The Process
Creativity is, “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.” While Design is, “a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or another object before it is built or made.” At Maxwell Design, we do not take our role in building your brand lightly — and we know the difference in just being creative versus creating an amazing design.
Everything to know before getting started – Part 1
You said you need a logo, what we’d love to offer… a badass, unique BRAND. You want a pitch deck, but what you might also need… a strategic approach to pitch new clients. You mentioned business cards but… what about your social media presence?
Before we sign the dotted line, you probably want to dive into our process.
Let’s make something cool – FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
From intake to ideas
Prepare for a lot of questions. From the first time we chat to nailing down the details, we’ll continue to ask a lot of questions. We want to hear your story – all about your business, your goals, your wishes, your wants. And then only then, will we feel ready to help you shape your story into something tangible that you can send out to the world.
Discovery is key
It takes research, discipline, and experience to uncover who your business or product really is (or who it could be). After we’ve heard your story, we run it through our systems, researching tirelessly along the way. We’ll take a look at your competition plus your target audience and help you find a strong position in your industry.
Scope = What you want + What you need
There’s no reason to pitch you something you won’t use or don’t want, so it’s simple, we won’t. Bring your ideas, specific goals, your budget, and we’ll offer a direction forward. A direction that makes sense for you and one that we know we can deliver on – in spades.
Your homework…
“Never easy, always worth it”, sums up everything that’s worth having… good design included. Since you are the main part of the process, (sorry-not-sorry) your “to-do list” also gets a ping—
- Trust. You’re likely here because someone you know and trust, trusted us. Give us time to nurture and build trust with you. Remember that the first draft is just that, it’s a starting point for discussion. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t like something, always talk to us. Trust only happens through continued conversation and honesty, from both sides.
- Be Present. If you’re swamped with a project and know you can’t make it to any meetings this month, let’s wait a month. Whether you are working on a website redesign or a from-scratch, let’s name your business project, this is the exciting part! You need to be present to get excited. This is YOUR project, allow yourself time to work on it. Never forget, without you, we cannot go on, we need your feedback, your approval, your time.
- Be Real. This may sound a bit similar to the trust bullet but that is how important it is. Be real about your expectations and your thoughts. If you hate the color red, tell us, we won’t use it. If you know you like text left-aligned, you’re not alone, we’ll apply it. The more real you are with us, the more real the work will be, and the more YOU the project becomes.
Oh, and by the way, the “we” part of the project doesn’t happen until we determine the scope of work, so until then you’ll be dealing with, you guessed it, ME. One-on-one, loves getting down to business, 13+ years experience, me – Amy Maxwell, Creative Director + Owner of Maxwell Design.
I look forward to creating something cool with you!
Cheers,
