Business
Every creative project with a business objective has one thing in common whether it’s a marketing initiative; an innovative product feature; or a brand narrative designed to build a deeper connection with customers or your team. That one thing is their requirement for an intentional use of your marketing resources.
The Business Conversation
A monthly fireside chat series focused on the practical business challenges and opportunities surrounding creative ventures. Topics will cover the often overlooked areas of creative industries: the business side of creative projects. Hosted by Garrio Harrison.
Our guests will cover:
- The nuts and bolts of managing creative projects that align with business goals and available resources.
- Insights around deciding which projects to invest in.
- Discussions about current creative trends and how to decide which ones are right for your organization.
Who is this series for:
- Business leaders who need to understand the business of creative execution so they can make informed decisions about when to invest their resources to drive business results.
- Creatives who what to understand the business impact of the work they produce and ways to better operate their own business.
- Business Builders who need to understand how marketing and creative execution can impact their growth without compromising their return on investment.
The Business Conversation with guest Kurt Schmidt
Every creative project with a business objective has one thing in common whether it’s a marketing initiative; an innovative product feature; or a brand narrative designed to build a deeper connection with customers or your team. That one thing is their requirement for an intentional use of your marketing resources.
In our first conversation, Garrio Harrison will be discussing the importance of strategic planning with our guest Kurt Schmidt, President of Foundry and host of the “Schmidt List” podcast.
Kurt Schmidt is the President of Foundry, a digital product, and experience agency and hosts a weekly podcast named the “Schmidt List” where he interviews industry leaders to learn their thoughts on bridging modern management techniques, design thinking, and cutting-edge technology for our ever-increasing “agile” world.
The Business Conversation with guest Brent Stickels
We can identify good design when we see it, and intuitively we know the impact creative ideas and communication have on our business outcomes. Historically, however, “design” has been a black box, challenging to both quantify and plan for.
In this conversation, Don Ball and Brent Stickels will be discussing the business side of delivering intentional design solutions that create business impact.
Brent Stickels is co-founder and partner of YYES, a design and communications studio that provides strategic branding focused on business outcomes. Established in 2000 in Los Angeles, YYES added a Minneapolis office in 2008 to leverage the city’s access to clients on both coasts and its leading design community. YYES works with fast-moving clients in the financial, cultural, institutional, educational, healthcare, entertainment, and hospitality sectors.
The Business Conversation with guest Joe Cecere
Today consumers have high expectations of all companies, regardless of size, based on their experiences at major brands like Whole Foods. Leaders need to meet these expectations by uncovering their brand’s vision and communicating this vision through design.
In this conversation, Alex Hughes and Joe Cecere will be discussing consumer expectations and how they affect the business of design.
At just eight years old, Joe Cecere found his calling when he put marker to poster board and became the designated designer for the daily specials at his parents’ Italian restaurant. In high school, Joe entered and won a logo design competition for the local cable access channel. Today, Joe is President and Chief Creative Officer at Little & Company, a small but mighty branding and design firm in Minneapolis.
With a unique balance of creativity, strategic thinking and a mind for business, Joe has spearheaded the evolution of Little from a traditional graphic design shop to a solution-based brand agency that boasts an impressive roster of clients, from Fortune 500 corporations to nonprofits to successful small businesses. Under his leadership, Little has accumulated numerous awards, including being named a Minnesota Best Place to Work and a Small Agency of the Year recognition by Ad Age.