Frog Design Manifesto

Creator

Frog Design is an international design company

Purpose

“frog advances the human experience through design.

Since our early days ushering in the era of personal computing, our rallying cry has been ‘form follows emotion.’ Today our work goes beyond individual forms—we design systems of brand, product, and service—but our focus on emotion remains. We strive to create the world as it should be, and our work results in experiences people love.” (website)

Frog Design Manifesto - Part 1

Manifesto

We are fanatical about improving the world
We choreograph cultural change through design
We are not just a business, after 50 years we’re part of the cultural fabric
Our work outlasts movements and fads
Quality is our non-compromising obligation
We strive to change minds, touch hearts and move markets

We are curious, vigilant, expert, cost-driven and aware of the need to save our scarce environment
Our talent is both an art and a science, it’s both business and culture
Our clients are the key to our success (however, we don’t take any b.s. – inside or outside)
We live honestly open and without fear
Humour and spirited fun are the essence of frog

Frog Design Manifesto Part 2

Source

https://www.frogdesign.com/about

Comment

Frog is a world-class design company.

The interesting thing for me about the two manifesto visuals is that they are not consistent with what a company that is perhaps best known for their early work for Apple.

Instead, I see these two manifestos as fitting the typical ‘style’ of a manifesto. Essentially, this is short sharp statements with a mix of fonts in different sizes to create a visual poster.

I was hoping for a unique approach rather than the adoption of what I consider to be a ‘typical’ approach to designing your manifesto visual.

A comparison might be the Stanford Design School Napkin Manifesto. While this might be a bit of a cliche for designs (to draw your ideas on a napkin) it is consistent with the spirit of how design is created.

One thought of what Frog could have done is to have printed their manifesto onto the surface of one of their designed objects. Or perhaps, as a series of photographs with a single core statement on a single design. This would have created a unique series, a great launch event (photograph exhibition) plus a series of images that could be shared and downloaded on social media which could provide greater spread of their ideas and their brand.

At the level of content, there are some great words in this manifesto. For instance: fanatical, choreograph, outlast, non-compromising, touch hearts, move markets, vigilant and spirited.

These presents a lively creative feel to their thoughts.

More

Frank Lloyd Wright Apprentice Manifesto

Stanford Design School Napkin Manifesto

A Design Education Manifesto

Brilliant City Sydney Manifesto

Creator

“AECOM is the world’s premier infrastructure firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come.” (website)

Purpose

This manifesto is a comprehensive proposition for future Sydney with 8 million residents. Intended to guide business and government, it offers ambitious reforms to plan for the larger population size, which could be reached as early as 2050.

Manifesto

10 Big Moves

  1. Evolve Sydney’s governance model
  2. Rethink future procurement and delivery
  3. Embed a smart city approach to planning
  4. Value green infrastructure
  5. Optimise Sydney transport
  6. Deliver next-generation corridors
  7. Reform Sydney’s freight network
  8. Make housing more diverse and affordable
  9. Turn Sydney electric
  10. Create a water-sensitive city

Source

Brilliant City Sydney Manifesto

Comment

In the early 1990s, I was selected to speak at two international Ecological City conferences.

My topic was to talk about my proposed strategy for the design of my home city – Geelong.

In particular I was suggesting we needed to create public Design Goals. This was to counter the closed planning process that favoured projects that promised short-term jobs and tourist projects but ultimately did not enhance the public amenity of the locals.

I’m pleased to say the Brilliant City Sydney Manifesto adopts a similar approach – it presents a series of general goals and then specific ones to Sydney.

The visual diagram on this page from their report highlights this.

This manifesto is best read in partnership with the AECOM Brilliant Cities manifesto.

Together they present a great way to lead the conversation by offer three tiers:

  1. A unique context
  2. A set of rules or principles for winning in that context
  3. An application of these principles

This example of Sydney demonstrates part three in this process by applying the principles to a real-world situation.

More

AECOM’s Brilliant Cities

Vancouver – Greenest City in the World 2020

Trevor Boddy – Hybrid City

AECOM’s Brilliant Cities

Creator

“AECOM is the world’s premier infrastructure firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come.” (website)

Purpose

“Cities have never been more important, nor the competition among them more intense. The cities that are positioned to excel are pursuing visionary, integrated strategies to tap hidden value, attract people and investment, and overcome financial and operational challenges.”

Manifesto

Brilliant cities are globally renowned for being prosperous and highly liveable.

They allow residents to live close to where they work, and enjoy housing security and easy access to services, amenities and open space.

Crucially, infrastructure, services and technology are deeply integrated with people’s lives.

Digital applications and the sharing economy operate around the clock, giving residents seamless on-demand access to transport and other services at any hour of the day.

These technological innovations connect communities; they also enable remote work and sharing of ideas. In addition, a greater mix of housing types provides residents

with more diverse, equitable and, in turn, liveable environments.

Achieving this vision (in Sydney) will take more than just spending money. Governance, planning and procurement settings are crucial.

All three tiers of government, as well as other stakeholders, must also collaborate to identify goals and prioritise funding, and they must be held accountable for delivering these commitments.

Source

https://www.aecom.com

https://www.aecom.com/au/brilliantcityinsights/sydney-manifesto/

Comment

This is a very clever piece of Thought Leadership.

AECOM build infrastructure. To create demand and ultimately pitch their expertise, they have the created their own opportunity and conversation about what is needed: Brilliant Cities.

That’s a simple and power two-word phrase. ‘Cities’ is the context and ‘brilliant’ is their unique descriptor or niche term.

Together they ask the questions:

  • What is a brilliant city?
  • Is my city brilliant?
  • What would we need to do to make it brilliant?

Historically, this type of discussion document was created by government entities. Instead, I believe this document is inspired and created by AECOM. That’s being a leader in your market.

Even better, they have created a context that can applied to different situations – in this case to different cities.

Separately I have posted Brilliant City Sydney Manifesto. I suggest you download the pdf – it’s a beautifully designed document that outlines the principles they are pursuing and how they would go about this. From the three tiers of government (Local, State and Federal) that could enact the plan, AECOM has highlighted the goals and some broad projects that could be implemented to achieve these goals.

This sets up a three-tier Thought Leadership approach:

  1. Define a unique context eg Brilliant Cities
  2. Write the rules for success – what critieria do you need to achieve to become a Brilliant City
  3. Applications of your rules – in this case, Sydney

More

Brilliant City Sydney Manifesto

Vancouver – Greenest City in the World 2020

Trevor Boddy – Hybrid City

Nancy Scott: Helping My Friends Manifesto

Nancy Scott: Helping My Friends Manifesto

Creator: Nancy Scott is the founder of Liberty Communications Group, a boutique business communications agency in the Washington, D.C. area.

Purpose: Eight ground rules for when friends have asked you for creative advice.

The Helping My Friends Manifesto

??I’m happy that you’ve asked me for help. Normally, I charge (quite a bit) for this type of work, but I can definitely get you started for free. I want this to be fun for both of us, so it might help if we set some ground rules.

1. If you have a concept in mind — style, tone, appearance, layout, color, wording, headlines, copy, tagline, headers, font — please share your thoughts before I begin. The more detail, the better.

2. If you don’t have a concept in mind — in other words, if you are a blank slate who is simply saying “I need a brochure” — let’s agree that you have come to me for my skill and experience, upon which it makes sense to rely.

3. In this project we are about to undertake, I am the expert. Agreed?

4. Does the following statement sound like something you might say? “I don’t know what I want. I only know what I DON’T want.” If this is true, please provide me a point-by-point list of what you don’t want. Otherwise, I won’t be able to help you with this project.

5. Does the following statement sound like something you might say? “I don’t like it. I don’t know why. I just don’t like it.” Please understand that, in the hands of a professional, creative choices are driven both by talent and by reason. I will be able to tell you why I made a certain choice, so — in turn — you will need to tell me why you think a particular choice won’t work. Otherwise, please see #2, above.

6. When I show you the draft, if you have questions or concerns, I’ll be happy to explain why I’ve made certain creative choices.

7. Typically, my work includes one round of reasonable changes/alterations as part of the fee. Beyond that, I charge “x” dollars per hour. So, while I can draft something for you and make one set of reasonable changes, a wholesale “makeover” is not part of the deal. (Note: Time constraints related to paying work make it essential that I assume the role of “decider” as to what’s “reasonable.”) Agreed?

8. We are both free to say to one another “Let’s give this a rest.”

 

Source

Published on Business2Community.com on 12 September 2011