Brands are the new religions

People has adopted a quasi-religious attitudes and believes toward brands that kept increasing over the years.

A brand name, logo (symbol), and character should be an endless reference point for why it exists. Because the human being has always been drawn to symbols that define his identity and morals that guide his journey. That is how and why religions have always been part of our lives, by using symbols and morals.

Some brand's marketing has become so powerful that it has infiltrated people's thoughts and minds, and they are no longer aware of it.
They become to the point where they market and advertise themselves throughout daily life and social media.

What is it about these companies that make people act in such a cultic manner toward them?

Foremost, we need to understand the basics of branding.

Brand's visual identity:
•Logo — A logo is the anchor of your brand.
•Graphics & Imagery — Can include icons, animations, illustrations…
•Typography — The style and shape of the text.
•Colour palette — Use a colour scheme to make your brand identifiable.

Brand's personality:
•Audience — The type of clients and customers.
•Purpose — As Simon Sinek said, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it."
•Values — What you stand for.
•Personal trait — A brand needs a personality, character and Attributes also morals to stand for.

In other words:
Logos, Graphics, imageries, and typographies are symbols that represent ideas, quality, or movement.
Purpose values and personal traits are morals that have the standards of good or bad behavior, fairness, honesty, etc…

Art
vs
Design

we used to regroup both together to avoid any misunderstanding.

In France, the different genre of art has been classified by type, they often use numbers to call for a specific art.
The numbering of arts originated in Hegel's Lectures on Aesthetics. Recorded in 'Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics', chapter 5: 'Division of the Subject' (delivered from 1818 to around 1830). Here they are :
•the first art: architecture
•the second art: sculpture
•the third art: painting
•the fourth art: dance
•the fifth art: music
•the sixth art: poetry
•the seventh art: cinema
•the eighth art: Television
•the ninth art: comic strips
➣We might add Cuisine, Staging, Fashion and other forme of arts to the list, but it might be for another topic.

The term "design" was coined toward the close of the 1800s and gained popularity at the beginning of the 1900s.
Over time, the word's meaning has consistently evolved.
The question is: How did the term "design" and its meaning come to be used in any creative field?
There were periods of fast scientific and technological discovery during the First and Second Industrial Revolutions. Mass production and standardisation have gradually introduced the term and idea of “design.”
From this point on, a handcrafter transformed into a designer—a creative individual who devotes his expertise to problem-solving, generating visual communication, and developing or producing goods and services primarily for commercial and external purposes.
An artist creates for philosophical, emotional, and personal reasons.

Art and Design share the same fields, genres, and expertise, the only difference is, the reason (why) and purpose, who is creating, and for whom.
Design can be more trendy than art due to its visual communication and economical (selling) purpose.
Also, in the last few years we can notice at least two trends per year, which makes things a bit complicated to follow.

The difference between art and design lies in the intention and motivation of their creators. While designers seek to solve problems and serve external needs, artists express themselves and explore their own vision of the world.

What is Culture?

The term "culture" comes in several forms and has been misused and overused, particularly in the last few decades.

In the business world, the word “corporate culture” is often used to describe the shared values, attitudes, and beliefs of an organisation.
In the media and popular culture, the term “culture” is frequently used to describe trends and movements in society. For example, you might hear phrases like “youth culture,” “pop culture,” or “counterculture”.
However, it is frequently used in a vague or general sense, and the definition can vary greatly between social concepts.

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, lifestyle, music, and other forms of arts.
What is happening is, that changes inside communities and societies are happening so fast and ruffly that people don't know what is related to them or not, which infects the meaning of the word “culture”.

Culture is what shapes people's preferences, thoughts, and ways of thinking within societies. Thinkers, writers, philosophers, and artists have long been at the forefront of culture.
However, since the advent of globalisation and postmodern society, corporations, and brands have taken the lead in shaping popular culture by leveraging influencers and celebrities to shape public opinion and taste.

Why Minimalism?

The concept of minimalism is to eliminate all unnecessary elements and achieve simplicity, as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a director of the Bauhaus, famously said, "less is more".

Minimalism is an art movement that takes its origin from the Frankfurt School in Germany and has since become a dominant style in various fields in art and design. The term minimalist often colloquially refers to anything that is spare or stripped to its essentials.
So, why has minimalism been taking over in the design world?
Many designers would argue that the reason is its effectiveness.
Minimalism has been taking over because it just works. Minimalist design is simple and easy for users to understand and engage with it. Despite its appearance of simplicity, it requires a lot of thoughtful planning and execution from the designer to achieve a stripped-down look that still serves its purpose.
By stripping down the design to its essentials and eliminating cultural and personal properties… The design will be so neutral that everyone can identify itself with it and won't reject it, and designers are able to create products that please globally. This is why companies like Apple have become successful — their minimalist design appeals to a wide range of people around the world.

The Marxist philosophical view of the Frankfurt school has led to social conformity by being neutral and avoiding cultural or personal references, where minimalism appeals to a large and diverse audience and is less likely to be rejected. From this point, we have observed the expansion of the design throughout the Bauhaus and Brutalism architecture movement, which is distinguished by its cubic forms and geometrical shapes, as well as its simplicity in cement and brick colouration.

Today we are at the pinnacle of minimalism, When it comes to design, even fonts have been simplified to the maximum of non-serif, due to digital simplicity. The lack of differences and personality has reached its limit, We will see shortly a comeback to a more detailed design with more character.

Avant-Gardism

The Power Of Being Ahead

The ability to see, practice, and get the next wave before it crashes into society, is a superpower that some people can have, who are called avant-gardists and are sometimes ahead of their time and misunderstood.

Every creative profession experiences movements, fads, stylistic shifts, and evolving preferences and practices.

But how do trends happen, and how are they sourced and predicted? Is a trend defined by its newness, or just influenced by important figures?

As an example, The Pantone Colour Institute,
The Pantone Colour Institute studies colour trends throughout the year in order to decide on the next Pantone Colour of the Year. They take into consideration all aspects of society: fashion, marketing, social media, and even politics. The hue chosen as Colour of the Year has become increasingly influential in the vast world of design and brand marketing. The first Colour of the Year was selected back in 2000, but it wasn't until 2007 that the colour trend forecasting took on a life of its own. Nowadays, when a new colour is announced, Pantone offers colour lovers an array of inspirational products and colour combination palettes designed especially with the corresponding colour in mind. Hundreds of brands take on the task of designing products with the Colour of the Year. This reinforces the importance of how the Pantone colour trend forecast is important and influential.

Studying and analysing people, society's behaviours and thinking to predict and influence the future taste and style is easy today with social media and big data, which is mainly controlled by big corporations such as Google, TikTok, and Facebook.
So how can a creative person be an avant-gardist?
It is mainly a personal trait and a God's gift that we need to maintain by this following these habits. •Love and enjoy our passion, money comes next.
•Understand and master our field.
•Bring value and change.
•Knowledge, “Know something about everything”.
•Expand our thinking.
•Analyze society and people.
•Be out of the box.
•Be mentally strong to criticism and take them positively with analysis.
•Be truthful, fearless and free.
•Appreciate times of struggle.
•Raise our consciousness.
•Be open-minded, responsible and take actions.

polymathism

"mastering multiple forms of work, professions, expertise, and knowledge."

I recall studying historical figures such as Thales, Pythagoras, and Davinci, I was intrigued that Throughout history, polymaths have led nations and civilisations, from Ancient Egypt, the Islamic Golden Age, and the Renaissance to the British Empire.
Their histories and stories have always piqued my interest, and I've wondered how modern society wouldn't function without them.

•Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He covered many subjects, including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics, meteorology, geology, and government.

•Imhotep (2667–2600 BCE) was an Egyptian polymath, he became the god of wisdom and medicine (or, according to some sources, god of science, medicine, and architecture); he was also a poet, physician, mathematician, and astronomer.
The Pyramids are considered his greatest achievement, he was also remembered for his medical treatises, which regarded disease and injury as naturally occurring instead of punishments sent by gods or inflicted by spirits or curses.

The first to use the term polymath was Johann von Wowern (1603), a Hamburg philosopher.
Polymaths include the great scholars and thinkers of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, who excelled in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art.
In the Italian Renaissance, the idea of the polymath was allegedly expressed by Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), a polymath himself, in the statement that “a man can do all things if he will.”. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz has often been seen as a polymath. Al-Biruni was also a polymath. Hildegard of Bingen, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson are other well-known polymaths.

Today, with the internet and all the information and resources that we have, things just got worse, and the few elites that succeed are mostly entrepreneurs and investors measured by their wealth, success, and their innovative ideas.
Furthermore, the educational system has worsened as a result of a society that misleads and compartmentalises people, with financial achievement and status as the primary goals. Since World War II, the educational system has been selling people qualifications and specialities.
The expense of college has gradually climbed over the last 30 years, where the cost of college has steadily increased over the last 30 years, with more than half of students leaving school with debt and hardly finding a job.
Only the United States has $1.75 trillion in total student loan debt today (2022).

Polymath does not appear to be a good career choice in today’s world, as the system requires formal certifications and specialities to be recognised and get access to social benefits.
However, the recent crises and the gradual implementation of AI have formally demonstrated the limits of our system.

We are witnessing a radical shift and a clear change that will impact us as human beings, with an educational system that is doing more harm than good; the majority of the population’s knowledge and intelligence will be disconnected from reality unless we take responsibility for our own knowledge and learning system.

Our culture is full of talented individuals and figures who need opportunities to break the unnecessary rules that hold us mentally, socially, and spiritually back. Since the rise of the internet and free information availability, we should be living in a golden age of wisdom and knowledge.

As changes are happening fast, we’ll need more people like this to restore the previous knowledge structure, which pushed people to be multidisciplinary, self-taught, learn transversality, critical thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, and collective intelligence, among other things that expand our mind, increase our consciousness, knowledge, and master different fields.

My Foundation of

Minimalism

Ideas and facts are meaningless if their audience does not grasp them. It might be tough to describe a complex topic that you have expertise in while keeping its integrity and value to a larger audience.
Every expert and professional is aware of this; nevertheless, putting it into effect may be challenging because it requires a specific set of skills to communicate complex or big amounts of information in a way that anyone can understand.

Appearances have taken such a massive place in people's perception of reality that even communication is used only to sell and impress, while the content is completely shallow and meaningless. The invisible part, which is the thinking process, has to change, simplifying the expression to give clear information and communication. The goal is to be able to see, understand complex information, and represent it in a simple way and manner.

Removing unnecessary details in your mind to make thoughts clear and understandable.
As Albert Einstein said, “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough”.
By applying precise, accurate, and clear language to convey your thoughts, you can break down your ideas into their smallest constituent parts to identify the key elements of what you are considering.

You can also realise that your initial idea is merely a draft that needs to be organised.
Consider yourself the reader or listener. To simplify it for comprehension, act as if you're a novice with the subject and remember when you first heard and learned about it.

Minimalism has only served to alter, simplify, and adapt the visual to reach the standard of any culture and society. However, when it comes to our thinking process, we are doing the exact opposite.
We need to strip our thoughts from unnecessary details to make complex ideas clear and understandable.

We need to spend time alone with our thoughts to give space to our ideas and minds to expand ourselves.
As many figures said, “The time we enjoy wasting is not wasted time”.
Having time that you enjoy with your own company allows you to think for yourself, by yourself, and offers you a unique way of understanding the meaning of life and knowing yourself.

"I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me
Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece."
-Kanye West - Power-

The paradox between

art & money

Art is not free and exists for a reason, to reflect faith, intellectual thought, and occasionally a social standing. The more it is used for economic purposes, the shorter it lasts.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the average time for an art movement is 15 ~ 20, and it's the period that takes to create and educate a new generation.
Since the Victorian and Art Nouveau eras, new art trends have emerged every 15–20 years.

Art, design, and any creative activity carry thoughts, passions, emotions and reasons behind why they have been made and created.
The more truthful and solid thought a creation or design has, the more it lasts in time, because time is the only best judge not the audience.

In the commercial and economic view, branding, and audience size (fame, notoriety, status, and money in other terms) became more important than the work we actually produce.
So today with social media, everything that an artist or designer creates is called content, and this is killing art, because:

• The viral intention is unsustainable.
• The mass intention is hard to keep, because experimentation is a risk for the audience (losing followers, bad buzz…).
• The creativity in social media is here only to suit an algorithm and stay relevant in the feed.
• The desire to monetise creativity and stay relevant will lead you to a trap that will kill creativity, where only a small minority succeed.

ART IS THE LAST THING TO BE MONETIZED BECAUSE IT DIDN'T EXIST FOR ECONOMIC BUT FOR PHILOSOPHICAL PURPOSE.

Interaction

Why communication is important.

Communication is the interchange and transmission of information or ideas between persons using a shared system of symbols, signs, visuals, behaviour, or language.

When we talk about communication from a professional view, we are referring to art, design, branding, marketing, and sales.
In these fields, we mainly target and exchange attention first before anything else.
According to the capitalist perspective, attention is a currency supported by creativity that, in the event that it is successful, will convert into money and reputation.
Brainstorming, designing, marketing, promotion, advertising, selling, and customer service are all required while creating and establishing a business idea. All of which are intertwined with communication.

The indicators of success or failure in branding are clear. It's about how many people believe you. For anyone considering building a brand, the first question must be, “WHY” Why do we need this concept, product, or service? The second inquiry must be “WHAT”: what is the benefit, and is it a solution to any problem? What are the differences and values that we offer? People may offer you their attention, time, and money, as well as a bit of their soul and convictions in exchange for this notion. If you have strategic answers to these questions, you'll have a foundation on which to build something meaningful.

The amount of energy necessary, especially when it comes to marketing consistency, is considerable. So we need to locate the proper people who are willing to devote their time and skills to this project, and if we don't have enough resources to do so, we'll have to negotiate and find the cheapest solution, which will most likely be a waste of time.

In today's world of communication and entrepreneurship, many people fall victim to scams because they enter a space filled with both dreams and deceit, unable to distinguish between honest individuals and fraudsters.
The more convincing the lies, the more hope and dreams are offered, making it harder to see the truth. This field, which heavily relies on networking, often prioritises connections over genuine value.
Status and positions have become so dominant that people care less about who you are or the values you bring, and more about whom you know and what they can gain from you.

Value vs status

meaning and diffrentces

Value is often seen as something that individuals must own, pursue, or create for themselves through their choices, actions, and labour.
Life has no inherent meaning, and individuals must give it meaning through their subjective experiences. From this standpoint, Value is a subjective concept that varies from person to person and culture to culture.

Value has always been tied to labour, in medieval English, the word acre meant the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plough in a day.
But in the modern world, the person who has put a framework around it, was Karl Marx in which the value of a product is not based on subjective judgements or market forces but is rooted in the labour expended in its creation. That's how we ended up with the hourly rate as the value of production.

The labour's view is that the harder it is for me to do something, the more valuable it should be.
The example is something like a logo that is relatively simple to create, but when we see large corporations that pay a lot of money for that logo, they can't understand this.
So how would you do?

According to the market perspective, individuals value a product or service enough to pay a price that justifies their interest.
People seek medical or business school because they believe that the value of a doctor outweighs the cost of their human capital investment.

If the value of a product is not based on subjective judgements or market forces but is rooted in the labour expended in its creation, then no business would ever go bankrupt after all because value is subjective and customers change their minds on a dime. Especially in the actual market which is influenced by scrolling content on social media, we do often have something trendy today and outdated within the next few weeks.

Value changes because it's completely subjective and because it's related to social and cultural movements, and it's in the heart, taste, mood, and mind of buyers, and it has nothing to do with the effort produced.

In the market view, if you don't provide value then customers decide which product, service, or even businesses make it or not, you have got to please the customer.

Again, if labour is attached to value, how do we explain luxury goods? Why do Apple and Louis Vuitton, for example, have such command and pricing power, and they can charge five times or ten times more than others and never go on sale?

It's because they're focused obsessively on value and the customer experience and that's what gives them that pricing power.

From this context, an individual's social or material status is seen as a form of value.

In today's society, where wealth, material possessions, and social standing are highly valued, a person's status is considered an indicator of their value within that particular societal framework.

Throughout the entire human history. Money is the only product or idea that is disconnected from labour and trends. It has many controversies, especially when it involves making money from money (usury). As we know, some religions and philosophies believe that money does not contribute to the production of real value.

In our post-modern world, brands are important; they represent a promise, and the price reflects something about how the company perceives itself and its value. The customer feels more winning and successful by getting the value and the status from the brand before getting the actual product or service.

Niccolo Machiavelli --
"It is not titles that honor men,
but men that honor titles."

Fabien barron

the iconic french art director

Baron & Baron, Inc. is a boutique advertising firm that specialises in luxury fashion, fragrance, and cosmetics products.
Fabien Baron is the founder and CCO of the company.

By combining the ideal elements of print, internet, and television advertising with product and packaging design, he has "shaped the visual identities" of well-known companies including Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Fendi, also Bazaar and Interview.

Baron Creative oversaw the Burberry relaunch and previously collaborated with Giorgio Armani, Balenciaga and recently ZARA.

Fabien Baron was born on July 5, 1959 in Paris, France, the son of a newspaper designer. Baron went to the École des Arts Appliqués where he studied design, sculpture and painting.

1982, Baron moved to New York and became an art director for Barneys.

1988, He went on to reinvent Italian Vogue under editor Franca Sozzani.

1992, Baron joined Harper's Bazaar as creative director working with editor-in-chief Liz Tilberis. He was brought on to revamp the magazine.

According to UK's The Independent, Baron's work "took Bazaar's competitors by storm" and "created a truly distinctive look, clean, clear, elegant, modern." It was quickly dubbed "the world's most beautiful fashion magazine". That same year Baron began working with Calvin Klein for what would be the next 20 years as creative director for the brand.
Baron would continue to direct commercials for Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Fendi and Guerlain.

2003, He joined Carine Roitfield at French Vogue, she brought him on as creative director to redesign the magazine and "it became perhaps the most influential fashion publication in the world."

2008, Baron was asked to become editorial director and re-envision Interview when Peter Brant took full control of the magazine. Baron's controversial first cover of a "silvery Kate Moss as the devil" in a studded face mask shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott garnered attention.

2014, He put Kanye West on the cover stirred up controversy again with a raw blend of dark imagery and religious undertones shot by Steven Klein.

In an interview with Charlie Rose, Baron talked about the magazine, "One thing about Interview that I really enjoy is to work with all these amazing people, all these amazing actors and being able to direct them… and have them on shoots and convince them to do things maybe they wouldn't do otherwise."

The largest brand in fashion and magazines has had its visual language revamped and developed by art and design director Fabien Baron.

Because of his father's accomplishments in journalism and design, as well as his love of luxury and high fashion, he is in a unique position to comprehend how these industries have evolved.

Fabien Baron is at the top of his game and still manages to blend the boundaries between art and business more skillfully than other designers.

“My dad was doing more of the journalistic side of art direction, for newspapers, and I was really intrigued by the machine of it all, the pace. There were no computers at the time, just huge linotype machines that weighed tons and used metal plates. There was an adrenaline rush about it all.”

The greatest in modern photography, art, and typographic design were featured in Interview, Bazaar, and Vogue magazines thanks to Fabien Baron's elegant and stylish application of the Bauhaus style.

Large open spaces tastefully interspersed with striking black typefaces define the Frenchman's distinctive aesthetic. Some of his logo designs also resemble ITC Blair, Engravers Gothic, Trade Gothic Extended, and a hint of Helvetica.

Custom typefaces are typically used in graphic design and print sectors, which make them ideal.

All these brands have worked with or been influenced by Fabien Baron. We can notice that they went through the same innovation and rebranding.

Fabien Baron is arguably the hardest-working man in his field. He has had a significant impact on the industry for nearly forty years, having designed some of the most famous fashion campaigns, rebranding, and commercials for several luxury fashion and fragment brands. Risk-taking and altering the impossibly difficult require extreme bravery in order to reach perfection.

Fabien Baron has elevated ZARA to a new level since 2019.
Choosing a classic print serif design for Zara was the polar reverse of what was expected, as every company was moving toward a digital and non-serif style.
Rebranding their logo to a classic pure serif overlapped letters like what he used to make for Bazaar was unexpected.

In order to transform ZARA from a fast fashion company into a couture design house, this step was crucial.
There have also been other improvements, such as a more user-friendly website and superior advertisements in pictures and videos.
Slowly, but gradually, the entire graphic concept has been examined.

style vs identity

"Style adapts to trends; identity remains rooted in authenticity."

As we all know, the more unique we are, the more attention we get, particularly in the world of fashion and clothes, which are dominated by individuals who think differently and don't belong to a particular style or system.

As Kanye West's influence on this sector over the past ten and fifteen years has demonstrated, the more marginalised you are, the more distinctive your fashion sense becomes.

Over the last decade, we have seen an odd trend in the fashion business that has been influenced by homelessness, especially in large, creative places like Berlin, Paris, and Los Angeles.

We have also seen an increase in second-hand stores across Europe.

A certain kind of bourgeoisie is pushed to shop and dress differently by growing social class inequality, as well as concern for major global concerns and social challenges.

Being socially aware and ready to address significant societal concerns is a trend that makes one appear good and valuable in society. Some brands, like Balenciaga, have jumped at the chance to capitalize on this trend and design collections that draw inspiration from homelessness.

Vintageis already considered standard for those who are passionate and enthusiastic about clothing and want to show off their expertise, social standing, and position to others around them who are passionate about clothing.

Also, I see handcrafted clothing and home-made items reaching a high standard of luxury style in the next few years.

However, nothing new under the sun.

Throughout history, fashion has always been a reflection of the era, the mind, and the attitude of the people throughout history. Also, everything is a cycle, and today, it seems that poverty has become a fashion statement for those who want to be seen as being different and edgy while appearing cool, trendy, liberal, and tolerant.

An excessive pressure to stand out and be unique, we become ordinary people who merely adopt the current trend like everyone else in an attempt to gain acceptance from others.

People are also entering the fashion and clothing industries in large numbers, and I see people printing t-shirts, distressing jeans, and recycling clothes from their garages who have their own unique style as the new luxury of fashion. Because being unique, creative, and outstanding is what motivates people to create their own clothing lines and brands.

handcraft

"Craftsmanship cultivates mastery; entrepreneurship often chases opportunity."

Most highly successful people in their careers, like Steve Jobs, say:
You have to have a lot of passion for what you're doing, the reason is that it's so hard that any rational person would give up, and you have to do it over a sustained period.

So if you're not having fun doing it, you're going to give up, and that's what happens to most people. If you look at the ones that ended up being successful and the ones that didn't in the eyes of society, oftentimes it's the ones that are successful who loved what they have been doing, because they enjoyed their journey and loved what they have been doing, they could persevere when it got tough, and the ones that didn't enjoy it, they just quit.

Who would want to put up with months and years of fruitless effort and energy, with constant worrying about failing?
Being passionate is the most crucial prerequisite.

The primary motivation of craftsmen is not only to develop and create ideas and projects that they love and enjoy, but also to pursue their passion, make a difference, change and contribute value to their particular fields. In this way, they can withstand hardships and emergencies for an extended period of time.
Money is a great motivator, but a lack of it in the creation journey makes the experience hard and tasteless, and the idea of swapping fields and projects or the feeling of giving up is the only solution.

Secondly, you need to be well-connected and have a network because, despite your intelligence and talent, you will always need a strong support system and great people.

You also need to learn how to evaluate people properly, quickly and fairly because there are many dishonest, layers and cunning people out there who would like to take advantage, exploit and milk any project or idea as soon as it starts looking promising and profitable.

Finally, you need to be able to make snap decisions even when you don't know the person or the situation, and you need to be able to trust your gut to help you form strong bonds with others and a good circle because you require people around you.

Art & creative director

"Turning scattered ideas into cohesive beauty."

Despite their distinct functions, the terms “creative director” and “art director” are frequently used interchangeably.

Only a project's aesthetics and visual components are under the art director's control.
The art director will solely oversee graphic designers and other visual specialists, whereas the creative director oversees copywriters and graphic designers.
Furthermore, art directors will pay attention to minutiae like a project's colour scheme and font selection rather than “big picture” concerns.

While the responsibilities of an art director and a creative director are not exactly the same, both professions can gain from having comparable skill sets and traits.

For example, each of these individuals require good communication, leadership, and graphic design skills in addition to a collaborative approach.

The creative directors must, however, place more of an emphasis on project management and comprehend how the smaller pieces come together to create the bigger vision.

According to my knowledge and expertise, the same individual can and must perform the tasks of both creative director and art director, both of which are crucial to the development of campaigns and projects.

It takes taste, experience, knowledge, and, of course, consciousness for a conscious person to tell you what a good sound or rhythm is; they don't even need to be familiar with music theory.

Someone gifted, experienced in life, and with a strong, positive work ethic who can work well with people of all manners and personalities and who can make wise decisions in any circumstance.

Someone with the ability to perceive and sense chances and setbacks, not just to steer clear of or seize them, but also to comprehend and advance, going one step further and gaining knowledge and insight.

We all live in and perceive the same world socially, but we each experience it slightly differently, especially if we don't believe in the surrounding structure.

As Rick Rubin once said, a creative art director is the one with the best antenna and satellite.

We constantly observe and analyze the world around us to figure out and understand, and mostly to build a fine taste and noble values.

Because taste and ideals are ultimately the only things that truly drive our desire for an art and creative director.

edrward berney

The inventor of public relations.
The father of modern marketing.

American Edward Bernays, who was born in Austria, is credited with creating contemporary political and commercial propaganda as well as marketing.
He happened to be Sigmund Freud's nephew, and he took a lot of inspiration from him, especially on the significance of the unconscious and subconscious in our decision-making process.

We are aware that, according to Freud, our conscious existence is merely the tip of the iceberg and that, for the most part, our psychological lives are controlled by our unconscious, or our impulses.

By creating well-known methods of influencing public opinion, which he detailed in his most well-known book "Propaganda," Bernays counsels prominent industrialists and politicians on how to boost their status both symbolically and financially.

He created methods that are still widely employed in marketing today, such as tricking people into believing they are in control of their opinions without them realising they are being controlled.

The old systems of political and ideological control were replaced by the actual new systems that promoted individuality and desire.

We might define ourselves as members of a group, and emotional attachment can cause us to make illogical decisions.

The goal of the emotional exhibition is to get us to consent to things we would otherwise deny, and there is interest in showcasing horrific occurrences to shape our perceptions.

Daniel McCarthy · "Propaganda" by Edward L. Bernays

Some of his famous work:

• Bernays helped President Wilson in World War I to sway American public opinion and justify the entry of the United States into the allied forces.
• 1920s the promotion of bacon and eggs as the quintessential American breakfast based on doctors' recommendations, resulting in increased sales of bacon.
• His best-known campaigns include a 1929 effort to promote female smoking by branding cigarettes as feminist “Torches of Freedom”.
• Athletes endorsing products leverage their influence to sway public opinion and drive consumer behaviour. This strategy has become a norm in modern sports marketing, with athletes aligning themselves with various brands to enhance their marketability.

Frankfurt school

& its impact in modern art and design.

The Frankfurt School is a Marxist school of thought in sociology and critical philosophy.
Formed during the Weimar Republic during the European interwar period, the first generation of the Frankfurt School was composed of intellectuals, academics, and political dissidents dissatisfied with the contemporary socio-economic systems of the 1920s and 1930s.

Despite not being directly linked to any one design movement, the ideas and creations of the Frankfurt School's professors and theorists had a significant influence on the 1920s and 1930s art and design, especially in leftist and avant-garde circles where they shared similar ideological projects and goals.

• Critique of mass culture due to the rise of mass media and advertising as creating a “culture industry” that manipulated and pacified the masses.
• Emphasis on social and political engagement led to a strong emphasis on social justice and resistance to oppression.
• Blurring of boundaries between high and low culture by encouraging artists and designers to experiment with blending elements of high and low culture.
• Focus on the unconscious and psychology; delve into the realm of the subconscious and explore its impact on individual and collective behaviour.

While directly or not linked to the Frankfurt School, some design movements of the 1920s and 1930s did share thematic overlaps:

• Constructivism: This movement embraced social and political engagement, reflecting the Frankfurt School's emphasis on function over form.
• Surrealism: Their exploration of the subconscious aligns with the school's interest in psychoanalysis.
• Dadaism: Their anti-establishment sentiments resonated with the Frankfurt School's critique of mass culture and societal norms.
• Bauhaus: How mass-produced culture might lead to standardisation and conformity and aim to integrate art and design with industrial production despite challenges in balancing creativity with mass production.
• Pop Art: With its focus on popular culture and consumer imagery, it reflected and responded to the mass-mediated society critiqued by the Frankfurt School, creating a bridge between critical theory and the visual arts.

Soon after Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Institute first moved from Frankfurt to Geneva, and then to New York City, in 1935, where it joined Columbia University.
By the 1950s, some professors had returned to West Germany, while the others had stayed in the United States.

The School's significant contributions to Marxist critical theory started at this point.
Despite the time and age, we can still see the influence of the Frankfurt School on cultural Marxism ideas were part of the intellectual climate that shaped various cultural and artistic movements,
including Brutalism and Minimalism.

The ying & yang

"Opposites are not enemies but complementary forces."

A common motif in many cultures and philosophies is the notion that everything has its opposite. This phenomenon can be interpreted in a number of ways, from a materialistic perspective, for example, darkness is the absence of light, cold is the absence of heat, and static is the absence of movement.

However, things become more complex when discussing ideological and philosophical concepts and creations such as good and evil, yin and yang, or female and male.

• Duality: The view that opposites are inherent and fundamental aspects of reality. Each “thing” is defined by its opposite, creating a complementary relationship.
• Balance: Opposites can be seen as forces within a system that maintain a state of equilibrium.
• Dynamic: The extension of Opposites can also create a dynamic tension that drives change and evolution.
• Symbolic: Many cultural symbols, like yin and yang, represent the interconnectedness of opposites.

To grasp why everything can be gendered as we see it in various languages, we need to look beyond the biological aspect of female and male conceptions, which is only classified for the genital view. The left and right hemispheres of the human brain offer yet another fascinating illustration.

It's important to keep in mind that this is an oversimplified image and that both hemispheres have to collaborate extensively, even though there are some general characteristics linked with each half. Knowing the difference between the left and right hemispheres emphasises how complicated “opposites” may be within one system, such as the brain. This intricacy carries over to other ideas covered in the text, serving as a warning against reading things too literally.

Concepts of male and female energy are deep and complex, frequently connected to concepts such as yin and yang. It's critical to address them nuancedly and take into account different viewpoints:

According to traditional conceptions, “female” energy is associated with receptive, attractive, attention-grabbing, and nurturing qualities (yin), whereas “male” energy is associated with assertive, productive, force-generating, and action-oriented qualities (yang).
is believed that these energies are complementary and essential to equilibrium.

Any creative sector must, however, be aware of both extremes—the feminine energy for the attractive and appealing aspects and the male energy for the doing and action parts.

Copywriting

what copywriting is and how does it work.

Copyright is a legal protection given to the creator of an original work, like a book, movie, song, or software program. It ensures that the creator has exclusive rights over how their work is used, distributed, or copied. Importantly, copyright only protects the specific way an idea is expressed, not the idea itself. For example, while you can't copyright the general idea of a superhero, you can copyright a particular superhero character, their backstory, costume, and artwork.

Copyright encourages creativity by giving creators a financial reason to develop new works. For instance, an author might spend years writing a novel, and copyright ensures they can control how that novel is sold or adapted into other formats, like movies or audiobooks. Without copyright, anyone could copy and sell their work, making it less attractive for creators to invest time and effort in original creations.

How Do You Get Copyright?

Copyright is automatic when you create an original work.

You don't have to officially register it to be protected, but it's a good idea to use a copyright notice, such as the © symbol, along with your name or logo.
Keeping records of when and how you created the work (like drafts or timestamps) can help prove ownership if needed.

Other Protections

Trademarks: These protect words, symbols, or logos that identify a product or service.
For example, Nike's “swoosh” logo is a trademark.

Trade Dress: This refers to the overall look of a product or its packaging, which helps it stand out.
For example, Coca-Cola's red cans and Tiffany & Co.'s distinctive blue boxes are protected as trade dress.

While copyright protects the creative content, trademarks and trade dress protect the visual or branding elements of a product or service.

colour theory

How colours shape our world.

Colour is both a physical phenomenon and a psychological experience.
The way we see and interpret colours depends on light, wavelengths, and how the brain processes these signals.
Furthermore, cultural, personal, and contextual factors play a significant role in how colour affects our emotions and behaviours.

Colour is the result of light, a type of energy that travels in waves. When we see colours, we're actually seeing specific wavelengths of light that our eyes can detect. This range of visible light, called the visible spectrum, is just a tiny part of the larger electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes waves we can't see, like X-rays or radio waves.

Wavelength: The distance between two peaks (or troughs) of a light wave. Shorter wavelengths produce colours like violet, while longer wavelengths produce colours like red.
Frequency: Refers to how many waves pass a certain point per second. Higher frequencies (like violet light) have shorter wavelengths, and lower frequencies (like red light) have longer wavelengths.

The Physics of Colour

There are two main ways we perceive colour: through additive and subtractive colour mixing.

Additive Colour Mixing (Light)

This happens when different coloured lights combine. The primary colours of light are red, green, and blue (RGB). When you mix these colours in equal amounts, you get white light. This is how digital screens like TVs, phones, and computers work—by combining red, green, and blue light at different intensities.

Example: When you look at a white screen on your phone, it's not actually “white” light coming from the phone; it's a mix of red, green, and blue light blending together.

Subtractive Colour Mixing (Pigments)

This occurs when pigments or dyes absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. The primary colours in subtractive mixing are cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY). When you mix these pigments, they absorb more light, and the resulting color becomes darker. If you combine all three, they absorb nearly all light, resulting in black. This is the principle behind color printing.

Example: In a printer, cyan, magenta, and yellow ink are layered to create various colours. When all three are combined, they absorb nearly all visible light, and the paper appears black.

Key Difference: In additive mixing (light), adding all colours produces white, but in subtractive mixing (pigments), adding all colours results in black.

Colour Psychology

Colour psychology explores how colours affect our mood, behaviour, and decision-making. It's widely used in areas like marketing, design, and therapy, though personal experiences and cultural backgrounds can lead to different interpretations of colours.

Examples:

Red: Often associated with energy, passion, and urgency. It's used in marketing to grab attention, like in sales signs or “Buy Now” buttons.

Blue: Linked to calmness, trust, and stability. Banks and tech companies often use blue in their logos to convey reliability.

Green: Commonly associated with nature, growth, and health. It's popular in brands that focus on sustainability or wellness.

Yellow: Can evoke feelings of happiness and warmth, but too much yellow may also cause anxiety. It's often used in children's products or casual dining.

While these are common associations, colour perception can vary greatly based on individual experience. For example, while white is often seen as a symbol of purity in Western cultures, it is traditionally worn at funerals in some Asian cultures. Personal experiences also shape how we interpret colours—someone may associate red with danger due to past experiences, even though it's commonly seen as a colour of excitement.

Luxury

Beyond Price & Status.

When it comes to luxury, the story, and meaning behind a product often carry more weight than the item itself.
True luxury isn’t defined by price; something expensive isn’t automatically luxurious.

For example, a rare collectable Pokémon card may fetch a high price, but it doesn’t convey the essence of luxury. Balenciaga’s $3,000 “packing tape” bracelets are another example—they may be high fashion, but they don’t embody true luxury.
Instead, luxury goes far deeper, often symbolising an elevation of status, artistry, and identity, a tradition that has existed for thousands of years.

From the aristocrats of ancient civilisations to the elite circles of today, luxury has always served as a marker of distinction.
Wealthy aristocrats and royalty elevated themselves above the common people through luxury items, building a visible divide between social classes. Plato, in Ancient Greece, saw luxury goods as symbols of vanity and greed, but even he noted the value they offered in showcasing the work of skilled artisans, who poured passion into their craft. This duality continues today; we celebrate the creativity and craftsmanship behind luxury goods, yet we also often critique the act of buying them.

Across different cultures and eras—from Ancient Egypt to the Renaissance—luxury has been a display of social status.
In these societies, everyday etiquette, from how the ruling class dressed to how they walked or dined, served as a visible marker of hierarchy. Even the French word “étiquette,” meaning “label,” is directly linked to social conduct, a concept that now parallels modern luxury brands, whose distinct aesthetics serve as symbols of status.
A notable historical example is Louis XIV of France, who elevated French artisanship and established French luxury goods as globally desired items.
By promoting the work of skilled French craftsmen, he tied luxury to national pride and cultural identity, a concept that persists in luxury brands today.
Similarly, in Renaissance Italy, powerful families like the Medicis funded grand works of art and architecture, using luxury as a tool to convey their status and influence.

With the decline of monarchies and the rise of the Industrial Revolution, luxury became more accessible across the Western world. As luxury goods became less rare, brands had to find new ways to maintain exclusivity and allure.
This shift led to practices where even those with wealth must often “earn” the privilege to buy. There is a distinctive connection between luxury brands and their customers; they are the object of their respect, and often dominating their clientele.
Take Ferrari’s newest models or Hermès’ Birkin bags: ownership isn’t just a matter of money—it’s about status, loyalty, and access. Even with the funds, customers may find that a transaction isn’t simple; they must show commitment to the brand over time.

This exclusivity has turned the traditional sales model upside down. Rather than brands trying to persuade customers to buy, the customers must convince the brand that they’re “worthy” of ownership.
Rolex, for example, has notoriously long waiting lists for select models, and Chanel restricts the number of iconic bags a customer can buy annually, maintaining scarcity and allure.

So, why do people go to such lengths to buy a car, a bag, or a watch?
There are several reasons:
1— for those accustomed to constant affirmation, a bit of challenge and rejection from a brand can be perversely appealing.
2— people deeply crave exclusivity and uniqueness, and these practices amplify that desire.
3— by making purchases difficult and weaving rich brand narratives around them, luxury brands tap into an old saying: “You have to suffer for beauty.” In luxury, the effort and time spent add meaning, transforming the transaction into a rewarding experience for the customer.

The paradox of luxury is that while we applaud the craftsmanship of these products, we also condemn the consumers.

Take Hermès, for example, where a single Birkin bag might require over 18 hours of meticulous handcrafting by a skilled artisan.
This dedication to quality and detail is highly respected, yet the unobtainable nature of the product also attracts criticism. Similarly, Patek Philippe watches, known for their master craftsmanship and generational durability, stir admiration for their uniqueness, but the price and limited availability fuel debates about accessibility.

True luxury brands focus on the entire customer experience, not just the product.
For instance, Bentley allows customers to personalise their car interiors extensively, offering a sense of ownership in the creation of the product itself. Luxury retail environments echo this personalised experience.
Louis Vuitton’s flagship stores, for example, create an atmosphere resembling an art gallery, with museum-quality displays and exclusive VIP rooms that enhance the feeling of belonging to an elite group.

Luxury brands understand that, for their clientele, time and money are abstract concepts experienced differently than for the average consumer.
As such, luxury retailers design immersive in-store experiences, where time seems to slow down, and the quality of the encounter matters as much as the product.
This contrasts with regular brands, which focus on convenience and efficiency, recognising that, for most, “time is money.” In luxury, time is part of the enjoyment, and money merely a stepping stone toward the experience.

Some mass-market brands successfully incorporate luxury principles to elevate their appeal, even without full exclusivity.
Apple, for instance, adopts a minimalist aesthetic in its retail spaces that feels almost like an art gallery, creating an environment that encourages visitors to linger, explore, and fully experience the products.
Balenciaga, known for its avant-garde approach, sometimes ventures into provocative designs like its infamous “trash bag” handbag, designed to draw attention and appeal to those who value rarity and distinction in their fashion.

Ultimately, a luxury brand isn’t interested in mass approval; in fact, criticism or ridicule from the general public can benefit luxury brands by reinforcing their exclusivity.
By distancing themselves from the mainstream, luxury brands make a clear statement that their value is for those who can appreciate it, not necessarily for everyone to understand.

Today, luxury is about much more than price or product; it’s about identity, aspiration, and exclusivity.
The affluent are drawn to brands that make them work to obtain their products, brands that value craftsmanship and artistry, and that create immersive, almost ritualistic purchasing experiences.
For luxury brands, it’s not about how much they can sell, but to whom, and how much meaning they can infuse into every interaction. In a world where convenience dominates, luxury’s allure lies in the opposite: the time, effort, and story behind each product, and the sense that true luxury is a privilege earned, not just bought.

MAGAZINE