Tuesday 13 August 2013

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.
The Double Diamond
Divided into four distinct phases, DiscoverDefineDevelop 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:
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:
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:
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:

Wednesday 7 August 2013

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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