Since the official incorporation of James Good in May 2002, the world’s moved on. Taking some of the areas central to our professional lives, we take a look at how things were, how things are now, and make some informed predictions on what the next ten years might bring.
1. Social Media
2002
This new fangled social media fad is certainly not new fangled; nor a fad! In my opinion it’s been around since the dawn of the internet, after all, the internet was all about geeky types pinging little messages to each other. Back in 2002 I was using AOL to build business contacts and communicate with some of our clients. AOL then was much like Linked In is now; a little convoluted and a bit of a mystery!
And of course there was Friends Reunited - if only they’d thought of the ‘rate your friends’ functionality that was the founding concept of Facebook, perhaps we’d now all be avid Friendbook users.
2012
With a plethora of social media platforms all vying for a slice of our busy schedules, perhaps someone should develop a social platform that suggests which is the best social platform based on which social platform your social network, many of whom you’ll not have seen in years, are being most social - often in an anti-social fashion - on! Or forget that, just sign up to Facebook!
2022
Google+ is the future and as soon as it starts influencing Google search results rankings it will catch on faster than a speeding bullet heading straight towards the Facebook bubble. That said, Facebook is a monolithic entity and I guess they’re having some influence over what is socially acceptable as far as Google is concerned. The battle of the big boys will make an interesting plot for Social Network the sequel.
Either that, or there’ll be a social revolution, and we’ll all decide to get off our backsides and make the effort to actually talk to each other.
2. Communications
2002
Back in the day when not everyone had a website (can’t believe that’s still true), advertising was top of the communications wish list, even for our smaller clients; whether a Yellow Pages ad or a press campaign. Printed brochures were also a priority, if only to adorn a pretty dire reception area! The communications mix was certainly far less diverse.
2012
Today, communications have become less set in stone and far more adaptable. With the social media uprising, ‘communications’ are no longer what’s set in print, but a two-way conversation. Even our somewhat static communications channels, like websites, are being integrated to include an element of responsive and engaging social stuff.
Our communications service has become increasingly concerned by the tone in which our clients are communicating and ensuring that tone is consistent across the board, from visual comms right down to individual Twitter accounts.
Traditional advertising agencies are being forced to think creatively about how to spend a client’s budget. Services like Sky+ are destroying TV advertising and shifting their own budgets into viral campaigns. Viral is, well, viral, and spreading like wildfire... even our smaller clients are asking for ideas around viral campaigns; it’s the buzzword of this decade.
The beauty is that success is not necessarily connected to the size of the budget; it’s about creativity and imagination. Everyone wants some and its exponential reach can go far beyond the expectations of the conceiver.
A row of mushrooms in Southbank with a tiny little tag promoting the National Gardening Museum went viral, all for the price of a punnet of shrooms!
With engaging social and inspiring viral taking over from traditional advertising, the people with whom we’re communicating matter even more than ever. Simply throwing cash at a bigger audience is a thing of the past. The customer is always right... again... and now they have a voice too!
2022
The future of communications and marketing has only one sensible outcome, and that’s for the consumer to be in the driving seat. As consumers, we know what’s good and what’s not and we now have the power to tell others. Communications services will focus on encouraging word of mouth and giving people the tools to spread that word through incentives and rewards. Google has just updated Google Analytics with more social analytical capabilities; businesses will soon be monitoring what’s said as much as they’re currently monitoring visitor numbers. Shrewd marketers will capitalise on opportunities presented in unique and engaging ways, hopefully responding to consumers on a social, but individual level. The future will see power shift... watch out BT, you’re going down! Long live Virgin (Free upgrade please?!)!
3.Brand Identity
2002
Identity design has always been a core part of our service offering, but looking back ten years, it was always a challenge to persuade smaller businesses of the importance of a strong brand identity.
2012
We’re finding that there’s a better appreciation for the importance of brand identity within the business community. This is possibly a result of the necessity to build relationships with customers in order to survive through tough times.
2022
As communications become increasingly about social and viral, brand identity will have to play catch up. I expect to see systems develop that allow brands to maintain control of their visual identity whilst enabling consumers to use it freely. Social platforms have made steps to achieving this, through releasing code that automatically updates their icons wherever they exist online, but this will become a problem for all businesses, not just those that are entirely internet based. Google is likely to be the first to introduce a digital asset sharing management control system... but you heard it here first!
4. Internet
2002
Back in our start-up days we had a wonderfully secluded creative space in an old converted barn in the middle of the Oxfordshire countryside. The decision to take the space was a toss-up between broadband or plush office... we were plagued by the dial-up tone for the first couple of years. With the majority of our work coming in from overseas, we had to develop ways of being particularly frugal with our bandwidth requirements, but weren’t able to avoid the regular trips to the post office with CDs and hard copy proofs.
2012
Now, life without connectivity has become quite painful. Our cable router was accidentally disconnected recently (mentioning no names... KATHY!) which resulted in an internet outage for an entire day. We felt quite helpless and didn’t know what to do with ourselves. It wasn’t just the fact that we couldn’t do things the way we wanted to; our security blanket had been taken away and mentally there was something not quite right. We could have dusted off the marker pens and picked up the phone, but urghh... how 2002!
Whilst I was working away recently I had another connectivity failure. Intermittent connectivity played havoc with my imap account. This made me realise that internet has moved on from what is provided through a browser window; it’s now built into every app we run through our devices and an internet connection is no longer enough... connectivity is what we need. Many businesses are still missing this trick. Visit Wales are trying to encourage tourism... provide connectivity and let those that already know the secrets of Wales do your promoting for you!
2022
Connectivity. Some of us are hooked and need our dedicated line 24/7 just to feel relaxed. 10 years should be long enough for the UK to catch up with Japan, providing super-high speed connections and a free wifi network throughout the entire UK.
5. Print
2002
The pessimists were busy spreading rumours that print was going to die, but back then, our suppliers were busy, and in seemingly good shape. Digital printers were just fine-tuning their trade for short-run jobs, and we had a trusted network of printers that we could rely on to deliver to our high standards.
Print was dying!
2012
Those pessimists were right. Print is now a dying industry, many of our trusted and expert suppliers have folded. To add to what is already a difficult situation, printers are reluctant to take on short run work - they’re after the economies of scale, and are less concerned with the quality of the end product. Increased costs and a lack of trusted suppliers makes print production management increasingly challenging (especially when your standards are as high as ours!).
Print is dying!
2022
Unfortunately, this situation is pushing creatives into finding clever alternatives to printing. The future is digital, but short run magazines and books will still be around, in ten years, at least; the fact that there are at least two magazines in print dedicated to apps for your iPhone is testament to that!
Print is dead! Long live iPad Magazine!
6. Hardware
2002
Even before I started James Good, I knew we’d be predominantly Apple based, I’d had Apple Macs for years already. In 2002 the line of Macs was not a million miles away from where we are now.
Phone technology was flakey, with Nokia leading the way and smartphones being sketchily conceived; the best of those early products was the Handspring Treo, but the convoluted software management just made it a little too... well, it just didn’t work! Even back then I was craving an Apple phone. I used to watch the keynote speeches longing for Apple to make my life complete!
Photography was already a large part of our offering and I invested in the latest digital kit, but photographers of our larger commissions still insisted on shooting on medium format slides... with Polaroid proofs and delays, whilst the repro-house used their enormous drum scanners not knowing the lifetime of this tech was over before they’d finished installing it... not to mention the Macs grinding to a halt when it was time to output the high res production files. Oh thank Fuji for their digital SLRs!
2012
It feels like the development of tech has plateaued. New technologies are becoming increasingly less dramatic or being less readily adopted. Blueray was a bit of a flop, because actually we don’t want CDs at all. 3D is flopping because who wants to fall asleep in front of a film with some bloody expensive glasses on their face! The iPad is the biggest product launch to hit the mass market in recent years and even the development of that has levelled out, with the introduction of the latest version with no version number. Apple have done this with their other products in order to be able to provide incremental product upgrades without the massive backlash of a disappointed press. So, for the first time in my career, I don’t feel like there’s any tech missing from my life. I’m not suffering technical problems and tech’s caught up with my aspirations.
We’re about ready to purchase a new camera and I’m a little disappointed that Fuji have discontinued their line of digital SLRs. I guess I’ve always been a fan of the underdog, but now’s the time to bite the bullet and switch to Nikon properly.
There is one little annoyance that could be resolved... power cables! If my electric toothbrush can have a contact pad, can my desk be adapted to be one big contact pad.... please... Braun?!
2022
The next ten years will see people getting creative with existing tech, either inventing new things to do with it all or solving existing problems through innovative new uses. Tech is now accessible to the masses, and the masses like to fiddle. Social platforms have made it very easy to become an overnight sensation, so I think we’ll see a lot of ideas, most pretty useless, but some utterly genius.
7. Software
2002
Back in the day, I was a Freehand fan through and through. This software had all the features that a serious designer needed and walked all over Adobe’s Illustrator and Pagemaker combo... and Quark for that matter. I hated Illustrator; it had none of the features I loved about Freehand. Then Adobe bought Freehand and stopped supporting it, which forced a switch for a very reluctant die hard few. But then, Adobe started to introduce all that was wonderful in Freehand, one glorious feature at a time! Now, if Adobe just change the name, we’ll be back to where we were 10 years ago!
Also, back in 2002 we were all getting to grips with the wonderful idiosyncrasies of Internet Explorer 6!
2012
Cloud. It’s happening. The technology exists for our digital lives to be completely cloud based, but we’re hunter gatherers and we like to keep our things where we think we’re in control. Through the introduction of ‘software as a service’ we’re already being coerced towards the cloud one little step at a time. Adobe have recently announced the launch of their Creative Cloud - a fully hosted creative suite.
A disproportionate amount of web development is still spent getting to grips with the wonderful idiosyncrasies of Internet Explorer 6... still, 12 years later!
2022
With the introduction of cloud based services and hosted solutions, it’s only a matter of time until we’re completely cloud based. Our devices will simply be portals to our remote digital lives and will probably require less processing power, further slowing developments in new personal computer tech. It’s likely that our cameras will have retina scanners and be combined with voice recognition technology to negate the need for stupid humans to remember or write down passwords. Surely someone will eventually realise that it’s not entirely wise to allow Facebook to manage all of your logins!
It also won’t surprise me in the slightest if we’re still getting to grips with the wonderful idiosyncrasies of Internet Explorer 6! Come on, Public Sector, sort your IEs out!
8.Retail
2002
It seemed like Borders had got it just right. Creating an environment that encouraged browsing, with arm chairs and a coffee shop in situ, that would make an experience out of shopping. Sadly, that wasn’t enough, and soon enough they lost the battle against online retailers with cheaper prices.
2012
What Borders failed to fully understand was the changing behaviour of their customers; ultimately they failed to adapt. They needed to meet us in the middle on price, or at least offer attractive incentives to stop us browsing in-store and buying online. Today, those businesses that take the time to understand how we’re shopping in the age of the internet, and ensure that online and in-store strategies compliment each other, are doing well. PC World’s Click and Collect service is a case in point, combining the convenience of online browsing with local collection. Retailers of products that customers have no desire to see before they buy, like Game, are finding it increasingly difficult to justify a high street presence.
2022
Retail will become intertwined with experiential entertainment and relaxation. Retail will no longer be reserved for the event of going shopping, but be more integrated into our habitual patterns. It will be there when we want it, often when we don’t, but the choice will become ours.
9. Global Reach
2002
Having recently returned to the UK from the Caribbean, 90% of our business was international. This encouraged us to lay the foundations for the online working practices we rely on today. In 2003 we welcomed Skype, a vast improvement on AOL, and released the first version of our online proofing system.
2012
The UK has become renowned for its services, especially its creative services. Services have replaced industry and production, and now play a major part in fuelling the UK economy. We’re seriously in need of some more fuel right now; selling our expert services to international businesses makes sense.
2022
All the necessary tools are available to make international operations open to anyone willing to invest in learning about other cultures and markets. All that’s needed is a willingness to travel; relationships will always need an element of face-to-face interaction.
10. Leadership
2002
Ten years ago, James was a cocky, opinionated and fresh-faced graphic designer. He could just about manage to get himself out of bed in the morning.
2012
Today, James is a cocky and opinionated creative director. He successfully manages a head-strong team of creatives (but he can’t quite manage to get Ed out of bed in the morning).
2022
James takes occasional time out from his hectic travel schedule to give some creative direction.