In an age where great aesthetics is required to turn heads and show a sense of validity, it is very tempting to skip the more important steps of design, and pour more time and effort to make things look "pretty". Much like medical professionals, the four stages of branding or creative work are to diagnose, to prescribe, to apply & reapply where necessary. The first two stages highly determine the outcome of the third and fourth stages.
To diagnose, to prescribe, to apply & reapply.
You can think of it as when we visit the doctor. You come in with a problem, in the case, a cold or a fever. Your number gets called, then you come into the room, thinking that you will be diagnosed properly, finding out the root cause of your sickness from all the symptoms that you describe to him. Now, imagine if he skips this part. Imagine if the doctor just randomly gives us a prescription without really diving into the actual problem. "You need a cough syrup," and you're sent off to the counter. You might have a solution, but it's not the solution to your problem. Hence, your problem still can't go away.
Let's think about this in terms of branding and design.
If you are skipping the diagnosis part: where you identify the problems and challenges such as target audience, business goals, strategy, and vision, you are skipping a very important step prior to the design. You're skipping thinking and jumping straight to doing. Moving on to design without a solid strategy will lead to higher chances of the brand falling apart. This approach is putting a heavy emphasis on making the brand look pretty, instead of making it functional. Without proper functionality, then the brand may only be good as decoration. Pretty designs without proper content are not designs, they are merely decoration.
Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it's decoration. - Zeldman
Here are some questions to think about.
Your product looks very cool, but who is it for?
Who are the target customers?
What you're offering is great, but how are you planning to relay this?
What sort of voice and approach does the brand have?
Who does this appeal to?
My competitor is offering the same things, what makes me different?
What makes me stand out?
When people purchase from my brand, how does it make them feel?
What does my brand sound like to the customers?
How does my brand’s customer base look and act like?
Who does the brand serve?
What are the goals and the vision of the brand?
How can it look consistent across all platforms and customer touchpoints?
What sort of narrative does it portray?
This is why proper branding is essential if you want yours to grow.
A sense of belonging
You won't only be getting customers, but you'll be getting an audience, a tribe - people who go to you constantly not only because you're good, but because they feel like they belong to your brand, and it gives them a sense of fulfillment. Good branding makes your customers feel like they belong. They will choose you over others because of how you make them feel. When you achieve this, consistency is key to move forward and continue to grow. This is why we, at AiCreativv, approach client branding projects in three phases.
We call the diagnosis part "Discovery". This is where we hold a work session with you and ask you a series of questions and get as much insight as we can about your business. We uncover the essence of your brand, the goals, visions, the roots, the ideal clients, and so on.
We then proceed to the prescribe stage, we call this "Strategy & Design". With our findings from the discovery, we will work effectively towards a strategic solution. We come up with concepts and see which fits better with your vision, we align your business goals with the visual designs, to ensure that it is in alignment with the ideal clients and target audiences. We form a design system to ensure consistency in all design media moving forward.
Finally, the apply and reapply stage, we call it "Execution". We will refer to the first and second phases to apply them to all customer touchpoints. The findings from the discovery and the approved concept from strategy & design act as our compass to produce the deliverables: Logo, collaterals, social media, photos & videos, visuals, prints, and so on.
The higher value in branding lies in the thinking stage rather than the design stage. The success of the design stage heavily depends on the success of the first two phases.
Takeaways
Pretty designs may work at first, but they will eventually wear out. This is generally known as "hype". The engagement earlier on will be wonderful but lessens over time.
To decide that you need a better design without identifying the problem and the audience that you serve is definitely not going to help in any way.
The base (diagnosis) must ultimately be wider than the top (design). If it were to be the other way round, then the structure will inevitably fall apart, and unfortunately, the business along with it. Pretty designs may stand out, but will not outstand brands that have a strong strategy.
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Let us know if you found this post helpful. And if you haven't, feel free to check other blogs for more tips on Branding, Social Media & Design from us at AiCreativv.
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We help businesses discover a deep understanding of the essence of their brand. We define their brand personality, voice, and identity from scratch into a purpose-built system, curated with strategic steps to set them up for ultimate success.
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