My marketing homework is due tomorrow, and I need to come up with a brief (about 10 words) blurb that answers the question "what do you do?". Saying "graphic designer" 5 times doesn't count. The point is to come up with something accurate, interesting, and easy to understand.
My grandfather used to tell people that I went to college to be a "draw-er". Once I graduated, he would say "graffick deziner," enunciating as clearly as his Italian/Portuguese/Paterson upbringing would allow. He still really doesn't understand what I do or why people would pay me to do it, but that doesn't mean he is any less proud of me.
A few years ago, Pop discovered an old family photo in a box that had belonged to his sister. It was a group shot that included his mother and everyone from the old neighborhood. It was a personal treasure.
But the photo was in rough shape. It had been folded several times, and it was cracking along the many creases. Some of the damage obscured entire faces. I asked if I could borrow it, and then I carefully scanned and restored it in Photoshop. It took hours and hours, but I was so excited to be able to show him some part of what I do for a living--something tangible and relevant.
When it was done, I gave him an envelope with the original photo and a photo print of the restored image. He opened it up and his eyes sparkled as he smiled. He carefully pulled out the original photo, refolded it and put it in his dresser drawer. When I showed him the restored copy, he said, "Oh yeah, that's nice," after a quick glance, but he left it on the table.
To Pop, the original was all that mattered. That crumpled timeworn piece of paper was the memory. It had been handled by his mother, and his sister, and now it belonged to him. My slick restored copy was just a copy.
I'm still working on my homework, but one method I use for testing a blurb is whether it would make sense to my grandfather. No buzzwords. No lingo. Simple and honest may not be flashy, but it can still be memorable.
