Can Analog Thinking Shake Up Our Digital World?

If you’re a rock fan, I highly recommend you check out “Sound City,” a new documentary about a legendary LA recording studio that was all analog.

No one denies the power of our new digital tools to make great music, but in the movie we hear musicians lament the brilliant imperfections of old-school recording methods.

Is it the same way for advertising? In a world where the first thing we do is jump on a computer to make stuff, would a little analog thinking help?

Even though our world is so digitally focused, I’m not surprised when I hear advertising and design teachers all the time implore their students to do logos and layouts by hand first. Interestingly, copywriting teachers don’t preach the virtues of writing copy by hand with the same emphasis. In a time crunch we’re all in, though, it’s easier to just jump on a computer and type or mess with layouts 100 ways until the pieces come together.

It’s the subject of my my new column on Talent Zoo. This week marks the 11th anniversary of the first column I wrote for the site. I’ve been writing a new one every 3 weeks since 2002. If you’ve read them, I hope you’ve enjoyed them.

And if you want the best of them for a little quality reading in the tub or on the toilet, buy the book.