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Greg Jackson, Design Director

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“I’ve worked with Thinkpen Design for more than a decade and they have never failed to deliver on creativity, quality, timeliness, and determined follow through—even when deadlines were unbelievably tight and unreasonable. We have shared some significant successes and sold a lot of books together!”
M. Gilroy, Mark Gilroy Creative 


“Two words: Relevant Creativity”
J. Rovenstine, Summerside Press

“Working with Thinkpen Design is an art director’s dream—not only are they incredibly gifted, they do the job with integrity, care about details, and are very professional, resourceful, and always on time.
M. Reagan, DaySpring

“Phenomenal conceptualism, skill, and presentation at its best. And still, better yet, no babysitting required—a publisher’s dream come true!”
D. Justus, Whitestone

“I’ve worked with Thinkpen Design over a number of years and they are very talented and creative designers. They’re excellent at uncovering what you really want in your design and then delivering above your expectations—on time, even in a crunch. I highly recommend their work and their ability to communicate effectively with clients.”
S. Janos, Harrison House

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Wednesday
Sep282011

Democratization of Content: Craft or Commodity?

Crowd sourcing. Stock photography. Desktop publishing software. Inexpensive tools and resources.

It seems as if anyone with a computer and a few cool fonts can be a designer today. Well, I suppose they can. That either indicates a sea change of exciting opportunity, or it's the fast commoditization of what used to be a specialized industry. The same seems to be true of photography. It's not just that digital SLR cameras with quality sufficient enough to be considered entry-level professional equipment can be had affordably. But, digital darkroom software also seems to dramatically reduce the technical gap between amateur and artist since the technical side of the craft—like setting the white point—can be readily corrected to large degree after the shoot. In other words, the entrance ramps onto these highways are quick and easy enough that anyone can seemingly enter without the same level of training and due diligence on which their predecessors have founded to their careers.

Interestingly, though, I noticed that there is another creative industry grappling with a similar phenomena. Publishing. Yes. Blogging, micropublishing, and even the technological advent of the eBook are all blooms unfolding in a publishing garden that also is experiencing the rain of democratization under which anyone can distribute their writing.

This is about content distribution, isn't it? 

With increasingly varied and ubiquitous delivery platforms available, it is easier than it ever has been for anyone to distribute their editorial content, artwork, design, and photography. We haven't even discussed computer coding, information, or even education. But, suffice to say, the phenomena is widespread. So, before we all run for cover from the falling sky, let's look at this the other way around.

Credible words. Has a written work been validated by surviving the scrutiny of a publishing process that aims to package only the content deemed worthwhile in a virtual sea of otherwise impossibly indistinguishable options from which consumers shop? Now, being married as I am to a wonderful lady who immigrated to the United States, I clearly recall her comments early in our marriage about how overwhelming it was to shop for groceries in stores full of so many options. Which one do I buy? Someone help me distill pricing, quality, and features so that I know what is worth my dollar? A similar but even more pronounced experience may be what is in store for the population at large when the market becomes saturated with content competing for attention and dollars. Which one is worth my read?

Relevant design. Not just trend-conscious, but is design relevant to the client's specific product or service, relevant to their specific message, and relevant to their actual customer? A certain sameness and overall dumbing down of visual communication is likely to become the saturation point we are accustomed to in a market where communications look the same. There has historically been a long standing comparison and contrast in our marketplace between what people perceive as professional design or communications and what anyone recognized as having a local, homegrown feel. Low end and less professional. What democratization of artwork may produce is a middle ground where local design looks more professional due to accessibility of better tools and resources. And, what had been perceived as professional may be mercilessly drug down by the weight of lower budgets and availability of stock assets that tempt businesses to cut corners.

Crafted imagery. The proliferation of photography available for purchase or hire may likely drive general pricing down, dumbing down the craft to a just a commodity. So, what makes the professional stand out from the crowd? What are the real craftsmen going to be doing out there?

Well, that's ultimately the question and the answer. To distinguish your craft from commodity. There may be no better time than now for content development companies to address branding questions such as creating distinctions, building recognition and trust, adding value, and of course, a critically important consideration that will quietly underly this whole conversation as the real key to long-term success: good business practices.