Once upon a time, designers just sat behind their desks and worked their magic without much interaction with clients or other team members (writers, photographers, etc.). Fast forward to the 21st century – the job description “designer” means more … a lot more.
Convincing clients that designers should be involved in every aspect of developing a brand or product can sometimes be tricky, but thanks to the very helpful AIGA, there is now a resource that can help designers win their way into their client’s heart (and their brainstorming meeting).
When developing a brand, there are certain steps that need to be taken, 12 to be exact. At every stage, a designer brings to the table thoughts, ideas and conclusions that few others could. I will be outlining each step and how designers fit into that particular step in the coming months, but let’s just start with the first two.
1. Define the Problem Designers see every new project as a problem that they get to solve and they want to solve it in the most creative way. In order to do that, they have to listen and discover what the real issue is. Boundaries have to be made. Since designers do this for every project, even the small ones, they are more than able to do it for you, the big client. Designers are also good at seeing a problem from many angles. We think differently than most people and that enables us to see one problem a hundred different ways. Because of that, we can help narrow and define the problem.
2. Envision the End When creating a new brand, you have to know where you are going to end up and how you are going to get there. Designers are great at mapping out a plan of attack. With each design project we encounter we have to make a plan of how we are going to solve that problem. We are great at setting goals and reaching them (we have to be or we couldn’t survive in the design world). Designers can help the client see the finish line and help the team figure out how to make it there.
Do you believe that designers are vital to your work yet?
If you need a little more convincing, check back next month and read about the next two steps in developing a brand and how designers fit in the mix.