A weblog devoted to spurring a conversation among those who use words to varying degrees in their daily work. Hosted by John Ettorre, a Cleveland-based writer and editor. Please email me at: john.ettorre@gmail.com. "There comes a time when you realize that everything is a dream, and only those things preserved in writing have any possibility of being real." --James Salter
Three Good Reads
I'm a Cleveland, Ohio-based writer, editor and writing coach, with more than 25 years of experience, including stints in Chicago and Washington, D.C. My work has appeared in more than 100 print and online publications, from the New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor to local and regional publications. My work has been recognized by awards (including an Emmy) from four journalism groups.
10 Comments:
The piece on Target was fascinating. I'm actually a fan: I'll go there to shop first, over all the others. Why? Partly because when I lived in the Twin Cities I just thought they had better goods at better prices; there were reliable.
This is interesting news. I'd love to be one of their cabinet of creatives. What a fun job that would be!
Art, your reaction to this piece was similar to mine. I don't ordinarily put much thought into retailing, but I first learned about Target's devotion to design and just basically doing things differently (and better) at a meeting of graphic designers (AIGA) some years ago. This article did a great job of fleshing out how committed they are to innovation, and the lengths to which they go to stay ahead of competitors. The world could use a lot more companies such as this.
Well, the tipping piece was very funny and I learned a new word,
"milquetoast."
Obviously written by someone like my husband who has never held a "service" job.
He's not a cheap tipper, but we have an unspoken agreement that I always add an extra dollar to the tip he put down. At least.
That is a great word, isn't it, Michelle? It both looks and sounds interesting. And you're certainly right about how having once worked in a job that relied on tips forever leaves its mark on you. That's how I mostly put myself through college, and you never forget being a server, although I admit it can also leave me all the more frustrated with a waiter/waitress who can't even fake the lowest level of service and friendliness. It's a little like teaching: you have to be able to put your game face on every day, and sometimes fake being upbeat when you're anything but. Anyway, thanks for visiting, as always.
John: Costa Rica was amazing. There is a link on my poetry site for some pictures. Let's setup a date for lunch...
Welcome back, wise bard. I'll indeed be sure to follow through on the lunch plans.
Even when I was a pro graphic designer, I never joined AIGA; their dues are exorbitant. (Meaning, unless your company pays it for you, forget it.)
But I'm not surprised to hear that AIGA recognized Target as devoted to design and innovation. Target's in-store graphics have among the best for quite awhile: classy yet hip, fresh and lively yet not shouting in your face.
Well done.
Art, would you say their graphic appeal is better than arch-competitor Wal-Mart? Just a joke, but it gets at a more serious point: their main competition in retailing sure does make it easy to stand out in that regard. But of course, that Fortune article is about way more than just design. It's about fresh, innovative management thinking and practices overall. And design is just one of many key components.
It does get at the point, which I agree is overall not just about the graphics, that quality really stands out. Quality remains exceptional in retail. I hope Target can sustain this. Meanwhile, obviously, if I had to choose which store to work for, you can pretty easily guess!
It would sure beat being a Wal-Mart greeter, no?
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