Structure and creativity – yes, both are possible – and also crucial in order to successfully facilitate a creative project. Here you will learn more about the preparations necessary leading up to the sequence of cooperative work with a creative professional.
1. General requirements and preparation
Creative services are custom work, therefore it is important to precisely communicate the principles and goals. The prerequisites for working together are quite diverse: Sometimes the basics of design (Corporate Design) are nonexistent and the goal will be to generate it. Often clients already bring their own ideas. Time and again, a great scope to work with is available. In other cases, the corporate design manual and advertising materials already exist as a basis or a re-design should be created. Your design professional knows how to deal with the respective situation.
For optimal cooperation the following questions should first be considered:
- What is the goal of the cooperation?
- Who is the target group?
- Which message should be conveyed?
- What is special about your business/product resp. your brand/service?
- What are the commercial values?
- What is the time line? Which deadlines need to be considered?
- Are there already guidelines, such as a corporate design manual?
- Do you have your own design ideas?
- How open are you for new design proposals?
Furthermore: Which scope and which form shall the cooperation manifest?
- Would you like to implement a single project?
- Are you looking for long-term support?
- Do you require (also) advisory services?
- Do you wish project support? (e.g. consultation and agreement of the IT implementation of your screen design)
- Collaboration: Preparation, initial meeting, offer and kick-off
2. Our first meeting, offer and kick-off
The goal of a comprehensive first meeting is mutual acquaintance understanding. Moreover, we discuss either in-person, via telephone or video conference the most essential parameters of your project. On this basis, you receive an offer. You determine that certain positions are missing or you have questions pertaining the offer? Please contact me via email or telephone!
When all services you require are covered and the price-performance relationship is in order, please sign and return the offer (scan or photo) via email. Following offer acceptance, we meet for a kick-off appointment. Here we clarify details, time line and infos pertaining realisation.
The following topics are often discussed in a kick-off meeting:
Your company/product/services
- Commercial values, target groups and resp. communication up to now
- Unique selling propositions (USP) and positioning with respect to competition
- Corporate design manual, examples of existing utilised documents/ads
Project
- Project goal: What is the result of the cooperation?
- Target group: Who is the target group, which the project should reach? How shall it be convinced?
- Time line: Correction loops, interim targets, deadlines
3. Your feedback about my services
Preparations accomplished – initial meeting proceeded well – offer accepted – kick-off appointment successfully completed – what now?
Now we proceed with the first sketches and drafts. Your continual feedback enables the chosen rough draft to be elaborated further as the final design. The ideal scenario through careful preparations requires fewer corrective passages. Should nevertheless more resources as planned be needed, then we shall speak as soon as possible about the reasons and further consequences. It may happen in the course of a project that client needs or framework conditions could change. Clear and open communication is essential for mutual trust.
Giving feedback is one of the most important steps in the entire design process. Do not hesitate to say what does not suit you. This is the only way we can move forward as quickly as possible. I see design as a service with the goal of successfully completing your project.
4. Completion – target achieved
The feedback phase is concluded – the final design is available and elaborated. The artwork is developed in the last step. Once again, I control all designs and make small necessary adjustments. Finally I prepare all agreed file formats – these are e.g. PDF files (for print or web), image files (e.g. .jpg, .png) and/or vector files (e.g.: .eps, .svg.). With delivery of the files, in many cases the project is successfully complete.
According to agreed project scope, I offer after completion further project support: For example, delivery of (screen-)designs to IT, monitoring of implementation and coordination up to website launch.
Or: I help with choice of the printing company (for print products) and after your print approval, I take care of ordering procedures.
My clients appreciate my professional design work and utilise the benefits of my professional service offerings.
Do you also require creative services?
I look forward to your inquiry!
