We love how many of you jumped behind the chair for our April Fool’s “Support the Stache” campaign to stylize our brand with your fine-tooth comb – and maybe some wax where needed. What you don’t know is that “Gary’s Stache” was actually one of the top-five KellerINK design concepts created during our branding process. So, where did our final inspiration come from?
To hit the above-average mark, we went back to the basics. We asked our designers to step away from their digital workstations for a very analog pen and ink approach. The result: five design impressions aimed at meeting our very specific user-focused results. From radical and whacky to practical and precise, here’s a peek at the five finalists plus our big takeaways from the process.
Gary’s Stache
One of the more far-out ideas was an expanded version of our April Fools’ facelift. Originally inspired by Gary’s iconic mustache, this concept’s purpose was very author-centric. “We thought, what makes someone visibly unique, and more so Gary Keller,” says Caitlin McIntosh, graphic designer for KellerINK. Funny thing is, the answer was right in front of our – or Gary’s – face. “Facial hair is a quirky but distinguished feature,” she explains, “and today, they’ve actually become trendy.”
Playing off of Gary and the recent stache revival, the team thought adding facial hair would be a fun way to characterize books’ different personalities. The feel was human and presented an inviting introduction to our brand, products and authors that begged for user interaction.
The Notebook
We can’t say enough about the importance of the notebook to any business. But, here at KellerINK, it takes center stage in all that we do – particularly the writing process. So, why not let it be front-and-center on our Website? Parts of it are.
First and foremost, the notebook idea was a different way to tell the story behind KellerINK and our products that included methodology. And, graphically speaking, “it was a way to portray a highly stylized site with many hand-written, homemade elements,” Caitlin explains. “We actually ended up keeping the hand-drawn feel on the current site.”
She notes the tabs and info graphics used as the site’s roadmap closely mirror the structure and parts of a writer’s notebook, while sketched images and text add a personal touch and insider’s look.
The Guru
One question: What’s it like inside Gary’s mind? It’s something everyone wants to know, and stays in line with our products’ purposes – to help the user. This concept was lead by Gary’s love of education and teaching, and plays with his mystique. Caitlin says the design team added speech bubbles to invoke conversation and to elevate the site with non-traditional navigation. “We even went as far as to start playing with the idea of KellerThink,” she says.
Wordles
Again more in line with an out-of-the-box practice, the concept for Wordles was words. Words make sentences, which make paragraphs, which make stories and lessons, which make chapters, which make books. So, what happens if the user strictly interacts with our brand from the point of contact via words? A much different experience.
Again, it reiterates the importance of imagination, and introduces life and connection where they’re not typically thought to be found.
I AM KELLERINK
Piggybacking the “I Am Amsterdam” campaign, the idea behind I AM KELLERINK was people. This design truly put the spotlight on you, the user. Similar to the people of Amsterdam, and tourists alike, sitting on and mingling with the “I Am Amsterdam” letters, brand and city, we wanted KellerINK visitors to interact with our books, notes Caitlin. “This ultimately makes you a part of the process, and the site.”
The MarCom team heightened that message by creating and using original photographs that act as vignettes featuring lessons from each book. “Our aim is to show results through people,” Caitlin says. “The task was how to fill what is normally a vacant space – how to portray results through people, through books, and include atmosphere?”
Our solution was to make each individual picture a personal story with no face. This way the attention is on the book and how it can empower you – or your – in your business or life.
Our AHAs
Aside from being reminded how fun collaboration and colored pencils can be, this process resulted in some big AHAs.
1. Keep the conversation conceptual – Going back to the basics oftentimes makes more sense. When you layout something in InDesign, you start to debate font choices when you should be asking if this is even the right look and feel.
2. Generate lots of ideas – Digital design lends itself to detail work—it’s measured in pixels instead of pen strokes. Designers can get attached to the concepts they make beautiful. Our primitive approach, again, kept the conversation at 30,000 feet until it was time to truly zero in on a finalist.
3. Collaboration is key – If you let people run too far down one lane, it actually impedes creativity. Conversely, if you dictate every move, you squash the opportunity for surprise.
In the end, what do you want your Website or brand to say about you? Ultimately, KellerINK.com’s lifeblood came directly from the pulse of what we do and why. We write books to help people. What does your site say about you? And, how can an afternoon of doodling increase purpose and productivity?
Originally posted on KellerINK.
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