Four Ways to Remove Complacency from the Design Process
&Work
Working on yearly campaigns can be one of the most challenging activities for a designer.
On the one-hand you can get to know the client, their audience and the subject matter in question. This enables you to dig a little deeper and climb a little higher each year.
On the other you must battle to ward off complacency. To dodge the temptation to cookie-cutter your approach and avoid becoming stale.
As graphic designers it can be all too easy to head straight for the tried and tested…
As graphic designers it can be all too easy to head straight for the tried and tested… those same inspiration websites looking for this year’s on-point typography and illustration trends. Innovating within the same toolbox year-on-year.
So how do we avoid these pitfalls?
Case Study: Common Threads
At Wolf&Player we create long-term client relationships. Hell, we don’t call them client relationships, we call them partnerships. These partners each have a story to tell. Stories which inspire action, change attitudes and behaviours, and build movements. These are often told through ongoing communications, intended to move the conversation forward.
One such campaign is the SustainAbility Transparency Network’s annual research report.
Each year we receive the same brief.
Some aspects of it are set in stone — for example it must be a long-form print report. Some aspects of the brief change each year — the key findings or recommendations.
Our role each year is to bring this report to the same audience in a way that is fresh and engaging.
This year’s report is a guide that helps companies to better connect with external stakeholders. It makes the business case for doing so. And provides strategies for initiating more meaningful collaborations. And co-create innovative projects that will generate shared value and impact.
Our role as designers is to bring this alive in a way that increases comprehension and enhances the experience of the content.
So this year we did one simple thing different. We got up from our desks walked out of the studio and outside of our comfort zone. Out into the world of physical installation and photography.
Using nails, string and no little teamwork we created a physical embodiment of the narrative. And through collaboration with the talented photographer MRWash we documented the installation. A process which resulted in a suite of assets with which to create a fresh and unique final product.
Achieved by picking up a paintbrush and hammer and embracing discomfort.
The Four Steps to Success
To ensure we keep thinking this way we have developed four values to guide our creative process.
Dig Deep: Embrace inquisitiveness and approach each project with curiosity and hunger to learn.
Be Brave: Step outside your comfort zone and explore disciplines that are new or unfamiliar.
Give Everything: Strive to produce work that is innovative and be honest and transparent about what you are doing.
Work Together: Get help from others early and make work fun with a supportive and enthusiastic culture.
In Summary
In practice these values are pretty damn obvious. They mean nothing more than change your perspective… Get up, go for a walk, call your non-designer friend for a chat.
Do anything that will take you outside of your usual space.
Apply this to your work and you cannot fail to create fun, interesting projects.
Regardless how unique or repetitive the brief may be.
