Packaging is the ultimate vehicle for design: industrial, graphic, and typographic design are all put to the test to create an impression so meaningful that it converts currency into consumerism. This ...
How many times has your agency received positioning language in a brief similar to "Our brand is confident, sexy, authentic, and classicáyet modern?"
Design agencies are handed briefs like this all the time. I know I have seen enough interchangeable adjectives to fill a book. For the most part, brands want to convey the same kinds of positive qualities, and I find that it takes real discipline to avoid falling into solving their creative challenges with the same tools. I recently looked closely at our design firm (NiCE Ltd.) and tried to ascertain which tools and techniques help us to be good problem-solvers.
Putting my ideas on paper was a challenge because like most designers I operate on instinct. If I were completely process-driven, I would have been an accountant. So, it took me a while to break down and identify a series of "tools" that we use (which on a daily basis usually looks like complete chaos).
Diversity is a tool
Talent is important to any organization. However, it is also important to consider diversity as another key ingredient. Take advantage of the diversity that already exists in your organization. This does not have to mean complete cultural diversity; it could also mean diversity of opinion and taste levels.
Over our 14 year history, Davide Nicosia, principal and creative director of NiCE Ltd., has made it a priority to develop talent from all walks of life, backgrounds and different parts of the world. The result is a multicultural team that speaks 19 languages and offers a variety of perspectives. This tension creates robust internal debate on every project and ensures that our projects are thought through from many different vantage points.
A prestige skincare brand based in Japan, for instance, came to us for guidance on how they were being perceived in the Western World versus Asia. They wanted to improve their global image while holding on to their Japanese origins. Our agency taskforce was a diverse group of designers that provided our client with a depth of knowledge which combined American strategic thinking with European style and an Asian sensibility. This gave us a real edge that is difficult to find.
Date your client
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