Team Will Power

Everything's bigger in Texas? Debatable. Especially when it comes to Will Aguero.

I recently had the pleasure of contributing my passions to the life-saving transformation of Will Aguero, a 37 year old Rochester man who is hoping to become a contestant on NBC's "The Biggest Loser". When asked if I was willing to create a logo and donate my services to the cause of the aptly named "Team Will Power", I was on-board before the proposition had even been finished. In the tumultuous landscape of advertising design, it is vitally important to design not for people that want what you have, but to design for people that believe what you believe. Will wanted to improve his life by getting healthy. He's not looking to become an elite athlete with 4% body fat, he simply wants to be able to enjoy the things that his body is keeping him from. I believe in that.

Transformation is at the heart of the growing movement that is Team Will Power; a transformation that aims to free Will's 561 pound body of over 300 pounds of excess weight. Will has volunteered countless hours to help the Rochester Community, and now they are returning the favor, showing overwhelming support for his goal of making it onto the weight-loss reality show. With over 900 supporters via Team Will Power's Facebook Page, and orders for logo emblazoned t-shirts piling up (with all proceeds being donated to the YMCA's Y-Mentors program), a front page news story in the Rochester Post-Bulletin, and news coverage on Rochester's KAAL, Team Will Power has become bigger than ever anticipated.

On September 4th, Will and his supporters are traveling to the Minnesota State Fair, a State Fair second only to Texas in size, to audition for "The Biggest Loser". Fitting that the 2nd largest State Fair in the country could potentially host the audition of the heaviest contestant in the show's 9 season history.

Take that, Texas.

The Lofgren Design Analogy

I've had this lil' analogy up my sleeve for years, but I'd yet to put it in writing. I'd shared rough, unpolished versions of it to students at speaking engagements I've done, but now I feel I'm at a place where I can fully embrace its appropriateness.

Time to get hypothetical. You need a heart transplant. You need a heart transplant BAD. The hospital is informed that you will die unless you get a new heart within the next two weeks. All your medical records support your frantic claims. You get started on a precautionary regimen of anti-biotics and anti-virals, you shave all of your Tom Selleck-esque chest hair, and you make sure you've got your recovery plan in place. Fast forward to being on the table. All the meetings with the surgeon are behind you, you are as mentally prepared as you can be, the donor heart is in the cooler; you are minutes away from being put under. As you talk to yourself in your head, you can't help but make a suggestion. As the operating lights gleam off of your newly shorn chest, you remove the mask from you face and proudly proclaim:

"TRY PUTTING IN A KIDNEY."

"A kidney?" questions the lead surgeon. "You're funny," she jokes, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Well, I told my co-worker about my surgery, and HIS daughter is taking an anatomy class right now. She thinks it might work. Plus, it's probably cheaper, right? You know since everyone has two. More supply, less demand, right?" you say.

"No, you won't make it off the table with a kidney in place of your heart. You need a heart. The problems that would occur after it was in would negate any potential cost savings" the stammering surgeon states.

"Well, I don't know. I'm not a heart surgeon, but I think it could work." you say as the surgeons continue to smear iodine on your torso.

And...scene. Fade to black.

All creatives have been there. If you haven't, you will be. You have made a beautifully stunning, technically sound logo/ad/business card/etc. Portfolio piece FOR SURE. All your knowledge and experience tells you that you have discovered the perfect fit for your client. They will get the results they are looking for, and you will have a final product that you are proud of. After seeing the comps, they agree; they look great. Someone close to them has made a suggestion that is backed up by a spiffy looking rendering composed in Microsoft Paint.

As a professional designer, you know that their idea won't work. It won't reproduce in print, the colors will bleed together, the type is illegible, it's too low res, it has way too much going on, not to mention, it looks unprofessional. Sure they are a paying customer, but just because someone is paying for your expertise doesn't mean you have to ignore everything you've ever learned. There is a core level of responsibility you have to inform them of their grievously bad ideas. At the same time, the client should respect your expertise. If you can't steer them back on the right track, it might be a good time to reassess their need for you as a designer.

After all, I'm sure there is some crooked, black-market surgeon that would love the opportunity to try a heart-to-kidney transplant for cheap.

The Stamp Factory

It's not often that one gets a chance to design for a client that boasts about a target market primarily consisting of naked people. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, I excitedly crafted one of my most recent logos.

A small screen printing outfit was looking for a light-hearted identity that could reflect the simple joy derived from creating small runs of custom t-shirts. After being briefed on the project, I had an immediate mental image of the logo I wanted to design. As I began the design process and reconnected with my memories of screen printing in my magical college days, I felt a real connection to the project. As I worked away, I realized I was so focused on the process that I had neglected eating/drinking/sleeping; not because of a looming deadline or last minute revision, but because I was having fun. I felt very similar to a three year old cousin of mine who was having so much fun playing outside that he avoided taking a "potty break" at all costs. After minutes of watching an epic battle between boy and bladder, I suggested that it was time for a bathroom break, and that the fun would continue after answering nature's call. The fact that I was reminded of a bit of childhood exuberance while I was working was a pleasant reminder that I truly enjoy what I do. I would have rather been hungry than stop designing (which happens to be a fantastic trait in this "we don't have an advertising budget" themed recession).

I tend to go off on tangents; that was one such instance. All fuzzy memories aside, the client was very pleased with the final product, stating that it was exactly as he had imagined it. Music to my ears.

Note to self: Don't forget to eat.

Where does creativity come from?

If you had asked Hieronymus Bosch, he'd tell you creativity comes from a vigorous absinthe binge. Many modern designers might tell you that it's brought out by gin and tonic. Given the illegality of absinthe in the states, and my overall acquired dislike of pine needle flavored liquor, it would seem that the rest of the creative world would be out of luck. How then, is it possible that good art and design are still prolific in this world without a definitive source?

Granted, you could say it boils down to observing the idiosyncrasies of everyday life, but I need a more specific answer. In an effort to decipher the hidden bits of jumbled creativity inside my gourd, I'm going to track my thoughts on design projects I complete, things that inspire me, things that keep me up at night, and why so many "designers" continue to make such liberal use of Papyrus when a cornucopia of more appropriate typography is readily available. Hopefully when it's all said and done, I'll have a better understanding of where my ideas come from, and the internet will have one more blog filled with errant thoughts that are uninteresting to most everyone but it's creator.