On-Site Anthropology
The Importance of Conventions
Thank you, Hillman Curtis.
Rut-Roh! I’m in a Design Rut
Cognition
What’s the ROI on Cool?
- @joerinaldi
- Business Development Director
- Joe’s articles Feed
- Bio on Happycog.com
Industry creative folks I’m friends with personally and respect professionally have uttered the following to me on multiple occasions: 
“I want to make cool shit.”
I’ll be honest, I just don’t get it. To be fair, it’s safe to say I don’t get “cool” in general. I routinely dress like I’m headed to a corporate team-building ropes course, and I’m still waiting for Firefly to be picked up for season 2. So maybe it’s no surprise that the quest for cool escapes me. I don’t get the allure of making something cool for the sake of it being cool. Further, I don’t understand how you sell that to clients, or more importantly, why they would pay for it.
Cool is a byproduct
Steve McQueen never tried to be cool, he didn’t have to try. He could even make riding a motorcycle into a barbed wire fence cool.
Cool just happens; it shouldn’t be the target a project tries to hit. I don’t think great work and being cool are mutually exclusive. I think a lot of creative agencies are cool. But here’s the thing: the coolest agencies I know do great work with some excellent people, thus they are cool. They don’t have to spend a lot of time or effort convincing you how cool they are. Sure, they may have a foosball table (almost a requirement for creative agencies these days), but it doesn’t have to be the first thing you see when you walk in the door. It’s a company’s work that makes them cool; their output, not their amenities.
Great teams do great work. They take their projects and clients seriously. They push ideas, reconcile them against business requirements, stretch them, make them intuitive, and take the time to deliver something awesome, on time, and on budget. That’s what’s cool.
What’s not cool?
Bragging about how late you stay at work, how many weekends you spend at the office? Not cool. How hard you play; lawn darts in the hallway, all night client benders. Also, not super cool. I think long hours tend to be a product of poor process. Going bananas in the office probably means you have nothing to do. The Princeton Review’s motto when I worked for them was “Work Smarter, Not Harder” and I want it engraved on my tombstone.
Clients want maximized results, especially in this economy, which is why having a moon bounce in the office seems to be happening less frequently. Imagine if some of the energy dedicated to pushing the limits of creativity, was applied to refining process, streamlining internal approvals, or developing a joint creative/project management/client services approach.
So what is cool?
Sites like thefwa.com have been defining what’s cool for our community for a while now. Certainly they focus on championing innovation and risk taking, but most of the projects featured seem to border on impractically cool. Was The Wilderness Downtown cool because it was Arcade Fire or because of the integration of Google Maps and HTML5? Or was it both?
I’m certainly not saying there is anything wrong with a desire to be innovative or take risks. And maybe I’m undervaluing the direct correlation between innovation and the quest for cool. It just feels like sometimes the creative execution of these sites are geared purely to “wow” at the expense of solving genuine business goals. I’m not saying that’s what happens, it’s just how it feels to me.
Clients aren’t entirely off the hook though. “We want an award-winning experience” can be interpreted as “We want to be the coolest.” Awards certainly serve a purpose, but again they’re a by-product. Winning an award shouldn’t be the stated goal from the start of a project. Instead, we should urge our clients to focus on what’s most important: their site’s users. Meeting that kind of goal, combined with a fun, collaborative client-agency relationship makes a project cool.
What’s in a word?
Perhaps I’m misunderstanding folks’ cool intentions. Maybe they mean “great?” I’d say Amazon offers a great experience, but there is nothing compellingly cool about Amazon.com (Amazon – sorry, please don’t delay the shipment of Dance With Dragons). Maybe their definition of cool is, in fact, grounded in utility. Maybe they mean they want to build a cool jQuery slideshow plug-in, or a cool accessible user interface, but I’m not convinced. The decision to use the word “cool” instead of “innovative” lends a sense of style or image to the work. Polish over structure, form over function.
The truth is, some of the professionals I know crave an opportunity to “make cool shit” because their client work leaves them hungering for more. If you have to make a career move to get to the work you want, do it. Life is too short. Or, create a business development strategy to get the work you want. Reign in your client services and creative team and make something awesome happen. A wise man once said to me, “You get the clients you deserve.”
You know what I think is cool? When a project hits on all cylinders. Gorgeous and imaginative design, intuitive and engaging UX, seamless and accessible development, all managed pleasantly and collaboratively with a happy client. When a client gets a promotion because the KPI’s and ROI’s and all of those other jawns are clicking – that’s cool. Also, I think the word “jawn” is cool.
I’d say it is fair to conclude that the quest for cool still confuses me (and anyone that knew me in high school would agree it seemed to elude me then as well).
I’m asking you.
What is your definition of cool? How does “cool” factor into your project and approach goals? How do you manage clients that prioritize cool over utility, or award-winning over user-focused?
36 Responses
Is your agency on a quest for cool? If so, @joerinaldi debates the merits of the journey in this week's Cognition: #fb
Thu, July 14, 2011 10:47:01
Wish I'd said this. So sick of 'We worked all night' being a badge of anything but sloppy thinking or bad clients.
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:16:27
Our own @JoeRinaldi pontificates on what's cool and what's not, without referencing the Fonz. #cognition
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:19:19
My definition of cool is similar to yours, although, the reality is that things rarely work out that nicely. However,
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:21:58
“You get the clients you deserve.” Damn it. Yes. *That's* cool.
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:23:20
"Make it cool", "Think outside the box"...Things you hate to hear.
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:40:01
Great thoughts on what it means to pursue 'cool' in the work you do.
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:51:03
I think the "Wilderness Downtown Jawn" was cool. @joerinaldi explains what he thinks 'cool' is and isn't on Cognition.
Thu, July 14, 2011 11:59:59
Pushing yourself and pushing the envelope is cool. Busted process is maximum uncool.
Thu, July 14, 2011 12:08:01
I used to want to make stuff that's "cool" now I want to make stuff that makes people smile.
Thu, July 14, 2011 12:18:58
This article made me smile. I gave up on trusting Cool a long time ago.
Thu, July 14, 2011 12:49:09
Cool is what you make it. If you can do something innovative AND make it practical, then it's truly cool. Nice post.
Thu, July 14, 2011 1:14:00
Trying to make something "cool"? You are missing the whole point of design. Solve the problem first. Good article, Joe!
Thu, July 14, 2011 1:30:24
So many excellent points in @JoeRinaldi 's Cognition post. May print & put it on the agency fridge so everyone reads it.
Thu, July 14, 2011 1:38:48
Trying to make something "cool"? You are missing the whole point of design. Solve the problem first. via @ccashdollar
Thu, July 14, 2011 1:55:33
What’s the ROI on Cool? "Cool just happens; it shouldn’t be the target a project tries to hit." via @gjhead @JoeRinaldi
Thu, July 14, 2011 2:10:27
Another insightful and entertaining post by @joerinaldi , even if he feels he is not an SME on the topic.
Thu, July 14, 2011 2:14:05
"Cool just happens" @joerinaldi channels his inner Miles Davis and writes about the Re-Birth of the Cool #cognition
Thu, July 14, 2011 2:21:34
Cool! - @joerinaldi manages to involve Firefly & Game of Thrones in his latest Cognition jawn.
Thu, July 14, 2011 2:50:05
Is your agency on a quest for cool? If so, @joerinaldi debates the merits. Cognition: #fb (via @happycog) excellent!
Thu, July 14, 2011 3:51:31
*cool* is, in my opinion, a by-product of good design like a chemical reaction, if u get the ingredients right = cool.
Thu, July 14, 2011 3:58:00
As web designers, we all want to make cool sh*t, right? @JoeRinaldi shares his thoughts on "cool."
Thu, July 14, 2011 4:47:52
What's "cool?" When my client gets promoted because of something we did together.
Thu, July 14, 2011 5:04:33
If you're trying to be "cool", you're already trying too hard. Knock it off and do good work. Thanks @joerinaldi!
Fri, July 15, 2011 7:47:59
Fantastic Cognition article by my friend and yours, @joerinaldi If peeing your pants is....something about Miles Davis
Fri, July 15, 2011 11:24:52
Was this written solely for PR? Why am I the only person who found this trifling? The sky is blue, sir.
Fri, July 15, 2011 10:32:53
'What's the ROI on Cool?' is the question Joe Rinaldi (from Happy Cog) asked recently. He questions the desire of creative agencies and their clients to output work that wins awards and has a high 'cool factor' at the cost of usability and business effectiveness. More →
Sun, July 17, 2011 9:08:12
Oddly enough we had a moment in the office a few days ago whilst discussing ideas for a client’s site – we threw around some thoughts, spitballed some ideas and then, after settling on something, turned to each other, smiled and unanimously said “this is gonna be cool”. Getting the chance to do something new, something that will surprise, impress and excite those that use it, to have the sheer opportunity to be creative without restraint, that’s what cool means to me. Also the Fonz. More →
Mon, July 18, 2011 7:01:55
My first professional job was in a small advertising agency. Despite knowing many fine people there who have gone on to great careers elsewhere, for a graduate designer it was, put simply, a sweatshop. Working there taught me two important things: 1) I had to get out of advertising as soon as I could 2) Routinely working long hours reduces quality, productivity and creativity More →
Mon, July 18, 2011 7:16:39
Great cognition post by @joerinaldi on the ROI of Cool. Definitely worth a read.
Mon, July 18, 2011 10:33:55
FIREFLY *IS* COOL, DAMN IT!
Tue, July 19, 2011 5:02:52
Awesome post! Definitely recommended for reading
Thu, July 21, 2011 6:12:40
Great article on how to make your projects "cool" without trying. Thanks for the tips! My clients are sure to benefit.
Wed, August 10, 2011 8:38:56
Nice post, lots of great points.
Fri, August 12, 2011 6:53:55
when you design, do you take "cool" into your ROI? very interesting article. have you read it @tomsiodlak? http://t.co/rkt94vrZ
Wed, November 02, 2011 10:54:04
What’s the ROI on Cool? http://t.co/jMG9Nfur via @joerinaldi #ROI #bizminded #designminded
Mon, May 14, 2012 4:15:00