under construction angel aldarondo
Aitzol.- Hi Estanis, can you speak now? Don’t start telling me that you’re busy...
Estanis.- It’s OK, my boss isn’t here. I’ll go out and fill my lungs with some tar. They should add antifreeze to tobacco, it’s freezing cold here!
Aitzol.- I’m calling you because I’ve noticed that your website is “under construction” and it’s been in that state for over two years. Considering that you work in the field of advertising and website design, I guess it’s time to lay the first stone, or the foundations, or something, don’t you think?
Estanis.- Look, I’ve spent more than three years proposing ideas, but there is still no consensus. Nothing seems to convince us, there’s not a single idea, a leitmotiv to summarise what we are, to communicate our philosophy, our vision...
A.- Stop jabbering! I’m sick of watching building works like a pensioner, notices saying “sorry for the inconvenience”. I would say that you have stage fear; that you’re afraid of defining yourselves as a company, of labelling yourselves, which is just what you do with your customers.
E.-...
A.- Isn’t that so? I mean, I don’t understand you. You’re always complaining about your customers because they reject all the original, risky, avant-garde ideas, because they always choose the worst proposal. However, now that you’re facing the perfect customer, you back out, and hang the damn ”under construction”. And when you finally decide to do something, you create a small, aseptic database which you forget to update, showing the message “Merry Christmas” until August.
E.- I guess you’re right. It’s just like the designer who turns up in the catwalk wearing jeans and a white T-shirt after a high fashion show.
A.- Or like the doctor who is trying to convince you to quit smoking with a cigarette behind his ear. The message loses credibility. And that’s what happens with you, you’re a pure contradiction.
E.- Personally, I think the problem lies in the approach. Almost all the websites, regardless of their appearance, are a kind of “company report”. Like any other mass media, the Internet should deliver messages, ideas, concepts.... instead of monolithic reports with the classic “who we are”, “what we do” etc. Imagine if all the TV campaigns were infomercials.
A.- That’s right, design is secondary; you graphic designers are full of yourselves, when you’re in fact useless for anything else, just like cooks, oops sorry, restaurateurs. Or is there any social responsibility? It all comes down to making an impact and winning awards, satisfying your vanity, being admired.
E.- You’re going too far, some are real geniuses, true artists.
A.- Yes, frustrated artists. You’re actually artisans.
E.- Right, and advertising creatives are dissatisfied writers wearing pebble glasses.
A.- Yep. You create a false and beautiful wrapping with the purpose of selling more, and you call that added value. I call it protection money.
E.- You’re boring me to death. I’m going to light another cigarette. Look, if we agencies and studies don’t finish our websites, that’s because they are nonpaid projects. They are the last priority and end up being forgotten.
A.- Then you should ask another agency to create your website.
E.- That’s it, and we create theirs. Just like that guy who said, “let’s wank each other”.
A.- I once worked in a project whose aim was precisely that. It was called “cucharadepalo.com”, a website where agencies swapped their tasks.
E.- I must go now, I’ll propose the idea to my boss. But he thinks it’s better not to have a website than having to dance the longest piece with the ugliest woman in the ball.
A.- See you later alligator!
E.- After a while, crocodile!
Estanis.- It’s OK, my boss isn’t here. I’ll go out and fill my lungs with some tar. They should add antifreeze to tobacco, it’s freezing cold here!
Aitzol.- I’m calling you because I’ve noticed that your website is “under construction” and it’s been in that state for over two years. Considering that you work in the field of advertising and website design, I guess it’s time to lay the first stone, or the foundations, or something, don’t you think?
Estanis.- Look, I’ve spent more than three years proposing ideas, but there is still no consensus. Nothing seems to convince us, there’s not a single idea, a leitmotiv to summarise what we are, to communicate our philosophy, our vision...
A.- Stop jabbering! I’m sick of watching building works like a pensioner, notices saying “sorry for the inconvenience”. I would say that you have stage fear; that you’re afraid of defining yourselves as a company, of labelling yourselves, which is just what you do with your customers.
E.-...
A.- Isn’t that so? I mean, I don’t understand you. You’re always complaining about your customers because they reject all the original, risky, avant-garde ideas, because they always choose the worst proposal. However, now that you’re facing the perfect customer, you back out, and hang the damn ”under construction”. And when you finally decide to do something, you create a small, aseptic database which you forget to update, showing the message “Merry Christmas” until August.
E.- I guess you’re right. It’s just like the designer who turns up in the catwalk wearing jeans and a white T-shirt after a high fashion show.
A.- Or like the doctor who is trying to convince you to quit smoking with a cigarette behind his ear. The message loses credibility. And that’s what happens with you, you’re a pure contradiction.
E.- Personally, I think the problem lies in the approach. Almost all the websites, regardless of their appearance, are a kind of “company report”. Like any other mass media, the Internet should deliver messages, ideas, concepts.... instead of monolithic reports with the classic “who we are”, “what we do” etc. Imagine if all the TV campaigns were infomercials.
A.- That’s right, design is secondary; you graphic designers are full of yourselves, when you’re in fact useless for anything else, just like cooks, oops sorry, restaurateurs. Or is there any social responsibility? It all comes down to making an impact and winning awards, satisfying your vanity, being admired.
E.- You’re going too far, some are real geniuses, true artists.
A.- Yes, frustrated artists. You’re actually artisans.
E.- Right, and advertising creatives are dissatisfied writers wearing pebble glasses.
A.- Yep. You create a false and beautiful wrapping with the purpose of selling more, and you call that added value. I call it protection money.
E.- You’re boring me to death. I’m going to light another cigarette. Look, if we agencies and studies don’t finish our websites, that’s because they are nonpaid projects. They are the last priority and end up being forgotten.
A.- Then you should ask another agency to create your website.
E.- That’s it, and we create theirs. Just like that guy who said, “let’s wank each other”.
A.- I once worked in a project whose aim was precisely that. It was called “cucharadepalo.com”, a website where agencies swapped their tasks.
E.- I must go now, I’ll propose the idea to my boss. But he thinks it’s better not to have a website than having to dance the longest piece with the ugliest woman in the ball.
A.- See you later alligator!
E.- After a while, crocodile!
