Recently, W Hotels launched an iPhone app to bring signature sounds and insider access to guests at their properties around the world. The W Scottsdale, a swanky property nestled in the heart of old town, came to us to help create a few pieces to help them market the app to visitors.

Splinter designed and produced collateral to announce the app, as well as strategically placed QR promotional decals that scan to “Get the App!” We were also commissioned to create iPhone replicas, which were used to train their staff on how the app works. After some creative brainstorming, we came up with a solution that resembled the actual size, shape and look of an iPhone. They were a hit! Another W property saw images of the replicas and actually thought the W Scottsdale had used real phones for training. Needless to say, the replicas were pretty spot on.

The new app is way rad, allowing guests to book their stay, order in-room service, or even request fresh towels. My personal favorite feature of the app streams music curated by Michaelangelo L’Acqua, the W’s global music director. The app gives you an option to listen to it at that moment or to purchase it on iTunes. It also detects your location to display any hotels near you and offers the ability to post on Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.

This effort by W Hotels will surely add value to your stay and provides the progressive type of service their brand has come to be known for. Now, if I could just replicate their poolside experience, sitting at my desk today might not be so bad.

Here at Splinter, we look forward to every Ignite because we are the lucky ones who get to design the ever-evolving Ignite Phoenix programs! This time around, we did our best to take things to the next level by transforming a once static piece of paper into an interactive conversation starter.

The back of the Ignite Phoenix Program, with instructions for folding and playing the conversation starter.

Based on the grade school game commonly referred to as a fortune teller (aka cootie catcher, chatterbox, salt cellar, or whirlybird), we created a new diversion aimed at sparking conversation among attendees. Once folded, the person initiating the conversation would ask their new acquaintance to choose a category, pick and number and then answer one unique question. While not everyone seemed to have encountered the game during their childhood, it definitely made for an intriguing display of amusement shared by all.

The front of the program and matching CD face design inspired by old school mix tapes.

For the past three Ignite Phoenix events, the team has included with admission an amazing collection of local music on CD. We did our best to entice with a design inspired by old school mix cassette tapes. Matching the modernist style of the program design, the CD was imagined to look like a tape reel using very basic geometric shapes and colors.

Were you one of the lucky attendees of the last Ignite Phoenix? If so, did you engage others with your program?

Every designer dreams of working with clients who value design, provide constructive feedback, collaborate in a productive fashion, and yet at the same time, know when to step aside and let the experts do their thing. While this is ideal, it’s not the most typical behavior, especially within small design firms. Dealing with a customer that feels they are the “authority” on design can be problematic, especially if their opinion rivals the principles of good design.

The knowledge a client can provide on their business and industry can be invaluable, so I’m not trying to argue with their authority. Everyone is, or strives to be an expert in their own disciplines – But what weight should their opinion carry as it relates to design? At what expense of the final product? These are often the same customers that self diagnose problems. They know their problem, they know exactly how to solve it… So why are they hiring a design firm?

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Red Adair

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe the customer is always right. So how does one handle a customer who wants you to design a pile of garbage? If you can flush that out in the beginning, the answer is obvious – don’t take the work. But what happens when you find yourself thinking, “Please go away, I just want this project off my plate”? You’ve already lost interest in the success of the project and now relinquish creative expertise to become a “revision robot” — which can ruin creativity, morale, client relationships, and the overall quality of work.

Now, let’s take a look at the underlying problem; there comes a point when any designer or creative team becomes disconnected with a project like I’ve mentioned above. As a project manager, I get to see the frustrations and elations from both sides. If a business owner is adamant about his or her opinions, it’s likely that no amount of research or expertise can persuade them, and it typically goes something like this: “I’ve started oodles of successful businesses, I know what I want, and I want to pay you to execute what I need.” Seems pretty cut & dry, right? Try approaching your creative team with this (and make sure to bring a helmet). All kidding aside, it can be a very tough position for a project manager, especially if the design team has already lost interest. And as a PM in this situation, you’ll definitely earn your paycheck.

Ever had feedback like this from a client?

Client: “It doesn’t do it for me.”

Project Manager: “Can you tell my why? Or describe what you’re envisioning and why?”

Client: “Not really, I just don’t like it.”

Project Manager: “But we feel that the design follows the objectives outlined in the brief and represents a solid visual solution for you.

Client: “Do you have any other designs for me to look at?”

At this point, half of me does not want to fight a horse that won’t drink, while the other half of me wants to dunk my head under water and scream. If it gets to this point, I know I probably did something wrong. To avoid this happening again, it’s important to go back and try to pinpoint when it might have slithered away from my grips. Sometimes this situation may seem unavoidable, but there’s always something(s) you could have changed or approached in a different way. Luckily,  there are oodles of resources out there to combat this, including the AIGA. It’s a great resource for designers and project managers to reference when working through tough situations. Check it out. The AIGA offers helpful insight for everything from contracts to ethics to client management. You might be surprised what you learn.

In all reality, no process is bulletproof. Although we strive for a perfect process, there will always be hurdles. That’s just life as a project manager. But at what point does one feel a professional responsibility to steer the customer from the perils of a really bad idea and/or execution? We all have a boiling point – so when is it okay to pull your rip chord in the middle of a project? Is that an acceptable way to get out? How much time is reasonable to spend educating customers about what good design is, your process, or how it can help them? For me at least, it seems dependent on our workload, the size of the project, and the relationship with the client. How much “good” work do you have already? Can you afford to turn them away?

We’ve all dealt with customers that flat out don’t care about the design process, but still expect award-winning work to somehow be miraculously conceived. The obvious thought would be to not work with such clients. But let’s be realistic. Bills need paying, you’re contractually committed, and this problem may not have been obvious during the proposal or discovery phases.

Here are few of my thoughts on how to prevent being “butchered”:

1. Explain your process up front and make sure they understand what you do and don’t expect from them.
2. Keep them involved as much as they desire or as much as the project requires them to be.
3. Get approvals in small, incremental phases. This will prevent any surprises. If they are approving each baby step, it’s much more difficult for them to change directions on you. It’s also much easier to bill more when they do.
4. Provide an explanation of how the proposed solution fits the problem. This should already be outlined in the brief or in a Scope of Work document.
5. Don’t work yourself to death trying to educate or explain to someone that believes they know everything. Do what they ask and move on. Even if you’ve provided this type of client the best solution in the galaxy, they wouldn’t know it.
6. Take deeper breathes. Keep it professional and stay poised. Complete the project per their instructions. Then, once all the deliverables are completed, refer them to another firm. Make sure to explain why you may not be a good fit and thank them for their past business.
7. Go back through your process and change something to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Learn from it!

I recently received feedback on a logo proof we spent a considerable amount of time on before presenting initial concepts to the client. The response from the client was, “It doesn’t look like you spent any time at all on the logo concepts.” Given that the client requested a clean and simple logo, I took that as a compliment. This was the same client that didn’t complete the creative brief – because he was “too busy.”

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication”
- Leonardo Da Vinci -

Your first inclination might be to start explaining how design works. Go ahead and stop yourself right there! Your time would be better spent putting your shoestrings into a French braid.

I can’t imagine any project manager or creative professional achieving very much fulfillment from being a “key stroking slave”. Continue seeking customers that are engaged in the process, value good design, and have a genuine interest in the success of the project. This type of client provides a critical perspective needed to arrive at the best solution. And to be honest, I just don’t want to live any other way.

So how do you deal with a project when the client doesn’t know what they want? Or when you’re expected to keep designing until they “see something that resonates?” Feel free to weigh-in with some of your own experiences. I know I can’t be the only one that has trouble getting the client to “take the butcher’s word for it”.

Being that the event was so close to Cupid’s favorite holiday, we felt it was appropriate to spread the love and show you what makes our hearts tick. After you give the video a looksie, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below… And make sure to tell the world what you love!

As a thank you for being an Adwords customer, Google just sent out an awesome thank you video using technologies beyond the normal comprehension of most humans. I mean, we’ve heard of variable printing on direct mail and such, but variable video? Well done, Google… Well done indeed. To see why we’re so amazed with this, be sure to check out the video.

We really can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Here’s to many more years of using Google products to make life, and work, better.

We began by condensing the main navigation options and re-organizing the flow of content throughout the site to be more user-friendly. We removed unnecessary content that was cluttering the site, such as weather widgets, a search bar and event specific menus that were more confusing than they were helpful.

Once the site map was worked out, we developed a wireframe that was more suitable to the functionality we were looking for and began thinking about the design. A style was created that blends the formality of the catering company with the friendly, laid-back BBQ cuisine they are best known for serving.

We limited the color palate, focusing on blending formal event catering with casual backyard BBQ. The majority of images on the site were replaced with impressive photography that represents Great Caterer’s style and selection. We kept the interior pages clean and accessible, with text that is easy to read and graphic elements that enhance the user experience.

Overall, we feel that the site better represents the company, while functioning in a way that is easy for users to find the information they need and get in contact.

Working with the existing 3-dimensional red W that, strangely enough, seems to be the only red W anywhere in the hotel. We created an illustrative graphic element that captures the essence of the hotel’s water features and wraps all five sides of the acrylic box. Visitors to the W are now welcomed by a serene splash of purple and blue, accented by a pop of red! You can see the dramatic transformation in the before and after pictures above and below.

Incase you aren’t privvy, we’ve been working our magic on the programs and signage dating back to Ignite Phoenix 3. (Woah. Seriously? Ignite 7 is really on the way?) It’s been a blast to help the brand grow, and even more fun to have creative leeway with the printed pieces. Having free reign isn’t something to take for granted, and for this we’ll be eternally grateful. Check out our most recent program pictured here ==>

Being that we were so (in)kind with our donations, we had the privilege of putting together a 30 second video to be shown at the beginning of the night. After toiling with several ideas for a number of days, we decided it was time to put together a sample of our work that highlighted a handful of favorite projects. If you missed Ignite Phoenix 6, you can check it out here (make sure to turn up your volume).

Now it’s time to get back to work and start dreaming about the next big idea for Ignite Phoenix 7. More good things to come from Splinter Creative… Stay tuned

Twestival Local Phoenix turned out to be a huge success and a great time. With help from twitter nation and area businesses, the localized effort was able to raise $9,332 for St. Mary’s Food Bank. This is double what Twestival Phoenix achieved back in February and exceeded the preliminary goal of $7,000. Our hats off to @chrislee, @aussieheather, @jennycarnie, @amandablum and countless others for organizing the event and getting members of the Phoenix community involved. I don’t know what it is, but the fact that a couple hundred people came together and raised enough money to provide over 65,000 meals to the Phoenix community, kinda makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside As always, looking forward to helping out with the next one.

In addition to Twestival, we’ve had some pretty cool client work the past few months. While I don’t have quite enough room to show everything, here’s a few logos I hand picked from the “need to update portfolio” folder. From left to right: Up and coming skateboard company out of northern California (Ladera), a Scottsdale, AZ based law firm (Bar Urness) and a newly launched non-profit organization (Phoenix Innovation Foundation). It was a pleasure working with all three clients on their respective logos, and we look forward to furthering our relationships with them over the coming year.

And last but not least, Splinter has been working with a couple ladies over at Type A Events to help out with the production of event signage for Crave 2009. For those of you unfamiliar with Crave Arizona, it takes place in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale and treats the world’s culinary community to a celebration of food, wine and spirits. According to their site, the event highlights local chefs, artisans, and one-of-a-kind dining experiences found only in Arizona. Splinter Creative is excited to be a part of this great event, and even more excited to attend (wine and food is NEVER a bad thing). For all the juicy details, be sure to visit the website… And if you end up attending, make sure to track me down so we can share a few spirits and a laugh. Cheers!

Phoenix Design Week – It’s the inaugural event and it’s happening October 21^st – 25^th. The week will be filled with exhibits and galleries featuring the work of local graphic artists, interactive and motion designers. Phoenix Design Week kicks off on Friday with the Typophile Film Fest at MadCap Theatres and then moves to the weekend conference at the downtown convention center. The lineup of guest speakers looks amazing and it is sure to be the start of something great. Visit the PhxDW website to purchase tickets and get all the details. The folks here at Splinter are looking forward to checking out the exhibits and taking in some knowledge from the speakers. Should be a great one!

Ignite Phoenix #5 – This pile of awesome was brought to life by a group of folks passionate about lighting a fire under the Phoenix creative community. Gearing up for the 5^th installment of Ignite, Splinter is eager to jump in and help out again by providing killer design services along with a few other juicy items. In fact, we’ll be donating enough goods and services that we’ve been offered the opportunity to put together a 30 second spot showcasing who we are and what we do. Hopefully it turns out as awesome as this video by @bwilley and @krysvs from Ignite Phoenix #4.

PodCamp AZ 2009 – Originating in Boston, Massachusetts and heading into its 3^rd year, this event takes the original concept of PodCamp and changes it up a bit to meet the needs of Phoenix. Contrary to its name, this event isn’t just about podcasting, it’s about the creation and delivery of new media and how people use the information. Taking place November 14^th and 15^th at the University of Advancing Technology, this unconference has been coming together over the past several months and is sure to be the different event you’re looking for. And hey, it’s FREE. If you’re interested in sponsoring or attending this new-media focused event, make sure to check out the website for more info. While the event is new media based, we’ll be assisting the crew with some printing and graphic needs as the date nears.

The only question I have… Who’s coming with me?