Archives: Ideas

Ideas posts.

Boxisms

Over the years, SmallBox has developed philosophies that guide us in our work. We call them “Boxisms.” They keep us grounded and focused on what’s essential. As we navigate through our changing world together (and apart), we sincerely hope that they can also provide a sense of purpose and inspiration to you.

 

#1 Do Great Things.

Don’t equate greatness with perfection. Failure is a core ingredient of greatness. To do something great, you must first do it poorly. Then learn humbly from each failure and work up to mastery. Once you have mastery, you’re ready for greatness – but mastery is not enough. 

To do truly great things, you must do them for the right reason – serving others. Don’t rob yourself of the transformative experience of doing good for others. When we do good for others we do great things.

 

#2 Design What Matters.

The world doesn’t need more stuff. It’s chock-full of it. When you bring something into the world – whether it be a new product, company or design – take a moment to ask, “Why?” 

Does this improve the lives of real people? Is it adding value or just creating noise? Pull back and dig deeper – maybe you haven’t solved an actual problem. Design that doesn’t solve a real problem is only adding clutter to an already cluttered world. Find time every day to step back from your work and ask, “Will this improve the lives of the people we’re designing for?”

 

#3 Listen to Learn.

You don’t have all the answers. Sure, you might agree in principle, but most days you live life like you know it all. After all, grown-ups are supposed to know what’s going on and asking questions makes it feel like we don’t have it together. 

If you want to know what’s really going on you have to listen deeply. Check your biases and assumptions at the door, and be fully present with another human being. 

Get into their world. Feel what they feel. Be transformed by their perspective. Be moved by their story. Only when we fully give ourselves over to another person’s experiences can we learn what we need to solve their problems.

 

#4 Set the Table.

Begin with intention. Consider what you want to accomplish before you begin the journey. Whether that journey is a meeting, a project, or something larger – bring intentionality to everything you do. 

Consider what went well, and what didn’t. Use this reflection to inform and design the next experience. Consider the energy you want people to feel in addition to addressing the issues and concerns blocking the way. Make it safe for everyone to speak up or push back in their own way. If you start with intention, you’ll set the table for success. 

 

#5 Get your Hands Dirty.

Don’t get too comfortable. Don’t get stuck behind your desk – get up and out into the world. Talk to people. Experience what they experience, firsthand. It won’t always be easy, but to empathize, you need to put yourself in another’s shoes. 

Technology and tools are no replacement for experiencing actual people. So don’t phone it in – make yourself available. Be vulnerable and human with everyone you work with. Roll up your sleeves and work side by side. Let them own the solution. 

Be willing to let go of your share of the credit. To do great work, we must be willing to get our hands dirty. 

 

#6 Embrace Ambiguity.

The world is a fuzzy place. We live in a gray zone most of the time. Accept it. You can never completely know everything about people – from an individual’s behavior, to a community’s challenges, to an organization’s opportunities. 

No matter how much time you spend, you’ll always be left with unanswered questions. It can be incredibly frustrating, but don’t give up. People are worth the trouble – and helping solve real problems is worth wading through seas of ambiguity. Dig in and take the work as far as you can with the time you have. Don’t regret what you didn’t do. Celebrate all that you did.

 

#7 Build Together.

There is a time for focused work. Headphones-on work. But great things are rarely built in isolation. John needed Yoko, Jobs needed Wozniak, Tina needed Amy. 

Magic happens when people come together to build something new. You begin to work as one unit, one brain – from a great basketball team to an experienced orchestra. 

Moving together effortlessly is beautiful, but it takes practice and vulnerability. And a persistent willingness to put shared vision ahead of one’s own ego.

 

#8 Stories Matter.

Humans are wired for stories – it’s deep in our DNA. Stories aren’t just our greatest invention – they’re powerful tools. They connect us, reveal meaning, change our minds, and create memories. 

Storytelling is uniquely human – to understand another human being we need to listen to their story. When we listen, we give them an invaluable gift. We make them feel understood, loved, and real. We connect to each other through emotion. Remember that every story has value. 

 

#9 Keep It Human.

We’re all human. Our daily lives allow us to connect, serve, play, and interact with others. It’s human nature to feel, to find connections through language and shared experiences, no matter our background or culture.

We learn, we seek to understand, we build, and we adapt. Our work should reflect this. It’s not about a bottom-line, it’s about doing right by people. It’s being vulnerable and authentic. It’s finding purpose and standing behind it. It is the best of who we are and who we serve.

 

#10 Deconstruct it.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by complexity. And the world is a complex place, especially when people are involved. When you feel panic begin to take over, step back and remember that every whole is made up of parts. 

Break it down – see how the parts work, or how they interact with each other, whether they’re individual people, groups, or tools and services. Visualize it – define them, map them, make a list or draw connections. Don’t burden yourself with solving their problems, start by making sense of what’s going on. When we deconstruct complexity, patterns and opportunities for change emerge. 

 

#11 See the Possibilities.

There are two ways to look at the world – you can see problems or you can see possibilities. And there is a time to see the problems. You can’t ignore them, they’re real and must be acknowledged and addressed. 

But, if we stay in that mindset we risk falling into despair and nothing will be changed. So we must actively protect our ability to see what is possible. To imagine a better way or a different world – no matter the people, systems, or spaces involved. We’re at our best when we help others see possibilities in their lives and work.

 

#12 Live it Up.

Live life with intention. Embrace the small joys and pursue the big challenges. We aren’t here to merely exist, but to use our lives in ways that make our selves and our communities better. And while we’re at it, why not have a little fun along the way.

Why Nonprofits Should Embrace Human-Centered Design

Let’s face it – when it comes to serving others, “optimization” and “automation” will only take you so far.

There are a thousand tools for increasing donations, sending pithy emails, and microtargeting followers and potential converts across social media and the web. But good tools will only take you so far – and to truly scale your organizational impact, you’ve got to go beyond big data and get off-screen (you can wait till you read the rest of this post…).

Think of human-centered design as a platform-agnostic toolkit that can help you scale your organizational impact. Whether you’re in the backyard or the board room, intentionally including the audiences you serve when developing program updates, service offerings, project roadmaps, or strategic plans, you’ll gain…

Three Reasons Why Your Neighborhood Needs a Brand

When’s the last time you thought about the story of your neighborhood? Who are your neighbors? What serves as the cornerstone of your block? How do people celebrate? Why do people choose to live here in the first place?

All of these questions (and more) can be used to inform a neighborhood’s message. And while a visual identity is important, a neighborhood brand is more than just a logo on a light post banner. Here are three reasons why a neighborhood brand matters.

1. To build a sense of place for your current residents.

Your current residents have invested in your neighborhood, and they have many stories to tell. What if their stories—the things they love and admire about their neighborhood—were woven into the brand you create? By listening to your residents and incorporating their voices in the branding process, you can create a unified neighborhood story that sparks pride. In doing so, you create a sense of place for your current residents, providing both an identity and message that they can relate to.

2. To convey professionalism when seeking resources.

How many times have you sought out funding, only to find yourself wishing you had a brand to make your request seem more official? Creating a neighborhood brand conveys a sense of professionalism when seeking resources, especially when you’re applying for grants of buying land. Simply having a visual identity at the bottom of your page (or perhaps even a website to send someone to) can strengthen your application.

3. To attract new residents who connect with your neighborhood’s story.

While brands can strengthen the social fabric of our neighborhoods as they exist now, they can also serve to attract new residents. Creating a brand can (and should) be a strategic, market-driven decision. Your brand should position your neighborhood as unique, highlighting what makes it different than those around it. That being said, creating an authentic brand will bring in new residents who truly connect with your neighborhood’s story. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? Committed individuals who are willing to invest in their homes and their neighbors.

The next time you spot a neighborhood logo, take a moment to think about what the story of its residents might be. To them, it’s so much more than just the brand—it’s an extension of their own identity.

How to Design an Inspiring Annual Report

Designing an annual report is no small feat. Every year, foundations and nonprofits go through the same process of identifying stories, writing content, designing, and printing. This process can often feel laborious and repetitive, however, it doesn’t have to. Consider these six tips to design an engaging annual report — one that celebrates the work done and inspires action for the work ahead:

1. Choose a format that your audiences actually use.

Always strive to meet your audiences where they are. Do they read print? Are they online? Do they gather in-person? Understanding how your audiences choose to share and consume information will inform the format or platform you choose, making your report more accessible.

Photo credit Sharon Matthew.

2. Craft a compelling narrative.

This requires you to take a step back and ask ‘what is the purpose of the modern annual report?’ For some organizations, your report might serve as an artifact—something you create for historical documentation. For others, it might be about sharing the the origin story of your work, illustrating the connection between where you’ve been the past year and where your focus is moving forward. Honing in on its purpose will allow you to keep the message clear and the readers engaged.

Photo Credit Gian Jurado.

3. Visualize the story through photos and numbers.

People consume information in many different ways. Some prefer long-form content, while others prefer visual forms of storytelling. Using compelling photos and highlighting impressive numbers adds diversity to your annual report, creating interest and providing an easier entry point for your audiences.

Photo credit Hung Ngo.

4. Create interest through hierarchy and whitespace.

Similar to photos and numbers, typographic hierarchy and whitespace can also add interest to your annual report. By using bold type, you can quickly communicate powerful messages, emphasize important passages, and draw your readers’ eyes down the page. By using ample white space, you can affect the pacing of your annual report (and therefore, the speed at which your readers move through the content).

Photo credit Belu.

5. Serve “bite-size” stories.

People are inundated with information. By reformatting your annual report into smaller, more bite-sized stories, the chances of the information “sticking” is much higher. People are more likely to remember elements of your annual report if they’re presented in a digestible way.

Photo credit KRISHNAPRIYA (KP) DUTTA GUPTA.

6. Draw audiences in with suspense.

Not surprisingly, the first thing your readers see will set the tone for your entire annual report. When choosing a photograph, headline or graphic to use on your cover (or digital hub, depending on your format), consider what will draw your readers in. Thought-provoking visuals and statements will create a sense of suspense, encouraging readers to dive in.

With a little pre-planning and some imagination, every organization can design an inspiring annual report.

Are you struggling to infuse creativity in your annual report process? Drop us a line.

Throwing the Challenge Flag

Grocery stores are lined with pumpkins and Halloween endcaps. Coffee shops across the country have released autumnal treats. We’ve rolled right through false fall and into second summer. 

That can only mean one thing: football season has arrived. Aside from the usual fantasy football office chatter, a surprising discussion around user research, UX/UI design, and heuristics has been prompted by some…er…interesting design decisions from ESPN’s Monday Night Football graphics package. 

The first MNF game of the freshly minted NFL season featured a great matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans, and a new graphics package for the ubiquitous scorebug at the bottom of televised sports events. Spectators rely on this line to keep track of the game clock, score, penalties, and something called the down-and-distance marker that shows what down it is and the distance to go for a first down. If you’re not a football fan and all of this seems confusing, all you need to know is the down-and-distance marker graphic changes to alert viewers when a penalty flag has been thrown by the referee and that these penalty flags that often litter the field are bright yellow. With this knowledge, it would seem fairly obvious then that when considering the design of this down-and-distance marker, there would be one color you should steer clear of unless a penalty flag has been thrown. So what color did ESPN used for their standard down-and-distance graphic?

You guessed it — yellow. It was a bit of a baffling design decision, especially for a network that deals exclusively with sports broadcasting. Making it even more confusing, because they decided to use yellow as their color of choice for normal use, they opted to use a black background to indicate when a penalty flag was thrown. Of course, it took no time at all for the twitter universe to explode with comments of confusion, derision, and pleas for change. In defense of ESPN, they heard those pleas, acted fast and changed their graphics package to a more standard black and white down-and-distance marker by the start of the second half. It even prompted an acknowledgment and direct twitter response from an ESPN communications director.

For our team, this prompted some thoughts on a few different topics — the first being user research. Obviously, we weren’t privy to what sort of design thinking and user research went into the creation of this scorebug graphics package, but it’s hard to believe it was very extensive if public reaction is a reliable metric. Iteration is an important sub-step in the design thinking process, and certainly ESPN showed their willingness to adapt and iterate on the fly. Though it would have been preferable to do this in a user research and prototyping phase, the old adage “better late than never” generally rings true. In addition to user research, careful consideration of UX/UI design and heuristics would have likely helped to avoid this calamity (Okay, maybe not a calamity, but this is football and a little drama comes with the territory). A couple of the tenants of UX heuristics laid out by famed computer scientist and usability consultant Jakob Nielsen are as follows:

  • Match the system and the real world, and
  • Establish consistency and standards.

This graphics package did a poor job of matching the information presented by the color system in the scorebug and the real-world color system of the physical penalty flags, and at the same time created a divide in consistency and standards that have long been established in the football world. This just goes to show the importance and impact that user research, design thinking, and UX/UI heuristics considerations can have on all projects. It’s something we always have in mind as we work hand in hand with our partners to innovate towards new design solutions and opportunities.

Thankfully this debacle (again, drama) has been put behind us for now — at least until the next questionable sports graphic decision makes headlines. Hey, the NBA season is just around the corner! We’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Elevating Your Brand through Typography

Why does typography matter?

Typography is often thought of as a designer’s obsession. We nerd out over things like tight kerning, seamless ligatures, and striking hierarchies. While it may sound technical, here are three reasons why typography (as well as font selection) matter to your organization and your audiences:

1. It helps to express your personality and voice as an organization.

Much like with verbal communication, it isn’t only about what you say that matters but also how you say it that greatly affects how information is digested. This is also applies to written and visual communication. Elements of typography such as the layout of your text as well as the fonts you use can all greatly affect this. Through the use of effective and mindful typography, you can better convey to your audience the voice and personality of your organization.

2. It helps build credibility and displays professionalism of your organization. 

Whether you like it or not, people often deem the credibility and professionalism of companies and organizations based solely on appearances, even if they have had no prior knowledge or past engagements. As this is the case, typography often plays an important role in this. Your audience could easily mistaken poorly executed typography with an unwarranted lack of credibility of your organization. However, effectively used type can greatly boost your organization’s appearance which would in turn make it more credible and professional in the eyes of your audience.

3. It makes your content easier to understand for your audience. 

As it is essential to be able to effectively communicate to your audience, typography can play a huge factor in this. Through typography, it can help to create a hierarchy of information, which would help in conveying what is important to you and your organization. Through hierarchy that’s created through typography, this helps to break down large bodies of text into smaller and easier to digest content. Through this, it ultimately allows for your organization to better convey who you are to your audience.

Don’t have a budget for typography? Here are some free resources to consider.

Whether you’re developing your new brand or looking to broaden your font collection, free fonts are a cost-effective way to add to your design toolbox—because they’re free! Since there are countless websites that offer free fonts, it can sometimes be an overwhelming search to find ones that are both high quality and on-brand. Why is it so difficult? Most free font websites don’t include licensing for their fonts (which gives you permission to use it legally) or offer a poor selection of fonts to choose from. To make browsing for free fonts easier, here are a couple of quality resources to check out! If there’s any other resources that you feel should also be mentioned, please post a comment below.

Google Fonts

Check out Google Fonts

Font Squirrel

Check out Font Squirrel

Lost Type Co-Op

Check out Lost Type Co-op

DaFont

Check out DaFont

Fontfabric

Check out Fontfabric

Dear Loved One: It’s Time We Talk

Love Letter / Breakup Letter

With Valentine’s Day around the corner (yes, those candy hearts can already be found on local shelves), we thought we’d share one of our favorite tools with you — Love Letter / Breakup Letter. Whether you’re struggling with donations or visibility, this simple tool can help elevate your brand, and create experiences that resonate and drive action. Download the facilitator’s guide and template and learn how to better connect with those you serve!

The Highlights Reel

A Few Favorites from 2018

As we gear up for an exciting year ahead — we also want to say THANK YOU to all of those who trusted us, partnered with us, or simply followed along and cheered for us in 2018. Take a peek at some of our favorite designs from last year.

Going from “Should” to “Could”

A Shift in Mindset

From a young age, we are taught that it is best to have answers to all of life’s problems.

We are exposed to all kinds of formulas, theories, and processes that provide step-by-step guides for solving head-scratching hurdles. When we enter employment, we take that knowledge with us and are then trained on assembly lines, workflows, spreadsheets, and more. We are conditioned to believe there is a right way and wrong way to do our work. We are taught and trained on what we should do. After all, who doesn’t want to have all of the answers (or at least know how to get them)?

So what happens when the problem is messy? When it involves people’s lives, emotions, and everyday living? All too often, we are asked—what should I do?

Instead of thinking about what you should do, consider what you could do.

Many problems that exist today are not solvable through formulas and theories. When these challenges seem overwhelming, we are often paralyzed by the idea that we have to know the exact answer or next step to make a difference. Rather than approaching it with such rigidity, perhaps the best way to tackle the challenge is be asking “What could I do?” Approacht the problem from an “ideas” perspective, staying open and generative. As long as your ideas are rooted in compassion and empathy, try them out. By shifting your mindset from should to could, you’ll relieve the pressure that goes along with having to know all of the answers, and will instead feel free to explore new ideas and learn along the way.

Food for Thought

The belief that we should do something bleeds into our personal lives as well. How many times have you said something like “I really should fix the fence this weekend,” or applied the word “should” to trying a new hobby? Using the word “should” in our personal lives can sometimes create a sense of obligation and guilt. Next time you’re planning your weekend, I challenge you to think not about what you should do, but rather, what you could do.

Improv Your Way to New Ideas

I recently watched David Letterman’s ‘My Next Guest is’ interview with Tina Fey — while the entire episode is worthy of your time, the clip below is the inspiration for this post. In it, Tina explains that one of the key rules of improv is “yes, and…”. Someone starts the scene with an idea or scenario and the next person agrees to it, and then builds upon it.

“Yes, and…” is also something we practice in design thinking. It pushes us to expand ideas and add onto them instead of saying, “No,” or “How about this instead?” When we can get beyond our own ideas and truly listen to others, that’s when the possibilities for innovation become limitless.

Tina further explains her rules of improv in the book “Bossypants.” She explains, “Now, obviously in real life you’re not always going to agree with everything everyone says. But the Rule of Agreement reminds you to “respect what your partner has created” and to at least start from an open-minded place. Start with a YES and see where that takes you.”

Another rule she shares is that there are no mistakes – only opportunities.

“If I start a scene as what I think is very clearly a cop riding a bicycle, but you think I am a hamster in a hamster wheel, guess what? Now I’m a hamster in a hamster wheel. I’m not going to stop everything to explain that it was really supposed to be a bike. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up being a police hamster who’s been put on ‘hamster wheel’ duty because I’m ‘too much of a loose cannon’ in the field. In improv there are no mistakes, only beautiful happy accidents. And many of the world’s greatest discoveries have been by accident. I mean, look at the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or Botox.”

This is similar to one of our rules for ideation – there are no bad ideas. Keeping an open mind and deferring judgment allow us to explore avenues and take risks with our ideas.

So what could an improv-based exercise look like? Here’s how it might work:

Activity: Improv Your Way to New Ideas

Goal: Prototype

Time Frame: 2-5 minutes per idea explored

People: at least two people; a third person to document could be helpful

Materials Needed: video for recording (bonus)

Difficulty Level: Medium (role-playing might be better suited for certain personalities)

Step One: Choose the idea to prototype.

Step Two: The first person creates a scenario related to the idea. For example, if the idea is to build a mobile health clinic, the person might set up the scene to signify they’re taking their daughter to the clinic.

Step Three: Whatever the first person says, no matter how whacky, the second must agree to by following lead and then introducing a new element to the scene. Perhaps they’re a doctor onsite, or they bring life to the mobile clinic and assume a characterized version of it.

Step Four: The first person then responds, and continues to build the scene. With each element that’s added, new details about the mobile clinic will emerge, making room for collaborative iteration. Piecing the puzzle together, you should end up with detailed description of how your mobile health clinic will function, what it looks like, how visitors engage with it, and so on and so forth.

Stay tuned to hear how this exercise works for us, or drop us a note if you decide to try it yourself. Let’s be honest though, anything inspired by Liz Lemon has to be great, right?