In professional work - certainly in the arts and graphics - 99% of people have zero courage. They blow with the wind.
George LoisRead
In any creative industry, the fact that others are moving in a certain direction is always proof positive, at least to me, that a new direction is the only direction.
Interpretation
What this quote means
When everyone is following a trend, it often indicates that innovation lies in pursuing a different path.
George Lois suggests that in creative fields, observing a collective movement towards a specific direction can signal the necessity for change and innovation. Instead of adhering to trends, true creativity flourishes when one dares to explore uncharted areas, as this often leads to unique and original expressions.
Themes
CreativityInnovationTrendsDirectionChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of originality, this quote illustrates why it's vital to break away from established norms.
More from George Lois
All quotes βYou can't test great advertising. You can only test the mediocre. Not that I don't care about demographics. You have to understand who you're going after.
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Truly great images make all the other millions of images you look at unimportant. You gotta look at an image and understand it in a nanosecond.
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I've done truth to power all my life. It's got me into trouble, but who cares?
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I don't design. I get what I think is a big idea, and I put the idea down. I'm not a designer. I'm a communicator.
George LoisRead
Great advertising, in and of itself, becomes a benefit of the product.
George LoisRead
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