There's a direct relationship between an organization's marketing strategy and its web site and the place we describe that relationship and begin to work out how we'll successfully achieve it is the creative brief.

On Creativity - As designers, we're wrongly perceived as custodians and exponents of creativity. This matters because business currently overvalues creativity. To avoid the inevitable backlash, we must lead our clients' perceptions.

[A List Apart]

We spent 5 minutes at the end of Monday's class on Nine Inch Nail's "Year Zero" ARG that's part of the concept album's over-arching message. New art form as Trent Reznor insists, or bold, new marketing approach as some observers describe? I don't have the answer except to acknowledge the power the ARG has had to create a community devoted to exploring the concept.

New Issue: The Perfect Portfolio -

(Also, if you’re at Web Directions North this week, come find me and say hi!)

Is Your Marketing Strategy a Recipe for Failure? - The Fast Interview: Marketing maven Seth Godin on why it's hard to sell meatballs and why those Bud TV Super Bowl ads fail. Plus two words of advice: Parrot Chow!