Bill Cahan
Encyclopedia
Bill Cahan studied architecture
at Washington University, St. Louis, and University of California, Berkeley
. He became an architect
and practiced at Anshen & Allen
architects for 5 years, during which time, in addition to designing buildings, he was responsible for the rebranding
of the architecture firm. In 1984 he left the architecture practice and started his own design consultancy, Cahan & Associates. He has lectured extensively around the World on the subject of design
and brand
ing for the Art Director’s Club, the AIGA
, the London Type Director’s Club, at the RGD Ontario Design Thinkers Conference and at the HOW National Design Conference. He frequently judges design competitions for different design publication
s.
It is generally acknowledged within the design community that Cahan elevated what was at one time the dry and academic category of annual reports to a new level of quality and creativity. The "AR" not only became a powerful branding tool for otherwise difficult and uninteresting companies and organizations, such as those in biomedical, for example; Cahan's work inspired a whole new generation of creative people who began to see that annual reports and other under-appreciated media could become career-making creative opportunities.
The Cahan & Associates process was almost obsessively concerned with studying and analyzing the culture and ethos of their client's company, with their stated mission to "work harder to understand their clients better than any other firm." This thoroughness showed up in intelligent, sophisticated communications for clients Herman Miller, Effen Vodka, Morgan Stanley, Aldo Shoes and others. Another anomaly of the firm was the way in which they approached each project: while most design firms hire writers to work with designers, Cahan insisted that his designers be strong writers and for the most part create their own content. Another innovation that Cahan introduced was having a variety of designers working on every project independently so as to give clients a range of creative work to choose from. The volume of work that poured into the San Francisco practice from a variety of clients provided each designer with enough work that competitive strife and conflict was not an issue, and it was generally felt that "the right client would choose the right work from the right designer."
Cahan also had success as a mentor and creative director, with many of his hires coming straight out of school and rising up within the organization to become internationally known and respected designers or principals in their own firms, Bob Dinetz, Michael Braley and Michael Verdine among them.
In 1999, the book "I Am Almost Always Hungry" (Princeton Architectural Press) profiled the firm's unusual creative process.
In 2009, Cahan helped partners Bella Banbury and Tracy Lloyd launch Emotive Brand, scaled back his operation to focus on consulting with Fortune 500 companies and start-ups.
Bill was an also an accomplished tennis player at the San Francisco Tennis Club, especially known for his mean forehand and fiery temper.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
at Washington University, St. Louis, and University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He became an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and practiced at Anshen & Allen
Anshen & Allen
Anshen + Allen is an international architecture, planning and design firm headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Boston, Columbus and London. The firm was ranked eighth for sustainable practices, and nineteenth overall in the "Architect 50" published by Architect magazine...
architects for 5 years, during which time, in addition to designing buildings, he was responsible for the rebranding
Rebranding
Rebranding is the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated position in the mind of stakeholders and competitors....
of the architecture firm. In 1984 he left the architecture practice and started his own design consultancy, Cahan & Associates. He has lectured extensively around the World on the subject of design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ing for the Art Director’s Club, the AIGA
Aiga
‘Aiga is a word in the Samoan language which means 'family.' The aiga is the family unit of Samoan society and differs from the Western sense in that it consists more than just a mother, father and children. The Samoan family, also referred to as an 'extended family' is based on the culture's...
, the London Type Director’s Club, at the RGD Ontario Design Thinkers Conference and at the HOW National Design Conference. He frequently judges design competitions for different design publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
s.
It is generally acknowledged within the design community that Cahan elevated what was at one time the dry and academic category of annual reports to a new level of quality and creativity. The "AR" not only became a powerful branding tool for otherwise difficult and uninteresting companies and organizations, such as those in biomedical, for example; Cahan's work inspired a whole new generation of creative people who began to see that annual reports and other under-appreciated media could become career-making creative opportunities.
The Cahan & Associates process was almost obsessively concerned with studying and analyzing the culture and ethos of their client's company, with their stated mission to "work harder to understand their clients better than any other firm." This thoroughness showed up in intelligent, sophisticated communications for clients Herman Miller, Effen Vodka, Morgan Stanley, Aldo Shoes and others. Another anomaly of the firm was the way in which they approached each project: while most design firms hire writers to work with designers, Cahan insisted that his designers be strong writers and for the most part create their own content. Another innovation that Cahan introduced was having a variety of designers working on every project independently so as to give clients a range of creative work to choose from. The volume of work that poured into the San Francisco practice from a variety of clients provided each designer with enough work that competitive strife and conflict was not an issue, and it was generally felt that "the right client would choose the right work from the right designer."
Cahan also had success as a mentor and creative director, with many of his hires coming straight out of school and rising up within the organization to become internationally known and respected designers or principals in their own firms, Bob Dinetz, Michael Braley and Michael Verdine among them.
In 1999, the book "I Am Almost Always Hungry" (Princeton Architectural Press) profiled the firm's unusual creative process.
In 2009, Cahan helped partners Bella Banbury and Tracy Lloyd launch Emotive Brand, scaled back his operation to focus on consulting with Fortune 500 companies and start-ups.
External links
Bill was an also an accomplished tennis player at the San Francisco Tennis Club, especially known for his mean forehand and fiery temper.