Smart Ideas to Snack On
Hi class, welcome to R&R 101, where your teachers are our teammates. Throughout the year we have the opportunity to shape beautiful designs and delightful copy, but long ago we discovered that we can’t do either one without first getting our learn on. You see, smart ideas are the backbone to successful marketing and communication efforts, and if we aren’t educating ourselves, we can’t bring it when you need it. So, grab your favorite pen or note-taking tool and get ready to soak up some knowledge.
Crystal:
Is it weird if I say that one of the biggest things I learned this year is the importance of… learning?
As a designer, it’s a given that we have to stay on top of the latest trends and technology updates (I’m looking at you, AI). But it’s equally important to set aside dedicated time to learn new things, both related to your day-to-day work and outside of it. Whether that looks like attending a conference, starting up an office book club or learning a new skill, making time to learn can positively impact both you and your clients. Additionally, share what you know with others! Ask your coworkers or friends if they’ve learned anything new recently. You never know where that next spark of inspiration might come from!
Not sure where to start? Our team is currently reading The Creative Nudge. Beyond that, the R&R blog contains tons of useful knowledge and helpful tidbits!
Karen:
While I hate to give social media props for their stalkerish behavior, over time my Instagram feed has become filled with quick design tips and tricks that I have found immensely helpful. Are they cheesy? Sometimes yes. But they’re a quick hit of information that has introduced me to new and easier ways of doing many things in Photoshop and Illustrator. I’ll often bookmark clips for later and circle back when I need it.
Here are a few handles that I’ve found helpful. You can let the algorithm do the rest!
Lauren:
Universal fonts! AKA web-safe or system fonts (Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, etc. – essentially, the fonts found on every computer, despite the operating system). They aren’t sexy, but time and time again we find that we have to use them, even outside of web design scenarios. So, our team has learned to always consider them.
We often use platforms like Adobe Fonts and Google Fonts, or we will go directly to type foundries to license fonts for our projects. These services help us to provide our clients with elegant design solutions that make their brands stand out. However, technology is going to technology, and there are certain programs that don’t allow these lovely fonts to work (looking at you, PowerPoint) unless EVERY person who uses it has the font license. Not only can this be frustrating for our client friends, it can also be expensive. That said, we have learned to adapt and help our clients come prepared for those moments.
Whenever we do a comprehensive organizational rebrand, we have learned to consider and give our universal font alternative recommendations. That way, if our client wants to edit their PowerPoint deck, Gmail e-signature or Canva brochure, for example, they won’t run into font syncing issues within their team, nor will they have to dish out more money for licenses. This small shift in our process has helped empower our clients to be true brand champions.
Lexi:
Research & Immersion is a critical component to the success of a project. While research may not seem like the most exciting thing (although, it is one of my favorite parts), it truly showcases the project’s needs. R&I provides deeper insights into stakeholders’ thoughts and opinions and helps us understand how the organization is perceived. From focus groups and one-on-one interviews to audits and surveys, the information gathered during this phase is invaluable and serves as a guidepost for the duration of the project.
Lizzy:
Mood boards! As a Pinterest girly at heart, I love finding ways to leverage a mood board to provide more clarity to a conversation. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, so how about a whole board full of ’em to get the dialogue started?
A mood board can be helpful to pitch a concept without necessitating a huge amount of design time and eating into a scope. Other times, I like to whip one up when our client’s ideas are so broad that we need to narrow in on where to focus our efforts. It’s not uncommon for me to hear, “I’m not entirely sure what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it,” and honestly, I can’t fault anyone for that. We’re visual creatures by nature. Creating an opportunity for our clients to see and react to something before we invest in design time creates a better experience for everyone. This way, we all have an understanding of the direction to go in and what to avoid.
Rosie:
Focus groups can be a critical part of the design process, especially if you’re re-branding. From co-running several this year, I’ve learned the power of having the right people in the room. The insights you’ll gain can help shape your brand’s imagery and language, and uncover critical pain points so you can avoid costly missteps.
Hearing from a diversity of community voices allows you to move forward with confidence, and lays the groundwork for trust, which is the most powerful tool of all.
Scarlett:
This year, I’ve had the opportunity to rejoin Entrepreneur’s Organization, and with it has come a wealth of wisdom, learnings and experience shares. From small glimmers to big aha moments, I’ve been better able to define ways to enhance our new business initiatives, seek out opportunities to build efficiencies in our processes and communicate more clearly and kindly across the board.
And though it sounds a bit fluffy, the results speak for themselves:
- We, as a team, have streamlined (and most importantly, documented) better processes for social media management, photo/video shoot creative direction, logo libraries, project postmortems, websites and more. And I promise, we’re not doing anything fancy. We’re simply taking the time to observe and refine what’s working and what’s not and, in my case, capturing it in a Word doc.
- Our marketing and new business efforts have led to an increase in awareness and engagement. We haven’t been doing anything revolutionary, instead we’ve returned to the basics and have been devising a quarterly marketing strategy with monthly eblasts that speak to one specific element of our business. These eblasts have given our team the opportunity to play with design and copy, while educating our current and prospective clients about our services.
- “Clarity is kindness” has been a bit of a rallying cry for the last quarter, but we’ve been working our darndest to make communication more effective internally and externally. It’s a simple reminder, but when we are clear about expectations and deliverables there’s greater accountability and happiness across the board.