So each year at Rockfish Interactive we're asked to write our goals both professionally and personally for the year. Last year was my first year as Creative Director and what an amazing year it was for the company as a whole and myself. We saw tremendous growth (We added 10 new creative's), gained recognition (I got to judge the Addy Awards) and were awarded Ad Age's Small Agency of the Year. In preparation for writing my 2010 goals I wanted to look back at what I wrote down in 2009 and see how I did:

2009 Goals: 
1. To be satisfied and fulfilled in my career.
2. Better align myself with good thinkers that both challenge and sharpen my skills. Seek their wisdom.
3. Learn to see things from others perspectives so I can see the impact my decisions may have.
4. Remain teachable. Learn from my successes but most importantly learn from my failures.
5. Align myself with my companies short-term and long-term plans.
6. Seek things that bring a positive change.
7. Learn to have a forgiving spirit.
8. I won't compare myself to other people, I will compare myself to my potential.
9. Have the ability to arouse enthusiasm both through appreciation and encouragement.
10. Don't criticize people have a positive attitude.

TL Effect – A synergetic experience where value is added from the product acting as a catalyst to advance the end user.

So recently I purchased an Acura TL and let me tell you I love it! From the super-fast VTech engine to the Bluetooth syncing with my iPhone to the pounding super clear sound system this car has it all and more.

This past weekend my girlfriend got a dose of what I have dubbed the “TL Effect”. We were on our way to the movies Sunday night and stopped at a light when a jam from my iPod, plugged into the in-car USB plug, turned some heads and had the couple next to us dancing. I think Acura made an excellent choice promoting the TV commercials with Citizen Cope’s “Let My Drummer Kick” but in this case I found the perfect song for the perfect car. I have a remixed version of David Guetta’s “Love Is Gone” and the electronic baseline goes hard and nasty on the Dolby Sound system. Next we found ourselves ROFLOAO as the beats in the song seemed to be synchronized to our next moves. We pulled into a spot in the parking lot of the theater as if we were the stars arriving for the debut.

The next day I pulled up to a stop light and two young guys busted out a lame version of the robot cracking up as they did it. It was a classic YouTube moment probably worth millions of views but the 360-degree swivel-mount video camera option with one button upload to YouTube isn’t offered on the ’09 model yet.
 
Same story last night, passed by a local nightclub/bar and a girl exiting the club in a black dress threw up her hands and started dancing in the streets. It was awesome and entertaining to say the least. I’ve had people yell, “Hey give me my car back”, “can we go again” and probably broken more necks than an old Wrigley’s Double Mint double take commercial as they stare the TL down.

What I’m trying to say is that the experiences are worth more than what Acura had sold me for the car or promoted. They are moments and stories that are priceless and will be shared. The brand is rock solid the product ensures it, which makes for an enjoyable ride full of surprises each time I get in and push the big red button. More brands should focus on this type of experience design and weigh value and ROI on what the product can ignite and perpetuate in the user beyond just the sticker price. Thanks Acura you have a new loyal customer.

P.S. I would be happy to drive the next Great User Experience you create and share it across the web just give me a tweet at @RFIJoey.

So I heard people walking around calling it this today after Obama announced the life line be extended. Seems fitting to only see it visually. What are people's thoughts on this? Do we really need to help support a dying company who now seems to have to pay over 20 million to one of the people who helped screw it all up. I'm not sure i get the logic here on this one GM's ousted CEO eligible for $20M retirement package http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/30/gm.ceo.compensation/index.html

I saw this the other day in Hastings and I thought really...? Maybe this is an only in Arkansas moment or maybe this is just the craziness of some sick marketer. Or do we just long for the 'lil gangsta' in all of us? Anyways I'm not sure how many they have sold, the shelve looked pretty full as they had the politically correct "wigger" and "cholo" version of the baby.

I was forwarded this sweet website where it uses your computers camera to take a pic of yourself and then coverts it into the Sheppard Fairy "Change" & "Progress" style that became popular during the 2008 elections. Check out the site here and Obamaiconme. The UI on this site is pretty intuitive and well done in Flash.

http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/

So today I started the Northwest Arkansas Adobe Users Group. You can find us here at http://groups.adobe.com/groups/f4d624cfc6/summary Once we have a few members I'll send out a note detailing the group and where we will meet and what the agenda of the meetings will be. Since moving here to the Fayetteville area from Dallas I would have to say the design culture is a little weak and I would like to use this to help establish NWA as a design hub. It is one of the major retail hubs with Walmart's home office and the vendor supplier community here but, being the Interactive Creative Director for an agency here I would have to say I have not been all that impressed with the talent in this area. I hope with regular monthly meetings we can help to raise the caliber and create a very cool design community in this area. So, stay tuned more to come and if you haven't joined look us up and do so.