Design Team Leads: 3 Strategies to Lead Your Team Towards Sustainable Solutions

Designers have already begun to lead the sustainability movement, working to develop long term design solutions with sustainability in mind. As a journalism and design student at Northwestern University, I have found two articles that offer valuable insight into sustainable design.

Elizabeth Segran’s article “The shockingly simple way to make packaging more sustainable” published on Fast Company explores the creative way in which many cleaning companies have cut down on waste: removing water. By removing this component from the design of certain cleaning products, companies have been able to reduce the plastic and packaging they must use to hold and transport products. Water is a component that can be added by consumers at home. In cutting this out of the products design companies have been able to reduce the size of products, in turn reducing the resources needed to package and ship them.

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Renee Yardley's article “The state of recycling: What does it mean for paper?” published on Sustainable Brands examines consumer trends in sustainability. Today, consumers care more about recycling and are extremely mindful of their environmental impacts. Nevertheless, the average American still produces more than four pounds of trash daily, according to the EPA. Consumers want to help the environment but don’t necessarily know how to do it most effectively. Yardley also points out that consumers want companies to become leaders in sustainability as well, and hope they will work together to do so.

Based on these articles and my learnings from Northwestern, I have developed three recommendations for design leads to consider when working to lead your team towards a sustainable design solution:

• Cut components - Reduce waste production by simplifying products through the removal of unnecessary components, such as water.

• Find a partner - Collaborating with other green partners will allow designers to be more innovative in sustainable design and reduce environmental impact.

• Educate consumers - It’s not enough to simply create sustainable products, educate consumers on disposal best practices in order to maximize the environmental effect.

Next time you're working on a design project, consider these three recommendations to create more sustainable solutions for the future.

My name is Kelli Nguyen. I am a senior at Northwestern University graduating this spring with a degree in Journalism, Design, Integrated Marketing Communications, and History. My passion lies in the intersection of communication and design. In the past, I have worked for BMW Technology and LinkedIn, and I aim to continue to work in tech improving communication strategies between companies and consumers. Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Christian Women: 3 Action Items to Consider if You Want to be Saved and Sexy

For Christian women, concerns about modesty and “appropriate” dress is nothing new, but in the days of Instagram imposed beauty standards, such looming concerns seems to be more relevant than ever, as we often find ourselves questioning: "Can I glorify God and still be sexy?" As a marketing student at Northwestern University and Christian woman who loves both fashion and God, I’ve found 2 pieces of content that will help you learn how to do just that.  

In the first article, "6 Bible Verses About Women's Beauty ~ It's Okay To Be Sexy," blogger and therapist Dr. Sophia Reed suggests that women of faith can indeed be sexy—but not in the way that the world typically views the term. In her opinion, being sexy does not mean you post sexually suggestive bikini pictures on Instagram. Instead, sexy is about confidently channeling your inner Esther: the natural allure that uniquely exists in every woman. Using supporting scripture, Dr. Sophia concludes that being both godly and sexy is about finding an appropriate, yet happy medium. At the end of the day, being godly doesn’t mean you have to cover up the natural curves and beauty that God gave you, while being sexy doesn’t mean over-flaunting that beauty.  

The next piece I found is a Fashion Nova Try on Haul by Christian YouTuber and fashionista MsNaturallyMary (aka Mary Bennett). While Fashion Nova is infamous for its trendy and often revealing fashionwear, Mary challenges herself to dig through the site and find tasteful clothing that compliments her thick and curvy body without being over-revealing. In the video, she tries on a range of outfits that could be appropriate for church, work, date night, and even a day at the beach. Ultimately, she shows women that they can be fashionable and sexy on any occasion without going over the top and attracting the wrong type of attention.

After reviewing these pieces and utilizing my experience as a­­­­ marketing student, I have developed 3 action items you should consider when thinking about how to channel your sexy in a godly way: 

• Everything in moderation – Sexy doesn’t have to be synonymous with minimal clothing—we can shop at Fashion Nova and slay without revealing everything our mamas gave us.
• Follow great bloggers – MsNaturallyMary and Drusilla Shay are two of my go-tos for fashion inspo, but I also love Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts (yes, even pastors can be fashionable) and her Woman Evolve collection.
• Consider your intentions – You deserve to express your creativity and look and feel your best, but if you want to dress sexy solely to attract lustful attention, you might need to do a quick heart check. 

So ladies, next time you’re questioning if it’s okay to be saved and sexy, remember these three action items!

Danielle Underwood is a Northwestern University senior studying Radio/Television/Film and Integrated Marketing and Communications. She holds a leadership position in her Black Campus Ministry and serves as a Young Life Leader in the Chicagoland Northshore. She is passionate about encouraging people in Christ and has a YouTube channel with her best friend which is dedicated to documenting her faith journey and showing people how to glorify God and be culturally relevant. 

    

Sports Executives: 3 Recommendations to Better Grow Fan Engagement on Social Media

As sports continue to capture the attention of billions of fans worldwide, teams are shifting to social media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram to interact with their fans instantly in a more engaging way. As a sports marketing student at Northwestern University, I’ve found two articles that highlight the importance of making this type of connection.

Rick Maese of the Washington Post wrote an interesting article entitled "NBA Twitter: A sports bar that doesn’t close, where the stars pull up a seat next to you." In this article, he discusses how NBA fans immerse themselves in Twitter in order to stay up to date with the constant, essentially year-round, news cycle of professional basketball. According to Maese, this has essentially become a routine for many fans, and some even prefer to follow the games via their online Twitter communities rather than go to the game in person if they had the opportunity. This relate to the idea that team's usage of official social media accounts gives fans an outlet that they can follow and constantly engage with during live games. These official team accounts often times provide commentary, which can make online users feel as if they are watching alongside other fans of the team. For more insight, you can follow Rick on Twitter. 

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Anthony DiMoro on Forbes takes a deep dive into how this trend of social media quickly invaded the sports world, along with some examples of teams who are able to generate a great deal of fan engagement while strengthening a team's overall brand in an article titled "The Growing Impact of Social Media on Today's Culture." One example Dimoro gives is how often times, a sports league or team creates one common hashtag around a topic so that fans can see all related tweets and news in one, centralizes location (e.g. #BecauseItsTheCup for the NHL playoffs). As a result of these tactics, he claims that fan engagement and discussion online is at new levels that no one could have imagined several years ago. If you want to find more of Dimoro's work, you can follow him on Twitter or visit his official website to see his latest sports media ventures.

Based on these articles, along with my own personal experience helping run multiple verified team accounts for Northwestern Athletics, here are three recommendations for sports executives to better grow fan engagement on social media:

• Entertain Your Followers – Fans want to feel like they’re watching the game with the team, it’s up to you to engage and relate to your audience.

• Storytelling = Engagement – Recognize what is happening in the game and the implications/message behind every single word you are sending out and how it fits into a bigger picture.

• Stay Ahead of the Surge – The industry is constantly evolving, be ready to adapt to any changes or innovations in order to ensure you are putting out the best possible final product.

As a sports executive, it is more and more important that you make meaningful connections with your fans and people interested in your team using social media, and I hope these three action items will help you do that more effectively.

My name is Zach Wingrove and I am a senior at Northwestern University studying Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications. I have worked closely with Northwestern's Athletic Department during my four years, assisting in media relations for almost all of Northwestern's 19 varsity programs at some point. During the 2018 MLB season, I worked on the Media Relations team for the Chicago Cubs. In the future, I want to continue working media relations in either professional or collegiate athletics. You can follow me on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Content Creators: 3 Recommendations for Better Promotion through Social Media

As social media continues to develop and grow, new businesses and influencers are taking to social media every day to promote their brand and their ideas in order influence others to follow and support them. As an Radio Television Film major at Northwestern University, with an interest in the world of social media and what can be done to stay relevant and on top in an ever-changing landscape, I have found two articles that delve into the best practices to improve on one's social media presence.

Digital marketer and social media influencer Kim Garst addresses on her website's article, Facebook Live vs. Instagram Live: Differences & Best Practices, the pros and cons of each site's features and the best time to use those features. She reminds us that while both can increase followers and their online engagement, they must be used uniquely and properly to render success. Both sites share many of the same basic features for when a user goes live that help drive organic traffic and engagement. However, Facebook has much more permanence, allowing the user to keep their live video up to be watched later and continuously engaged with and repurposed. Instagram does not allow the video to be kept up, so it promotes a sense of urgency that will drive followers to engage with the user then and there in order to interact with them in real time.  By understanding these differences and utilizing them properly, brands can best promote themselves to their audiences in real time.

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On Lilach Bullock's content marketing website, she has an article titled, Are Your Competitors Better Than You At Social Media? in which she addresses the tough competition that social media brings and the importance of analytics and competitive research in order to stay ahead of the game. Performing research by using the tools this article provides allows for better understanding of and engagement with your target audience in terms of types of content, timing of posts, and best hashtags for exposure. Bullock provides tools to compare different social media sites, different accounts within those sites, and monitoring and analyzing hashtags. By conducting this research and staying on top of it, one can better understand and identify future opportunities for growth and user engagement.

After reading these articles and utilizing the knowledge I have gained from my marketing education at Northwestern University, I recommend three courses of action for better utilization and promotion of a brand or content on social media:

•     Choose The Best – Pick the proper social media outlet(s) that will best reach your audience and promote your content.
•       Better Understand Your Competition – See where your competition is thriving/failing on social media and learn from it. 
•       Generate More Engagement – Don’t just post and leave it, engage with the audience and make the site personable. 

 
Remember these three action items to better engage with your followers and build an even better and more rewarding online presence. 

My name is Jennifer Spottz, and I am a senior at Northwestern University studying Radio/Television/Film with a minor in Japanese and an Integrated Marketing Communications certificate. Upon graduation this June, I will be moving to LA where I will be working for a production company and focused on best utilizing their media to promote both current and future content. 
You can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Innovation Strategists: 3 Ways to Drive Innovation at Your Organization

One of the biggest threats to companies across industries is disruption, and thus, innovation becomes the crucial factor that determines whether an organization can survive and thrive. As a journalism student at Northwestern University with an interest in business design, I have found these two pieces of content that offer great insights for innovation strategists.

The first piece is an article titled “How to Set the Conditions for Innovation,” published on IDEO’s blog and co-written by IDEO designers Sean Tang, David Aycan and Kateryna Romanova. This article shares five ways for organization leaders to develop the work environments most conducive to their teams’ creativity. These recommendations are proven by empirical evidence from IDEO’s Creative Difference (C∆) platform. According to results from over 100 companies, IDEO confirms that creative and innovative teams “tend to outperform teams that stick to the status quo.”

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The second piece is a TEDx talk by the legendary evangelist Guy Kawasaki, titled “The Art of Innovation.” Inspired by his remarkable careers, Kawasaki succinctly explains what innovation is and how to be innovative in 11 maxims. His advice are very practical and cover different aspects of innovation. He also offers specific examples to support his arguments.

Based on my learning from Northwestern and my reflection on these two pieces, I have developed 3 recommendations for innovation strategists looking to drive innovation at their organizations:

• Define Your Purpose – An innovative company should clearly define its purpose and communicate it to everyone on the team.

• Actively Encourage Experiments – To propel innovation, a company should encourage its employees to experiment and create an environment that celebrates not only success, but also failure.

• Share Your Learnings – To innovate effectively, a company should establish a system that allows people to learn from each other, which will significantly reduce repeated efforts.

An effective innovation strategy is no longer a nice-to-have, but can make or break an organization. I hope these resources are helpful to you, and I’d really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Hi there! My name is Cathy He, and I’m a senior at Northwestern University studying Journalism, Comparative Literature, Marketing and Design. My career goal is to work at the intersection of business, design and innovation. In my free time, I enjoy reading, boxing, cooking and baking. I am also a connoisseur of tea!