You can't get too far when researching collaboration before running into the powerhouse couple of Ray and Charles Eames. Widely known for their Herman Miller furniture designs, Ray and Charles made some of the biggest creative contributions to the design of the 20th Century.

Since we're fans of all things Eames (yes, we own a chair or two), we recently popped some popcorn and settled in to watch the biopic Eames: The Architect And The Painter.

What really stood out to us was how Ray and Charles blended their two seemingly disparate passions. Charles was an architect. He was analytical, studied, and precise. Ray a painter. She was spirited, colourful, and inspired. Together, they were unstoppable. Together their work was greater than they were individually.

While Charles worked on the technical areas of their designs, Ray added the finishing touches of creativity that launched the Eames Office forever into the world of pop culture.

Being a creative couple ourselves, we are inspired by their methods. Ray and Charles fed their creativity by jumping into cinematography and photography as further outlets. Many employees in the biopic talked about the Eames Office being much like Disneyland. It goes without mention that the ability to explore different areas of creativity enabled everyone that worked at the Eames Office to really stretch their minds and learn and grow.

Now that inspires us!

Mad Men Season 7 is upon us. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Mad Men is set in the 1950's and 1960's on Madison Avenue where the self-proclaimed "mad men" are defining modern-day advertising.

Don Draper is a self-made ad man with a silver-lined career and a personal life that often resembles a car crash. Aside from the spectacle of Don's personal life, it is always interesting to hear the ideas and pitches Don comes up with for his iconic clientele and their products.

Here are 3 of our favorite Don Draper quotes that are sure to inspire you:

Sounds just about right, doesn't it? It's easy to say, but often takes a lot of thought, insight, and sometimes courage to zig while others are zagging.

The most important thing you can do for your business, is embrace change. Just because your branding looks a certain way or your copywriting sounds a certain way doesn't mean you have to be stuck there. If it's not working for you, change it. Don't get stuck in the past.

Let's face it, being creative all the time is hard. As professionals we expect great ideas to flow like wine between 8am and 5pm. In reality, creativity doesn't work that way. We will often spend time in the deep trenches of an idea, thought, or concept only to come out empty-handed.

The solution often comes into being outside of the confines of office hours or an official brainstorm. Ideas flow when you least expect them to. That's just how it works. Don knows it, we know it, and now you know it too.

A recent visit to our local bubble tea shop prompted a fun exercise. Yes, everywhere we go, we can't help talking about design. If we ruled the world, we'd design a bubble tea shop that's modern, hip, urban, and celebrates nature.

Here's what we came up with for our fictitious Blossom Bubble Tea. Now, if only it was just around the corner from us, we'd be regulars.

It is generally understood that the definition of madness is to repeat the same activities, thoughts, and behaviours and expect a different result. If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll see the same results.

If you want different results in your business, you have to change something.

Do you want greater sales?

Here are a few ideas:

• Offer your inventory online so your customers can buy from you.
• Create a website that is more than a static brochure.
• Create marketing pieces.
• Advertise online.
• Create a professional identity and logo.

Do you want to connect with your customers?

You might want to:

• Learn how to use social media tools.
• Have a social media campaign created for you.
• Create a new blog.
• Start an email newsletter campaign.

Do you want your brand to become recognizable?

Maybe it's time to:

• Start at the beginning and revisit your logo.
• Align your branding in all of your company's touch points.
• Energize your brand with new photos, illustrations, colours, or even a fresh new voice.

These are just a few ideas.

Imagine how picking any one of these ideas to act on could change your business and help you get the results you're looking for. Isn't that exciting?

What are you waiting for? Great results are just ahead.

When you think about January, resolutions - especially personal ones -automatically come to mind. Lose 5 pounds, eat more vegetables, go on a vacation.

Why not do the same for your business?

Make January a time of reinvention for your company. Maybe this is the year you'd like to refresh your corporate identity, interact with your customer base, sync up your marketing materials, rebrand your website, or begin an email newsletter campaign.

January is the perfect time to consider how this year will be even better for your business than last year. We've got over 300 days ahead of us, so what would you like to accomplish this year?

Let's get started.

Identify Your Goals

Here are some questions we've put together to help you start thinking about your business goals and how branding, design, and social media can help you achieve them.

Branding

Consider how your existing and potential customers see your business. New customers will see you through your brand first. Make a great impression.

• Is your identity professional?
• Is your branding professional?
• Does your branding match the feeling and energy of your company?
• Does your brand voice express the right tone?
• Are you communicating the benefits of your business to your customer?

Design

Professional design can increase sales and help you command higher rates.

• Are there any marketing pieces you would like to add this year?
• Are all of your marketing materials synced up with a consistent message?
• Do all of your marketing materials have the same level of quality?

Social Media

Social media is an opportunity to have an authentic and immediate conversation with your customers.

• Do you understand how social can benefit your business?
• Are you connecting with your customers via social media?
• Are you offering your customers anything of value through social media?