Bringing an Idea to Life

Once we’ve done all the research, learned all the background about an organization, and studied best practices for a project we move into the phase we call concept development. This is where ideas start to come to life. Here’s how it happens.

Idea generation

Great ideas often start with creative sessions that include our clients. We have lots of exercises to spark new notions. Then we sit down on our own and brainstorm ways to build on those thoughts. Much of this process involves asking questions. What if we did things differently? What if we looked at this problem from varied perspectives? How can we address audience needs?

Design directions

There are many different ways to solve a design problem both visually and mechanically. When we create design directions we are exploring the best ways to do just that within the parameters established in our strategy phase. We might need to use a master brand color palette, or maybe we need to use an established infographic style. These parameters help narrow down our concepts to a manageable number.

Ideas start to take shape and by looking at visual options we can start to determine the pros and cons of each. Do they look good? Do they work well? Do they accomplish our brand goals?

Extensions

Once we’ve selected a design direction we apply the design to more pieces. We want to make sure the design we’ve chosen works on multiple media. Does it work as large as a billboard and as small as a golf ball? Does it work on screen and on paper? Does it work in three dimensions? This testing gives us the confidence that design will live on into the future no matter what needs arise.

Content development

What is content? Content can be many things. Written material can include your website, blog posts, newsletters, enewsletters, brochures, fact sheets, ads, press releases, annual reports, white papers, and more. Visual content includes photos, illustrations, infographics, and video. All of this content needs to be developed. Websites need to be written, photos need to be taken, and infographics need to be created. Sourcing the right people to do each of these jobs is essential. You don’t want someone who specializes in ad copy writing your technical brief and vice versa. We make sure we have just the right team in place for this critical step.

Getting from a germ of an idea to a realized concept is sometimes a rocky road with many twists and turns. By having an established process to get from point A to point B we make our lives and our clients’ lives much easier.