Whether on staff or freelance, we all walk into meetings prepared for our
work to be torn to shreds. And it always is. The client sits there trying to
explain to you how a logo the size of a small melon should sit on a 9×12-
inch ad.
Our core competency is in creating something that is the perfect
communication vehicle for the given message. But then subjectivity walks in
the door, and the creative is left standing there, looking like an incompetent
who needs a committee to complete their work.
Others Have Noticed Its Effects
Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a blog covering
Silicon Valley technology, and a widely respected and influential person on
the Web, recently wrote:
“There’s a saying I love: “a camel is a horse designed by committee.” A
variation is “a Volvo is a Porsche designed by committee.” Some of the best
product advice I’ve ever heard goes something like “damn what the users
want, charge towards your dream.” All of these statements are, of course,
saying the same thing. When there are too many cooks in the kitchen all
you get is a mess. And when too many people have product input, you’ve
got lots of features but no soul.”
Through it all, I’ve heard some wondrous and magical statements come
from the mouths of non-creatives as they “join in on the fun” of designing
in these dreaded committee meetings.
My favorite exchange to date happened in a meeting that a secretary sat in
to take notes but who eventually took over the conversation. I looked at her
and then the art director, who sat sheepishly quiet (from too many