"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor."
Have you ever heard of this passage?
This is true in every relationship; let’s look at it from a corporate angle.
Consider business professionals. They are wired to provide solutions for growth and transformation. They analyze and turn complex problems into pragmatic solutions. They hypothesize their solution in words, concepts and usually start with a rough sketch of the idea. In short, they are solution providers.
On the other side, we have creative professionals. Their brains are more wired to imagination, creativity, and artistry. They look at things from a different perspective. They have often ruled breakers and constantly thinking of out of the box. They are graphic artists or designers who can communicate through visuals and designs.
Now, combine the two and what do you get? Concepts that are transformed to high impact visuals that convey a message!
This is also known as a solution graphic, which is a proved and tested solution for many BDMs and implemented in many consulting firms.
Nail your presentation with solution graphics that complement your concept!
Having worked with the best creative minds, I have witnessed ideas come to life and communicate more than what was originally thought out or envisioned.
How do you accelerate your ideas and concepts to high impact visual message?
Share your burden:
You do not have to do all the thinking, handpicking images and presentation nuggets yourself. But you present the rough sketch of your idea, sometimes in a piece of paper or a whiteboard, to your designer. You only need to draft the skeleton.
Quicken things up:
As the saying goes, “The boat moves faster when everyone (you and the designer) is rowing in the same direction”.
If you only provide your designer with a huge list of instructions and high-end technical terms, it would be greek to him. He might have to research to understand the terminology you used, analyze the meaning and implications of it. Speed things up for him so he understands the concept from your standpoint.
- For a small project, spend 15 to 30 mins with your designer. If it is a bigger project, then you can arrange for a daily or weekly call to clarify your requirements.If your designer works in-house, go out for a coffee with him. If you hire an external designer or you outsourced one, invite him to take part in your meetings or formal presentations, or arrange for a call with him. In a connected world, it is just a matter of scheduling something over Skype!
- Tell him how you picture it to be. Do not hesitate to tell him your fears of what you would not like it to be, or if you are not even sure how you want it visualized.
- You might even have to explain to him the technical terms that you use and the purpose of it, show him the big picture of what this means to your business. If required, help him understand the social and cultural norms of your audience.
This way you save time and ease out the terrestrial gap that your designer may be in.
Interact with your designer. If the discussion is highly engaging and your designer grasp your message (implicit and explicit), he can even pitch his own ideas that can turn into a much better approach than originally conceived.
Close all loopholes:
While your designer is working on it, do not hesitate to review and test. Verify if the visual solution works for you and your clients.
You need to close the gaps, loopholes called assumptions that can cause your boat to sink!
Now, hold your breath!
Finally, be ready to be surprised and bowled over! What was initially just a rough skeleton has now been transformed into a refreshing visual. Your designer not only added flesh and substance to the skeleton but he actually breathed life into it. You have turned your ideas and concepts to a high impact visual message. So much so, it speaks and interacts just the way you wanted it to be.
It’s like your creation came to life in your presentation!
It’s a partnership that always wins and always achieve great things.
An ongoing customer of ours said this to one of our designers, it succinctly sums it all:
Design is subjective by nature, and it is pretty rare to work with any designer that nails things most of the time. The responsibility is always shared – you can only succeed as much as we can clearly communicate our needs and expectations – and we know that.
Kathryn Courtney
Senior Marketing Consultant
Audienz
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