CREATIVITY IN THE HOUSE
In-house teams face the same creative challenges as any other design group. Here's how to stay fresh when you're toeing the company line. A common perception among designers is that working in-house is less inspiring than working for multiple clients. Corporate brand standards, internal politics and a mistrust of "those wacky designers" within other parts of an organization conspire to squelch every ounce of creativity.
This perception, however, is largely unfounded.
According to several veteran in-house designers, creativity isn't
dictated by environment, but rather by one's attitude, approach and
efforts to stay inspired. Like their design-firm brethren, corporate
creatives need to pursue outside interests and push the envelope to
have fun and stay fresh.
Develop a Creative Mindset
According
to John Dorcas, art director of the Fossil Design Group in Richardson,
TX (USA), creativity has less to do with the project or the client than
it does with your own approach to the task. "Every job is what you make
of it," says Dorcas, whose in-house group designs Fossil's fashion
accessories and print collateral.
Jean-Leon Bouchenoire,
worldwide brand equity director at Compaq Corp. in Wooster, MA (USA),
agrees. "Creativity is a state of mind," he says. "It has nothing to do
with the fact that you're in a corporation or a design agency."
In
fact, "a design firm's clients and our internal clients are not much
different," says Michael Kaye, creative director for Little Brown &
Co. in New York City, whose presentation at the HOW Design Conference
in June will touch on in-house issues. "They all have the goal of
achieving success from a product."
Break the Mold
Although
the objectives are similar whether you're working for an in-house group
or an independent agency, corporate designers are still shackled by the
monotony of working on the same brand or projects day in and day out.
According to creativity expert Dr. Carrie Heeter, professor of
telecommunication at Michigan State University's San Francisco campus,
repetition is an in-house designer's biggest enemy. "A brand-new topic
is easier to brainstorm about," Heeter says. "Something you've been
working on for years is, by definition, dragged down by the weight of
history. In these cases, the mold you need to break is your own."
External
forces play a big part in breaking that mold. Steven Heller, a New York
City-based author, educator and newspaper art director, says that for
many in-house creatives, inspiration comes from outside the company.
"It's important for any in-house person to have other interests,"
Heller says. "If one's creativity is narrowly channeled, then doom and
gloom set in."
Corporate designers have to work a bit harder
than their agency counterparts to expose themselves to different
creative perspectives. "It's important to look at publications, go to
conferences, review competitive work, look outside the industry to see
what's being done, and look beyond your boundaries, culture and
language," Bouchenoire says. "You need to be part of a network, stay
connected, be curious, rejuvenate yourself, constantly reinvent
yourself and find new ways of thinking."
For Dorcas, current
graphic and fashion trends beyond the Fossil walls strongly influence
his work. Conferences and design symposiums allow him to see what's
happening outside his company and encounter new ideas. Exposure to the
arts, continuing education and consulting with colleagues for ideas
further promote creative flow. Freelance work can also enhance
creativity. "The greater the knowledge, the more able one is to
design," Kaye says. "Freelance work allows me to expand my knowledge,
to be art directed and to examine how other people work."
Build on Standards
Graphic standards can be the
bane of the in-house designer's existence. But they need not impede
creativity. Miranda Moss, principal of Yamamoto-Moss, a
Minneapolis-based design firm, urges in-house design managers to allow
their staffs to help define the creative direction they're expected to
follow. Moss' résumé includes a stint in-house at the retailer
Dayton's; she now works with clients to establish and implement
brand-identity campaigns.
In some companies, though, brand
standards have been in place and have remained unchanged practically
since the beginning of time. Bouchenoire, who's charged with
safeguarding and implementing Compaq's brand rules worldwide, says a
designer should consider those constraints from new angles. "Think of
standards as the building of brand equity," he says. "Look at new
applications, develop new imagery, investigate sounds and work with
textures, shapes and colors."
Just as they struggle with
standards, corporate creatives also face tight budgets - perhaps more
so than their agency counterparts. But Bouchenoire encourages his staff
to regard cost not as an obstacle, but as "a challenge to creativity
and design."
If handled constructively and diplomatically,
the usually frustrating process of selling design concepts to
non-designers can lead to stronger relationships between creative and
non-creative departments. And Bouchenoire encourages designers to
educate colleagues and catalyze creative change at higher levels of the
company. "Raising awareness with upper management by forwarding
articles of interest and looking at research promotes the value of
design," he says.
Manage for Creativity
How creative departments are
organized and managed significantly impacts the creative experience.
Anne Tryba, manager of the Graphic Design Department at Walt Disney
Imagineering in Glendale, CA (USA), says rotating her staff through
different assignments is key to keeping them fresh. Tryba's group
creates the graphics for Disney's theme parks and resorts. "Casting the
right talent in the right project is important, but putting someone on
something they've done before can be discouraging," Tryba says. "I try
to give people new experiences."
Moss agrees: "Many
designers who have areas of specialty face burnout when they work on
the same type of project without any variety."
Mixing up
project assignments - allowing a designer to work on an in-house
newsletter and an external ad campaign, or the company annual report
and a new retail-signage program - can positively influence the
creative outcome. "Working on several very different projects at once
allows cross-pollination," MSU's Heeter says. "As a result, each
problem and solution can be seen from several perspectives."
Just Have Fun
Fun
is also crucial to creativity, according to Heeter. "Designers need to
take time to be playful, to keep the creative spark vital," she says.
"Brainstorming sessions should be organized as delightful experiences
of wild creativity a reward to look forward to, the most fun part of
the job."
Off-site workshops and retreats are other avenues
for creative recharge. From museum visits, movies and games at work to
"trend trips," guest speakers and celebrations, the possibilities are
endless for keeping creatives motivated. According to these
corporate-design veterans, creativity exists regardless of setting. A
designer's approach and effort determine the reward and outcome. Being
in-house isn't the issue; inspiring and challenging oneself is.
For more information, contact:
Adriane Lee Schwartz
T: + 212 352 9300 x224
E:
About this article
The above article by Adriane Lee Schwartz originally appeared in the April, 2000 issue of HOW Magazine and appears here with permission.
© 2000 HOW Magazine.
About Adriane Lee Schwartz
Adriane Lee Schwartz is president of The Creative Resource, a national design-recruitment firm based in New York City. She is a writer, management consultant and creative.
About HOW Magazine
How is a leading U.S. publication for the graphic design profession, offering a comprehensive mix of business advice, creative inspiration, design insights and personal profiles.