The Design Symphony Experience

The Best Creative Money Can't Buy

The interesting thing about the the video from will.i.am in my recent post is that it was created without any input, direction, or request from the Obama campaign.

As will.i.am tells it:

"I was sitting in my recording studio watching the debates...
Torn between the candidates...I was never really big on politics...
and actually I’m still not big on politics...

And then came New Hampshire... And i was captivated... Inspired...

I began making this song...
I came up with the idea to turn his speech into a song...
I wanted the inspiration that was bubbling inside me to take over...

so I called my friends...
and they called their friends...
in a matter of 2 days...
We made the song and video...

Usually this process would take months...
a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...
interviews...
all that stuff...
but this time i took it in my own hands...
so i called my friends sarah pantera, mike jurkovac, fred goldring, and jesse dylan to help make it happen...
and they called their friends..
and we did it together in 48 hours...
and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...

You know you're delivering an impressive brand experience when your fans start creating their own ways to refer more business to you and promote your goals/dream/agenda.

After I sent out the video, my good friend and work colleague Berit sent me the following images created by Shepard Fairey - a well known artists of "Obey Giant" fame who specializes in the prolific stickering and flyposting of propaganda-style images.

Not only are these beautiful posters with powerful imagery, but once again, they were created by a "fan" who wanted to lend his own creativity to the cause. As he tells it:

"I first became interested in him [Obama] in 2004, after his speech at the Democratic convention and have been impressed with him ever since. I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and my feeling about Barack is he stuck his neck out by being against the war, he always seems to speak his mind whether it's the popular position or not and he just seems like he follows what he believes in, which impresses me. So I decided I'd support him and put up my own money to do so. Some people asked me why I don't wait until he's got the Democratic nomination, but if you want a candidate to win, why not try your best to ensure he actually gets the nomination? "

So here's the ultimate question: How many of your customers, supporters, donors, etc. would put their own time and money into creating amazingly creative campaigns to promote your cause?

If you struggle to answer that question, maybe you should start by thinking about how much you inspire them? Just a thought...

P.S. While the posters are sold out and there are no plans to print more, you can download a B/W version from Obey Giant here.

Yes We Can

Friends:

As many of you know, I grew up in a family full of politicians - so as you might imagine, I've been around this stuff for almost 35 years now... But I must confess, today is different from all the other days.

It's "Super Tuesday" and many believe that today has the potential to decide the next four years. I believe that today has the potential to decide the course of history for our planet...

I'm writing today to ask you to take 4 minutes to view this video:

Once you've watched, ask yourself this:
Do you believe that we can do better? As a people? As a country? As a planet? As individuals?
Do you believe that our country isn't as divided as people claim?
Do you believe that the differences between Republicans, and Democrats, and Independents, and those who don't even want to be labeled, aren't really that far apart?

The main think to ask: Do you believe?

I do.

I believe we can change.

I believe the time is now.

I believe Barack Obama is the best person to lead us.

I believe Barack Obama is the best person to inspire us.

I believe Barack Obama is the best person to help us believe again.

You may not live in a Super Tuesday primary state, but I imagine you know someone who does...

Call them.

Email them.

Right now - there is still time. (you can even forward this email if that makes it easier for you...)

Ask them to support Senator Obama for President.

Ask them to go vote today - or in the coming days if their state hasn't had a primary yet.

Ask them to believe.

To paraphrase, "I'm not just asking you to believe in Senator Obama's ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours..."

If not now, when will it happen?

If not you, who will do it?

Years from now, people will have the chance to look back on this election and say,

Today was when America changed the course of human history...

Today was when people started to believe again...

Today was the day that made all the difference...

Thanks for your time... Thanks for your optimism... Thanks for your hope... Thanks for believing that yes we can...

Joey

People Really Hate Us "Now"

The June 2007 issue of Fast Company features a story on Nau - a new outdoor clothing company built on a bold sustainability mantra.

I've seen about a half dozen articles on this company in the last 30 days. They're doing a great job of building buzz and I've been intrigued enough that I am planning a trip to their Chicago store (currently one of four stores nationwide) later this summer.

Nau's design philosophy incorporates three key elements: performance, sustainability, and beauty. Isn't that something we can all agree on?

The thing I love best about Nau's approach to business (and stay tuned for a review of their clothing and retail experience) is their unapologetic view of standing for something as opposed to trying to be all things to all customers (i.e., the boring and ineffective technique used by so many organizations). Nau CEO Chris Van Dyke (son of actor Dick Van Dyke) explains:

"One of our greatest goals is that a significant number of people really hate us. That's just perfect. You try to please everybody and you end up being nothing. The sign of a really powerful brand is one that is loved and embraced and equally hated. The deeper you pound your stake into the sand about your values, the more of both the love and the hate you're going to generate. That's what makes it exciting."

Nau is so now...

P.S. In case you were wondering, Nau is Maori for "Welcome! Come in" - very fitting and fun - like all good brand names should be.

Live Your Dream

Driving back to DC from New York the other night I came up behind this truck:

Why is it that the "punk, hippie, vandalizing, no-good, long-haired, truant, misfit kid" gets it when so many of us don't?

P.S. How wonderful when graffiti + philosophy + serendipity = me trying to take a photo while driving 75mph down the highway! Don't try this one at home kids...

The Seth Godin Experience

Last month I had the chance to meet the infamous Seth Godin - business writer, presenter, and marketer extraordinaire when he came to the University of Maryland business school.

Seth's writing is fantastic and his presenting lived up to his written word reputation. Here's my mindmap of notes from the meeting:

Download 3.4mb Mindmap PDF

The #1 takeaway for me from Seth's presentation?

Don't be afraid to risk.

And then risk some more.

Seth told a great story about one of his son's bathtub toys and a red circle that perfectly illustrates the point. Give me a call (two-zero-two -- 834-0111) or send me an email and I'd be happy to tell you the whole story (it's too long for a blog post).

The Post Office Experience

To most people in America, the phrase "going postal" is all too familiar. Becoming "extremely and uncontrollably angry, possibly to the point of violence" is a common experience for many visitors to the typical post office. Why is that?

This is a great example of why that happens:

This scene comes from my local post office here in DC where fourteen of us were in line the other day. Mid-afternoon, fourteen people in line, and one person at the counter. Two other postal employees were in the back chatting - loud enough for those of us in line to hear.

Why didn't they come out and help?

Why have us wait in line for 34 minutes (my actual wait time that day) when the other two clerks could have assisted and collectively served everyone in line in about nine minutes?

Why?

Because according to new rules, my local branch has been racking up too much overtime helping customers. According to their "staffing assessments" they only need one person at the desk in the afternoon and the other two people need to work in the back.

Folks, at the end of the day you want your employees to act like they own the business. You want them to cherish and serve customers. You want them to provide customers with a great experience.

Takeaways:
1) Eliminate the "wait" wherever possible - show customers that you value their time as much (or even more) than your own.

2) Reward your employees for acting like owners - with money, praise, and any other positive reinforcement you can imagine.

3) When all else fails - try humor. I've come to know Joe (the postal worker in the photo) over the last few years and he has a great attitude - something that is rare in my lifetime of postal experiences. Joe did his best to apologize to people for the delay, using his friendly and playful banter to keep us entertained while we waited.

At least one employee in the U.S. Postal Service understands that the name of the organization is the Postal Service.

P.S. Two of the people ahead of me were visiting from Europe. When their friend apologized for the delay, one of them said "Don't worry - it's giving us the chance to experience the U.S. Postal Service." (seriously - I'm not making this up) If I were the U.S. Postmaster General, I would be embarrassed by that observation.

Feel the JC Penney's Love

Last month I posted about JC Penney's new "Every Day Matters" campaign and promised some updated photos. Here they are - fresh from the JC Penney's homepage. The campaign theme is presented in a series of pages - each one encouraging you to make the most of every day.

Who Loves JC Penney?

"Our new campaign will show that we are not just looking to sell merchandise; we are looking to sell an experience."

Mike Boylson, Penney's chief marketing officer, notes that "by focusing on life's little moments, we are able to show our customers how we can enhance their everyday lives, helping them make each day richer and more inspiring."

JC Penney's new "Every Day Matters" ad campaign shows they are drinking Kevin Robert's Lovemark Kool-Aid and attempting to "cultivate deeper, more emotional and enduring" relationships with their customers.

Customer Experience is hot, but do large corporations have the courage to make it a priority? Will they be able to follow through at all touchpoints of customer interaction? Only time will tell...

P.S. Sorry for the blurry photo - the campaign doesn't go live until the end of the month and when it does, I'll update with a better image.

The Max Experience

I visited the Bahamas last week and had the chance to reconnect with one of my favorite business owners in the world. Max is the ultimate entrepreneur - operating no fewer than five businesses (not counting his growing real estate holdings) and constantly working to develop new offerings.

Max owns the taxi company - and drives one of the vans every day so he can interact with his customers.

Max owns the auto-import business - and uses vehicles he imports as the fleet for his endeavors.

Max owns the building - and lives in one of the apartments so he understands what his tenants are experiencing.

Everywhere you go on New Providence island (population: 200,000+) people know Max. And everyone returns his signature smile when they see him.

Max is the experience because he participates in the experience. He knows first-hand what his customers and employees go through every day and he makes sure he is ready to respond and fill their every need.

Note: If you're ever headed to Nassau and need a driver, let me know and I'll put you in contact with Max.

Why Don't You Know?

If you're going to claim it will work, make sure it actually does.

Prior to my Bahamas trip last week I spent over three hours on the phone with various Verizon Wireless employees making sure my phone would work in the Bahamas.

I was told repeatedly that it was no problem and that for an additional $3.99/month I could sign up for a "value pack" that would reduce the costs of my calls while on the island by 86%. Needless to say I signed up and did all the necessary "reprogramming" and "updates" needed.

When I got off the plane in paradise, guess what?

My phone wouldn't work.

At all.

When I finally got through to Verizon in the U.S. (using a credit card call from a landline hotel phone) they explained that there was nothing I could do to make the phone work and that the various people I spoke to in the week leading up to my trip were wrong. Verizon phones just don't work in the Bahamas.

Why didn't any of the other employees know this?

I spoke to multiple people who assured me my phone would work in the Bahamas. If they would have told me it was impossible from the beginning I may have made other phone arrangements. At the very least, I wouldn't have wasted the many hours programming and reprogramming my phone.

I already thought of you as the "lesser of the evils" Verizon - now I trust you even less.

It's New to You

Last night I was riding around DC with some guests visiting from Massachusetts. I was on my phone trying to make a dinner reservation when one of the passengers said, "Is that really a phone?"

Before I could answer, another one said, "Can it do more than make calls?"

I explained that yes, it was a phone - a Treo to be specific - and that it could do lots of things including storing all the contact info in my entire Rolodex, surfing the web, emailing, taking photos, and even capturing short videos.

"Do you use it for all of those things?," the passenger asked.

"Not really," I replied, "but I do more with it every day."

Takeaways:
1) The Palm Treo phone has been around for five years and received a lot of media coverage. The Treo 650 (the model I have) was released in November 2004. To me, it's old news... Yet several of the passengers in the car (ranging in age from 18 to 56) had no idea what it was when they saw it. When they learned of its capabilities, they wanted to learn more. In short, just because it's "old to me" doesn't mean that everyone knows about it.

2) I've owned my Treo for over a year now and still don't have a handle on half of its capabilities - and I consider myself to be semi-tech savvy! Note to manufacturers: if you don't get me using features early on, you will be hard pressed to get me to start using them later.

It's all about Mii

The new Nintendo Wii was the Christmas gift of the season. While the buzz on this product tended to focus primarily on the wireless controllers (and the "accidents" they were causing), an overlooked aspect of the gaming system was Mii.

Mii (pronounced "me") is the character you create for playing games on the system - your very own avatar. For all the non-gamers reading this, think of it as being able to watch yourself onscreen, playing inside a video game. Pretty cool stuff...

What I find fascinating about this is how personal identity is now invading the video game space. People have been able to create avatars in Second Life and other online worlds for years, but the Mii is the first to bring it truly mainstream, make is simple to create, and give it a funny and clever name. Not to mention that you can create characters for all of your friends so when they come over to play, they can use characters that look like the players look in real life...

In fact, if you check out Flickr you can see thousands of people posting their personal "Mii" and even creating celebrity Mii.

The possibilities are limitless...

The Northwest Airlines Experience

Often the smallest gesture soothes the savage customer.

I got an email today that my flight home for Christmas that I booked back in August was cancelled. Instead, Northwest Airlines was putting me on a flight several hours later that day.

Normally this little annoyance would have been just that - a little annoyance.

With the Christmas rush at airports and the time I get to spend with my family over the holidays already limited, I found this more than a little annoying - especially given the fact that for once, I had purchased my ticket months in advance.

So I called Northwest.

I explained what happened and said, "normally I wouldn't even call - but this last minute change is disappointing - is there anything you can do?"

"Sorry," responded the agent. "All our flights are booked that day but I can give you 1,000 miles for the inconvience."

"That would be nice - thanks," I replied.

"You welcome - and again, my apologies for the inconvenience," the agent said.

Takeways:
1) Giving me 1,000 miles doesn't cost the airline anything - but it makes me feel "heard."
2) Offering the miles right away instead of just saying, "sorry it's not my problem" quickly resolves the situation.
3) Saying "my apologies for the inconvenience" instead of "we're sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused" shows that the representative was taking personal responsibility for my happiness - even though it wasn't her fault the flight got cancelled. It also shows that she understood it was an inconvenience to me.

It's quite simple really: personal responsibility + empathy = a positive customer experience.

The Popcorn Experience

Ridiculous operations + mind-numbing policies = bad experience and loss of $$$

Over Thanksgiving I went to the movies three times in three days. What can I say, I really enjoy movies!

One trip was to the Regal Cinema in Rockville, Maryland to see Happy Feet with my future niece and nephews (all under age 10). Anyone who has taken children to see an animated film knows that the stop at the concession stand to load up on treats is as important as finding good seats. Actually, to the kids the treats are usually more important than the seats.

After four adults and three children had selected Coke, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Reese Pieces, Nerds, Cotton Candy, and a large popcorn, the total bill came to $47.00. We all took a seat outside the theater and waited for the movie showing before ours to let out.

It quickly became evident that the kids, despite their candy picks, all wanted some popcorn from the jumbo bucket. I quickly headed back to the counter to get some empty popcorn cups to split the jumbo bucket up among the three kids.

When I asked the young man who had just helped us with our order for some extra cups, he looked at me like I was asking him for one of his kidneys.

"We can't give out empty cups," he said.

"Why?" I inquired.

"We just can't."

While I felt like explaining that "because" is never a good answer to the question "why," I refrained and instead said, "You mean after just spending $47 I can't get an empty cup or two?"

His blank stare and the ensuing silence were less than comforting.

"Could I talk to the manager please?" I asked.

"Sure," he responded. He then called over another young man, maybe two years older who said "Can I help you?"

"Yes," I said - hopeful that I was nearing a solution. "We just spent $47 on candy, drinks, and a jumbo popcorn. See those kids over there? (I pointed to the adorable niece and nephews) We're getting ready to go in to the 4:00pm showing of Happy Feet and they all want popcorn now... so I was hoping to get some cups so I can split up that jumbo popcorn over there into something more manageable than passing a big bucket back and forth during the movie. Would it be possible to get two or three small popcorn cups?"

"I'm sorry but I can't give you any cups," the manager replied.

"Why," I asked again.

"We take inventory at night by counting cups. If I gave you the cups it would mess up our inventory system."

"Seriously?" I replied.

"Yeah - sorry..." he said.

"Will you do me a favor," I asked. "Will you let your superiors know that it is absolutely insane not to give extra popcorn cups to some who has purchsed $47 dollars worth of concessions and $52.50 worth of tickets. Especially when that same family is here for the third consecutive day of movies and treats."

"Yeah - sorry..." he replied once more.

If the theater had free refills and was worried about me running a popcorn scam, maybe... If the popcorn cups were really expensive, maybe... If they were about to run out of cups due to an extraordinary run on the theater and told me they needed to conserve cups for other patrons, maybe.

But for inventory? Are you kidding me? What about the computer that you typed my order into, detailing each super-expensive item which must net you at least a 300% profit margin per item. Why not grab inventory off that computer every night and save the cup counting.

The moral: Don't let a ridiculous (dare I say stupid) way of tracking inventory disappoint/frustrate/anger a customer who in the last 72 hours has provided you with hundreds of dollars in revenue when you could have "saved the day" with two or three cups that at most cost $0.10 each.

The Blockbuster Experience

Blockbuster Video advertisements are promoting "Total Access." According to the ads and the company's website, if you have an online delivery membership you can return your movies by mail in the nifty envelope they provide or if you don't want to wait for the Postal Service to deliver your next movie, you can take the DVD to your local store and exchange it for a new movie instantly.

With Thanksgiving Holiday weekend upon us and a desire for movies, today I exercised the "drop it off at the store" option for the first time.

When checking out, I had the chance to be waited on by the manager of the store and she was delightful. I had one question for her: Now that I've turned in my movie and received another one immediately, does my online list wait until the newly received movie ("exchanged movie") is returned or do they just mail out the next movie on my list immediately?

"I've heard conflicting answers to that," the manager told me.

That's scary I thought... especially since you're the manager and the company is in the middle of what must be a multi-million dollar ad campaign to roll out this new service!

The manager explained that she had received conflicting reports from upper management on this question - some saying the next online delivery movie would go out immediately - others saying that it wouldn't happen until I returned the "exchanged movie" back to the store.

She did ask me to let her know (if I didn't mind) how it worked out for me personally so that she would have the answer when future customers asked.

If your own management team doesn't know how your newest program offering works, you have a BIG problem.

A great amount of time and money is spent on developing a program, creating the marketing materials, and building the IT infrastructure to handle a major change in logistics like this. But Blockbuster forgot to explain it to their own people. Oops.

I will say that her request for my input made me feel like we were "in it together" and I plan to let her know what happens when I received my next movie.

This results in an interesting twist to what could have been a bad customer experience... By requesting my help, the manager sympathized with my confusion about the program and set up a dynamic whereby I would find the solution and help her by sharing it. Kudos to the manager for taking this approach instead of just saying, "I don't know" or expressing anger at the lack of information management was providing about the program.

Somewhere at Blockbuster, they know what is going to happen to the movie I returned - now only if the manager and I had the same knowledge...

Every Touchpoint Matters

I regularly investigate and analyze customer touchpoints with my clients. Touchpoints are all the various circumstances when a customer or potential customer comes in contact with your brand. These include your website, your business card, your invoices, the sound of your voicemail recording... you get the idea.

One of the most important touchpoints is the conversation that occurs when someone calls your organization and the receptionist picks up the phone.

On Monday I called a courier service that had been recommended to me to see about getting five large boxes delivered from a printer to my office. Although I had never done business with this courier service, the young man I spoke to was kind (a trait that is becoming rarer with each passing day), efficient, and polite as he took my information and set up my delivery for later that day. The entire process took 8 minutes and 32 seconds, the boxes were delivered earlier than promised, and the costs was approximately 1/4 of what I would normally pay for this type of service. I had found an amazing new courier service!

Today (Wednesday) I called the same company to schedule another delivery between the same locations as my Monday order, presuming this should be easy... Silly me.

Following is my conversation with names altered (for now) to protect the innocent:

Courier: Courier Delivery. This is "Sue."
Me: Good morning Sue, this is Joey Coleman from Design Symphony - how are you today?
Courier: Look... We're really busy... (flustered) Ummm... What is it that you want? Are you calling to schedule a pick-up or what?
Me: (awkwardly at this point) Yes...
Courier: Okay, what's your account number?
Me: I'm sorry, I'm not sure - I just set up the account two days ago.
Courier: Fine, what's your name again?
Me: Joey Coleman
Courier: And the name of your company?
Me: Design Symphony
Courier: When did you set up this account again?
Me: (with some growing frustration) Monday - the day before yesterday
Courier: Okay, so you need a pick-up at Design Symphony?
Me: Actually, it's a repeat order of last time - I need something picked up at "ABC Printing" and delivered to my office...

I will say the rest of the call improved, despite that "Sue" had me repeat all of my information again - including contact info the printer and my office. The longer we stayed on the phone (total call time 5 minutes, 24 seconds), the more pleasant she became and I hope she left the call with a smile on her face (I started cracking jokes at the end - which is my tendency - and made her laugh twice). I'm really hoping that she is now in the proper mood to treat the next customer better from the outset.

A number of things went wrong with the call from the beginning and I offer the following advice (feel free to print and give to everyone who answers the phone at your office - I promise it will improve your bottom line - that's how important this is).

Start with a Smile
When the phone rings, before you pick it up, smile with teeth-baring effort and hold that smile until the third ring - then pick up the phone. It allows you to start from a relaxed yet pleasant place and that immediately translates to the person on the other end of the phone.

Open with Excitement
The person who is calling is taking their time to contact you. At a business, chances are better than 50/50 that the person on the phone is a current customer or prospective customer (as opposed to some telemarketer or salesperson pitching you business). The tone of your initial greeting and opening sentences should let them know you are excited that they called and gave you the opportunity to serve.

Listen
It seems so simple, but few people do it. In the example above I actually had to tell "Sue" my name three times during the call and the name of my company three times as well. Did she not hear me the first time or was she choosing not to listen? I understand you may be busy with other things when I call and interrupt you, but please do me the courtesy of listening to what I say - especially when I am responding to questions you are asking!

Be Kind
In my initial call with this courier service I was impressed by the receptionist's kindness in helping me get my account set up (how sad has customer service become that someone's kindness in creating a situation for me to give them money is remarkable). In this call, the receptionist wasn't kind and many would argue her comments, disposition, and behavior were flat out rude. In most customer interactions it's important to note the unique governing rules of customer service math: 1 positive interaction + 1 negative interaction = overall negative impression. Even 12 positive interactions + 1 negative interaction can = an overall negative impression. Every touchpoint matters! Simply by being kind you can usually create a positive interaction.

Use Technology Solutions Wisely
The Chinese restaurant I order from knows my name, address, and what I usually order. When I call, caller ID lets them know who is calling. They use that information to help speed the process. Why doesn't the courier service use a similar system? Maybe they do and my account isn't active yet since I had only opened it two days before... Of course, they charged my credit card for the service two days before so as far as I'm concerned, we have an ongoing customer relationship now. How different would it have been if the call would have gone like this:

Courier: Good Morning - This is "Sue" at Courier Delivery Service - is this Mr. Coleman calling from Design Symphony?
Me: (shocked!) Why yes it is...
Courier: Good Morning Mr. Coleman - thanks for calling us - may I assist you with scheduling a delivery today or was there something else I could help with?
Me: Scheduling a delivery would be great thanks (more impressed by the minute)
Courier: Wonderful - I see that your last delivery was a pick up at ABC Printing with delivery to your office using our same-day service - would today's delivery be the same as before?
Me: Yes actually
Courier: Lovely - are the packages ready to be picked up now?
Me: Yes
Courier: Great - with your permission I will dispatch a driver immediately and the items will arrive at your office no later than 3pm today.
Me: Fantastic
Courier: Is there anything else I can do for you today?
Me: No that should cover everything
Courier: Very well - for your reference, I will be emailing you a confirmation receipt of this delivery request when we get off the phone. The total charge for today's delivery is $18.95 and will be billed to your credit card on file. When that invoice is processed at the end of the day, it will automatically generate a receipt that will be emailed to you as well. If there's nothing else, I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks so much for thinking of us today - we truly appreciate your business.
Me: Thanks Sue! And can you please connect me to the CEO of your company so I can ask him to give you a raise!

That conversation would actually take less time, would be more efficient, and would leave me with an amazing customer experience story that I would tell everyone I know about and even write about in my blog! ;-)

Oh well, maybe next time...

The Kid Beyond Experience

Last night, Kid Beyond took the stage at the 9:30 Club here in Washington, DC and epitomized three key elements of creating an amazing customer experience.

Surprise Me
Who would have thought that someone could replicate an entire band using only their voice, a looping machine, and a microphone. Kid Beyond is a master at "beatboxing" - the art of creating beats, rhythms, and melodies using the human mouth. The sounds he could make and the energy he brought to his performance were completely unexpected. He was the opening act for the person I went to see (Imogen Heap) and his performance was every bit as entertaining and impressive as hers - enough so that I purchased his LP and signed up for his mailing list at the show and visited his website the next day.

Thank Me
From the minute he stepped on stage, Kid Beyond was gracious to the audience. Between songs he kept thanking us for coming out to support him and his art and noted more than once that, "This is for you - everything I am doing up here is for you - you paid good money to see this show and I want to make sure you have a wonderful time tonight."

Connect With Me
I had heard of beatboxing and had seen it in videos, but had never witnessed an expert perform live. Kid Beyond did a great job of explaining the tools of his trade and then demonstrating how it all worked. In between songs he explained things - especially his process - something that was entirely fascinating because it was both new and unexpected. Kid Beyond made everyone in the audience feel like they were witnessing a special performance just for them. To top it all off, when the show ended and we all filed out of the Club we walked by the merchandise table to see... Kid Beyond - sitting on the table, shaking hands, thanking people for coming, and ready with a Sharpie marker to personalize your copy of his CD when you purchased it. I've seen many a show and I've never witnessed a performer so eager to get out among the audience and give them something extra.

It's that simple: suprise me, thank me, and connect with me. And figure out how to be there to sign autographs and ask me to sign up for your mailing list - AFTER you've impressed me with your capabilties and sincere appreciation for spending my valuable time and money with you.

The Full Monty Experience

Attending a community theater performance of The Full Monty this evening, I saw a colleague in a whole new light - all puns intended people ;-)

The performance made me think of how businesses "show up" for their audiences. As such, here is my brief Full Monty Philosophy:

Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin
For a significant portion of the show the actors are clothed in only their underwear. In the beginning, the audience and the actors are both slightly uncomfortable with this wardrobe choice. Over time, both parties become more at ease and recognize an authenticity in the presentation. The more comfortable you are in your own skin, the more comfortable the audience is interacting with you.

Have a Great Technical Support Staff
At the finale of the show when the performers achieve "Full Monty" status, the characters remove their strategically placed hats and reveal... a series of backlit silhouettes. With calculated precision, huge spotlights backlight the performers and all you can see in the audience is the shadow of a person standing in front of a blazing light. At the penultimate moment, when you finally reveal yourself to the audience in all your glory - make sure all the technical aspects of your presentation are operating perfectly.

Go All the Way
To live up to the show's name, and to live up to the promise the characters make during the show, the performers must be willing to "go all the way." The show just wouldn't be the same as the "Almost Full Monty Show." I'm sure some people thought, "well let's just get really close to the Full Monty" and others likely argued, "if we go all the way we will offend people." The number of people, companies, and organizations willing to "go all the way" is shrinking every day. By delivering on that promise, one can really be a show stopper - so to speak...

The Corteo Experience

One of the most breath-taking experiences available in modern times occurs every time Cirque du Soleil takes the stage.

I use the term "breath-taking" literally as any performance is guaranteed to result in at least a dozen full-lung gasps - whether stemming from intricate costumes, aerial acrobatics, or touching nuances.

While I've experienced Cirque du Soleil on more than a dozen occassions including performances of O, Zumanity, and Love, I had the pleasure of enjoying my first "traveling" show this week when Corteo came to Washington, DC.

Corteo, the Italian word for "cortege" (a ceremonial procession) imagines a festive parade of angels, acrobats, and artistry as conceived by a clown on his death bed. The show juxtaposes tragedy with joy, humor with sadness, dark with light, strength with frailty, and in the end life with death.

The show affirms Cirque du Soliel's commitment to a series of principles:

Creativity
Always focus on greatness - infuse creativity into every element of the performance from stage design, to presentation, to how you offer souvenirs to your guests

Innovation
Always improvise and diversify - design an evolving presentation that feels newly conceived even after dozens of performances

Risk
Always shoot for the triple somersault - try things no circus, or theater, or production has ever attempted before - and do so multiple times in a single show

Inspiration
Always look for ways to connect to the audience - via music, imagery, emotion, story, and physicality that makes a viewer believe, hope, and dream of infinite possibilities

In an interview with Fast Company magazine in July of 2005, Daniel Lamarre (President & COO) observed that "we want to reinvent ourselves all the time."

Monsieur Lamarre - mission atteidre (French for "mission accomplished").

The Ballot Experience

You can’t open a magazine or watch a newscast without someone extolling the virtues of good design. I couldn’t be happier ;-)

Now only if someone would give the slightest thought to design when creating a ballot for an election.

The ballot I used today in Washington, DC (when NOT voting for Representative or Senator mind you – but don’t even get me started on that) was better than the hanging chad debacle of 2000, but not by much. The ballot has a series of “broken arrows” and you make your selection by connecting segment to make a complete arrow.

I read in the news the other day about the elections in the Congo. Compare the DC Ballot to the Congo Ballot:

What a difference!

I’m not saying that we should model our democracy on the Congo. What I am saying is that in democracies all over this planet, election officials have figured out how to convey more than a name on a ballot. Let’s include a picture of the candidate. Let’s include the symbol/icon of their political party. Let’s include a brief bio on their background and experience. Let’s give every politician the chance to outline in three sentences what they plan to focus on if elected. That’s it – three sentences. If you can accomplish your three sentences during your term in office, you have the right to come up with three more for your re-election campaign! If nothing else this approach would give us the chance to see if a politician lived up to the last promise he/she made me before I voted for them.

It really shouldn't be that difficult. Let’s design a better ballot America...

The Election Experience

Tomorrow is Election Day 2006 in America. It is estimated that more than 10% of voters in U.S. elections decide who they are going to vote for the day of the election.

Wow.

A decision as monumental as how the direction the U.S. government is going to take is decided with less consideration than planning for a trip out of state. Follow my logic here: you book a flight at least three weeks in advance to get the best fare right? By default, doesn't that mean that a properly priced plane ticket gets more attention than a properly vetted candidate?

I observed many friends and family members making their decisions for Election 2006 in the final 24 hours before the voting began. What they could have used – and what it seems like no one is providing – is a clear, concise, well-designed evaluation of all the candidates.

Every voter has a series of “hot button issues” that matter to them – taxes, the environment, abortion, flag burning, the war in Iraq, and alternative energy sources to name but a few. What do the candidates think about these topics?

Good luck finding the answers.

Yes, the majority of candidates now have websites where you can go and research their opinions. Yes, you can watch debates and listen for the relevant soundbite that applies to your issue. Yes, you can read what critics, journalist, analysts, and even bloggers are saying about candidates and their beliefs. But is any of this presented in an easy-to-understand, clearly presented format that is readily available and easily allows you to compare different candidates positions?

Not that I've been able to find.

Why not create one template and make all politicians (local, state, and national) follow it? Why not make it easily available on a website everyone knows about and can find? Why not have the government mail it to every voter at the same time they mail the "how to find your voting place" document?

With more information available today than at any time in human history, with better connectivity across the country and around the globe, with information architecture receiving more status in our society - why can't we create a way to easily let people know about the people seeking their support?

Why not... and maybe we can redesign the voting ballots while we are at it!