Brian Collins./PR
"Thoughts, musings, and principles I've shared with my team and randomly on Twitter. Reminding yourself of the principles that ground you is just good practice. Here's mine."
Brian opens the list of tweets that he collected and condensed into one document with 101 sections.
From there, he gets straight to business:
1. Design is hope made visual.
2. You can live your life as a result of history and what preceded it, or you can live your life as a cause of what is to come.
You choose.
3. When the talent does not push, the hustle wins the talent.
But when the talent is pressing, beware.
4. When you work only for money, without any love for what you do, your work will lack energy.
People will feel it.
Give every project everything you've got, every moment, every time.
5. A good philosopher will say: "Know thyself."
A good shopkeeper will say: "Know your customer."
A good designer will say: "Know both."
6. When someone cancels your ambitions (only the little ones do), avoid them.
Instead, look for those who are much better than you;
They will make you feel like you can make your dreams come true, because their dreams are probably even bigger.
They will carry you to the finish line.
7. A brand always answers two questions.
The first is internal: what do we believe?
The second is external: how do we behave?
You must stay authentic to yourself, your core values and what you stand for, or you will be left out, but your brand must maintain cultural relevance – stay relevant to the times, always evolving to inspire people at large.
These two answers must always be aligned with each other.
8. Find a way to connect each project to something much bigger: a higher value, a truth, a brave purpose or a bigger question.
Then, if your efforts begin to lag or feel mundane, return to the greater ideal that inspired you in the first place.
It works.
9. Put it on your table: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
10. A good designer will help the company get where it wants to go.
A great designer will push a company where it needs to go.
You can live your life as a result of history and what preceded it, or you can live your life as a cause of what is to come.
You choose.
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
11. Are you going to tell a story?
Tell a great story.
A huge story.
An epic story.
Or don't tell a story at all.
12. The role of creative leadership is to create more leaders - not more followers.
This view is rarer than I would like.
13. I learned that there are only two types of people:
- People who do exactly what they say they will do.
- People who are full of shit.
14. The form follows the fantasy.
Every good idea comes from a spark of imagination, not pragmatism.
Facts are important, but possibility creates future.
15. Never take an unpaid internship.
Never.
It is immoral and in many places it is illegal.
But more importantly, what kind of people will refuse to pay you?
Oh yes, really crappy people.
16. If you lose the will to be stupid, the power to laugh, and the ability to laugh at yourself, you will lose the power to think.
Work without play makes Jack a dull boy for one reason: it kills his imagination.
17. Are you stuck with a problem you can't solve?
Go bigger.
Expand it.
They made her giant.
Don't try to contain it, or simplify it, or reduce it.
Make it so big that you start to see a new pattern.
Solve the bigger problem and the smaller one will be solved along the way.
18. Always start with mythology.
It's good fuel.
Fairy tales and fantasy do not age or become obsolete for one reason: they are a step into a dimension beyond the reach of time itself.
Build a solid one.
19. When I turned 35, I transferred my desire to be happy to the desire to be useful.
It made all the difference.
20. There are only two kinds of leaders:
- those in the engine room who help the crew shovel the coal.
- those who sit at the top of the train and wave to the crowds as they pass.
Are you going to tell a story?
Tell a great story.
A huge story.
An epic story.
Or don't tell a story at all.
21. Learn from advertising agencies.
They say yes to everything, even when they can't do it.
But they try.
Designers say not too often: "Oh, no. We don't do that!"
It's short sighted.
Instead, say yes to everything.
But always add "yes...if."
Then set your terms.
22. I was on a committee with the esteemed educator Sir Ken Robinson.
At one meeting where a pompous guest was running, he turned to me and whispered, "What we do for ourselves dies with us when we leave this planet. What we do for other people can live forever."
23. The opposite of courage is not cowardice.
The opposite of adoption is conformity.
24. Finding everywhere is invisibility.
What we know too much, what becomes common, we stop seeing.
One function of design is to restore our perception, renew our understanding, and invite us to be more alert.
25. Look for simplicity only on the far side of complexity.
Do the work, the research, the understanding and discover the unseen, surprising and unexpected insight before you start creating your solution.
26. A famous designer I admire once said "style = freak".
I disagree.
I believe that "style = precision" because it gives focus and timely relevance to ideas.
27. If you want to make people like things, work in advertising.
If you want to make things people like, work in design.
Both are valid ways to build a brand, but the second way is more profitable in the long run.
28. You can always get a good story out of a successful product.
But you can't always get a good product out of a story.
29. Hire talented people your clients will never let in their front door.
Give them influence.
Clear the track.
Sandwich vendor.
and stand back.
30. When designers are overwhelmed we can retreat into passivity.
We are retreating.
It gives us the illusion of control.
The less we try, the less likely we are to fail.
We make it look like we are not responsible for what happens to us.
But never give up.
Get closer, instead.
try.
mistake.
Apologize quickly.
And keep trying.
More in Walla!
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
To the full article
Being found anywhere is invisibility.
What we know too much, what becomes common, we stop seeing.
One function of design is to restore our perception, renew our understanding, and invite us to be more alert.
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
31. Never be boring.
be ridiculous
absurd.
But never be boring.
(Yes, this rule will get you in trouble.)
32. Urgent.
33. Urge harder.
34. The goal is to make the complicated simple - not the other way around.
The best ideas are often expressed as simple ideas.
They will have power because they will feel inevitable.
35. Looking back from the end of a project, it will seem inevitable.
But when you started, you had no idea you'd end up there.
What Kassil suggests at this point is dangerous: "This creative process is too messy and too complicated. It needs efficiency because this solution made so much sense. We need to apply more logic throughout the process!"
This is the beginning of the end of creativity.
Resist that urge.
It destroys the spontaneity, originality, serenity and lack of direction, where the greatest ideas await.
36. Do you find yourself surrounded by people who whine that "customers don't understand what we do"?
These people will never have good customers.
37. The first job of a designer is to express the tangible value we bring to any situation.
It's not the customers job to try to guess that.
38. Average designers hit the brakes when they feel fear.
But when the talented get scared, they hit the pedal, accelerate and head into the unknown.
39. I taught students for 20 years.
In that time I have seen confidence, persistence and desire play a much bigger role in growth and achievement than talent.
passive?
Whining?
Waiting for orders?
You will not get up off the ground.
vigorous?
enthusiastic?
curious?
The sky's the limit.
40. If you want to teach design, read "Teaching to Transgress" by bell hooks first.
Your whole mindset will change.
If not, please don't study.
The goal is to make the complicated simple - not the other way around.
The best ideas are often expressed as simple ideas.
They will have power because they will feel inevitable.
41. Seeking control over design means being comfortable getting your own way.
Train the new way.
Others will doubt you and cast doubt.
But this way will eventually suit your soul.
It will not only lead you to deeper parts of your craft, but to hidden parts of yourself.
42. There may come a time when someone publicly attacks you or your work.
If this happens, remember this: those who attack are the ones who fear you the most.
They will suspect that your talents may be greater than theirs.
They, in fact, become your most sincere believers.
It's a proof point when they start showing up.
Pay attention to them.
Then thank them when they arrive.
43. "Always think with your stick ahead."
Amelia Earhart drew this on her plane.
She intended, I imagine, to seize the moment when it came.
Refuel as needed.
Don't wait for any damn kind of "inspiration."
Lift the throttle.
Get back on the air.
keep flying
44. Work in an agency that usually recruits guns from outside the industry to lead, instead of promoting potential guns from within the company?
ran away
now.
The agency will never become what it wants to be.
45. Separate people who talk from people who do.
When someone comes to me for an interview, I suggest a good book - about anything - to read beforehand.
"After you finish that, call me, and we'll set up a time."
90% don't read.
There are exceptions, but I rent from the remaining 10%.
46. Be careful not to do too much work that copies the people you admire.
Start like this to see what feels right.
But aim to look for what they were looking for instead of doing what they are doing.
47. Stay away from people who confuse pomposity with depth.
Contagious inability to express.
48. When you are out of weapons, out of crew and out of ammunition in a competition, what else do you have to use?
Kindness and imagination.
49. When someone disagrees with you, don't defend yourself.
Instead, listen.
Ask them to explain, validate their concern, expand on it, and confirm their point of view.
Only then will someone listen to everything you have to say.
I wish someone had told me that in my teenage years.
50. We don't create fantasy worlds to escape reality.
We create them so that we can see better, understand and reshape reality.
We don't create fantasy worlds to escape reality.
We create them so that we can see better, understand and reshape reality.
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
51. Look for ambition.
Recruit a character.
We trained talents.
52. When I hear the word "iteration" repeated more than three times in three minutes, I fear there will be a sticky-note fest on the wall in three minutes.
fair warning.
53. A story is not just a conflict.
It can be a well of shared values.
If you change the story people tell about themselves and their communities, you can change not just those people, you can change an entire culture.
54. Build yourself a library and read John Milton.
He had a deep respect for books and human thought.
"For books are not completely dead things, but contain within them the power of life to be as active as that soul of which they are descendants; they preserve as in a vial the purest efficiency and extraction of the living intellect that raised them."
A better definition of the sanctity of books has never been written.
55. Have you noticed a customer doing something nasty for the first time?
Never wait for the second time.
Address him quickly, or cut him off.
Either way, don't "wait and see".
This leaves you and your team vulnerable.
What he showed you is who he is.
move fast
56. Control is not achieved by the mind.
Mastery is not achieved by talent.
Control is not achieved from ambition.
Mastery is only achieved with time and focus applied to your craft over many years.
Don't confuse it with fame.
57. Try absolutely everything.
Then try everything again.
Then, one more time.
58. Accept compliments gracefully.
Treat flatterers with suspicion.
Listen to your complainers and cynics - not because you might learn from them, but because they secretly care.
59. Design is not how the thing looks.
Design is what this thing does.
60. The smartphone replaced daydreams.
Fixed on our small, bright screens, dusty old thoughts no longer slip out of our minds as easily, so no new, silly, absurd thoughts slip back in.
And all good ideas start as silly, absurd thoughts.
Turn off your phone.
Daydreamed.
Farted around.
Ponder.
Let something weird fly in and around, hoping it finds an open mind to land on.
Control is not achieved by the mind.
Mastery is not achieved by talent.
Control is not achieved from ambition.
Mastery is only achieved with time and focus applied to your craft over many years.
Don't confuse it with fame.
61. If an idea doesn't scare you in some way, it's not really a good idea.
62. A strong and sincere voice is like a clear bell - when rung it travels far, across fields, mountains and rivers.
Ring this bell.
And others learned too.
63. Ignore those who tell you to "focus only on your strengths".
Nonsense.
Your powers never go away.
Build them, sharpen them and add muscles to them.
But also focus on what you need to move on to new and bigger worlds.
64. Failures are not always mistakes.
It's just the best you could do at that point.
OK fine.
Apologize quickly.
The real failure is beating yourself up and not taking advantage of the opportunity to learn.
65. Never hire people because of a "cultural fit."
What a harmful term.
Instead, hire insanely talented people for their "cultural contribution".
on how unique they are.
How are they different from you?
For what they will add that you don't have.
66. People who use the word "lifestyle" don't have one.
67. Order of importance in a large agency: clients -> work -> people.
Ours: People -> Work -> Client's Clients -> Clients.
It is easy.
Good people do good work that customers like so that customers succeed.
68. Don't work with clients to help them be the best.
Work with clients to help them become one of a kind.
69. Hire Tigger, not Ayoor (The Bear Map).
Surround yourself with optimists.
They will build an existence from the future.
70. Read a good book every week.
After a year your mind will fire up like a rocket and your mind will start going to new places, connecting new ideas and thinking in ways you never have before.
A strong and honest voice is like a clear bell - when rung it travels far, across fields, mountains and rivers.
Ring this bell.
And others learned too.
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
71. Never create and edit at the same time.
Bring up all the sloppy, ugly roughs and first drafts.
Quantity is more important than quality in the beginning.
Mess is more - Mess is more.
72. All ideas are bad ideas.
They only become good through craft and love.
73. Clients want you to be wildly successful.
That's why they hired you.
Show them how.
It's your damn job.
do it.
74. We perceive through images.
We think in metaphors.
We learn by telling stories.
We create with fantasy.
75. When you find yourself on the horns of a dilemma, always do the right thing.
It will shock people.
And you'll come out better, anyway.
76. Maybe.
Maybe.
It will be possible.
Some day.
These are some of the most harmful words a creative person can use.
lose them
77. Everyone starts with good intentions.
Not everyone ends up with them.
It was the most painful thing I ever learned.
78. People already know what advice they need to hear.
They just need to hear it told to them by someone else.
79. There is no such thing as "the future".
There are only "futures" - and they all compete with each other, fighting for dominance.
What future will you feed?
80. When asked for a definition of "brand", I use this: A brand is a promise consistently delivered over time.
This has been going on for a while.
People already know what advice they need to hear.
They just need to hear it told to them by someone else.
81. Brands are mentors to come.
The best know how to anticipate what will happen, then create and transport us to tomorrow.
82. Companies no longer compete with each other.
They - all of us - are in competition with the future itself.
83. The era of human-centered design is now gone.
Our existence was never human-centered anyway.
Covid-19 proved this to be nonsense.
It's time to focus on the environment.
do not exist
Regeneration design where we create not apart from nature but as part of nature.
84. It's never about winning.
It's never about losing.
It's just about learning.
85. I'm tired of talking about "designers" who never design anything beyond their main themes.
I'm tired of talking about "entrepreneurs" who never build anything beyond themselves.
I'm tired of the talk of "thought leaders" who lead nothing but perpetuate their own fame.
86. When you submit payment for your work, someone will always ask, "Is this negotiable?"
He answered: "Yes. Up."
87. In the end, it won't be what you took.
It will be what you gave.
88. Don't worry about your competition.
You are no longer in competition with them.
You are only in competition with the future itself.
So don't look over your shoulder.
Look two, three, five years down the road and invent backwards from there.
89. Design is the bridge that takes us from where we are to where we should be.
It is creating a future.
And it is our job to bring our customers to the best future for themselves as quickly and efficiently as possible.
90. Skip the whole "Minimal Viable Product" (MVP for short) section.
This leads to incrementalism.
Try "Maximum Fucking Love".
This leads to something that someone else might actually care about.
Companies no longer compete with each other.
They - all of us - are in competition with the future itself.
For the full content of the branding conference, go to the link >>
91. Be aware that every choice you make comes down to two options: creating complaints or creating hope.
In the end, it's that simple.
92. The era of problem solving is over.
It's too reactive in a world where the future is coming too fast.
Designers must now be problem hunters, finding and anticipating problems before they reach our desk, because at that point, it's too late.
93. Now we all need to build bridges, not walls.
The rest is details.
94. Design Thinking (Design Thinking) gives a definition of romantic expression as found in historical contexts at the time.
Design says: "I'll be up there."
95. In first creative presentations, to ensure that your creative work has time and space to land, kick all the devil's advocates out of the room before you present anything.
And then they said this: "We're here to create something new. New ideas can be fragile because they're unfamiliar. You might not like something you see here, but you can't say that yet. We'll have to edit and remove some of this work later, but for now , everything will work. So find something, anything, that you like in every idea. Color. Word. Picture. Sentence. Anything. In the end, we find what we're looking for. And today we're going to look for the new."
96. In the end, there are only two key questions the world asks us: 1) Who are you?
2) Where are you going?
These questions are the same questions we ask our customers.
The first is about authenticity;
The second is about relevance.
Asking them will leave the world wide open in front of you.
97. Like it or not, your brand story already exists, so you should manage it as you would any other strong company asset.
After your product, your means of delivering it and your audience, your story will be the most powerful tool you have to build with.
98. to be very
For a very long time, it took a very long time for anything to change.
If you found an answer that worked, you could trust that it would be the answer for ages.
But those days are over.
Being the answer is not the answer.
Or even an option.
Unless, of course, you are very curious.
or very focused.
very gay
very honest
very caring
very prickly
Very visual.
Very literal.
Very cheeky.
Very funny.
very windy
pretty much anything.
Everyone at Collins is very something.
99. If I took lessons from Ogilvy, it would be these two: 1) Think big.
Then think even bigger.
2) Take advantage of every opportunity while you can.
catch them
And go for it all.
You never know if they will ever come again.
100. Show.
don't watch
Breathe, don't read.
upside down.
Don't change.
required.
Don't brood.
proven.
don't promise
fan
do not cut
Imagine.
Do not worry.
Made.
Don't analyze.
Audio.
don't listen
View.
do not speak.
Give.
Do not take.
101. Design is not what we make.
Design is what we make possible.
Brian Collins will give a lecture at the branding conference.
For the full contents of the conference and to purchase tickets, go to the link >>
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