Visual Broadcasting™ vs Design Contests and What’s Best for Clients
Let me start by saying I entered a couple of design contests a while back to test the waters and see how it all works. I soon realized how many designers were entering, working on those particular projects and of course there was only going to be one winner. (In one contest out of two, I won, which of course really surprised me!) But there are a lot of people working for FREE with no ROI for the designers, and not much for the client either because now they have to review and rate 100+ entries.
As clients engage me, I have always spent time getting to know them and ask them what I thought were the important questions. Tell me about yourself, your goals, your mission and who your dream client is. Where do you think your dream client is? Can you show me by example what appeals to you visually, logos, websites, etc…
Since this interview process is the key to my being able to design just what is right for my client, I came to realize that this process needs to be broken out from the actual design process as one-on-one branding sessions.
Why does Visual Broadcasting™ work?
In the one-on-one private sessions, we uncover all that we can across a variety of topics, and the client comes to realize who they are, what that visually looks like, what their color palette, typeface choices, web structure and other preferences are. We discuss print marketing, green printing, social media and SEO (search engine optimization).
Once we’re finished, the design process that would follow will be so much easier because now we both have clarity on their visual brand and they have a step-by-step marketing action plan including social media steps.
The design contest scenario is working for a client you haven’t interviewed, have no clear idea of their preferences, and you’re just designing a solution that you like, that seems right for you, but not necessarily for them.
The client who posts the contest may receive 100+ solutions and then have to decide which one “might” be right? This is just a serious waste of everyone’s efforts and time.
To brand effectively for a client, the creative has to develop what is right for that particular client. Different designers will always bring their own sensibilities to an assignment, but there should never be a one-size-fits-all to branding.
- Brand Interview – Lynn Colwell, Corey Colwell-Lipson – The Green Year, Celebrate Green & Green Halloween
- Brand Interview – Thea Zagata, Pesce PR