visit them all and bookmark the ones that will help you become the most color-savvy Web designer around."

Thanks to the brains, time and generosity of Jimmy Atkinson, we can all engulf and book mark the whole dang thang over at WHDB 101 Color Resources for Web Designers.

That's Right

HMK

Big Gracias to Jennifer Apple at PhotoshopSupport.com for the hook up and also to painter and photo enthusiast Tim McFarlane for the great floor shot of the Color Chart Exhibit at the MoMA.

From Selling to Creating Products

Agencies go from selling to creating products. Pouring money into development, some may even start brands.

As they try to diversify beyond the 30-second spot, agencies, in addition to getting digital, are vying to be the next place to source hot products.

Ownership is the watchword on Mad Ave, with agencies wanting stakes in everything from intellectual property to marketers themselves.

There are now many shops that take it one step further by creating products themselves out of thin air. These agencies are pouring more and more time and money into product development that has nothing to do with client brands. Some even sell entire lines of merchandise and create viable businesses such as stores and eateries.

Indie agency Mother is, well, the mother of adland's product-making set, hatching numerous kitschy projects including books, shopping bags, candies and comics. But there are soon to be more; several agencies have told Ad Age they're in talks to launch their own brands.

But while agencies are well-qualified -- after all, their lifeblood is coming up with ideas -- no shop has yet come up with a mass-market hit. And a lot of this stuff exists at the level of novelty -- a diversion and way for agency hands to try something new.

Check out the rest of Rupal Parekh's Ad Week piece: Agencies Go From Selling to Creating Products.

And for more info on my limited edition HMK Perpetually Dayzed Calendars pictured above, go Here.

That's Right

HMK

Different By Design

A new breed of consultant is using the tools of design to solve business problems creatively.

Surgeon Daniel Palestrant was laid up for several months with a back injury when he realized that it often took years before new techniques developed by pioneering doctors filtered out to the rest of the medical world. Why not bring physicians together online and, even better, charge businesses for access to content from their conversations? But the idea alone wasn't enough to get his social network off the ground. He needed to package that idea in such a way that investors would buy it.

Instead of bringing in a conventional consultant to help him, Palestrant visited a loft in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. In a series of meetings there, Palestrant rattled off his ideas--an outpouring he likened to "intellectual bulimia"--while Elizabeth Pastor and Garry VanPatter, the team behind the firm Humantific, furiously drew and took notes. "He was really deep in the trees," Pastor says. The pair made sense of Palestrant's fuzzy ideas and turned them into huge, glossy posters with icons representing how the parts of his business fit together. Diagrams in hand, Palestrant went to venture-capital funds and returned with $40 million in start-up money.

That kind of response is generating more and more heat in the emerging field of transformation design--a hybrid of business consulting and industrial design. Firms like Humantific, whose founders are designers, apply the same process used in designing sleek MP3 players and ergonomic teakettles to unwieldy intangibles like cell-phone promotions and hospital organization, transforming their effectiveness. Along the way, the field is creating some unusual teamwork between designers and business people.

Continue reading Chad Robert Springer's piece fore Time: Different By Design.

In short, the smart folks at Humantific are using design problem solving techniques to make complicated business ideas understandable to everyone.

Bravo!

The sooner the business community recognize and embrace the fact that impassioned, educated and professional communication designers are capable of bringing a lot more to the table (and the bottomline!) than just fluff, wrapping paper or "making it look cool", the better off we'll all be.

Right On Humantific!

That's Right

HMK

Brand Tag Clouds

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Starbucks?

Introducing: Brand Tags. The basic idea of Brand Tags is that a brand exists entirely in people's heads. Therefore, whatever it is they say a brand is, is what it is. So, if you ask a bunch of people what a brand is and make a tag cloud, you should have a pretty accurate look at what the brand represents.

Nice.

Dig it: Brand Tags.

Oh, and don't forget to check out Celeb Tags...



So, what's the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Dolly Parton...

That's Right,

HMK

Happy Belated 10th iMac!

The iMac turned 10 years yesterday -the original press release says it all:

"We designed iMac to deliver the things consumers care about most - the excitement of the Internet and the simplicity of the Mac," said Steve Jobs, Apple's Interim CEO. "iMac is next year's computer for $1299; not last year's computer for $999."

Mucho mas from the smart folks over at: ARS Technica.


That's Right,

HMK

Herman Miller: Discovering Design

Discovering Design is a destination for individuals to learn about the evolution and history of mid-century American modernism—the people, products, places and ideas that formed an important design era. The target audience is broad and ranges from the architecture and design communities to students and potential customers of Herman Miller furniture.

Dig it: Herman Miller.


That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at Communication Arts.

ReThinking

Here's a smart and affordable Mother's Day gift. These reusable bags from Flip & Tumble are perfect - designed for those who only seem to remember our reusable bags the moment we need them. A stretchy pouch makes it a cinch to go from a full size bag to small ball in seconds flat.

Get more info and dig the video demo over at Flip & Tumble.

And I'm totally digging this chair from Carlos Motta made of reclaimed wood available from 1stDibs.


That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at Design Milk.

The MObi Project

Kevin Fitzsimons, founder of Fitzsimons Design + Build has just launched the MObi project.

The MObi Project is the restoration and modernization of a 1978 Sovereign 31’ Airstream Land Yacht. "Designed for today’s wealthy traveler, MObi will encompass the latest in available smart technology, be completely green and loaded with creature comforts."

Keep Reading: The MObi Project.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at MocoLoco.

Introducing FontStruct

Build, share and download custom fonts using FontStruct's simple editor.

This looks like a pretty fun and interesting tool for anyone that's every thought about diving into the details of creating their own custom font. Oh yeah, did I mention it's free?

I'll let you know as soon as my first FontStruct font is underway!

Check out FontStruct from the smart folks at FontShop.

That's Right,

HMK

Inflatable Lounger

I'm thinking this might be kinda nice for our next Big Bend trip. For GBP 20; about $40 you can score this groovy and portable Inflatable Lounger. The genius part is the two built-in i-Pod speakers.

I wonder if it floats...

Check it out over at the: Gadget Shop.

That's Right,

HMK

Gracias to Swiss Miss.

The Real Thing

Alice Rawsthorn waxes on intelligent, elegant and appropriate examples of design that make you feel better just by being there.

There was a time when Coca-Cola's packaging was as irritatingly fussy and over-complicated as its competitors'. No more. Coke unveiled the engagingly simple new Coca-Cola Classic can last summer, after junking the neurotic illustrations on the old cans in favor of the beautifully scripted "signature" that's been its corporate logo since the 1880s.



Really appreciate the clean, subtle and "classic" use of Gotham.

Read the whole thing over at the International Herald Tribune: Alice Rawsthorn on Quietly Good Design.

That's Right,

HMK

Try Drawer 61...

I'm not sure if it's the numbers as pulls or all the possible storage options, but this is pretty sweet. Check out the Toolbox, a modular system designed by Pietro Arosio for Emmebi Design.

So, where do you keep your magnets? Try Drawer 61...

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at: Design Milk.

My Favorite Ringtone

The closest Dirk No-Win-Ski will ever get to touching an NBA Championship ring is if he reads my blog on his iPhone...

Nice Pre-Game 4 Chatter

SA Town: Boring is just another excuse for fans whose teams can't beat our Spurs.

yndo71: You can't spell boring without ring.

HMK: Genius!

Read it all at ESPN: Counting Out Spurs Becomes A Yearly Tradition.


Go Spurs!

That's Right,

HMK

Set To Stun

Thanks, in part to Bruce Bowen's incredible containment of Steve Nash, our World Champion San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 115-99 last night taking a commanding 3-0 series lead.

That's Right,

Go Spurs!

HMK

Keep'em Coming Back for More

Here's a nice handfull of 14 Website Usability Guidelines designed to bring them back for more...

"Sites that are designed to sell products and/or services must go the extra mile to enhance the visitor's engagement with the website. Shopping cart abandonment (shoppers abandoning their carts before deciding to pay for the "items" they've added to their cart) can result in a significant loss in potential sales. But much of that can be reduced when the shopping process is streamlined and geared for shopper satisfaction.

The selling process--from initial interest to the very last checkout page--must be able to grab shopper's attention and proceed to drive them through to the finalization of the sale. But even after the sell, you must deal with customer service issues in order to keep the sale finalized. Good customer service will bring your purchasers back for another and another and another.

Here's the first of fourteen general usability guidelines that will enhance shoppers overall experience on your site.

Images vs. Content

Images and content must work together to provide the user with a satisfactory experience. Relying too heavily on images and other media can be distracting, especially to those that really need to read more about what you're selling before they are comfortable making a purchase. On the other hand, too much content on the wrong pages can also turn some shoppers away. A proper balance must be struck.

Check out the the other 13 via Stoney Degeyter's article over HERE.

That's Right,

Go Spurs!

HMK

Awesome image by: M. Moormann.

Viva Hubble!

As if we need another reason to FIESTA down here in San Antonio, let's all hoist a pint to the Hubble telescope - it's 18 years old today!

To help celebrate Wired Magazine has posted an amazing slide show of some of our beloved Hubble's shots from deep space like this one of the ESO 99-4, above.

"ESO 99-4 is a galaxy with an unusual shape that is probably the remnant of an earlier merger process that has deformed it. ESO 99-4 lies in the constellation of Triangulum Australe, the Southern Triangle, about 400 million light-years away."
Photo: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

Check out the full gallery over at Wired.

That's Right,

Go Spurs!

HMK

MassArt Redesign

My Alma Matter, MassArt, the 135-year-old institution in Boston has the proud distinction of being both the first and only independent public college of art in the United States, and the first art school to grant a degree.

Working with brand consultancy Minelli, Inc., MassArt, engaged in an eighteen-month-long planning and assessment process that resulted in a strategic marketing plan that aimed to raise the institution's profile, and one of the key elements to achieve this would be its identity. MassArt assembled a committee of faculty, staff, students, foundation directors, and trustees to oversee the project, who selected Moth Design — which features four MassArt alumni — out of seven design firms that responded to requests for proposal. With a new institution name, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (formally established in October of 2007), and a clear sense of renewal, MassArt established objectives for the new identity:

To present MassArt consistently and with confidence.

To represent a level of skill, quality, and creativity appropriate for a leading college of art and design.

To establish a visual signature that is distinct and recognizable as Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

To retain the significant brand equity in "MassArt" while firmly establishing the college's new formal name.

To reflect the energy and spirit of the individuals that comprise MassArt's diverse community.

This is actually the 4th logo for MassArt since my days back in the late 80's. Nice job!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to the smart folks at: Under Consideration.

Government Branding: Doh!

The UK Office of Government Commerce is:

Responsible for improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement

Now, let's see, how would you improve value for money? I know! An expensive branding exercise. That'll do it.

So FHD, the prestigious London branding agency, has been brought in to devise, among other things, a new logo. And here, courtesy of The Register, it is:



When it was presented to OGC staff it didn't take long for them to look at the new brand logo (emblazoned on mouse mats and so forth) from all angles:


Apparently they are pressing ahead with it anyway. A spokesman for the OGC said (I kid you not) this: We concluded that the effect was generic to the particular combination of the letters 'OGC' - and is not inappropriate to an organisation that's looking to have a firm grip on government spend.

That's Right,

HMK

Big thanks to Daniel Finkelstein at: The UK Times.

Perpetuating The Watchmen Buzz

The always energetic and creative genius that is Zack Snyder, director of next year's highly anticipated big screen version of Alan Moore's Watchmen has announced a really a cool idea.

Working with YouTube, Zack and team have created an enticing opportunity for fans to create fake advertising that if awesome enough, might actually be used somewhere in the background of the film.

Smart and interesting approach to including user-generated content while keeping the fanboy buzz churning as the film's production continues.

Ok, where's my camera?

Details over at: The Watchmen Movie.

That's Right,

HMK

Color & Meaning

Q: I'm working on a series of logos and labels for a Japanese micro brewery in Osaka catering to a niche of affluent water-skiing Hawaiian Monks. Are there any colors I should avoid that might have potential inherent negative cultural connotations?

A: That's an excellent question. I suggest you pay a visit to the smart folks over at Sibagraphics.

It's a great start anyway!

That's Right,

HMK

Marketing vs. Advertising vs. PR vs. Branding

A nicely simplified take on the relationships among marketing roles
from Marty Neumeier, author of the awesome book: Zag.




That's Right,

HMK