IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014 - 45

BY Carrie Neill

Firms are beginning to believe that design narratives shouldn't
just be for posterity, and that there's incredible value in writing
about design. The recent proliferation of platforms for sharing
ideas is one factor in this shift, as websites like Buzzfeed have
demonstrated the power of original content.
But the larger reason firms are embracing narrative may be the
need to stay relevant in an increasingly flat world. Today, with
good design coming from every corner of the globe, it's easier
than ever for clients to find examples of projects that mirror their
own. Clients are no longer simply interested in seeing strong
portfolios. They want to hear about a firm's ideas, and find out
where designers think the field is going, not just where it's been.
The ability to communicate design philosophy and show how
specific projects have advanced the design landscape is essential
to helping clients understand a firm's unique value. Firms are
realizing that if they're not actively talking about these issues
and establishing themselves as thought leaders, they're going
to be left behind.

To help establish a voice and brand, firms are engaging a new
breed of design communicators: writers with editorial experience who are shifting their focus and accepting in house jobs.
As Architect Magazine reported earlier this fall, firms like
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and SHoP have recently hired magazine editors and critics to oversee written content firm-wide.
In many cases firms are looking to these staff members to help
position them as leaders in the industry, and populate different
channels with content that's as much about ideas as it is reinforcing the firm's own work.
In late 2012, Perkins+Will CEO Phil Harrison launched the
company's new blog, ideas + buildings, with a post that did something bold: it announced the site would focus on words.
"In the simplest sense, our ideas are the precursors for all of our
design work," Harrison wrote. "Perkins+Will already has an
outstanding visual platform for sharing our design work [the
firm's website]. As of today, we extend that platform with ideas
+ buildings, which will feature emerging thought leadership
from across the firm and invite an even greater global dialog."
Harrison's insistence that the blog was not a visual platform
spoke volumes about the firm's belief in the power of narrative
and how strong writing could position P+W as an industry leader.
Two years later, it's an ethos the site maintains. While the blog
does include images alongside articles, the focus is squarely on
the text: a typical post runs somewhere between 500 and 1,000
words. Most are tied back to P+W's work in some way, but they're
often presented in terms of lessons learned or best practices.
Taking a cue directly from Buzzfeed, some are even written as
lists-recent posts have included "From Design Build to Design
Excellence: Five Elements That Matter," and "Five Favorite
Moments from Greenbuild 2014." The site doesn't subscribe to
the social media/marketing "more is more" philosophy; the firm
takes its time with the content, and on average there's one new
post each week.

PERSPECTIVE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2014