Can Your New Concept Pass the Squint Test?

Reviewing new logo treatments, we were presented with a page of logos looking as if they were behind frosted glass. The page’s title was the “Squint Test.” The point is a strong logo should be so distinct that it’s clear and recognizable even if it’s not seen clearly, i.e. you’re squinting at it.

The concept is related to previous posts on CBR (the rules of “Can’t Be Right”) and extends beyond graphics as a good test for any new concept under consideration.

Think about factors that might obscure your concept’s clarity, impact, and success upon implementation. Will the factors be:

• Visual?
• Auditory?
• Related to lack of knowledge?
• Due to misinformation?
• From too small or narrow an audience?
• Mismatched technology?
• Insufficient resources?
• Or something else?

Figure out the relevant factors and apply (or approximate) them to see how well your concept works when it’s in real-life, far from ideal situations (such as when a tree falls through the neighbor's roof as in the picture here).

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Happy Hour Creativity

Have a creative challenge you’re struggling with? Have a Friday afternoon creative bunch tackle it.

Get your creative team together mid-afternoon this Friday, head to an empty restaurant with a big table (preferably with paper tablecloths for writing ideas), spring for appetizers and drinks, and get their help innovatively addressing your challenge.

A co-worker had a naming challenge last week. On Friday, we followed this approach - bringing along some starter ideas - and with minimal set-up, had a great far-reaching discussion about naming and its broader implications for his effort. To his surprise, within 45 minutes, we had a longer and richer list of ideas than his group had been able to generate over a several week period.

So if you have a problem to solve, what is your creative bunch doing Friday afternoon?

Sometimes You Have to Push Strategic Mentors

I was talking with a previous strategic mentor of mine about a situation in his current job. A couple of new people outside his direct organization are involved in several efforts he’s leading. The challenge is that neither of them, although very junior to him, has entered the business relationship with a learning mindset – either because of trust-related issues or no self-recognition of their development needs.

The net of it, as he explained it, is that at this point in his career, he doesn’t feel compelled to go out of his way to include them in certain aspects of the project that would help develop them since they aren’t willing students.

I reminded him that if he were being true to his convictions, he would embrace the opportunity to cross organizational boundaries and grow two people who it sounded like could clearly benefit from his wisdom – as I had earlier in my career.

He was driving during our conversation, with his wife hearing his comments on why these two people didn’t deserve the opportunity. After getting off the phone with me, she asked him to explain the situation and told him the same thing – if he were true to what he “preached,” he had no choice but to include and help both of them!

Remember when you enter into a strategic mentorship relationship, that it’s very much a two-way street. Just as a strategic mentor should challenge and help shape your point of view, there are times when you have to turn the tables and challenge them also.

Creative Quickie - Share the Credit!

Want to attract more people for your personal creative team?

Here’s a way: Don’t always take credit for what you’ve done. In fact, go out of your way to recognize others and share credit with them.

Want an even better idea? Give credit away completely to the others on your creative team.

Maybe your response is, “Hmmmmm. If I don’t get my due credit for great work, it’s going to make me look less valuable!” If that’s what you’re thinking, you haven’t been paying attention.

The more successes you create around you, the more apparent it will be that you are the common denominator for successes in your organization. Quit worrying about yourself and start giving credit to everyone else to whom it’s due.

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Brainzooming - 11 Ways to Avoid Surprises

1. Read something written out loud.


2. Look at something created in color in black and white.


3. Listen to something loud at a lower volume.


4. Look at something intended to be viewed from a distance really close.


5. Show something you’re really familiar with to someone who has never seen it.


6. Take something designed to be used indoors and see what it’s like outdoors.


7. Display something designed for a small screen on one much larger.


8. Do a presentation intended for a large audience in front of just a few people.


9. Work through something with specific steps in a different order.


10. Read something intended to go from start to finish from finish to start instead.


11. And after any of these, ask, what’s working, what isn’t working, what’s surprising, and what should I change?