Toxic entrepeneur POVs, Apple liquid glass, and packaging designs for marketing

Just kidding about the subject line, I don’t think they’re toxic in general but I did see someone ask this about a different industry and it got me thinking…

we have a real problem with the POV-culture

I’ve mentioned before how not being on Threads completely changed the game for my mental health. Every time I’d sign on, I’d feel pretty bad about myself:

• “screw what you know about marketing - it doesn’t have to be easy to understand”

• “if you’re annoyed with getting sold to, it means you don’t know how to make money”

• “why are [insert profession here] still doing this?! here are 5 reasons it’s so dumb”

• “niching is dumb/niching is smart”

Yes, yes… personal brands… find your perspective… all that stuff.

But my Threads algo on personal account was filled with this. Every day was an assault on my intelligence, practices, even my own opinions.

Sorry, no, I don’t want 100 emails in my inbox about new programs - does that mean I hate all these people? Does that mean I don’t know how to sell and make money? Does it mean I won’t be purchasing or unqualified to be in their target market and therefore my opinion doesn’t matter?

Well, apparently, it’s not just about my brain getting sensory overload - it really IS a fundamental problem with me as a person…. according to all your spicy POVs 🙂 

Which brings us to: the new Apple liquid glass designs and how content affects your brand perception

Not here to recap the news since you’ve heard it, but more which side you’re on. Because this is about your brand voice.

Whenever a brand launches something different, you already know what shows up first: outrage.

But if it sticks, it’s usually because people came with good reasons. Even more so as everyday users and customers (rather than just opinionated and chronically online).

Camp 1: The hard criticisms start.
For this specific one, the UX crowd is pretty annoyed. The consensus is that it’s not well thought out, and there’s zero accessibility aka super hard to read. I agree with them on this one even though I think it’s pretty 🔍💧🧊. It is VERY on-the-nose trendy which makes me think twice.

Camp 2: The offensively-defensive counter criticisms.
"You guys don’t get it. This is what good design should be. Uneducated people wouldn’t understand."

I KNOW you know this energy. They think that general sentiment is below them and the goal is to make you feel small.
We saw it happen with the Jaguar rebrand too. Except camp 2 didn’t exactly win, they hired a new agency and blamed the old one for the backlash. 😬

Good rule of thumb: Unless you have a comedic/sarcastic brand and people know you joke, don’t talk down to your audience.

State your opinions with conviction, sure, but don’t forget there’s an actual person on the other side. You want clients/customers/collaborators to still work with you, right? 😅

So with Apple, or other beloved brands… you don’t have to pick a side if you don’t want to. Good design considers so many things. It’s very layered. It won’t always be perfectly balanced, but it’s there.

The strategy is knowing when to lean on one more than the other, without acting more superior than the people you're making this for (you know, the people that will keep it in business).

How to use these marketing designs as inspo

*Note: Remember to find a method - rather than copy-pasting.

1. Color coordination - This is especially fun if you have a signature color. A pop of orange or green, and coordinate outfits or sets with this in mind. This is not just for CPG - digital companies, use this to your advantage!

2. Festival flyer - Because we’re not thinking literally, this works well for both virtual and in person events. Your brand isn’t a festival kind of brand? What about a unique twist on a conference flyer?

3. Bedside layout - What can people bring into their homes? Do you have a laptop in bed? Your mobile app? Your ebook? So many ideas here.

4. Picnic setup - Lean into the summer months and any seasonal content. If people aren’t eating at the beach, what else are they doing? Working at home with kids running around, hosting BBQs, happy hours, rooftop parties, waiting in an airport… but using your product.

Summer is getting really busy as people are starting up more projects. So before the storm, I need to polish my About section and wanted to do a teeny bit of illustration. Thinking about doing more toggles. Built on Framer of course.

What I’m working on:

• sending future collaborators and potential clients postcards and handwritten notes

• updating another case study as I talk to more people about what they’re looking for

• leaning hard into Framer

• planning video content later this summer

Hire me for brand, web or marketing design - my summer retainer slots may be fully booked soon but one-time projects or fall retainers are available.

Hit reply & let’s chat, or go to my page and see more.