Best known as co-founder and former creative director of Wolff Olins, Michael Wolff is now in his ninth decade. His recently published book, Leap Before You Look – The Heart and Soul of Branding, gives readers a unique insight into his work, and his way of thinking.
Designed by NB Studio and made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign, the book features all of his most famous projects, for clients like P&O, Audi and the Labour Party, as well as work that’s never previously been published.
Here are some of the most interesting ideas we came across in the book.
On noticing
“Noticing and appreciating are vital to imagination. That instantaneous transformation from a reaction to a creation is the essence of design. Noticing and appreciating are muscular. They become ever stronger with exercise. Without their essential nourishment creativity will struggle to happen.”
On experience
“I’ve had years of experience, but experience has never been my friend. I struggled with it because it tries to tell me that I know what to do. But I rarely do and certainly prefer not to know. Creativity doesn’t come directly from past experience.”
On creative relationships
“The speed at which one recognises mistakes is invaluable… Creative relationships are all about symbiosis; how one thing feeds off another, and the stuff that stimulates, irritates and inspires… Wally (Olins) was the business leader. I was the get-it-done genius.”
On telling a client not to change their brand
“Advising no change takes imagination and courage, but it’s better than becoming complicit in a misguided strategy. Our view was that this much-loved national treasure (Lyle’s Golden Syrup) should be preserved… I like to think I helped them see what they could not see and saved it for generations to enjoy.”
On naming
“Many clients start out with a prosaic description of what they do, but to acquire emotional resonance the name needs to evoke the experience of the user. Ideally it should allude to the benefits that come from working with a brand or buying into it.
“Using vernacular language forges a human connection and punches through the facelessness that so many organisations acquire. Names gather meaning, recognition and durability as the equity is built into them over time.”
On animals
“I love using animals because they are so much more relatable than abstract symbols. They have an uncomplicated magnetism. Realism is much easier for people than surrealism.”
On language
“We helped Southwark (Council) with their literature, such as the Rent Rebate Form. We worried that the wording could be misinterpreted, so we asked a selection of residents what they thought the top line meant. Most reckoned that the council was trying to evict them. So we made the meaning glaringly obvious using language that expressed the human side of council business.”
On takeovers
“Most (company) takeovers are acts of domination as opposed to intelligent planning. The psychopath at the top of business is not uncommon. You have to deal with a huge amount of vanity.”
On growth and humanity
“Conversations around planning a new enterprise bristle with healthy exchanges of wordplay, humour, spontaneity and vulnerability. But once a start-up matures into a grown-up, communications become increasingly dysfunctional. Strip away the jargon and bureaucracy and you get back to humanity.”
- Design disciplines in this article
One response to “Insights from the maverick mind of Michael Wolff”
Nice to see DW looking good and dropping in again – thanks. A great piece on an industry guru. I’m gonna have to buy this book now. I started out in this biz working on the British Airways rebrand in another life, as part of a small collective of design consultancies with Wolff Olins leading. Genious. Good to see you back.