On Seeing the Big Picture

I notice more and more that people are losing sight of the big picture, instead spending all their time worrying about the details that don't really matter in the end.

A lot of time is spent changing words from delicious to tasty or from big to large when what really matters is whether it's on strategy. A lot of time is spent in meetings about deliverables when it can be better be spent on coming up with stronger ideas. A lot of time is spent on worrying about being politically correct when the focus should be on effectiveness.

Now don't get me wrong, details matter. Details are what separate the good from the great. But when you devote that much time and worrying to the details, you can lose sight of the big picture. And in the end, the message matters more than the execution.

In portfolio school we were told again and again that concept is king. CONCEPT IS KING. If worrying about the wording and the colors and the logo size and any of those other details takes away from the concept, then something is wrong. And that's not me being a creative, fighting for my craft. That's me understanding that the concept, the message, is what's doing the heavy lifting.

So the next time you catch yourself worrying about the little things, stop and ask yourself if it's really that important in the grand scheme of things. Choose to spend your time and talents on making the message better instead of wasting it worrying about all the little things that consumers may or may not notice in the end. After all, at the end of the day all that matters is whether or not consumers understand the message.