A creative agency is a type of full-service agency typically dedicated to delivering great. It’s about graphic design, product design, strategizing for the product to excel, integrating technology solutions, and marketing products and services.
The creative design agency is dedicated to creating unique work. i.e. why they follow a system to have a structure in their creative process. Right from strategy to execution this is how a design agency delivers results :
1. Ideation
Ideation means gathering up a team for the project and just thinking and sharing. First of all, the team meets the client and tries to understand their vision and goals from the result. This involves asking the right questions. There are many methods for ideation like brainstorming, mind mapping, and provocation. To have a fruitful ideation session agencies create a curious, creative work culture.
To ideate effectively, within a strict time constraint the team brainstorms towards a goal or problem statement. It is easy to get off topic while thinking so freely but having an end goal helps to stay focused. The best ideas are put on paper so that each idea can be discussed separately with judgment. The focus during ideation is to let the imagination run wild and get as many no ideas to later build up from them, even collaborate with them.
2. Finalising the idea
Right after ideation, it’s time to collect those ideas and select the ones to act upon.
There are methods to refine and categorize them to find the best ones. Some of the top methods used by a creative agency are
- Post-it or Dot Voting – This method involves voting for the best idea. Each team member is given a voting mark of three or four. The ideas are written on post-its, and the members vote for them by putting a dot or the marks they give the idea. This method allows each member to participate in the process.
- Four Categories Method – There are four categories by which team member rate how they feel about the idea. They are a most delightful, darling, long shot, and most rational. This method helps in effectively choosing an innovative idea. Judging the idea based on logic and feelings gives a balance to choosing the best.
- Bingo Selection – Here an idea is judged by how it will present physically, digitally, and experience as a prototype.
3. Research
While we have already brainstormed and selected an idea, there’s a long way to go before execution. Research is important almost at every step but especially when building up an idea to a concept for execution. A creative agency runs on unique work. Research ensures that they are not repeating what is already done. While research is helpful to stay unique, it also informs about the mistakes done by people in that kind of project so, they can learn from mistakes.
For example: When a creative design agency was geared up to launch Starbucks in Australia their research game was weak, or completely avoided. Because Starbucks expanded widely without being relatable to the Aussie people and them not being aware of the strong local competition they failed. Had the hired creative design agency done robust research on the Australian cafe culture they would be booming in another continent.
4. Creative Brief
It is the guide right from idea to execution. It provides instructions for the team’s task. It outlines the necessary research and the timeline for each member’s part in the project. The brief has to be descriptive, detailed, and clear about what the goal is. This ensures the team is on the same page.
The brief includes the target audience personas, what feeling the product should evoke, and make them take what action. While the brief is rich in what the client wants out of the project, it also doesn’t fail to include what they don’t want.
A creative brief also acts as a collection of all work put together by the creative design agency for the project. This can be used to show the client when they inquire just update them on the work in progress. This ensures each change, revision can be updated appropriately.
Example: For a logo design project, the copywriter has mentioned the tagline to be included, and the design team has stated a rough idea for the logo.
5. Execution
Yes, as someone who works in a creative agency, I am excited to reach the execution stage. Execution usually is done by first creating a prototype, small-scale product before using all the heavy capital and in big numbers. Once the beta project is ready the creative team seeks the feedback of their team members, and clients, and based on it further changes, and additions are made to make the best. If the beta project receives poor feedback it gives the team a heads-up to improve, and level up to the final best.
We’ve spoken about how a design agency develops and executes its ideas. Although it is a regularly used approach, each creative design agency has its variations. This is an understanding of how work is done there if you wish to be a part of the fascinating world of creative agencies. However, you now know what to expect if you decide to contact an agency for your brand. The benefits of partnering with a design firm for your business are endless. With their flawless job based on their extensive knowledge and skill, they not only save you time but also make you money.
