Volume 1, Number 1  |  May 2007

In my experience, communicating effectively boils down to two things:

THING #1: Figure out what you want to say.

THING #2: Figure out the best way to say it.

You can apply this ultra-simple formula to pretty much any communications conundrum--an ad, a speech, even a piece of art--and it will work.

Quite often, though, when people come to me for help with design or branding (Thing #2), they have no idea what they want help with (Thing #1). Oh, they're pretty sure they need a logo or a website or a flyer. But they don't know what it should say. Or they don't know the main thing it should say, which is equally problematic.

So how do you go about figuring out this great and wonderful thing you want to say? You play! You doodle/list/scribble/babble/whatever until you've gotten everything out of your head and onto a piece of paper (or magnetic tape, or other capture device). You blue-sky types probably need no more permission than that. But if you're looking for some tricks to get you from here to there, you might want to try one of these...

Keep a running list (or twenty)

I think of listmaking as "brainstorming for one". I keep lists for just about everything, from movies I want to see to projects I'd like to tackle to people I want to meet. One of the homework assignments I give clients who come to me for identity (i.e., logo and branding) work is to make a list of attributes that describe them (an idea I got from smart business person and world-class listmaker, Carl Wellenstein.)

Start a scrap file

Sort of the graphic equivalent of listmaking, maintaining scrap files of stuff that intrigues you helps order your thoughts and map your passions. For example, I've kept a scrap file of interesting ads, illustrations, color chips and pretty much anything else in 2-D that I use as an inspiration file.

By the way, the traditional term for this handy tool is a "swipe" file. Dan Kennedy talks about them here. 

Write your "I believe" speech

I got this dandy trick from my old acting coach, Cameron Thor. In the film Bull Durham, Kevin Costner makes a startling, seemingly impromptu speech on what moves him. It not only defines his character in a delightfully uncharacteristic way, but fairly sweeps Susan Sarandon off her feet on the spot. (You can read it here.) This is a great way to connect with what you're truly passionate with, whether you actually get to say it to Susan Sarandon or not.

The important thing here is to get it all out, then take your time and winnow it down. Like a sculpture that resides in a piece of granite, your idea will reveal itself.

How about you? Have you come up with any great ways to distill your own essence?