Why invest in good creative?

Know the process behind creating a brand with a good designer

Every 10 years, you buy a new bed. You buy the bed, take it home and sleep on it for the next 10 years. It’s an investment into a good night’s sleep, your health and your wellbeing so you can be the best you each day.

The same applies to your business brand. It’s an investment you’ll benefit from for a good 10 years, so your company presents itself and feels its best every single day.

WHAT exactly is GOOD creative

When we are talking about brands? There is no short answer! The whole process is looooong. Your brand will be the face of your business for a long time to come. Good things take time! So let’s start from the beginning.

A considerable amount of work goes into a brand before a pen even gets near paper to start conception.

I like to call this initial stage “the blind spot of design” because it’s the part that goes unnoticed by people outside the industry. It’s the part that takes the most brain work and is, without a doubt, the most vital for hitting the sweet spot.

Here are a few key points a good creative should be investigating and discussing in-depth with you at the beginning of a project:

  • Careful consideration of the target market, likes, dislikes, consumer behaviour, personality and tone of voice.
  • The back story of the company AND the client; capture the essence of both.
  • What’s in the market already, what are the trends, who are their competitors, what’s missing, what’s on the horizon.
  • A strong understanding of the current and future direction of the business.
  • And, of course, a comfortable, connected vibe between client and creative.

These investigations take time and effort to clarify, but any freelancer, agency or studio who has the knack for hitting that sweet spot will have these fundamentals down pat.

And then we get to the fun part, the creative flood gates open, and we do what we do best. We take all that valuable research and spend hours going through the full spectrum of emotions to find the answer in colours and shapes. Any good creative will tell you, “if you haven’t almost given up on a project, you’re not close to perfection.” We take it to the edge in our work because only once there do we find the magic.

Then we need to replicate it across packaging, logos, stationery, uniforms, the great list of items that trumpet your visual voice. Each one is different but carries the same message. Even if your carefully costed initial package doesn’t include all of these, rest assured that a good creative has already considered the designs that will ensure the versatility of your brand.

All of this gets presented to you in a well-designed presentation. We aren’t going to get this far and shove it all in a word doc!

So when you, the client, sees the first iteration of your brand and you begin to fall in love, or you say, “Wow, that is EXACTLY what I wanted! You’ve nailed it”, know that an immeasurable amount of effort and work has gone in to get there.

You are investing and trusting in the brain of a good creative whose life mission is to make you look good.

That is why good design costs money but is worth every penny.