The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) is currently having an exhibition called ‘Architectural environments for tomorrow – new spatial practices in architecture and art.’ Among it’s participants is Haruka Kojin, the youngest of the exhibitors. Her piece ‘Contact Lens,’ uses two types of acrylic lenses, one flat and one warped, to create a poetic/distorted view of reality. Although the technique of distorting real environments isn’t a new idea (Alyson Shotz – http://derekeller.com/alysonshotz.html), Kojin’s  piece becomes seamless with the environment, pixelating the world in real time and space. The work invites interaction/participation drawing the audience to add and become a part of the piece. http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/17527/haruka-kojin-contact-lens.html.

About the Position
Account Directors hold overall responsibility for account and client management. They lead relationships with clients, vendors and team members, actively participating in the strategic direction of programs while also owning the day-to-day project details of task, budget, scope and schedule management; project quality; account billings; and reporting and documentation. Account Directors typically work on multiple accounts with overlapping deadlines.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Project and Client Management:
• Assess the client’s business needs and successfully structure and execute large projects to
meet these needs.
• Effectively utilize resources, budget and schedule to produce quality results.
• Work with clients to manage expectations proactively, provide advice and guidance, and build
relationships.
• Help clients understand project scope and investment to execute on digital design strategy.
• Can successfully conduct project and client meetings and presentations independently.
• Work with Baker sales team to outline, define and present proposals that meet client and
company objectives.

Interactive/Digital Media:
• Develop user experience strategies and non-graphical interface design documentation,
including: user profiles, use cases, site maps, page-level specifications, and test plans.
• Collaborate with experts in different domains such as strategists, research specialists,
programmers, video artists, etc.
• Evaluation and selection of tools and teams for developing websites and web-apps.

Experience with brand development, print communications or other large-scale client
programs preferred.

SKILLS
• System thinking in relation to holistic digital environments, considering relationships
from handheld device to kiosk to web and beyond.
• Expert ability to understand and create flow-charts, systems diagrams, wireframes and
content structure.
• Sophisticated graphic, typography, and visual concept demonstration skills preferred.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and software engineering/programming development
process preferred.
• Program-level account management and execution (brands, systems, campaigns, digital
projects, large-scale initiatives, multidisciplinary teams)
• Intimate familiarity and experience with entire web project life-cycle (account initiation;
strategy; design and specification; development; deployment; job archiving; post-mortems)
• Business documentation—work agreements, project plans, schedules, status updates, strategy
deliverables, proposals, etc.
• Excellent written, presentation and client management skills.
• Comfort and rapport with clients, particularly senior management
• Extreme attention to detail and commitment to quality

QUALIFICATIONS
• BA/BS
• 5+ years experience

To Apply
Please send your resume and cover letter, including salary requirement, with the position title and your name in the subject field to jobs@bakerbrand.com (example: Account Director – Jane Doe). No phone calls please. No recruiters.

While flipping through photos I’ve shot in various cities, I was drawn to images of Rome—specifically the distinctive storefront signage so abundant there. You see, I love cities. They’re the result of a massive collective endeavor, with their own unique complexities, histories and discoveries. Cities are rich in detail and no two are alike.

I was struck by the thought of how a city attains its personality without even trying. It just happens with time. In the case of Rome, its signage creates a singularly distinct and beautiful voice. I wonder how Romans would characterize their city.

As a designer, I’m drawn to this sort of detail. And I love typography. I haven’t seen anything else quite like it—in Italy or any other place.

Sean X. Cummings wrote the article “Why the QR code is failing” going into great depth on this topic explaining that most people believe the QR code to be useless, though we shouldn’t blame the QR code itself for this but rather the people implementing it. Companies love to pepper these little pixelated boxes on their billboards, posters, fliers and commercials to get you to go to their website. What’s the problem here? That it goes to their website. We can all agree it’s just the same or easier to open up your mobile browser and type in the company’s URL than to bring up the QR reader app, take a picture and wait to see if it read it correctly. There’s no added benefit and no incentive to look at a company website by these means.

What needs to happen is a bit of creativity. Connecting your QR code to something that will engage the audience and make them want to utilize this technology rather than pointing them to a business card when they know just how to find you from your advertisement anyway. Don’t make them do extra work to get to an end they’ve already met. Cummings mentions using a scavenger hunt—great! Maybe it points to a hidden video that describes something about the area they’re in and how your company has influenced it. Sustainability is big right now, right? How about pointing the code to another video explaining the process behind creating the 100% sustainable flier your audience is holding in their hand and how they can plant it in a pot of soil and flowers will grow? There are a million ideas you could come up with for QR codes that are far more engaging and useful than the surface-scratching method of attaching your website to it. Tom Fishburn of The Marketoonist (whose image we’ve used above) provides a fantastic example in his article where QR tags in New York City’s Central Park have created a rich and unique interactive experience that brings visitors closer to this historic landmark. Don’t give your audience busywork. Teach them something, reward them with something, play with them. As Plato has said “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” What better way to connect with your audience?

Did I mention there are also branding and design opportunities for these drab black and white stamps themselves?

Fluor asked Baker to help elevate their third sustainability report to a higher level than had been accomplished with the two prior reports. While still new to the arena of sustainability reporting, Fluor had a clear idea of what they wanted to do this year: communicate the commitment and accomplishments of its sustainable business practices in construction projects around the world within the context of an easy-to-navigate interactive PDF. We came up with the theme and title, Insight Onsite. We then brought it to life using bright colors and big, bold type to identify each section and interesting, easy-to-read graphics. Additionally, we included links throughout to navigate the user to different sections of the report or to the Fluor corporate website for more detailed information.

Read more about Baker’s role in our case study.

Baker and Leap have partnered on the following initiatives:
Six employee engagements videos
2011 annual review—online and print
Investor collateral
Corporate website

Reaching 27 years is no small feat for a business these days, and we know that it’s only made possible through the relationships we’ve built for nearly three decades. To our clients, colleagues and friends, we give our heartfelt gratitude. Without your commitment, collaboration and contributions, none of this would be possible.

Thanks—and congratulations—to all!

So while showering this morning, I pondered how professional communicators, such as our firm, help companies do what they seem unable to do for themselves. In between lathering up and rinsing off, here’s what I came up with.

When communicating:
- Speak and write in plain English; don’t use jargon. And remember: Wit can be the icing on the
cake, but don’t make it the cake.
- While less is nearly always more, use as many words as needed to be clear and understood.
- The truth sets you free. It’s important to respect people’s intelligence.
- Delivering bad news “right” wins brownie points.
- Make your messages believable and defensible. Use communications to build credibility and
value, not to blow hot air.
- Align all your parts and pieces; be consistent in tone, look and manner. It takes time for people
to get to know you, let alone trust you.
- Stand for something; give your employees and customers something greater to be part of. It’s
human nature to seek a sense of purpose.
- What you say is as important as when, how and to whom you say it. Consider the timing,
vehicles and venues for your message. Most importantly, think carefully about what resonates
with and is most relevant to your audiences. Don’t waste opportunities.

Sounds easy, right? Well, more often than not, people and companies find this hard to do. The rewards, however, far outweigh the effort. Mastering your internal and external communications does matter. Today, “designed communications” is not “a nice to have.” It’s the “secret sauce” that can make the difference between success and failure.

How each business uses social media varies. Ideas about the “right” way to do things are always changing. One article may tell you to target your fans’ friends on Facebook while another gives you a laundry list of “dos.”

According to other expert articles featured in such publications as PCWorld and Computerworld, new social media networks like Google+ are added to the mix all the time, battling for your attention. Understanding their impact on current and emerging social media practices and the way your business communicates is vital.

And don’t forget the blog. Here’s a great read on the “Top 5 Reasons Why Blogs Deserve Our Respect (and Are Important for Business).” Done well, blogging allows us to build awareness and our reputation, share ideas and connect meaningfully with audiences.
The bottom line is this: We should educate ourselves on the full range of opportunities and possibilities for social media. Armed with knowledge and insight, we can then make informed decisions on using ideas and practices most relevant to our goals, rather than just the newest and most novel out there.