I recently sat down with one of the Toolbox designers to talk about his time spent working in the industry. He explained to me that for him, design is art with strategy and purpose. It is about expressing what the client’s company is trying to say, but in way that speaks more to their consumers.
Toolbox has worked with a variety of companies offering a wide variety different products and services. Thanks to this experience and service, Toolbox is able offer its clients a one-stop shop and be a single source for all their marketing needs.
From time to time, a clients has no idea which direction their brand needs to go. That’s why it is crucial to build a good relationship with the client, find out what they want, and read between the lines. Transparency and collaboration are very important in making the client feel comfortable with the concepts being created. Let the client know what and why you’re doing something and allow them to get a clear idea on the project. Collaboration lets the designer and the client work with together and gives the designer inspiration of what needs to be said and how to say it. When that’s established, it’s time for the designer to tune into the client’s thoughts and desires and turn them into compelling messages that resonate with the right audience
The key to creating a design concept that clients appreciate and approve requires several steps. Collaboration is key, you can’t sell them on an idea if they don’t know or why you’re pursuing a particular creative path. Listen closely, but also try to discover information and directions that may not have been considered. Always try to see into the client and then work to come up with creative that is unexpected, yet manages to be on target. Ultimately, it’s up to the client. And they’ve been known to say no to the best of concepts. It doesn’t mean you failed, it simply means you should rethink, redo, and never stop trying.
