It’s background knowledge and the expertise to identify a problem and subsequently birth an idea. You’ve had years of experience and product knowledge. You understand your audience - and for some, you may know enough to realize that something is off and should be fixed. All of that is required to create an idea and propose a solution.
As for myself? Four years of college, 10+ years in the real estate sector, three working in-house for a builder as their marketing director (see also: Creative Manager), another 12 weeks for a certificate, hours zoomed in at 300% moving pixel by pixel, and countless hours of reading materials on grids, design essays and pretty portfolio case studies for me to be able to pinpoint bad design - in what appears to be effortless. Don’t discount how your background knowledge is vital to building a foundation for problem-solving.
Philippe? He took his first steps at tight roping walking at only 16 years old. Then, he taught himself everything he needed to know in one year of very intense training.
It’s about collaboration:
We don’t create in isolation. Humans aren’t built that way. Whether you're designing a logo, launching a campaign, or building a brand, you’ll work with others, gaining trust and buy-in from your stakeholders, team members, and collaborators. You may even require additional data or consulting to inform decisions. All of this takes tact, patience, and more time than the process itself.
Remember Philippe and his band of workers? It’s never a one-man job.
Selling your idea:
Dear Marketer (and Creative), while you wish people would just “get” your vision. The truth is, you’re amongst regular people. And regular people require education, reassurance, empathy, bullsh-t, patience, storytelling, and sometimes visual aids. It’s people who care less about the marketing or brand and care more about financials and deadlines. And guess what? They all have an opinion. This is the hardest part of our job, and quite frankly it has nothing to do with marketing (or designing).
Execution:
Congratulations. Your idea is approved. The battle is won, so let’s get to work. You’ll transform these concepts into reality. But even this requires a particular set of skills: organization, adaptability, and, of course, the willingness to navigate this unglamorous part of the process. Then, when it’s all done, you’ve got to do it all over again.
And for our high-wire enthusiast? His execution plan entailed all of that…plus a few costumes, some fake IDs, and a hefty dose of ingenuity.
The beauty within the process:
In design, we talk about white space. This tension between elements that push and pull, but yet, is vital. This process is similar - it’s the “in-between” parts of concept to execution that make our job, our job. It’s never about what’s on the page. It’s about the relationships, the conversations, and the problem-solving, combined with your skills that bring ideas to life. That white space, the unseen and seemingly empty space, is filled with intentionality, and it’s where the magic happens.
So, what happened to Philippe the day he walked that high-wire, 110 stories up? Well, he danced across–for forty-five minutes. He ran up and down that tight rope, bounced up and down, smiling and laughing. He’s had two movies made about him, his famous walk, and the process.
Your ideas, vision, and initiatives take more than your talents, analytical prowess, and all-consuming passion for homebuilding. It takes people, strategy, and a plan to execute. This hard, messy, and often unseen process makes the work you do so impactful.
And how did he even get that rope across those skyscrapers to begin with? Well, he just did.
Inspired by Kevin Oakley’s distaste for the word “just”, and “Now You See It” by Michael Bierut.
