How do you create a website that's not just beautiful but built for action? That's the focus of our Architect Spotlight Series, featuring insights from certified NationBuilder Architects. This week we hear from Herman-Scheer of Santa Monica, CA.
1) What are the most important elements of an awesome digital campaign?
At HermanScheer, we pride ourselves on being an agency of storytellers with a focus on narration, personality and connection. In an age of overused platform integration and data crunchilization, the brands and organizations that are #winning are the ones that have developed a storyline that explains who they are, what they’ve set out to do and why they’re doing it. Oh, and you gotta’ look good while you do it.
2) What is one question you ask your clients when starting a new project that everyone should think about?
WHY are you doing what you’re doing? I mean, you woke up a number of years back and decided, hey, I’m going to start XY and Zing. But what is it about XY and Z that gets you out of bed everyday? And if their answer can’t stretch beyond the monetary benefits, market opportunities or blah blah blah...We’ll most likely encourage them to find another agency. We look for the clients that fell in love with something and can’t possibly live without doing it each and everyday.
3) What are three tips for promoting digital engagement?
REAL. ORGANIC. LOVE. Keep it REAL in everything that you do. From ensuring your copy sounds like something a human would say to using real people in your video content...our society has become so incredibly inept at deciphering the BS from the REAL and will instantly be turned off to those that are faking the funk. By definition, to be ORGANIC means to be derived from life. Viewing all of our digital output as being a living, breathing beast with an actual heartbeat has been incredibly powerful for us. In turn, everything becomes bigger than just images and words and instead turns into something that truly has an impact on those that ingest it. To keep it simple, you gotta’ LOVE what you do and do what you LOVE. Period.
4) Share a site you’re proud of. What was your approach and how is it incentivizing action?
Hashtag Lunchbag. Our goal was to recreate the experience of being at one of their events and in turn, recreate the feelings that derive from ‘giving back’.
5) Is there any “inspiration” your team uses to stimulate creativity?
Conversation. As a team, we’re a bunch of natural chatty Kathy’s and we’re proud of it. In fact, we have a term that we use often called “putting it in your universe”. So anytime someone has a thought, concept, vision or interesting idea...no matter how premature or half baked, we encourage them to share it with everyone...to ‘put it in their universe’ to begin the snowball effect and it’s incredibly inspiring to watch those initial teency weency thoughts or ideas turn into something brilliant.
