I've been an advocate of author Marty Neumeier's thinking --but his
day in the sun has probably past, I think. You can read about him here. And one of his books I'm going to quote from at slideshare. As with all
author's, I do NOT agree with everything he says. But I'm still a
fan-boy. He was the publisher of CRITIQUE magazine.
Anyway. he said in The Brand Gap
people need to know three things: "who you are," "what you do," and
"why I should care." That's the basis for a logo, a business card, a
trade show booth, or a website home page. You have to answer those
questions fast. Pretty simple. The "why I should care" question is the
one business people agonize over.
I've learned Neumeier has the emphasis backwards.
"Why?" is most important, not last in the hierarchy of thinking. You
have to start there and work outwards.
Apple
may "think different" --but I think backwards or opposite. Thinking of
new ways to do things is a crucial part of who I am. I'm never content
with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.
Unconventional. That is why I put up resistance to ideological fads and
trends. They're suspicious to me. Fast buck shortcuts are usually
fairytale.
Trivial note: Apple's annual R&D expenditure is
much lower than industry standards: 2%. That's what a low-tech company
usually spends --not a high-tech one (more like 4% or more.)
The
truth be known, I only ask clients "what they want" to be polite. I
usually then show them they're chasing the wrong butterfly. I'm more diplomatic than that. Sort of. :) My point was their perspective usually has
nothing to do with emotion.
I focus a lot on subconscious cuing. This is called "transparent features" in web speak.
Using fear as a motivator with people's "lizard brain" doesn't feel right to me. It's not life-oriented but death.
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