Megan Man. Not Mega Man.
This is an open letter to Creative Director and Designer Megan Man from another designer John Speed a partner at Agency Dominion who likes to think he’s creative too.
It’s about taking inspiration, and saying thank you.
I work at a small agency in Toronto, Canada. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by talented people here at Agency Dominion. As a team we’re driven by ideas and solving problems. We design and build great things. I’m proud to work here.
We’re constantly asked to deliver newer, better, or special… we’re also pushed to meet deadlines, or client expectations, or both. It’s a challenge.
Sometimes we meet that challenge and deliver a success, sometimes it’s a failure. Sometimes it’s a breakthrough moment which leaves a smile on everyones face. The smiles are the best moments.
Other times we get frustrated, we lose focus, and we end up delivering something which is neither better, nor special. This is the ‘good enough’ work. I’ve been in the industry long enough to understand that this ‘good enough’ work is typically the type of work which creates ‘efficiencies’ ex. we make more money on it. These projects pay the bills, the lights stay on.
Our creative sides fights this. As designers and creators we hate doing the same, we want to do new, better, special, or different. We’re relentless in our pursuit of the better.
So, we source from books, magazines, music… we visit galleries, travel, meet, eat, consume, watch, observe and question as many things as we can. We’re creative people who take inspiration from anywhere we can. Including from other designers.
We rarely have a chance to thank those who we take inspiration from. Here’s my chance.
Megan, thank you for being an inspiration.
I remember stumbling across your work a few years back…
A few things that still stand out form the earlier work:
- AOL had this crazy header, the search bar wasn’t in the top right, the shape of harrison ford photo was not landscape, and the pièce de résistance was Landon and Gaga. They were cut-out, and woven into the content. I’m not sure if you should get credit for starting the ubiquitous ‘cutouts’ on website trend, but you were definitely the first to do them right in my mind.
- Allure. The header. The summer favourites page. The connections between the products, editorial, social and shopping cart was great.
- Samsung. I still remember this scattered photo collage at the bottom of the samsung page (the ‘join the fun’ section). I’ve used that at least once in my work.
I’ve continued to follow and appreciate your work. It keeps getting better. GE ecoimagination, TJ Maxx, Four Seasons, Volvo, Diageo, Newsweek were all great and inspiring work.
It’s incredible to think that I’ve been so heavily influenced by someone I’ve never met. Thank you.
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