My 3-year old is in the throws of the “why?” stage. He’s also going through some other stages as well, but I’ll save those for another time. “Why do we have tears?” Why do I have a mommy?” “Why is he a giant?”(said to a rather tall McDonald’s customer). We should all be so curious and observant. 

Graphic Designers need to be especially observant and ask many “Why’s” before, during, and after a project. In fact, it’s a great habit to ask Who, What, and Where as well. For example: Who is my target audience? What type of paper is this brochure being printed on? What resolution and color mode should I set up for this trade show graphic? Where is your literature being distributed? Where will people be viewing your website? Why am I using this font, these colors, and why will this layout be most effective for the client?

While it can be draining to answer rapid fire ”Why’s” throughout the day, I know that my 3-year old’s curiosity is something that we should all, as artists, graphic designers, videographers, programmers, animators, illustrators, and writers adopt on a daily basis.

Last night Elizabeth and I attended a leadership seminar. The premise of the presentation, and the book authored by the presenter, was that leadership cannot be taught but it can be learned. The speaker went on to explain that the the premise is not a contradiction because while schools cannot teach the curriculum that prepares one to be a leader, the hard knock, real world survival lessons of life can prepare an individual to lead.

Here is my hard learned lessons of leadership.

I think of all the staff at DDA as leaders. The programmers, copy writers, graphic designers, illustrators, SEO specialists, artists, video production crews, and photographers are leaders within their industry niche, within their department, and within themselves. They are offered responsibility and authority and challenges. They rise to accept and meet them or they shrink from the opportunity. If they rise and fail, they are hopefully corrected and thanked for trying and asked to try again next time.

Most importantly, it is in the trying that they grow and learn and become wiser and more sure of themselves and more able to lead. The concept that to be a leader, you must have followers is way too limiting. Leadership is about the willingness to have, express, and follow a point of view.

As management, Elizabeth and I know that we cannot run the business from above. There is a sign in my office for the last fourteen years that reads: You do not build a business, you build an organization, and the organization builds the business. I should probably update it to say: You do not build a business or an organization, you help grow leaders that build an organization that builds a business. Thank you DDA leaders, one and all.

Like most kids, I grew up loving cartoons. Back then it was The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Rainbow Brite, The Transformers, Ninja Turtles (I could go one and on) that were on the television in my house. Growing up with an older sister that was very artistic and could draw anything you put in front of her, I wanted to be just like her and started to draw myself. And cartoons were my all time favorite!

The talented illustrators at DDA, a graphic design company, have created some of the most amazing hand drawn illustrations, technical illustrations and digital illustrations around. Illustrations were created of the DDA programmers, designers, search engine optimization specialists for our website.

At the Meet DDA section on our website that also displays our website design capabilities, photography services, 3d modeling and animation projects and much more, you can see a cartoon version of each of us. You can also read our daily blogs.

As I watch some of the cartoons that my kids watch today I find myself thinking, The Smurfs were still better than this!

If you were to ask ten clients what Dynamic Digital Advertising does for them, you would probably get six or seven different answers. Some clients utilize only our print design and print production services, but these clients come to us for bread and butter business cards, brochures, postcards, and sometimes even a few exotic print projects that include die cuts, special folds, etc. Some clients think of us as their web developer. We build the website, work closely with them to assure their message is clear in word and image, and the site is first rate, and as part of our web services, do their search engine optimization and maintenance work.

I have even heard a client call us “their photographer” because that is all we do for that company. Then there are the clients who work with us because we can take care of all their needs. Maybe this month it is preparing for trade shows and we are tasked with everything from concept to creation of booth graphics to dealing with the trucking companies who deliver the booths and the special furniture and counters, and the extra large TV screens for viewing the videos we created of the client’s product.

So we are a different vendor to different clients. The crucial reality is that as a full-service advertising agency we can and do work diligently to always create custom designs, for each company that chooses to work with us. And we do so with a team that includes graphic designers, videographers, animators, illustrators and some of the best copywriters who also juggle other duties like project coordination. 

If I sound like I am proud of us, it is because I am. I often tell new clients who marvel at the depth of our services, that we are a well kept secret in this business! 

Wednesdays are not so bad around here for us 4 day workers. Thursday is in sight, and that is when our weekend begins! DDA has been on a 10 hour 4 day work week for several years now. Come to think of it, I can hardly remember what it was like to work on a Friday. When I tell people that we are able to work a 4 day week, the responses are usually the same: “Wow, you’re so lucky”; “I wish I could work a 4 day week”; “I’m jealous”.

DDA’s website designers, programmers, illustrators, project coordinators and animators are able to manage their time so well that the 4 day work week is here to stay. Our clients know that if there is an emergency on a Friday, we are still able to help. Staffers may be “on call” on Fridays, but it is not usually necessary for us to come into the office.

Have you ever had a conversation where the end result was frustration and confusion because your message was misunderstood? Think about it. Happens all the time.  Different people can and will interpret the same message differently.  Serve ten people the same meal and  then ask for feedback, and you’ll get “great” to “did not care for it” and everything in between for the dishes served.

That is true too of the work we do as a full-service advertising agency. One of our biggest challenges is communication:
a) sharing creative ideas with DDA graphic designers, illustrators, videographers, programmers and support staff is and should be a constant task;
b) sharing concepts with a clients is layered and requires vigilance and thought;
c) sharing plans, goals, and results for our future as a company takes careful articulation.

My point:  what is it you want to communicate? As a group, no matter which part of a project we are involved with, we should keep this question in mind. It will help each of us explain our position, it will allow the recipient to accept or disagree with our point of view intelligently instead of emotionally, in other words hone our professional approach to writing,  designing, branding, selling, working with clients, and working with one another.  The end result of these verbal exchanges should be win-win. 

The great American poet Robert Frost said “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, And the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” 

At Dynamic Digital Advertising, let us strive to develop an advertising ethic that embodies true clarity in word and deed.