Character design is a real job?
The first professional job I ever did was a character design for a very large beer company back in the 80’s. As a college it was a big deal for me. I had no idea at the time that there were people who actually did this type of work for a living but I was determined to peruse it anyway I could. It took me a few years to work up the courage to actually start my own business but once I did it was game on. Over the years I honed my skills and developed characters and mascots for all kinds of companies some large and known around the world and some small and independent. It didn’t matter to me. This was where my creativity flowed and I did some of my best work.
Tilt365
A little over two years ago I began working with Tilt365. They had been working with another company but were unhappy with the results. They wanted something different something better and something unique. The first order of business was a total redesign of their characters from the ground up. The roll of the new characters was to help deliver the Tilt message. They would need to engage their audience, help lighten the message and most importantly Be unique. That was no small task but I was up for the challenge.
Playing it safe
All too often I see companies totally drop the ball when it comes to developing a strategy that allows them to stand out and be noticed. Unfortunately the process usually goes something like this… The company spends a lot of time, money and effort putting together the perfect product. They research, develop and perfect every angle but when it comes time to develop their brand they wind up looking like everyone else. One looks like another, looks like another, until pretty soon they all blend together and you can’t tell them apart.
Why do they do this? Why does everyone want to look the same? Well, frankly it because it’s safe. It’s safe, predictable and there’s very little risk. The problem with safe, predictable and low risk is that it all adds up to one giant snooze fest. Just think about how many times you’ve had to sit through a presentation where it’s page after page of text, charts and graphs, no thanks.
Standing out
To stand out from your competitors you must be willing to try something different. You have to be willing to take a risk and not fall prey to the temptation of playing it safe. Nothing that changed the world ever did so by playing it safe. Tilt365 did not want to look like everyone else and that’s where I came in, luckily it’s what I do best. I realize risk can be scary but do you know what’s scarier? Playing it safe, blending in and getting lost in the crowd.
Stay tuned for more Tilt updates tomorrow as we spend the week celebrating our new book release, Tilt Presence. Being the calm in a sea of noise.
Step two tighten up:
Step 3 color:
