Scott Mires and John Ball are the partners/creative directors of MiresBall, one of the largest independent brand design firms in Southern California. With 50 years of combined experience developing brand communications, Mires and Ball have guided the firm to become a trusted partner of market leaders including Black & Decker, Qualcomm, Shure, Starbucks, Taylor Guitars and Wal-Mart. The culmination of many years of planning and hard work, in 2006 MiresBall reached an apex in its 25-year history. As Ball explains it, “We have elevated our game in every area of the business.” Last year was marked by a number of global brand revitalizations—each rich with complexity and challenge. Fortunately, Mires and Ball have assembled the perfect team for high-stakes projects: Talented, hardworking, ego-free individuals who easily toggle between independent thinking and intense collaboration. With “Plan A” fully realized, Mires and Ball are now focused on the second chapter in the evolution of MiresBall. The big question: What’s their next professional challenge?

Where do you turn for inspiration?
A student of pop culture, Mires hits the magazine section of his local bookstore to uncover an image or an idea that inspires him. Between bookstore excursions, Mires reads an eclectic assortment of magazines, from staples like BusinessWeek and Fast Company to personal favorites Rolling Stone and Surfer’s Journal. Ball is known for “turning back to the problem.” By breaking an assignment down into its purest form, he finds that the solution often ends up being relatively clear and straightforward, much like the best solutions in life.

What talents do you wish you possessed?
The consummate jazz fan, with a collection that includes more than 2,000 CDs, Ball would love to be reincarnated as a jazz drummer. Mires has always wanted to be a talented illustrator or photographer. As he explains it, “Visuals are such an important part of what MiresBall does. I help shape great imagery as a creative director, but I would love to play a hands-on role in the artistic process.” For now, he is resigned to doodling.

When you have a deadline, do you start right away, wait until the last minutes, or switch back and forth among projects?
Yes, yes and yes, depending on how busy the firm is and how quickly the solution starts to present itself. In general, both creative directors confess to passively or actively working most waking hours—whether it is laboring through a problem mentally or pulling the team together for an impromptu brainstorming session. However, their work styles are very different: Mires has a more intuitive, iterative approach, while Ball tends to be more linear. Although their process can be widely different, their solutions have a remarkable consistency to them, perhaps because both creative directors abide by the same fundamental rules: Simplify. Always be authentic. And listen, really listen, to your clients.

What project in your portfolio are you most proud of? Why?
After a whirlwind 2006, two highpoints come to mind: First, they love beating out big competitors. Not only is it great for team morale; the end-result is typically a large, juicy project. Second, they enjoy projects that have a significant impact on a client’s bottom line—for example, Qualcomm is backing a brand developed by MiresBall with a $1 billion investment. Stressful? Yes. But also very professionally and personally rewarding.