Knowing How to Tell a Story
Tamara Grippi
The team at the San Francisco design firm, Method, believes that a good branding strategy requires the skills of gifted storytellers. "We understand our clients' business," said managing director, Patrick Newbery. "It helps us better execute the design and helps us tell a story for them."
Method, which is headquartered in The City and also has offices in New York, was first launched in 1999. At the time, the design industry was generally divided into various specialties, such as Web, branding and design agencies, said Method CEO Kevin Farnham. The time was ripe for a multidisciplinary firm to unite the talents of interactive designers, typographers and brand strategists. "When you start to combine some of these things, you're able to get a far reaching system," Farnham said.
One of Method's biggest clients, Autodesk Inc. (ADSK), San Rafael, has roots with the firm since its inception. In 1999, the fledgling agency, consisting of a handful of people, first tackled the redesign of autodesk.com, a project it would handle for the software giant on three occasions.
In spring 2004, Method chased an opportunity to take on a much bigger project for Autodesk, a comprehensive rebranding. Method participated in a one-day "cattle call" with 40 other agencies to hear Autodesk's objective — to change the way the company was perceived in the market.
The Method team of storytellers responded by presenting Autodesk with a book titled "Who is Autodesk." "It dealt with the idea that Autodesk is a company that everybody should be aware of," Newbery said, noting Autodesk's reach goes well beyond its well-known computer-aided design software to include such programs as civil engineering, mapping, film editing and special effects.
Method, which was selected along with a public relations agency and an advertising firm, worked to redesign the brand from every aspect to include signs outside the company building to product packaging and even business cards. "It felt like for the first time, Autodesk's voice was being heard," Farnham said.
Method, which also works for such clients as Nike, Yahoo, and Microsoft, continues to grow. The firm, which saw sales of $3 million last year, expects to reach sales of $5 million this year. Method Design has a staff of 25 professionals, while its production company, Form, employs an additional 25 people.
Kevin Farnham
Position: CEO
Age: 33
Hometown: Western New York
Education: Parsons School of Design
Books reading: "Freakonomics," by Steven D. Levitt; "Collapse," by Jared Diamond
Favorite quote: "Specialization is for insects." — Robert Hienlein
Inspirational figure: Richard Branson
Patrick Newbery
Position: Managing Director
Age: 43
Family: Wife, two children, 21 months, 2 months
Hometown: Morristown, N. J.
Education: BA, geology, Bates College
Favorite quote: "We've had a slight change in schedule" - every project manager
Inspirational figure: Dwight D. Eisenhower
