The quote is often said “Jack of all trades, master of none”, but little know that the full quote is actually “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
This Is My Story…
I want you to take a second right now and step away from your computer or mobile phone to look around at your surroundings and ask yourself…
What would be your dream office setting?
Not just the location, but what is that setting that makes you feel like you would be at your most inspired? What time of day is it? What are the sounds? What is the mood?
When I think about this question, I immediately go to a place in my head that combines some of my favorite things all together at once to form a place that only exists in my thoughts.
But how might I share that idea of what my perfect office setting is?
AUDIENCE: Knowing your audience and making that personal connection.
Wait…what is this? Don’t worry. We’ll get to this later.
Skill Sets
Why paint with just one color?
My entire career has been led by curiosity in finding new ways to share compelling stories through experiences. My exploration has led me to take on a wide variety of roles with everything from Senior Strategist at Universal Parks & Resorts to Digital Content Manager at iHeartRadio to starting my own Marketing Agency to explore even more ways to connect with people.
It’s a constant desire to continue to learn and practice, instead of preaching.
Ensuring if I find myself in any room with a diverse group of thought leaders, that I can understand and more importantly, speak in their terms knowledgeably.
Taking a look at my current home office, it looks nice, right? I mean, I have a window that looks out at trees, multiple monitors to help with my nonexistent tan, and a semi-comfortable computer chair off Amazon that isn’t remotely close to being real leather. Still, I have that vision of my head of the perfect office that needs to be shared, but how?
So using a wide range of skill sets and a mix of creative mediums, I am going to take what’s in my head and build it out for you in a digestible way. The best way to do this is to use a mix of photo manipulation, mixture of sounds and Augmented Reality.
MOMENT: Identifying the mediums and creating the experience
The Thought
Since the beginning of time, humans have been captivated by the notion of being immersed in a story. Whether it be a Viking Skäld visiting a village using hand gestures and vocal tones to share tales of great adventures or a photographer capturing an entire story from a single frame from their camera. Individually, they all have their unique way of sharing an experience but combined, they offer the opportunity to connect with their viewer and immerse them in these experiences imprinting an emotional attachment to the moment.
With this dream office, I want it to represent my vision while hitting on nostalgic visual triggers that spark curiosity.
Google Search Recipe: Woodfloor apartment (So trendy), dramatic lighting, music, ambiance sfx, art, and of course an inspiring view. Beach? Maybe a mountain? Scratch that…let’s go with something European and can’t forget weather.
Entry Way: Working from the above image, the entryway needs to drive interest into what’s behind the door. More importantly, it needs a touch of personality to connect with the viewer. To the left, you see logos from my personal brands I have created, and to the right, a movie poster from a childhood movie that leaves you with “Oh yeah, I remember that!”. (It was this or Back To The Future, but that artwork is 🙌).
The Office: I came across this beautiful apartment photo with exactly what I’m looking for. Trendy brick walls, hardwood floors, pretty much all the essentials for anyone that has watched any show on HGTV. Most importantly though, the image had 3 massive windows which were perfect to create the scene I was looking for. With a few lighting adjustments and a fresh view overlooking Paris, France, the setting was ready.
Each of these individual items seems normal, but they are rooted in human insights and rooted in intrigue.
SPARK: Eliciting an emotional response
The Experience
When a user scrolls to the exterior hallway image of my ‘dream’ office and activates the QR code, their phone will automatically launch an Augmented Reality filter allowing them to open the door and take a peek inside.
As the office door opens, it reveals a dark room with brick walls and wood floors with the sounds of muffled classical music filling the air as a silhouette of a figure is seen typing away at the computer burning the midnight oil.
We’ve all had those times like that. We get captivated by a project and become completely lost in it. Yet, never quite satisfied to give it a rest for the day. Only to look up hours later to realize it’s the middle of the night.
The only light to fill the room comes from a small desk lamp and hanging lamp revealing just a tease of the room while keeping the rest in utter darkness leaving the focus on the figure, the three large windows, and a lit-up photo on the right wall.
This photo has significance. It comes from a time when I felt my most whole while traveling overseas for the first time and realizing the photos of places I used to use as my desktop wallpaper do indeed exist and are even more incredible in real life and every time I look at it, I am stepping back into that moment to relive it over and over again.
Just outside the window, you can make out the amber glow of the city of Paris. A city that is filled every square inch with art, culture, and life.
To me, this view is pure inspiration as a collective ecosystem of thinkers inviting others to connect and share in their thoughts.
While admiring that breathtaking view, you will begin to see soft white snow falling down just outside the office windows cascading over the city, dampening the sounds of the busy streets below in the process.
I feel as though nothing quite calms a busy mind such as rain or snow. It triggers a natural calming and focus.
Although you see these features I am mentioning, there is still much more to be discovered (and that line alone intrigues further exploration).
Take your time with the experience, look around, speculate what each piece means and let me know what you think.
Creative Note: Could I have just used words to convey what this vision is in my head? Sure. Could I have just used a photo or sketch? Maybe. But if I wish to truly convey an experience and connect, why not use every opportunity to engage the many ways everyone enjoys consuming a story or experience?
THE STORY: Trigging a emotional response through the experience imprints a memory. The memory then becomes relatable and drives curiosity & inspiration leaving the user back to the original question.
What would be my dream office setting?
All sections marked in Orange are part of the strategic approach – Audience – Moment – Spark – Story.
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