Raise the bar. Think sexy.
Sexy digital. Those 2 words don’t really pair together very often. We hear about sexy adverts or sexy product design all the time, but digital isn’t really thought of that way. It’s often functional, it’s sometimes fun, it’s frequently structured- but it doesn’t have that va-va-voom s-e-x-y of the more obvious creative mediums. And if you think about it, from a tool, personalisation and possibilities POV, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. When I think about all the places digital could go I think of the Never-ending Story. Vast kingdoms, mind bending experiences, Sebastian realising he was in the story all along…Oh, the possibilities! Experiences that can be so much more surprising, charming, authentic and emotionally in tuned with theindividual than nearly any other medium. Sexy doesn’t come from a spray of cologne or a pair of cufflinks, nor does it come from a place of desperation to be liked. Tarting something up with a new logo or colour scheme does not cut the mustard, nor does a social media campaign for a brand thatneeds bigger help. Sexy is a way of carrying an attitude, a swagger, an elegance, a charm…and those things start from within. They start before the wardrobe door is opened to dress the body; they are built on a foundation. They’re built on everything we do, from the ground up. Now, I’m not saying that the design process doesn’t make something drop dead gorgeous and desirable. It really does, but it needs more than just design. A person dressed well but the confidence of a tiny mouse may look sexy, but start talking to them and youvery quickly realize that they’d probably need a lot of TLC. The same goes for the attractive yet obnoxiously rude individual that bores you to tears after 5 minutes of conversation. You might look nice but you don’t get me, and I do not get you. A brief attraction, but no looks of love. Back to the digital. If it’s a bigger process to invite that kind of admiration and draw, then we need to think bigger then we currently do as a company. Let’s work with our teams earlier in identifying capturing that sexy edge that will make people stop and take notice. Let’s make our planning documents sexy, lets make our wire frames sexy, let’s make our user experience sexy, let’s make our concepting and brainstorming sexy- because if we’re not thinking about it that early, thenwe’re not handing over work that truly inspires our creative and tech department to go to another level above that. We’ve got to set the bar high… so they can raise it even higher. You don’t win the 100 meters gold medal by starting to sprint 25 meters before the end. You prep, you train, you’re ready to run when that gun goes off. Then you give it everything you’ve got, every step of the way. Let’s really aspire tocaptivate and romance our clients, audiences, and ultimately, each other. It’s all of our responsibilities to think a little sexier.
