Happy Birthday Absatzwirtschaft!

Strichpunkt is celebrating with a new cover and guest tutorial.

60 years is something to be proud of. A good enough reason to ask the top creatives from advertising and communication each to design a new cover for the anniversary. For the eleventh edition of Absatzwirtschaft, we had the privilege of creating the “Meins” (“mine”) motif and made direct reference to our guest tutorial:

“Levi’s 501 is the epitome of a mass product. Everyone has one. But they all also have their own individual versions! What makes every pair of jeans in the world a personal favorite is how it is worn by the owner. They are customized by use and user. By the patches, the holes and the tears in which our life is reflected. But also by the perfect fit that has developed over time. They are “individual by design” and “designed by individuals”. To put it in computer speak, the jeans collect usage data when worn and use these data in realtime to allow for an even more individual user experience. They do not use the usage data to remind us to buy a new pair of pants, but to adapt themselves to us even better.

When we carry these thoughts over to brands and ask ourselves what makes a brand our favorite, there is only one answer here too. Be unique but not too in your face. Understand and relate, instead of clinically analyzing. Be flexible but – as with every pair of 501 jeans – remain true to yourself while doing so. New technologies (particularly AI in this context) allow us to customize en masse and create personal experiences based on usage data and personal preferences. Individual, emotional – personal in the best sense.

All we have to do is let it happen. “By design”, therefore, when we create brands, design systems and user interactions. But above all “By courage”. This is how we create the space and the opportunity for brands to become your favorite names and products to become true favorite items. We believe that to the daring belongs the future. This is why our work consistently focuses on people. For us, “design” means grasping all aspects of a brand, developing it and thinking far ahead. Company culture, business models, the product and its usage, the experience, the brand – everything is important, everything requires a love of detail and everything requires the openness that makes people not just consumers and data providers, but designers of their own personal brand experiences. Because only like this can brands and products emerge that touch and delight us as people.”