People hate change.
They may tell you they love new things.
But watch what they do.
And don't listen to what they say.
You'll quickly notice that they actually prefer to play it safe and stick with what's familiar.
As psychologists have noted, we are, by nature, more afraid of losing than we are motivated to win.
Yet, we are intrigued by novel ideas and bored by too familiar concepts.
Complicated stuff.
This makes innovative design difficult to create.
Here's two old sayings...
To sell something surprising; Make it familiar.
And to sell something familiar; Make it surprising.
The Louis Vuitton Method
If you wish to create something very new and bold; Make a single very bold design in an extremely small quantity.
Introduce a series of products alongside it, with the same aesthetic but with much more familiar features that people already know and love.
This is how Louis Vuitton introduces new designs, making one handbag that is produced in a very small quantity which is radically different and introducing a more familiar line alongside it following the same aesthetic while being much more safe.
On top of that, a smart way Louis Vuitton handles innovative designs is through communicating exclusivity.
They present these radical designs only to their most affluent and loyal customers as exclusive purchases only they can make.
If the design becomes extremely popular they will create a waiting-list for the item for the rest of their customers.
Change Just 3%
To be a great designer, you must be both an artist and have great knowledge of people.
You must piggyback off of your consumers’ tastes and gradually introduce your vision.
This is where the 3% design rule comes in.
I originally heard about this from Virgil Abloh, the late fashion designer, and it makes a lot of sense.
To make something familiar seem new and daring, change just 3%.
That's right, just 3%.
Package it slightly differently.
Modernise it for the spirit of the times.
But if you violate this rule, your design can scare the majority of people away.
Remember, as people, our biggest priority is to avoid risk.
Old Stories, New Make-Up
FX Cable TV has produced some of the most critically acclaimed shows with a staggering hit rate.
Their secret?
They take proven classics and give them new make-up.
In their own words Sons of Anarchy is a soap with a concept similar to Hamlet.
They simply take proven stories, change a little in terms of make-up and produce it.
This is different from say, Marvel, who only makes new instalments of old stories.
Rather, FX Cable TVs method is like a trojan horse, sneaking in an old story in a new make-up.
Be Lavishly Safe And Stingingly Bold
To sum it all up; People don't like to take risks.
Therefore you must play it safe with your designs also.
And if you have to be bold, be very cautious with the amount of resources you use.
See you in the next one.
/ Mads