The Third Shoe

Yesterday I was having lunch with Tracy Urquhart, our awesome creative operations manager, and I was talking about being disappointed when creatives take my direction exactly and bring nothing else to the table.

Tracy said that one of her first jobs was selling shoes for Nine West. When a customer asked to see a shoe in a certain size, she would bring that shoe in the size the customer wanted. She'd also bring a second pair that was similar, maybe a slightly different model or different brand. Then she'd bring a third pair. Something else completely. Something surprising. Something the customer wasn't asking for at all. But maybe--based on a hunch, something they said, maybe based on their style--something the customer would really love.

This is a perfect metaphor for what we should always be doing. Whether you're addressing feedback from a creative director or client, bring what was asked for. But don't stop there. Is there another way to do it? Maybe the direction was to emphasize a point more in the voiceover of a spot, but there's a better way to solve that same issue visually. What other ways can you solve that specific problem?

But don't stop there either. What else is there? How can you completely turn the problem on its head? What can you do that's radical and surprising? What is your gut telling you? It may be completely wrong. That's fine. You've already done what's asked. But there's a chance that third shoe just might just be more spectacular, more right than anything.

An Interview with Andrew LeVasseur, Head of Experience Design at VCU Brandcenter

At the VCU Brandcenter’s annual recruiter session, there’s a small group of tinkerers and builders and mad scientists who sit in the same room as art directors and copywriters, but kind of off to the side. Instead of ads, their tables are littered with drones and robots, hacked toys and games, tablets with app prototypes. Tangible things, things they’ve actually built. They are a new breed, a new creature in the industry. Until now, they’ve been called Creative Technologists.

I love talking to them about their work. I have a whole different set of questions than when I talk with the art directors and copywriters. Things like “What the hell is this?” “How's it work?” “How did you make it?” “What's this button do?” “Have you patented it?” And, usually in the back of my mind, “Wow, is this even advertising?”

This track—Creative Technology—has just been renamed Experience Design. We caught up with Andrew LeVasseur, the head of the Creative Technology/Experience Design track to get his take on VCU Brandcenter’s approach to technology and user experience, the future of the program and the reason for the name change. 

What’s your background? 

I have worked for top agencies like Razorfish (Seattle) and The Martin Agency (Richmond).  I have also launched and helped grow multiple start-up companies. My brand credits include Barclays, Best Buy, Capella University, Capitol One, Harrahs Entertainment, Hawaiian Airlines, Holland America, Microsoft, Michelin – BFGoodrich, Verizon FiOS, Weight Watchers, among others.

My focus areas include brand strategy, user experience design, information architecture, interaction design, software, information systems and process design, technology and new media, applied research and analytics.

What’s your role at the Brandcenter? 
I joined the VCU Brandcenter as an adjunct in 2009 where I played a large role in establishing the Creative Technology track (a precursor to the Experience Design track). As head of the Experience Design track, I help shape the vision, curriculum and course content.  As a professor, I teach multiple courses focused on strategy, design and technology.

Why the name change from Creative Technology to Experience Design? 

The Creative Technology track has successfully been in operation for 6 years and the name “Creative Technology” has served a specific purpose for the times we were in.  We’re renaming the track to better align with the direction of the industry, the career opportunities for our students, and to reflect more specifically the titles and roles our graduates are assuming in business. 

So what does an XD student do? 

Experience Design students concept, design, prototype and build ‘experiences’ that push the envelope of what is technologically possible.

While at the VCU Brandcenter, Experience Design Students will:

·       Study new and emerging user participation platforms like digital, social, mobile, and experiential (IoT). 

·       Identify new and imaginative ways for brands to engage with users across platforms. 

·       Design ads, interfaces, apps, wearables, robots, flying machines...things yet to be imagined.

·       Balance strategic, tactical and technical project demands to bring ideas to life in both form and function.

Here is the Fall 2015 Course List:

Semester 1: Business of Branding, Creative Thinking, User Experience Design, Physical Computing 1

Semester 2: Strategy & Design, User Participation Platforms, Visual Storytelling

Semester 3: Creating Gravitational Pull, Experimentation, Physical Computing 2

Semester 4: Innovation, Persuasion, Indivituation

Take a deeper look the XD Curriculum.  

What kind of people are you looking for in XD? 

We accept students from very diverse backgrounds and believe that the more variety in experience, capabilities and skills make for richer collaborative design.  That said, we want students who have a passion for business, design and technology, and who are: 

Culturally-Curious/Tech-Forward:  Are you fascinated by the world around you and the impact of

technology and new media on culture and people?

Creative Problem Solvers: Do you see challenges as design opportunities and have the capacity to

find creative design solutions? 

Interdisciplinary: Do you possess a combination of business, design, and technology

experience?  But want to develop a deep specialization and practice in experience design. 

Productive Team Members:  Do you welcome new ideas and play well with others? 

Thinkers + Makers: Are you equally comfortable developing concept, design, and prototypes?  

Strategic, Tactical and Technical: Can you address the strategic, tactical and technical challenges

that come with any complex design project?

If this sounds like you, we're still accepting applications for Fall 2015. 

How about the students graduating. Can you describe their skills?

Breadth and Depth. You’ve heard it before, but the industry requires talent that gets the big picture, but also brings something unique and differentiated to the creative exercise.  We focus on developing talent that has strong foundation in concept and craft.  Dependent on their unique ambition and interests, our students also develop an area of specialization while at the VCU Brandcenter. For some XDs, it is user-centered design and related UX disciplines (UI, IA, IxD, Front end-development).  While others are passionate about concepting, designing, building and trialing new experiences that push the envelope of what is technologically possible.  While other students are focused on the production of dynamic multimedia content for new environments.  There are so many emerging opportunities out there, that we leave it up to our students to shape their own views and invent their own visions of the future.   

See the portfolios of current XD students and the current student showcase.

Where are some of your graduates working today? 

Since we started, we have placed upwards of 100 CT/XDs.  Our graduates are in high demand and have gone on to work in the top agencies, client-side, and in successful start-up companies.  They work for global brands, on award-winning work, and some have been recognized as leaders in our industry.  Our graduates operate under multiple titles in the industry (and this is a good thing).   

Any predictions on where this track is going? 

This track is uniquely positioned within our curriculum to be looking upward and outward to what is new and next. What are the trends impacting our industry, where might we experience disruption, how does that point to new opportunities for brands, and what capabilities and skills will we need to develop to lead the creative industry?  That is why we will need to constantly evolve, question our assumptions, and expand our base of knowledge and ability.  It is also the same reason we are hard to define.  That might not be a bad thing after all.

In the spirit of change, I’d love to hear from you. alevasseur@vcu.edu

About VCU Brandcenter

The VCU Brandcenter Master's program, part of VCU's School of Business, has been recognized by Creativity Magazine, the 4A's, Ad Age and BusinessWeek as a top graduate program in advertising, marketing, digital media, and design + business.  

The Brandcenter is known within the advertising industry for its intensity, and the students who graduate from the program earn valuable real life experience to develop brands on a global scale. 

The VCU Brandcenter is more than a portfolio school. Students earn a Master’s of Science in business that complements their portfolio of work. This portfolio could contain ad campaigns. It will definitely contain strategically thought out and creatively conceived solutions to business problems. Brandcenter students concentrate in one of the five tracks. They study within their given track, as well as collaborate with all tracks on team projects that culminate in presentations to their faculty, peers and often real world clients.

Creative vs. Creative Director

There's an article in CA's Interactive Annual by Xanthe Wells called "Promoted to Fail." It includes  this chart from Rob Schwartz.

I love it. It's true. Absolutely true.

But if you're a young creative with aspirations of becoming a creative director, don't just jump to the right-hand column. Embrace the left side. Be about your book. Have lots of ideas. Worry about now. It's what you need to do now.

Someday, you'll realize you're more concerned about the client than your book. You'll know what finding the idea feels like. Unifying won't sound so lame and kumbaya-ish.

Nothing wrong with either column. Just know where you fall. And play your part as best you can.

It doesn't have to be what you think it has to be.

I'm a fan of Stephan Sagmeister. I like his book. I like his TED talks. Maybe I'm suckered by the Viennese accent, but I think he does fascinating work.

Sagmeister was asked by Adobe to "make an interpretive graphic of their logo." A lot of creatives would have come back to Adobe with just that. A different version of their logo. Sagmeister gave them a game show. The first episode is below. But you should view the entire experience here.


Episode 1, Sagmeister X Walsh from Sagmeister & Walsh on Vimeo.

I work at The Richards Group. And though I'm not on this account, one of our most famous campaigns is the Chick-fil-A cows. This is one of the longest-running, most-awarded advertising campaigns around. And the Cows were completely off-brief. Not even close. The idea was at odds with the original strategy. It took guts to present something off-brief to the clients. And it took guts for the client to buy it. But it's done pretty well for both parties.

We all approach assignments with pre-conceptions. And sometimes we're able to overcome them. But even then, we still stay within expected parameters. Yes, we have clients to answer to. And yes, we have to be grown-ups and deliver what we promised. But don't let that stop you from doing something more.

It doesn't have to be what you think it has to be.

The 30 Most Creative Women In Advertising

How many amazing, world-class female creatives can you name? (Go ahead, post them in the comments section, I'm curious.) Not just good female creatives, but Cannes-jury-level female creatives. Off-hand, I can think of four or five. And a couple of them aren't really in the business anymore. I know there are more. But unfortunately, they don't come as easily to mind.

There are lots of women in advertising. But not on the creative side. At least not in my experience. If you're a female writer or art director, I hope you can change that. I hope you can put your stamp on the industry. Here's a list to get you inspired. It's The 30 Most Creative Women In Advertising according to Business Insider.

Go through the list. See how many of these women you already know. You probably already know their work. See what they do, and how they do it. Then, go do it yourself.

Guys, you may want to pay attention, too.

Things We Don't Want To Hear In A Radio Ad (Parts 1 and 2)

Things We Don't Want to Hear in a Radio Ad (Part 1) from Radio Mercury Awards on Vimeo.

Things We Don't Want to Hear in a Radio Ad (Part 2) from Radio Mercury Awards on Vimeo.

Moving and Working Overseas

Having worked overseas, I get a lot of questions from students about how they can work abroad, too. I published pretty much all I know in this free ebook. But my experience is hardly comprehensive.

I recently traded emails with Tripp Jakovich, a creative working in Shanghai. I asked Tripp to share his advice on moving and working overseas. Here's what he had to say:

Back in October I decided to take my chances abroad in hopes of starting a career amongst the heavy hitters of the advertising world. So I set my sights on Shanghai, China. It wasn’t a completely random decision. Having used to live in Beijing and a working knowledge of the Mandarin language, it seemed like a reasonable venture.

Within two weeks, not only did I meet a multitude of inspiring individuals, but I also landed a job as a copywriter at an international agency.

The ad industry flourishes in cities like Shanghai. With more brands establishing themselves in the Chinese market, it only makes sense that agencies are following suit and setting up shop. After months of learning about the opportunities to be had, I compiled a few reasons why and how one might start a career overseas (in advertising or otherwise).

1. The Whys

-       Go out, see the world and challenge yourself. Find out what you are really capable of. If you can make it on your own in a foreign country, you can likely be successful anywhere.

-       Creative curriculum is prominent in Western education. In my experience, it seems artistic minds are in short supply in developing countries. Their more basic needs drive educative focuses, so creative education isn’t really necessary. For cities with growing ad scenes, there is a huge demand for people who have learned to control and communicate the creative process.

-       You will get chances to prove yourself no matter how experienced you are. I have been given responsibilities and opportunities that I never would have had in the US because of my limited amount of time in the advertising field.  

2. The Hows

-       As always, do your research. I used both WeChat as well as LinkedIn to search for people who were working at companies in which I was interested. By merely reaching out to them, I was able to get a number of different interviews. Don’t be afraid to ask.

-       Get lost and connect. Go explore the city and meet people along the way. Get lost and find your way back home by asking directions. Stop at a bar, buy someone a drink and pick his or her brain. If that person has any jobs leads or connections, your desire to learn will leave a good impression.

-       Take the plunge. Just go for it, no extensive plan needed. Don’t have a job lined up just yet? Hire a headhunter a few months before you leave.  Set up some interviews for when you arrive. Meet people and find work through new contacts.

-       Have faith that it will work out. It always does in the end, doesn’t it? You will find a way and when you do, your fight to success will make you mentally stronger and more confident in your abilities. 

VCU Brandcenter launches Experience Design Track

Whenever I go to the VCU Brandcenter's recruiter session, I get so inspired when I talk to the Creative Technologists. They make some crazy-cool stuff. Tangible, with real-world applications. To be honest, the thought has crossed my mind... "Dang, I should go back to school and learn to do what these cats are learning."

So it's exciting to hear the news that the CT track is evolving. It will now be called Experience Design. The curriculum concentrates on the conception, design, prototyping and building of brand experiences  - pushing the envelope on what is technologically possible.

From the Brandcenter:

"We are experience designers.  We dream things.  We make things.  We break things.  And then, we do it again.  We don't define ourselves by the things that we make.  We do define ourselves by how those things make others think and feel and act. That is why, on any given day you might find us making any number of things:  ads, interfaces, apps, wearables, robots, flying machines, ... whatever it takes."

Last year's students were in high demand. They will continue to be so as agencies and brands see their increased value. Students interned and were hired by companies like Coca-Cola, The Barbarian Group, BBH, The Martin Agency, AKQA, Deutsch LA, and R/GA, to name a few.

 The track is run by Andrew Levasseur. Here's what he has to say about it.

If you're interested, here's some more info. This is without a doubt where the industry is headed. It's not surprising to see the school one step ahead.

Cris Carter on Stuart Scott

You probably saw the news a couple weeks ago that Stuart Scott, ESPN sports anchor, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Many moving and inspirational things were said about Stuart. He was indeed one-of-a-kind. You could see in the genuine reactions how much respect and love his colleagues had for him. One reaction that really struck me was Cris Carter's. I can't figure out how to imbed the video, but you can see it here, at about 5:10.

"He was a role model for me. He talked, on Sportscenter, like me and my friends talked. He did it his way and was great at it."

That, for me, summed up why Stuart Scott was so revolutionary. Before Sportscenter, sports news was kind of like the other news. The guys on Sportscenter talked about sports like fans, like a bunch of guys just hanging out watching a game. They changed the way sports were covered everywhere. Scott, in particular, brought a unique voice. He wove hip-hop references into his coverage and connected with young people everywhere--urban African-American kids because he sounded like them and young white kids because he just sounded cool. Someone could have--probably did at some point--tell him that he wasn't talking like a serious sportscaster. But he did it his way. He believed in his voice. That's what made him great.

The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

I read a handful of books on creative thinking and management every year. Some are more helpful than others. The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry is one I found full of good advice from both perspectives. In a nutshell, Henry's focus is on practices that help us make the most of our creative resources (time and energy). It also has some good advice about managing a creative environment. 

My review is below, along with some random notes (I post reviews of everything I read on my personal blog). 

Additionally, Henry runs The Accidental Creative podcast. And he has a new book out, Die Empty. I haven't read that book. If anyone has, let me know what you think of it. The title's a little cheesy, but he usually has smart stuff to say.