A (brand) new approach
So, we’re getting a new brand identity for London and the Mayor has invited top companies to pitch for the £600,000 project. The whole thing has caused a bit of a stir, particularly, due to one agency’s approach to the brief.
Moving Brands, for the past week or so, have been asking Londoners what they think. Through a dedicated blog and Twitter profile (@we_are_london), MB have been open and transparent about their development process, and are gathering ideas and responses from the public.
Bracket loves this method for a variety of reasons. Not only does it make perfect sense (London is made up by its people, so let the people have a say), but it represents a complete new way of working for the creative sector.
Sometimes creatives like to envelope what they do in mystique – in a “leave it to me, we’re the experts” kind of way. MB are confident in their talents – with their past portfolio of work it’s obvious what expertise they’ll bring to the brief. But with this approach, they’re also showing that they know how and when to invite others in to collaborate and feel comfortable with that – a valuable skill in itself.
Echoing one of our favourite points from Bruce Mau’s design manifesto, MB’s pitch which was presented on Friday, focused on the process rather than the outcome. They didn’t present a range of final designs, instead they described how collaborating with all the people that need to be involved – the public, the GLA, and other partners and experts –will mean a higher chance of success. Even then, they don’t know what will happen, but it’s got to be better than trying to come up with something behind closed doors and getting it wrong, right?
James Bull, Director of Moving Brands said in an article on designweek.co.uk:
“Does it not strike anyone else that in the same way that the music industry has had to completely embrace new ways of making music and totally re-construct the way music is bought and sold (almost totally due to digital and online technologies), that WE as the design industry are soon if not already facing the same challenge? … We are all going to need to make a massive leap in terms of the way we create and do business in design in order to be successful.”
We’ll have to wait until next week to find out what happens, but we hope the Mayor’s Office can see the value in this way of working. If they do, it represents a step in the right direction for the creative industries, breaking down traditions and openly embracing the new digital and collaborative era.
September 06 2009 01:59 pm | Thoughts
