There are a handful of envied brands that come up all of the time in client meetings: "We want it to be clean, simple and friendly, like Apple." "I love what Target does, make it like that." If it's not the clients that mention those brands, it's the designers when we go back to our workshops to craft the next heroic brand narrative for our clients.

When I shop or when I leave either one of those places, I'm leaving a place, which was beautifully designed. Whether it's the exterior signage, architecture, POP displays, house-brand packaging, way-finding cues, employee uniforms, even the checkout experience: design work very deliberately, delightfully and smartly executed.

We look to companies who "get" the value of design and, how when done right, design is an essential part of positively impacting the bottom-line.

Q: My pick for the next brand to join those ranks? A: jcpenney.

In recent years, J.C. Penney Company leadership has been forging successful relationships with fashion-forward brands (Aldo and Sephora), aimed at elevating its profile and changing brand reputation as being fashion-neutral, at best. A key win for them this last year was the one who played a key role in making Apple and Target envied retail brands, their new CEO Ron Johnson.  He's brought along some key players from his time at Target and Apple, and most recently acquired a major stake in another envied design brand: Martha Stewart Living.


All of this makes me hopeful about jcpenney achieving the same status. And not just as a bystander and fan of excellent design and branding, but as one who is passionate about the design community of the Dallas Fort Worth area, as all of that work should be designed in the area.

I've recently become the president of the Dallas Fort Worth chapter of the AIGA, the professional association of design. Our sole focus is elevating the profession, the amazing people here engaged in it and educating the greater business community about the value of strong design. I'm hopeful that DFW and the world will see the next transformational brand story unfold here. I suspect the more than 6000 designers in our area would jump at the opportunity to take part of such a story.

Gus Granger