Mmmmmmmm, 40k is powerful when harnessed properly. Train you must. Impossible it is not. Doubt you have and fail you will. There is no try, only do. (Now read this again but with a Yoda voice. So much more fun.)
Deep words from a muppet. But also very true and very relevant to getting the most out of a 40k banner.
Let's face it, 40k isn't a lot to work with, but it's better then the 30k we were working with just a year ago. Still, the challenge of doing stellar creative with such limitations is great. But not impossible. The key is to have a Yoda mindset and work with a Yoda team.
My partner and I often come up with banner concepts that push the boundaries of what can be done. In fact, we've heard "that can't be done" more than once. But I honestly can't think of a time that we let that get in our way and didn't end up with a good, if not great, result.
The reason is that we don't take no for an answer. We push for maybe. The beauty of interactive is that just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be, especially if you work with a team willing to take a risk, push itself, and see what's possible. At the same time, you have to be willing to adjust your concept as development progresses. It wouldn't be fair or effective to push everyone else without being willing to adjust the creative to fit the production. As long as we're moving in the right direction towards a piece we can be proud of, I'm happy.
So what's a Yoda Team? It's a team of people that believe anything is possible and are willing to give it a shot. One such team is the folks at Visual Goodness. Many times we've bid out banners to multiple places only to have most, if not all of them, come back with, "It can't be done." But VG never says that. They always find a way. They may need us to adjust the concept a bit but like I said, as long as we're going in the right direction, I'm happy. Truth be told, there have been times when even I thought we were pushing the limits too much, only to have VG come through with some magic and save the day. And that's why I love having a Yoda team.
So here's the goal: let's all strive to be Yodas and turn those "can't be dones" into "maybes." Only then brilliant banners will you create.
