Creative know-how: the creative design process

Creative know-how

The management of the creative process I have adopted differs only slightly from the findings of The Design Council when it studied eleven leading creative companies. Here's my design and creative process followed by the Design Councils process model.

Research: 
Gaining a clear understanding of the brand and how it is perceived is essential in creating an effective creative strategy, concept and design solution. The process I use to gather the data to build a brand picture involves interviews, desk research, competitor audit and a communications audit. Finally bringing the conclusions together and recommending specific actions to develop the creative brief that will ultimately deliver tangible benefits for the clients marketing. 

Strategy
Brand strategy defines a product or services positioning and its unique values. It is the foundation from which everything else flows, I've developed a disciplined and thoughtful approach to producing creative solutions to today's marketing opportunities, it makes a single minded proposition come alive in a compelling way. To achieve this the starting point is the brief. The shortest statement of any brief will be the single minded proposition, having defined who we are talking to and what we want them to do, or think, ask the question - if you had to write the brief on a poster, what would it say?

Design
Customers don't see the creative brief or the creative strategy, they see the communication, I place great value on the role good copy and art direction combined with creative thinking can play in producing exciting and effective solutions. The professionalism and facilities to take the brief through to implementation and delivery. Not only does this allow me to respond quickly but also means I have tight control over all artwork and digital files leaving the studio. 

Implementation
I have developed long-lasting relationships with printers and associated facilities such as copywriters, web developers and photographers to offer clients an integrated service managed by me and offering a single point of contact. 

The Design Council Research 

Different designers manage the process of design in different ways. But when The Design Council studied the design process in eleven leading companies, they found striking similarities and shared approaches among the designers they talked to. This is one way of mapping the design process and give more detail on the key activities in each of the process's four stages.

The 'double diamond' design process model

The double diamond diagram was developed through in-house research at the Design Council in 2005 as a simple graphical way of describing the design process.

Divided into four distinct phases, Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver, it maps the divergent and convergent stages of the design process, showing the different modes of thinking that designers use.

Discover 
The first quarter of the double diamond model marks the start of the project. This begins with an initial idea or inspiration, often sourced from a discovery phase in which user needs are identified. These include:

• Market research
• User research
• Managing information 
• Design research groups.

Define
The second quarter of the double diamond model represents the definition stage, in which interpretation and alignment of these needs to business objectives is achieved. Key activities during the Define stage are:

• Project development
• Project management
• Project sign-off.

Develop
The third quarter marks a period of development where design-led solutions are developed, iterated and tested within the company. Key activities and objectives during the Develop stage are:

• Multi-disciplinary working
• Visual management
• Development methods
• Testing.

Deliver
The final quarter of the double diamond model represents the delivery stage, where the resulting product or service is finalised and launched in the relevant market. The key activities and objectives during this stage are:

• Final testing, approval and launch
• Targets, evaluation and feedback loops.

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Show branding and consumer marketing creative

Branding and marketing creative for The Ecolife Show a show for the future, it is a showcase for current and future technology, from how we build, heat and ventilate our homes, our choice of transport, sustainable and eco-travel, new consumer product design, water management and waste re-cycling.

The Show will bring together manufacturers from all over Europe, large and small, who are leaders in their sectors, be that home energy, transport or travel.

It will connect consumers, agents and installers to solution providers, helping them to identify how they can make key changes in the way they run their homes and enjoy their lives, to help them achieve a more energy efficient way of life, lower energy bills and become a ‘green’ consumer.

With the political framework for change and government incentives to encourage consumers to go green now firmly established, there has never been a better time for providers of energy saving solutions to build brand awareness with the people that have the power to make a difference.

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Ladies Day Brighton Racing - Photomontage

Photomontage and colour manipulation for a marketing image publicising Ladies Day at Brighton Races Summer Calendar. For use in advertising, leaflets and promotional material.

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A Gentleman's Puzzler Companion

A Gentleman's Puzzler Companion is a pocket book that contains 170 word games and conundrums for the man of discernment. Designed and written to suit the manly tastes of a young chap and expand his word power and encourage rational thought, whilst having some fun along the way. Discrete and small enough to slip into the pocket without destroying the trouser line, ideal for long train journeys etc.

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National Press Advertising Campaign

National press advertising campaign designed to encourage people to visit their opticians and get their eyes regularly tested, placed on consecutive pages with the the icons in the shape of an eye chart first and followed by the text advert with the facts and call to action. The first ad in the series is aimed at drivers - reminding them that their car insurance could become invalid if their eye prescription becomes out of date. Second advert in the series focuses on kids with an estimated 1 in 4 children having a vision problem, the final advert looks at the the problem of glare which leads to eye fatigue caused by our digital lifestyles. 

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Remeha Commercial Boilers - Integrated Campaign

Amongst the top boiler manufacturers in the European commercial and domestic heating market. The Remeha brand is renowned for quality, reliability and efficiency. The concept design for the CIBSE Building Services Exhibition covers product information and case histories which demonstrate lower emissions and a cleaner environment achieved by their products through their commitment to increasing the already high performance standards.

The design solution is product lead merging the boiler images with the intended building applications. The brochure consists of product descriptions, technical information and case histories, other marketing collateral items include banner advertising and landing page for exhibition registration. The bespoke exhibition stand. Included on the stand are bar area, rolling product and technical video presentation area.

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Rogers Ceramics - Bathroom Showroom Ad Concepts

Local press and outdoor poster campaign concepts for Roger's tile and bathroom showrooms. Who supply bathroom suites, showers, brassware, wet rooms, shower enclosures, bathroom furniture and accessories as well as wall and floor tiles, so that customers can now pick all their bathroom goods from under one roof. The ideas attempt to inject humour and style in an attempt to stand out in a very competitive market place.

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South of England Society Website Design

A website design that delivers excellent functionality together with contemporary design aimed at show visitors and exhibitors alike, providing detailed information for its four main seasonal shows. Major shows are organised throughout the year, including the Society’s flagship event, The South of England Show. Other events including seminars, conferences and educational activities are also hosted. The Society’s objectives are the promotion and use of local and British produce.

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Wilo Invitations and Registration Page to Ecobuild

Wilo the manufacturer of energy saving pumps and pump systems for heating and air conditioning use, invite their customers to their stand at Ecobuild 2013 to see the latest range and have a free beer and bites whilst Wilo take them through some of the energy saving pumps. The invites consist of an HTML email version and a DL size print direct mailer to get the installer to register for the beer offer and presentation on their stand at the Ecobuild Exhibition.

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The Design Agency Pitch

Is pitching an out-dated process? 

We talk about the value we add to a brand and then we give our work away!

As an independent designer and creative director I try not to get involved in pitching for work projects,  favouring instead a presentation of credentials. However agencies I'm involved with will almost always pitch as the prospect of gaining new business drives them on. To decline to pitch, immediately writes me off a roster, even though I may have the most relavent experience. The benefit is that I'm not one of eight or more creative hopefuls spending £5k each to win a £5k project.

If a client can't make a decision to work with you based on your previous work and track record then you've got to question how they will be able to judge any work you produce for them either at the pitch or in the future.

There's no problem in pitching as long as the client agrees a fee, this at least prevents a fishing expedition for free ideas. The IPA and ISBA have come up with a best practice guide for clients and agencies, here's their six pitch principals for clients and agencies:

1. Openness & transparency

Ask yourself is there a need to pitch in the first place. Clarifying the business opportunity is key from the outset.

In most pitches there is an unnecessary amount of secrecy. Do you need to keep the name and numbers of agencies, budgets and timeframes a secret? 

There needs to be transparency all the way through the process, to allow agencies to make informed decisions on wether to pitch and to assure clients full participation and a more straightforward pitch journey. 

For fairness and consistency all agencies should be briefed on the pitch at the same time and place.

2. Respect

Treat pitching with the respect it deserves. It requires senior involvement/authority from both sides from day one. Don't just bring the decision makers in at the end of the process. Only with senior client involvement from day one can the agencies be judged fairly. Consider paying a fee to an agency as a sign of good intent. 

Design and instigate a process that gets your housekeeping in order before the pitch.

Agencies need to be discerning about what they pitch for. Be clear about what opportunities are right for the agency business.

3. Bravery

On the part of both clients and agencies. Push back on bad briefs or too much/too little time and always challenge bad practice. 

Eliminate agencies, including the incumbent, along the way if they really don't have a chance. You will end up saving them a lot of heartache and money.

Explore the fact there may be alternative ways of pitching that could be more efficient and effective for the task in hand.

4. Access & navigation

Have the process clearly mapped out from the outset in terms of numbers, timings, people involvement and location. Who is the decision-maker, and what will the decision be based on? 

Treat all pitching agencies as if they were the incumbent. Allow them to navigate their way through your business in the same way.

5. Timing

Pitches can often go on too long. Set a timescale and stick to it.

A creative pitch in four weeks may not always be possible but could be worth aiming for. Contemporary practice indicates that pitches are elongating mainly due to lengthy negotiations which should be contained within the pitch time frame.

6. Power of collective action

Encourage both parties to sign up to the IPA/ISBA mutual pre-pitch NDA and be cautious of clients and agencies who are not willing to respect these principles.

At the very least remember the five P’s of pitching:

— Process 

— Preparation 

— Professionalism 

— Partnership 

Exhibition Stand Design

It all starts with a consultation with the client to establish a design brief so a complete understanding of the client needs are correctly interpreted in the design solution. The first stage in creating a successful purpose built exhibition stand is to identify what is to be included in the design to ensure the maximum exposure of products or services and achieve an inviting business environment. An item check list could include: the company products, video monitors, internet connections, literature and racking, meeting areas, office, bar or coffee lounge and storage facilities. Assessing the available exhibition space, the visitor traffic flow and how it can be best utilised for displaying the company products together with any accompanying graphics to insure the visitor will easily find what interests them and communicate the benefits effectively. To achieve the desired result research and gather the required information (usually established in the client brief) and create a series of first stage design sketches with photo references of all the mandatory inclusions.

Applying the company branding and the look and feel of their corporate identity to the overall stand design together with corporate, product and information graphics in a second stage design visual together with 3D representations of the first stage thumbnail sketches. At this point the stand contractors should be consulted with reference to producing the accurate working plans with dimensions, timings, lighting, electrics, finishes, construction materials and platform / floor coverings.

Once these have been established a detailed specification and costings can be put together, with a 3D rendering of the finished design solution.

Book Design - City Cycling

Illustrated non-fiction book design

An inspirational guide for cycling in the world's cities that speaks to urban cyclists and people who like city travelling and sightseeing. On a bike you can experience the open air, the freedom to choose where to go on a whim and discover unique architecture, green quarters and take in their individual metropolitan character. The book will cover over 20 cities and explore themes such as cycling routes, art, parks, streets, food and street culture. Broken down into chapters that include, Why explore a city by bike, Me and my bike, City style, City safety and etiquette and Twenty cities from two wheels.  The guide section enables the cyclist to interact with the suggested routes and maps by means of a QR reader and smart phone. Above initial thumb nail sketches of the page layout, below front cover design and spread visuals. 

Health and Home Club - Branding and web design

Branding, website and brochure concept and design
Establishing a logo design, content managed website and an 80 page brochure contained in a welcome pack for a new shopping and savings club offering a selection of popular health and home brands. The members pack contains: 2 Free Gifts including a free wash cut & blow dry & a free mini pamper treatment. 6 annual member rewards including a Blockbuster 2 for 1 movie & game rental card, a free Garden Designer CD-Rom or Grand Designs DVD, free garden seeds & more. A printed savings guide with exclusive member discounts at around 50 health, home & garden retailers. A 12 month membership card. A welcome letter with the recipient's name, address and a special personalised message. 

Understanding the importance of a well planned strategy

Marketing is the discipline upon which successful campaigns are built. Creative solutions mean little until the objectives have been identified. I see ourselves as an extension to the client's own marketing department. Analysing and developing strategies to help a client take maximum advantage of business opportunities. This in turn will form the creative brief and dictates what we say and to who we say it to. The result is greater success for our client which, in turn, means greater success for us. 
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Harley Davidson Collectors Edition

Packaging and Book Design

A series of Collectors Edition Harley-Davidson motor cycles - official licensed 1:24 size scale models and official vehicle guide. Packaged as a collector’s edition gift set. Packaging designed to hold a scale model in an acrylic box together with an exclusive official book with a leather effect cover and embossed bike and Harley-Davidson logo.