We're Crazy Savvy ... By Design

One of the greatest lessons Erin and I learned while working at a fast-paced creative agency was this: Never underestimate the value of exceptional graphic design. Good design is a writer's best friend. Good design provides a compelling vehicle through which a writer's words become not only more accessible, but also more resonant, more powerful, more real. Whether it's one line of snappy ad copy for a billboard or a 50-page corporate annual report, good design can elevate a writer's words to art -- and, conversely, bad design can drive readers away from text faster than you can spell "atrocious."

So it only makes sense that, as we embark on our own business
(ad)venture, we put a lot of thought into our visual identity -- our brand, as it were. Our years in the ad world gave us the opportunity to develop exceptional relationships with some very talented graphic designers -- and we were able to observe (much as a scientist studies a fascinating, and slightly puzzling, new specimen) the minds of designers at work. When it came time to prepare our own materials, we turned to only the best. Thus began our Adventures in Identity Development.

Logos aren't delivered, kicking and screaming, whole into the world, ready for public oohs-and-aahs. They're made, painstakingly, meticulously. If you're privileged enough to work with a great designer, every nuance -- from the curl of the second letter in your company name to the exact Pantone colors selected for your palette
-- takes inspiration from your own company identity. For Crazy Savvy, we were asked to prepare a creative brief, encapsulating who we were, what made us special, and where we wanted to go. We perused more than 200 of the best design, ad firm, and consulting websites in the world, identifying elements we responded to -- and ones that made us shut the browser window ASAP. We catalogued our findings and presented them to our design team, who cross-examined us with enough due diligence to make Perry Mason proud. Then, it was off to the races.

We've gone through four concept development phases already, and are nearing that fun finale where we !! pick a winner !! Our website, business cards, letterhead, and promo materials are very much in the works. In fact, the, uh, highly-minimalist state of this very blog owes itself to our still-in-process identity development period -- and the same is true for the splash page of our website. We figure, we put thought into action, into every word we say or write or (one presumes) consider. So we work with designers who put that same depth and breadth of thought into their designs. We are oh-so-close and can't wait to debut our final identity (you'll see it first, right here!) But, as with the old adage, the journey we've embarked on as we develop our identity has been every bit as rewarding as the final result will undoubtedly be. At Crazy Savvy, we wouldn't have it any other way.