Are you a good communicator?
Read MoreKeys to Effective Communication - Active Listening
Overcoming Communication Barriers
How effective is your communication at work?
Are there barriers stopping the message getting through?
Instagram Carousels - Oglivy / WeTheUrban
How do you write copy that connects and converts?
Read MoreBuilding A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 4
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 4, Developing a Visual Aesthetic
How do define the look of a brand?
How do you translate clients vision for your creative teams?
It's time to curate some Stylescapes!
"This is a crucial step in the branding process as the team turns the insights from the discovery session into a visual direction for the brand."
Stylescapes are moodboards on steroids!
In this episode on The Futur team will use Stylescapes to help Hamilton Family Brewery decide on how their rebrand will look and feel.
The Stylescapes are refined after discussion with HFB to create one final piece to lead the development from now on.
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 3
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 3, The Creative Brief
What is a creative brief?
How do you translate strategy into visuals?
It was super interesting to see how creative directors Matthew Encina and Ben Burns navigate the beginning of a project.
Taking all the insights from the discovery session, developing clear direction for all the creative work to follow.
The keys to a good creative brief is:
Goals & success.
Highlight discovery insights.
User / Consumers needs & desires.
Design challenges & parameters.
Brand attributes.
Tasks for each team member.
Do your Creative Briefs have these keys to success?
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 1
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 1, Meet The Clients
How do you rebrand a company?
How do you find you unique edge?
What role do designers play?
I loved this series, from the awesome team at The Futur. It was so insightful and full of candor from both client and designer perspectives.
The hosts Matthew Encina and Ben Burns weave an amazing story full of actionable insights and branding wisdom.
In the first episode, we meet the clients Hamilton Family Brewery, discover their story and goals for the project ahead and define exactly what a brand and rebrand is.
I am super excited to share my notes on this over the coming weeks and spread the word about this amazing video series.
Remember, Love Peer, Love People... Love The Futur!
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 2
Building A Brand x Nudenotes: Episode 2, Discovery - Defining the Customer
What is a discovery session?
How do stand out from a crowd?
What questions do you ask a client?
Thanks to The Futur Fam my eyes have been opened to the benefits of a solid discovery session.
Discovery is the foundation on which you build your creative work - it defines every decision you make moving forward.
A discovery session is a facilitated meeting with clients or stakeholders in which you:
Define goals.
Identify pain points.
Identify customer challenges.
Define brand attributes.
The techniques used by Matthew Encina and Ben Burns during this episode will completely change the way you start any design project, exponentially improving the effectiveness of your work.
What Great Listeners Actually Do
Inspired by an article on the Harvard Business Review which I discovered through Tanmay Vora blog.
Are you a good listener?
According to HBR many of us overrate our listing skills. These nudenotes outline the 4 key insights from their research.
There is a lot more to listening than we all think - I loved the metaphor HBR use in their article:
"A good listener is not a sponge that absorbs but, a trampoline to bounce ideas off!"
Good listening amplifies the content and benefits both participants.
I hope these nudenotes open you up to a new mindset about listening.
8 Tips to Improve Your Listening Skills
Inspired by a Pinterest post
Listening is a massively underrated skill in the business of design.
Everyone has the best intentions, but actively listening and being present in the conversation is a tricky skill to master.
These eight tips should act as a guide to point us all in the right direction.
Key takeaway:
Listen to understand, not to just reply.
As Simon Sinek says: “Hearing is listening to what is being said. Listening is hearing what isn’t said”
In the design process, it is essential to listen to feedback, interpret and take action on it.
What is More Valuable, Questions or Answers?
Inspired by The Futur’s Youtube Video
I managed to escape the festive preparations for an hour on a rainy Saturday morning to level-up with more content from Chris Do (The Futur).
This technique empowers you to respond to any questions your clients may have, by asking questions until the solution or problem becomes clear.
It’s value-adding magic and will turn you into a real problem-solving wizard.
Key takeaway:
Always get clarity!
Chris Do hits the mark again with a super insightful piece of wisdom.
Clarity is the secret ingredient in a smooth design process.
It empowers you to be focused, efficient and, more importantly, effective in your design solutions.
Never stop asking questions — never stop searching for clarity in work.
How To Achieve Design Clarity: LISTEN
Written by Matthew Encina from The Futur on Medium.
There are too many knowledge bombs to count in these nudenotes — how to use questions to gain clarity and get closer to a solution.
Decoding coded language is such an interesting crossroads between psychology and design.
I honestly can’t wait to learn more and put this into practice.
Hopefully, these notes will start me on a journey to become a master design-code-breaker!
Key takeaway:
Clarity. Clarity. Clarity
As Mathew says in his article: “The job of a designer is listen, identify and decode.”
The best way to do this is to actively listen and ask questions that uncover new or hidden insights.
These new clues will build creative parameters that will guide and focus your creative towards a clear goal.