TAKEAWAY: Hard to believe that we celebrate 500 postings of TheMarioBlog today. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate blogs, to analyze what they do, and to hear from you faithful readers who share part of your day with me here.
To blog or not to blog: that was the question
I always say that I was one of the last to join blogomania . Although many had urged me to write a blog, it took Ron Reason’s powers of persuasion, during a joint visit to Lagos, Nigeria, to make me give it a try.
I think “thanks” are due to Ron, as it has been an exciting time waking up each day and pondering the question: what will I blog about today?
Some days are clear cut “blog days”: the launch of one of our projects, a major media happening (such as the launch of the iPad), or an interview with an interesting member of our industry whose thoughts and opinions I consider of interest. Other days, you let the dangerous “stream of consciousness” take over. On those days,I follow inspiration while running, or center on a quote from an article of interest. At times, I become restaurant reviewer, or simply tell you about my grandchildren. And, of course, this year, I occasionally appear with a segment of 40 Years/40 Lessons, my “sort of career memoir”. Prepare for an upcoming segment, Consultant.
Blogging has become a part of my day, and those who know Mario know that once something gets into my routine, then I usually get down and do it. Like my daily running, the writing of the blog is therapeutic, but, more importantly, it allows me to learn something new everyday.
Trained as a journalist, I value words. I also know how difficult it is to write, so the daily calisthenics of my blog allow me an opportunity to play with words, edit myself (not always successfully), but, more importantly, to be publisher, editor, reporter, designer, graphic artist and everything else. As a journalism student in the 60s, I never imagined that this could be possible, unless you owned your own weekly in Montana.
You make the difference
However, the most personally gratifying part of writing this blog is you and your interest and input. Although we don’t get many posted comments here (something that I ponder from time to time), I do get dozens of daily email messages from you. You encourage me to do more of this (videos, for example, and, yes, I know I am behind with TheMarioClassroom series), or to tell more about a project (don’t people ever get tired of hearing the story of The Wall Street Journal redesigns?), and, if emails are an indication, what you all like the most are case studies: a project is completed, and we tell you how it went.
Keep those messages, but post some of them here, to get the conversation going.
Oh, life before the blog…..
I often dream of drafting up blog entries for things that happened in the BB era (before blogs). I can only imagine what it would have been like to tell you about this, for example:
1. The Wall Street Journal presentation (yes, here we go again, you get a WSJ annecdote)—We were ready to do a presentation of three models of the WSJ, when it was ready to introduce color in 2000. There was the tame, modest model, and the middle of the road one, and then the one where we went the extra adventurous mile and put color behind the entire Wha’s News panel. The then CEO of Dow Jones, Peter Kahn, walked into the room, and shortly after saying hello, took a look at the wall, pointed at Model C and said: “I like this one.”
Of course, a moment of moments. That was it. To this day, the champagne color drapes the What’s News column. One of those instances that you wish to put inside the bottle you carry with you, with the good mementos——or pehaps the topic of a blog, if there had been one.
2. Die Zeit and German elegance-—There I was, doing the 9th prototype of Die Zeit, that wonderfully informative and smart German weekly. We had paid attention to a thousand details, and then came a voice from the audience of editors at this presentation: I don’t think that an American designer could ever understand German elegance.
Silence.
My defenses down. What to say? What to do? Catch the next Lufthansa flight out of Hamburg?
“Ok, you may be right,” I said. “Maybe you show me what German elegance is all about.”
They did. A full protocol of ideas. The next prototype apparently showed German elegance. It is still there, Die Zeit, perhaps one of the most elegant newspapers I have ever done.
I will recall other unbloggables in the midst of this busy day in Paris. Will update.
Let me hear from you
But more importantly, let me hear from you today: what would you like more of? What can we do better to serve you?
Until then, good day, and let’s keep blogging.