Plaques don’t make culture. Enron’s polished values masked a cutthroat reality that imploded. If principles aren’t practiced daily in incentives, reviews, and decisions, they’re props inviting rot and eventual ruin.
Once upon a time, Forty was totally into fixed-fee billing. Several months ago we repented of our evil ways (we now bill 100% hourly) and life’s been awesome ever since. How did we come to this change of heart, and what does it mean for our clients? **The Quick Overview** Fixed-fee Billing: At the b…
After years of soul searching, experimentation, and dipping our toes in the water, we here at Forty have finally committed to fully adopting the Agile methodology across the board. This is a pretty radical change for a marketing agency. The Agile methodology was developed in the software industry, a…
When you're designing something, it's easy to fall into the trap of designing it for yourself. If you tend to be an emotional decision-maker, you might focus on feelings and sensations rather than raw data. Conversely, if you're a detail-oriented decision-maker, you might skip all that emotional "fl…
When I was young, I had a really pessimistic view of marketing. I thought advertising was about emotional blackmail and manipulation, branding was conceptual mumbo-jumbo, design was pointless visual fluff, and public relations was just a way to hide your faults and deceive your customers. Taken toge…
Usability guru Jakob Nielsen [has criticized web firms](https://web.archive.org/web/20070707163011/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6653119.stm) for being so quick to jump on the “Web 2.0” bandwagon that they neglect basic elements of good design. He’s absolutely right, and it’s great to see so…
Behind famous logos are scrappy stories, not pricey brainstorms. From Adidas to Volvo, names often spring from rivers, jokes, and founders’ quirks, proving creativity and context beat consultants.
Brands live in minds, not infrastructure. Sell your true vibe, not generic “quality.” Lean into what you are—authentic culture beats wishful rebrands and earns loyalty faster than polished spin.
A customer’s attention: it’s exceedingly difficult to acquire, experts measure it in milliseconds, it vaporizes if mistreated, and it’s worth far more than gold or diamonds. Scared? Don’t be—it’s putty if you know how to handle it. **Attention is the most fundamental unit of design.** Once you get p…
With campaign season in full swing, I’ve had some recent chats with my colleagues about the universally weak and uninspired nature of campaign signs. It seems like political marketing is about nothing more than putting your name on a solid color background (usually blue or red), and maybe adding som…
Alltel’s faux lawsuit fizzled. Forced jokes, cardboard characters, and fear of offense drained the story. Viral needs craft and risk, more novelist than ad shop, or the web shrugs.
It is estimated that there are around 85 million websites in existence at the time of this writing. By the time you launch your website, it will probably be closer to 100 million. The days of “If you build it, they will come” are long gone. Don’t lose hope, though. Your website can receive the atten…
Stop copying competitors and build a site people want to visit. Focus on useful content, stickiness, professional craft, and ongoing care. Challenge assumptions, measure wisely, and keep refining with love.
The web design and development industry can be difficult for businesses to navigate, with options ranging from your cousin looking for iTunes cash to multi-million-dollar agencies like [Avenue A | Razorfish](https://web.archive.org/web/20060820095208/http://www.avenuea-razorfish.com/). This guide wi…
Those five shiny words won’t win hearts anymore. They’re basic table stakes that scream defensiveness. Ditch the clichés, uncover what truly sets you apart, and claim fresh, memorable territory.