The Big Flip

Continuing on our streak of inspiration from Ted Hope and the SF Film Society’s Artist-to-Entrepreneur spirit, we’re sharing the creative brief we’ve written for the dream website we want.

NOTE: THIS IS STILL OUR “BEFORE” SITE!

A point of clarification—at the time of posting, the website you’re looking at now is the “BEFORE” site (it’s really our Tumblr). We’ve recruited the incredible and fantastic Tyler Young of Young Nomad Brand to be the Big Flip’s Art Director, and wrote a creative brief to inspire Tyler to help us re-imagine our website.  Stay tuned, and in a few weeks you’ll see for yourself the “AFTER” site that Tyler would have created from our brief.

WHY DO YOU NEED A CREATIVE BRIEF? TO HELP OTHERS TO HELP YOU

As an indie artist or budding entrepreneur, when you get talented folks (like Tyler!) to help you, it’s probably because they share your passion or are simply doing you a personal favor—not because you’re paying them the big bucks.  

That also means they’re probably super busy with work from proper paying clients.  Whatever precious time they can spare for your project, you want them focused on making sexy, brilliant work for you!  You don’t want them to waste the valuable time they’ve allotted for you trying to figure out the basics of what you need, or creating stuff that isn’t quite what you had in mind.

That’s why you should write a creative brief.  Sort out your thoughts, clarify your needs, and lay the basic groundwork before you bring in the talent.  That way they can be inspired and focused on working their magic on your project.

WHAT’S A CREATIVE BRIEF, AND HOW TO WRITE ONE

What’s a creative brief? It’s the thing that Peggy Olson and Don Draper sometimes refer to in Mad Men, that helps them do their magic!

I developed the content in this how-to guide when preparing for a guest lecture for up-and-coming planners at the Miami Ad School.  As a more fitting example for this indie community, I’ve included the creative brief I wrote for redesigning the Big Flip website towards the end.  

You are not discovering gold or creating a patentable process.  Determining best practices to have a sustainable & rewarding creative life is a group endeavor.  We can build it better together, but if we hide our failures and the powerful information we collect, we will not advance. Gather & share data.  Embrace transparency and an “Open Source” attitude to all you do.  

Excerpt from Ted Hope’s “16 Recommendations For Filmmakers To Discover Best Practices For A Sustainable Creative Life.”

SHARING WHAT WE DO BEST—COMMUNICATIONS

Inspired by Ted Hope and the SF Film Society’s Artist-to-Entrepreneur philosophy, we’re going to do just that.  Communications and marketing strategy is our forte.  So we’ll start by sharing our social media strategy here.  

WE’RE PREPARING FOR A CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

For context, this is where we are with the Big Flip.  We’re paving the way for a crowdfunding campaign so we can raise funds to continue shooting the main portion of our documentary.  

I’m a researcher and strategist by trade.  So of course, I studied and thoughtfully planned out what I hope would be the “best” way to prepare for the Big Flip’s crowd-funding campaign.  And one of the most critical elements for success, is to build and nurture a thoughtful and engaging relationship with audiences beforehand.  

THE BIG FLIP’S SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Big caveat: we don’t think we have THE plan for success. Social media is largely about experimentation, failing, learning, and trying again!  But we find that having a plan allows us to prioritize and focus our energies, and remember what we want to achieve—even as we adapt and adjust our tactics in execution.

So here it is—our strategy with commentary in the footnotes for those who want to use this as a guide and template for their own efforts.

BEFORE STARTING: CONTENT TO SHOWCASE OUR VISION AND PASSION

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” ~Edison

“Content is king”—overused line by social media gurus, but no less true.  And especially so when you’re paving the way to a crowdfunding event.  Content is your proof of concept.  

Even more important, it’s proof of dedication and commitment.  Ideas are cheap.  But the passion, tenacity, and drive to painstakingly bring a vision to life—that’s rare, and proof of a team you want to invest in.

That’s why we did test-shoots with 6 families in 3 cities.  If we can’t invest in ourselves—make time to scout for and find good candidates, make sacrifices and scrap together “seed” money to do a test shoot, pull the late nights to edit together engaging teaser reels—how can we expect others to invest in us?

WE SHARE OURS, YOU SHARE YOURS!

Now that we’ve opened our kimono to share our thinking, share yours with us!  Where you have experiences, ideas or expertise that could help us make our approach better—we’d love it if you would share your thoughts and comments.  

TAKE ACTION!

Like what we’re doing? Here’s what you can do to help us.

1) Share our tips and tools! Tweet, LinkedIn, embed or mention in your blog, email—whatever you can to help us get the word out.

2) Join our mailing list, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and stay informed as the project develops.

3) Say something! Join the conversation, share your story, or simply say hello and send us some love :-)

Background

“The Big Flip” is a documentary film and photo-book about the rise of breadwinner wives, and the unexpected challenges it creates in families.  We’ve just finished some test shoots, where we went out to meet and profile potential families to feature in the documentary.  

Our goal is to follow the families throughout 2013, and witness their struggles and triumphs through life over the course of a year.  We plan to edit and develop the film and photobook for release in 2014.

I just watched the video [Gregor & Violet’s story] introducing the second couple.

What stood out for me was Gregor saying “I bring something of value.”

The visuals that popped up in my mind are of him quietly peeling apples and forming pie dough with his hands. The questions that came up included… How many hours did he spend making this pie? What has happened to our society that makes us feel we need to justify to others how our time is spent, especially when that time could be spent making money? Finance aside, don’t we all need to be nourished with homemade meals? 

I find it incredibly touching that Gregor takes care of his partner in mundane ways… there’s no climax, no awards to be given and that’s life.   

~ Anne

Meet Gregor and Violet, another “big flip” couple where the wife is breadwinner and the husband takes care of home, hearth, and menagerie.

But first, THANK YOU to Gregor and Violet—for bravely and generously volunteering for the documentary.  It is not easy to open up one’s home and soul to the world.  We are grateful for their trust.  Their trust in us the documentary filmmakers.  And their trust in you the viewers, in finding insights from their story in a respectful and compassionate spirit.

Discussion: defining your work to your strengths & passions

What makes you excited and good at what you do?  There are more ways than one to make home.  Like any other job, to excel, we have to play to our strengths—just as long as we contribute and add value to the team.

TAKE ACTION!

Like what we’re doing? Here’s what you can do to help us.

1) Share our stories! Tweet, LinkedIn, embed or mention in your blog, email—whatever you can to help us get the word out.

2) Join our mailing list, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and stay informed as the project develops.

3) Say something! Join the conversation, share your story, or simply say hello and send us some love :-)

By the way, if you like Gregor’s design and construction work, check out his work here.

Background

“The Big Flip” is a documentary film and photo-book about the rise of breadwinner wives, and the unexpected challenges it creates in families.  This footage is from our first production fieldwork, when we went out to meet and profile potential families to feature in the documentary.  

Our goal is to follow the families throughout 2013, and witness their struggles and triumphs through life over the course of a year.  We plan to edit and develop the film and photobook for release in 2014.

From “Best Tough-Love Dad” to “Most Multi-Dad Household,” this is a fun read in the diverse ways dads define their roles in other animal species.  

This is one of the many of sources of inspiration for Jessica Gates’ design thinking piece for “The Big Flip.”

A Design Thought Piece for The Big Flip by Jessica Gates

THE EVOLUTION OF PARENTING 

Working with The Big Flip team, it has been eye-opening to be on the front lines of a major cultural shift.

More dads are staying home with the kids as moms take on the role of primary breadwinner. Although the great recession has contributed to this trend, men are actively choosing to be more involved in the home front. The 2010 U.S. Census showed an additional 150,000 men are stay-at-home dads, a trend that is projected to increase.

But while fatherhood is evolving, the marketplace is lagging behind. Old gender assumptions persist, and some still argue that women are just naturally better at taking care of the kids. After deeper inspection does this belief always hold true in nature? And can we look to the animal kingdom for inspiration and insight into helping dads and moms cope in this brave new world of parenting?

ENTER THE SEAHORSE

In some species, it’s the male who provides most care to the offspring. We all know about the seahorse. According to evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis at Tufts University, “Seahorses are the champions of paternal care. They are one of the few animals where the males are morphologically specialized to take care of the young.” Daddy seahorses carry their young in a specially designed pouch that regulates water salinity. The mom is not involved until they mate again and she deposits another round of eggs. Quite the role reversal.

THE “CONNECTED” CARRIER FOR THE MODERN FAMILY

A product solution for dads (and moms too) could be designing a new “connected” carrier that combines inspiration from nature and new innovations in wearable technology. An embedded fabric sensor could help regulate a child’s temperature and alert the wearer when it’s time for a diaper change. The carrier could be stylistically designed to appeal to both men and women. (This has been a challenge for parents trying to find baby gear with a more neutral color palette.) 

HELPING MOTHERS STAY CONNECTED WHILE AT THE OFFICE

When interviewing mothers for The Big Flip, a reoccurring pain point has been the anxiety they feel over “missed moments” in their children’s lives.

Integrating recording technology into the carrier could help keep moms in the loop while dad and baby are going about their day. Voice recordings could be sent to moms and supplement smart phones as a way to capture moments that might otherwise be lost because you were juggling an infant and couldn’t get to your camera. A digital time capsule of your child’s first memories could be uploaded to the cloud and shared with family and friends.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Interested in learning more?  Here are two of the articles that I found particularly inspiring in my research.

Lessons from America’s animal kingdom in how to be a superdad

The evolution of fatherhood

MOVING FORWARD

Markets need to shake off old stereotypes to create products and services that thoughtfully address users needs. Just like the daddy seahorse, your customers may not always be who you think they are. 

~ Jessica

STAY IN TOUCH!

Join our mailing list to stay informed as we share more video and learnings from our shoots, and the project progresses.

© All Rights Reserved

(All photos of Big Flip families—i.e. all photos except for Jessica’s sketches—by lead photographer Paige Green.)

What if…

How design thinking can improve the lives of Big Flip families.

Photos by lead photographer Paige Green.

© All Rights Reserved

So, why do we need a product designer for a documentary project?

Because real change and improvements start in our everyday lives.  

HOW DESIGN SPREAD THE GREEN MOVEMENT BEYOND TREE-HUGGERS TO THE PEOPLE

The evolution of the green movement is an inspiration for what we want to accomplish.

Documentaries like “The Inconvenient Truth” and stories in the press got people to care about the earth and our environment.  But life often gets in the way of good intentions.  Back when earth-friendly products were hard to find except in a few crunchy-granola stores, it’s not easy for everyday people to live green when we have a job to keep and a family to raise.

Design innovations changed that.  Now we have all kinds of Bring-Your-Own-Bag options at the grocery store, from fancy-pants places like Whole Foods to more mainstream ones like Safeway.  From hybrid cars to hybrid light bulbs, it’s easier for more people to live green in a way that fits in with our everyday lives.

HELPING MEN AND WOMEN THRIVE IN THE BIG FLIP

That’s why we invited product designer Jessica Gates to join the Big Flip in our mission.  

Big Flip families have their hands full.  Breadwinner Wives are busy bringing in the bacon despite the rough economy and a slow-to-close gender income gap.  Modern Dads are busy raising kids in a society that continues to treat them as anomalies, making the already tough job of full-time parent even tougher (try looking for a diaper-changing table in a men’s room with a crying smelly baby in your arms!).

Changing the conversation with documentaries like the Big Flip is a start.  But what if businesses and organizations came up with new services, new products and new work policies designed to make Big Flip families’ lives easier and better? What if…

Jessica is here to dream up innovative possibilities to our “what if” questions.

INSPIRED DESIGN BENEFITS EVERYONE

I love this story Jessica told me about OXO products.  You know, the dish brushes and peelers that are so wonderful to use?  

They were originally designed for elderly and disabled people.  Well, turns out everyone appreciates products that are smartly-designed and easier to use. Now OXO products are found everywhere from Crate & Barrel to Target.  

BEYOND BIG FLIP FAMILIES TO ALL WORKING MOMS & DADS

Jessica and I believe that, if designed right, new products and services for Big Flip families will end up benefiting many other families.  They will make it easier for and encourage more working men to be active participants in the home and with the kids.  They will make it easier for and inspire working moms to lean into work with less guilt and more joy.

WHY WE’RE DOING THIS

Our ultimate goal for this project is to understand what it takes for men, women and families to thrive—for love and happiness to endure—in the brave new world where wives are breadwinners and husbands take care of home and children.  

Design thinking will complement our documentary storytelling to do that.

Come back tomorrow, and see the initial ideas that our test shoot has put in the head of Jessica, inspired product designer and founder of Pushup Consulting.

STAY IN TOUCH!

Join our mailing list to stay informed as we share more video and learnings from our shoots, and the project progresses.

© All Rights Reserved

(All photos of Big Flip families—i.e. all photos except for OXO and Pushup—by lead photographer Paige Green.)

More thoughts and photos on Bonnie and Chip from the incredible Paige Green!

(If you missed Part 1—Meet Bonnie and Chip, click here to view.)

(If you missed Part 2—Bonnie and Chip’s Big Flip, click here to view.)

The Big Flip—Bonnie and Chip—Part 3 from Izzy Chan on Vimeo.

Eager to see the next chapter in Bonnie and Chip’s lives?  So are we!  Our goal is to follow them throughout 2013, and share in (and learn from!) their journey.

Next week: DESIGN INNOVATION THOUGHT STARTERS

In addition to a new family, you’ll hear from Jessica Gates, industrial designer and founder of product design shop Pushup.  Jessica will let her imagination loose on innovation ideas to improve the day-to-day lives of families on the modern home front. Here’s a small window into what’s brewing in her mind!

Background

“The Big Flip” is a documentary film and photo-book about the rise of breadwinner wives, and the unexpected challenges it creates in families.  This footage is from our first production fieldwork, when we went out to meet and profile potential families to feature in the documentary.  

Our goal is to follow the families throughout 2013, and witness their struggles and triumphs through life over the course of a year.  We plan to edit and develop the film and photobook for release in 2014.

STAY IN TOUCH!

Join our mailing list to stay informed as we share more video and learnings from our shoots, and the project progresses.

© All Rights Reserved