Inspiration is divine. But it doesn’t come down to us from above. It comes with systematic problem solving, team participation, and hard work. The creative process should be like a funnel — broad and open-minded at the beginning, narrowing down to specifics at the end of the process.

Step 1 – Discovery.

This is where we ask the questions, you answer as honestly and completely as possible, and we listen intently. It’s not the same as giving direction. It’s a soul search into your backstory, to set the stage, and to establish tailor-made goals for your marketing plan. We’re going to uncover things you didn’t even know you knew!

Step 2 – Brainstorming.

The creative team takes all the data and revelations gathered during discovery, and examines everything open-mindedly, making stream-of-consciousness connections and asking even more questions. This can be done by individual team members working in isolation, bantering ideas about in a group, or ideally a combination of both. This part of the process is a lot of fun, so we engage in it at every opportunity!

Step 3 – Critique.

At this stage we poke holes in our own theories, substantiate the good stuff,
and excavate the gems. The most precious ideas rise to the top, either because we can’t poke holes in them, or because they recur naturally. For example, if two creatives have been working alone in separate rooms and each come up with pretty much the same idea, that’s a sign they are both on the right track. While there is always more than one right answer, sometimes the best right answer rises, almost effortlessly, to the top.

Step 4 – Development.

Concept development is exactly what it sounds like — your marketing team will take the best ideas from loose sketches and random thoughts to the level of cohesive, self-supporting, engaging pairings of imagery and text. Headlines with placeholder body copy and rough images will be enough to work with at this stage. We’ll fill in the blanks later, after the concepts have been vetted and selected.

Step 5 – Approval.

This is for many clients the hardest part. It requires reductive thinking. You have to commit to one, or very few ideas, and leave others in the dust. Resist any temptation to focus on detail at this point. First we’ll need a good solid core. Then we begin a new process: production.