Value - 11/05

I read with great interest, and not a little frustration, a fascinating new study by the TrendWatch Graphic Arts (www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com) survey group, which indicates that firms specializing in web design and services are at a crossroads. This is a polite way of saying that internet design and development firms are concerned about the current market band, feel less confident about the business, and are confused about the future. For graphic designers working in every area, the reason for this turn of events will sound sickeningly familiar:  an increasing “demystification” and “commoditization” of web design and production allows everyone to believe that the job is easy and that anyone can do it. Let’s cut to the chase: “Graphic Design” as an industry, a profession, a discipline, a community — call it what you will — is doing a terrible job of selling, marketing and promoting its value to the outside world. There was a time when I believed the battle for recognition had been won, and declared it so in numerous written pieces in the 90s, because it was promising to see some big organizations attributing success to the power of design. And, of course, there are still such companies and institutions. But the 21st century has seen a creeping devaluation that rears its ugly head in surveys, fees and anecdotes to reveal two unassailable truths: most clients still do not fully recognize the value that graphic design brings to the table, and most people confuse how you produce the work with the work itself. The reasons for this state of affairs are too numerous to mention, but include the general dumbing down, speeding up and flattening out of our world. There is also blame within the industry — creative businesses must do a better job of explaining their contribution and be braver about asserting their professionalism. Trade groups, most notably the AIGA, need to make educating, informing and advocating to the outside world a higher priority and a clearer focus. This is no fun, but the alternative is a downward spiral of competition based on price and speed. To paraphrase a recent Citibank commercial, When you were growing up, did you dream of being a commodity?

Just Say No To Fruitcakes

Jeez, I really depressed myself with that piece above. And it’s getting near the holidays, too, which are so much pressure in themselves. Would it be okay if I changed the subject to a lighter topic? It’s okay? Your sure? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better? Good. Thanks for understanding. You guys are great.

Anyway... one of the Midwest’s great design firms, Greteman Group, took an interesting stand on holiday gift giving about a decade ago. Year after year, with the holidays looming, explains CEO Sonia Greteman, the question of what to give clients loomed even larger. But thanks to a shift in thinking, the agency staff, now numbering 21, has come to view the annual rite with eager anticipation. “We made what you might call a just-say-no-to-fruitcakes move nine years ago, and we’ve never looked back,” says Greteman. “Abandoning traditional gift-giving has been liberating. It lets us embrace the true meaning of the season.” In 1996, Greteman Group began a campaign that works on three key levels. It recognizes clients, benefits a worthy cause, and provides a showcase for creativity. Clients still receive a beautiful open-me-first package, but the contents serve as a symbol of something larger: a substantial charitable donation Greteman Group makes on the client’s behalf. A gift to the Kansas Foodbank Warehouse was communicated with a handmade mug, lentils and a recipe; a grant to Project Deserve for energy assistance to senior citizens was marked by a two-color kraft-paper label applied to a simple tin, filled with an aromatic candle, a customized box of matches and a card; and a donation to Raise the Roof was represented by modular building kits meant to prompt inter-office competitions. Greteman says, “Clients’ responses have been overwhelmingly positive. After the gifts are delivered — by hand, to those in town — they inevitably spark an outpouring of cards and calls. Not just thanking the agency, but conveying how moved clients are by the gesture.”