Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.
12.17.2010
12.15.2010
12.12.2010
Reflective Judgement and the Conceptual Process
Overview of the Reflective Judgment Model's Three Developmental Periods
Allow me to humbley and indiscriminately apply this to the conceptual process/creative thinking, in general. I truly believe that the distinction some make between left and right-brain thinkers is a little gray. ( sorry, bad pun )
Prereflective Reasoning We are given a problem to solve.
The solution being communication in one form or another about an idea, product or service ( ips ). First we evaluate the ips. Clients provide their R&D as well as existing data about related ips's, their respective companies and it's consumers. We've received the creative brief. So, we have this information, or epistemological assumptions, about the ips. Let's enter Prereflective Reasoning, or in our industry; Conceptual Thinking.
Let's combined the information from the brief ( knowledge gained through the word of an authority figure or through firsthand observation ) along with our own practical experience along side the objectives of the client ( communicating the ips ) making our assumptions. The basis of any conceptual work requires the thinking to treat all problems as though they were well-structured assumptions through a linear process of assumed certainty. We've combined information that was previously considered unrelated--we generated a concept. We've accepted that the information we have is factual and concise. This is our justification of beliefs. Hopefully everyone in the room has agreed that these beliefs are accurate.
Quasi-Reflective Reasoning, or Client submission and review. Knowledge claims-contain elements of uncertainty, which [people who hold these assumptions] attribute to missing information or to the methods of obtaining the evidence. Some think the concept doesn't communicate the ips accurately enough.
Some get it, some don't, budget constraints or re-allocation of budgets are needed. How can we make sure the largest set of narrowed perspectives understand the communication? This is where our idiosyncratic minds come into play. We've made this ips peculiarly ( idiosyncratically ) related to the client and the consumer. Although they use evidence, they do not understand how evidence entails a conclusion they see their ips in the communication or media plan but feel, because they can't, no one else will understand it. Through Prereflective Reasoning we revisit the concept and modify based on more epistemological assumptions.
Reflective Reasoning, or The client and consumer get it. The campaign is a success. People who hold these assumptions accept "that knowledge claims cannot be made with certainty, but [they] are not immobilized by it; rather, [they] make judgments that are "most reasonable" and about which they are "relatively certain," based on their evaluation of available data. They understand the communication. They believe they must actively construct their decisions, and Prereflective Reason that knowledge claims must be evaluated in relationship to the context in which they were generated to determine their validity. They also readily admit their willingness to reevaluate the adequacy of their judgments as new data or new methodologies become available." The market emerges new and improved ips's while understanding the existing idiosyncrasies of the ips's they're about to purchase ( knowledge claims-contain elements of uncertainty ) are infact Prereflectively Reasoning that a relationship to the context in which they were generated to determine their validity is needed first--Reflective Judgment.
*This references the material and it's creators fairly well.
Allow me to humbley and indiscriminately apply this to the conceptual process/creative thinking, in general. I truly believe that the distinction some make between left and right-brain thinkers is a little gray. ( sorry, bad pun )
Prereflective Reasoning We are given a problem to solve.
The solution being communication in one form or another about an idea, product or service ( ips ). First we evaluate the ips. Clients provide their R&D as well as existing data about related ips's, their respective companies and it's consumers. We've received the creative brief. So, we have this information, or epistemological assumptions, about the ips. Let's enter Prereflective Reasoning, or in our industry; Conceptual Thinking.
Let's combined the information from the brief ( knowledge gained through the word of an authority figure or through firsthand observation ) along with our own practical experience along side the objectives of the client ( communicating the ips ) making our assumptions. The basis of any conceptual work requires the thinking to treat all problems as though they were well-structured assumptions through a linear process of assumed certainty. We've combined information that was previously considered unrelated--we generated a concept. We've accepted that the information we have is factual and concise. This is our justification of beliefs. Hopefully everyone in the room has agreed that these beliefs are accurate.
Quasi-Reflective Reasoning, or Client submission and review. Knowledge claims-contain elements of uncertainty, which [people who hold these assumptions] attribute to missing information or to the methods of obtaining the evidence. Some think the concept doesn't communicate the ips accurately enough.
Some get it, some don't, budget constraints or re-allocation of budgets are needed. How can we make sure the largest set of narrowed perspectives understand the communication? This is where our idiosyncratic minds come into play. We've made this ips peculiarly ( idiosyncratically ) related to the client and the consumer. Although they use evidence, they do not understand how evidence entails a conclusion they see their ips in the communication or media plan but feel, because they can't, no one else will understand it. Through Prereflective Reasoning we revisit the concept and modify based on more epistemological assumptions.
Reflective Reasoning, or The client and consumer get it. The campaign is a success. People who hold these assumptions accept "that knowledge claims cannot be made with certainty, but [they] are not immobilized by it; rather, [they] make judgments that are "most reasonable" and about which they are "relatively certain," based on their evaluation of available data. They understand the communication. They believe they must actively construct their decisions, and Prereflective Reason that knowledge claims must be evaluated in relationship to the context in which they were generated to determine their validity. They also readily admit their willingness to reevaluate the adequacy of their judgments as new data or new methodologies become available." The market emerges new and improved ips's while understanding the existing idiosyncrasies of the ips's they're about to purchase ( knowledge claims-contain elements of uncertainty ) are infact Prereflectively Reasoning that a relationship to the context in which they were generated to determine their validity is needed first--Reflective Judgment.
*This references the material and it's creators fairly well.
12.08.2010
A Voice Guide
Having my own experiences over the years, both professionally and through my blog, I can say that there are some easy to understand guidelines for writing copy listed below. The Metaphor; The Analogy; The Narrative; The Statement; A sample of Groupon's guidelines for writing copy listed below. What do you think?
Groupon's Public Voice Guide:
Tradtional Marketing Cliches and Crutches to Avoid:
1. Positing our deal as the obvious solution to the reader's imaginary problems:
2. Worst/Best. Thing. Ever. (unsubstantiated superlatives)
3. Don't presume to know anything about the reader. Example of Groupon Voice violation from a chiropractor deal. Even if the idea is funny, positioning it this way will turn the reader off. These two examples illustrate good ideas that were presented as assumptions about the reader, and then edited to speak in broader terms and fit within Groupon voice:
4. Repetitive use of the imperative. The reader doesn't want to be told what to do, so don't fall into the trap of "try the burger..then try the desert...finish it off with a glass of wine." Instead, just describe those things without insisting that the reader do anything in particular. If they like how you describe the burger, they'll figure out on their own that the burger can be enjoyed by drinking it.
6. Avoid using exclamation points.
7. Words that are so abstract they don't mean anything...
8. Corporatespeak (proactive, efficient, productive, innovative, ideation, etc.)
9. Read about narrative point of view.
Groupon's Public Voice Guide:
Tradtional Marketing Cliches and Crutches to Avoid:
1. Positing our deal as the obvious solution to the reader's imaginary problems:
- EX: Do you have this problem? Well today's deal is the solution!
- EX: Whether you’re hosting an Oscar viewing party or a football tailgate, Camille’s can provide sustenance to fit everyone’s taste.
2. Worst/Best. Thing. Ever. (unsubstantiated superlatives)
3. Don't presume to know anything about the reader. Example of Groupon Voice violation from a chiropractor deal. Even if the idea is funny, positioning it this way will turn the reader off. These two examples illustrate good ideas that were presented as assumptions about the reader, and then edited to speak in broader terms and fit within Groupon voice:
- BEFORE: Your back is peeved about all those prank quarters glued to the sidewalk you bent over to pick up this year.
- AFTER: The typical American back suffers 2-3 fractures a year from attempting to pick up quarters prank-glued to the sidewalk.
- BEFORE: After you startle awake with your face encrusted to a bowl of vegan cookie dough, you usually take your sleep-eating guilt for a late night lap around the Wal-Mart.
- AFTER: After being startled awake by the cold bowl of cookie dough encrusted to their faces, most mortals take their sleep-eating guilt for a late-night lap around the Wal-Mart.
4. Repetitive use of the imperative. The reader doesn't want to be told what to do, so don't fall into the trap of "try the burger..then try the desert...finish it off with a glass of wine." Instead, just describe those things without insisting that the reader do anything in particular. If they like how you describe the burger, they'll figure out on their own that the burger can be enjoyed by drinking it.
- BAD: Next comes the sanitizer, which kicks bacteria and other micro-troublemakers to the curb.
- COMMENT: Micro-troublemakers is nicely worded, but "kick to the curb" is empty imagery.
- ACCEPTABLE: Next comes the sanitizer, which evicts bacteria, other micro-troublemakers, and their furniture from your home, leaving them on the streets playing micro-craps.
6. Avoid using exclamation points.
7. Words that are so abstract they don't mean anything...
- Adjectives: unique, great, perfect, interesting
- Verbs: optimize, enhance, utilize, maximize, all the -ize's
8. Corporatespeak (proactive, efficient, productive, innovative, ideation, etc.)
9. Read about narrative point of view.
12.03.2010
ECHO
Seven months ago I found myself sitting in my underwear at home. (briefs and sandals, but underwear seems more appropriate, and it was a sunny day) I pondered what it would be like to start a company. I walked over to my window and peaked out. I wasn’t looking for anything specific. I wasn’t focused on any one thing. I was trying to frame an introspective thought.
I’ve been writing a personal blog for years. I suppose the same thoughts that led me to begin writing it, have inspired me to try my hands at building something outside of myself. The snippet below has traveled with me for years. It’s the first thing you read on many of my online profiles.
“Imagine a brand landscape defined by the individual; the consumer, the prospect, the common surveyor–a marketplace that evolves organically based on consumer interaction and feedback. A company and their agency-both accountable for their products, services and ideas. Knowledge is growing directly in relation to the amount of people contributing to it without regard for social or economical barriers. Language barriers don’t exist. Knowledge is systematic growth based on interoperation without ration. Mass communications leveraged by the individual. Products and services rising and falling on their own merits. Someone googles “sucker born everyday,” every minute. Advertising talks too much, art requires no explanation and we live in the middle. Strategy/Creative = Context/Content.
Create relevancy.”
As hyperbolic as this may sound, it isn’t far from the realities that marketing, advertising–most industries these days, have faced. All though many people have claimed the end of all advertising and marketing as we know it, (almost 10 years now) many have bullishly struggled to keep things from shifting, progressing, evolving.
As I stood by my window, I realized that–like me, business and industry is innocuously standing in its underwear. We’re all facing a group of people we know exist, but have never personally met. We can’t please everyone, but we can certainly make an impression–a remarkable one, if even fleeting.
The people in the office immediately across from me didn’t wave back.
Two floors above them, some people were laughing pretty hard.
I should embroider our logo on my underwear.
I’ve been writing a personal blog for years. I suppose the same thoughts that led me to begin writing it, have inspired me to try my hands at building something outside of myself. The snippet below has traveled with me for years. It’s the first thing you read on many of my online profiles.
“Imagine a brand landscape defined by the individual; the consumer, the prospect, the common surveyor–a marketplace that evolves organically based on consumer interaction and feedback. A company and their agency-both accountable for their products, services and ideas. Knowledge is growing directly in relation to the amount of people contributing to it without regard for social or economical barriers. Language barriers don’t exist. Knowledge is systematic growth based on interoperation without ration. Mass communications leveraged by the individual. Products and services rising and falling on their own merits. Someone googles “sucker born everyday,” every minute. Advertising talks too much, art requires no explanation and we live in the middle. Strategy/Creative = Context/Content.
Create relevancy.”
As hyperbolic as this may sound, it isn’t far from the realities that marketing, advertising–most industries these days, have faced. All though many people have claimed the end of all advertising and marketing as we know it, (almost 10 years now) many have bullishly struggled to keep things from shifting, progressing, evolving.
As I stood by my window, I realized that–like me, business and industry is innocuously standing in its underwear. We’re all facing a group of people we know exist, but have never personally met. We can’t please everyone, but we can certainly make an impression–a remarkable one, if even fleeting.
The people in the office immediately across from me didn’t wave back.
Two floors above them, some people were laughing pretty hard.
I should embroider our logo on my underwear.
12.01.2010
The Teleporter: Interactive Mini-Adventures
Nice interactive choose your adventure, YouTube videos.
Proudly sponsored, as well. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Imagine a brand landscape defined by the individual; the consumer, the prospect, the common surveyor–a marketplace that evolves organically based on consumer interaction and feedback. A company and their agency-both accountable for their products, services and ideas. Knowledge is growing directly in relation to the amount of people contributing to it without regard for social or economical barriers. Language barriers don't exist. Knowledge is systematic growth based on interoperation without ration. Mass communications leveraged by the individual. Products and services rising and falling on their own merits. Someone googles "sucker born everyday," every minute. Advertising talks too much, art requires no explanation and we live in the middle. Create relevancy.
