YOU TALKING TO ME?

Awhile ago, I thought about how a specific list of adjectives might help bridge the communication gap between client/boss and designer. And I've since purchased yet another book called graphically SPEAKING, to help solve the problem of "what I said isn't what you think I mean."

How do we communicate between client/boss and designer to get the best possible, most on target, piece of media. (Media, a currently popular word to encompass all visual items we produce.) So, starting at the beginning, we (designers) need a written "creative brief".

What's a Creative Brief? A list of questions to try desperately to pin down, what the problem is that needs to be solved. Most clients don't think of a little brochure or poster as a problem. They are more likely to think "the problem is, I need more business." That's a primary concern. But how we are going to go about getting that business may not be so clear cut. Without a clear idea of what the problem is and the best way to go about solving it, a lot of time and money, your time and money will be wasted. None of us want that, so this part is important. When the questions start flowing, some thoughtful answers will benefit everyone. It may take awhile to pinpoint the actual need instead of the perceived need or the "I wants", but eventually everyone will agree on the most appropriate course of action for a successful project outcome. And the successful project outcome will be? Right, ultimately, getting you more of the type of business you want. The type of business you want is the key here and that's where it's really important to nail down who you are targeting.

First question: What's is the purpose of the piece of media? Sell a specific item or service? Soft sell through information? Drum up some interest or see if there is any interest in the product or service? What do you expect to happen after the piece is printed, distributed, or posted for public viewing? Do you expect a certain number of phone calls? Do you expect a certain number of returned postcards asking for more information? Do you expect a 10% rise in your monthly sales?
How are you going to measure success. If you can't define whether it was successful, then how are you going to avoid using the same "unsuccessful" marketing again? 

For instance last year I got talked into placing an ad on a sports poster. I should have known better. My usual rule is to never, ever buy anything from anybody over the phone. Of course I was led to believe that this was a local community project for the middle schools. I wasn't even aware until I received a bill and a proposed ad from some company in Alabama that it was a sports poster. Yup, they pulled a fast one and it cost me $ 100.00. And as you might well expect, there was no return on my investment for that little blunder. Nada. Nothing. I would consider that unsuccessful. And when they called again, I simply informed them that it was not something I was ever going to do again. Period. End of Discussion. Good Bye.

Second question: Who exactly, are you talking to... If you say everyone, we've got a problem right away. It can't be for everyone. The more specific you are, the more on-target the piece is going to be and the more successful it will be. If you try to talk to everyone, your going to end up talking to no one.

O.K., it's time for an example. I'm going to use a project, just recently finished, but not fully distributed as yet. I can't tell just how successful this printed piece is going to be and I won't know until after August 3rd, 2002. Never-the-less, I like the way it turned out, so I'm going to use it.

THE PROJECT
A poster/flyer combo for a local Gold Wing Motorcycle club for their annual Bike Show at a local Mall.

THE PURPOSE
To generate interest and enthusiasm and attract new members.

THE TARGET...zing
Generally, people between the ages of 45-75, many retired, with discretionary income to the tune of about $ 20,000, that are looking for something new to do with their time and money. People who like to socialize. People who have owned motorcycles when younger and want to ride again, but with more comfort. People who want to take longer rides, again with more comfort than perhaps a smaller bike can afford. The Bike Show, gives people an opportunity (in air conditioned comfort and without a salesman) to view the Gold Wing and some other brands, talk to the owners, and find out about the club all in a very relaxed atmosphere. Really, a nice little Saturday afternoon outing. I might add that this club heavily promotes safe riding, so the usual "biker" look was not appropriate. Something a little more upscale is the message that this club wants to send.

DESIRED OUTCOME...they didn't define it. So, I am going to use my own projected outcome. Better turnout of interested individuals than in past years and 5 to 10 new active members. (Note: o.k. that was wildly optimistic. In reality we got 2 or 3, but that is a 75% improvement over previous years.)

CREATIVE BRIEF - they didn't make one out. This is a very casual bunch and they aren't used to working with a "designer". This makes it tough. I made out my own Creative Brief so I would have some guidelines. See the above.

WHAT DO YOU NEED? Originally, the request was for just Flyers. Black and White. But I really felt just the flyers weren't going to get the desired turnout they wanted, so I suggested some 11 x 17 color posters in addition to the flyers. The budget was small. Almost non-existent as a matter of fact. So, I offered to print the two color posters on my own color laser printer to keep the cost to a minimum while still producing a nicer printed piece than would have been possible with just a copy machine. Originally the request was for 100 flyers. After some thought on the part of the person in charge of the event, he realized that a lot more flyers would be needed. The final decision was for 20 posters and 200 flyers, and if additional flyers were needed it could be reproduced on a copy machine with fair results. Not as nice as the Laser Printed output, but not as bad as a fax machine! Posters would be placed in the Mall, and local Motorcycle shops of various types. The Gold and Black color scheme, not only tied into the Gold Wing theme, but produced an item that was very noticeable from a distance and was designed to draw viewers closer to find out what it said. Really great photographs were unavailable, so existing digital photos were used. (Sometimes, we just do the best we can with what we've got!) If my laser printer had not been available, this project could have been re-produced on a copy machine and still would have been very affordable. This is where it is important to know how you are going to print it. Think about your budget. How much you can afford is going to tell your designer, how she/he can design it. If your going to be able to use photographs or not! If your going to be restricted to black and white. No point in designing something that no one can afford to have printed! Be upfront about your budget. $ 500 or $ 50,000, which is it! Call around to local printers, if you've never had anything commercially printed before. It will be an eye opener. And don't forget there are a lot of levels of quality. Five-Hundred dollars is $ 500 down the drain, if the printed piece turns out so bad that you can't use it.

RESULTS: In a couple of months, I'll post the results, fabulous or a flop. After all, we learn by our successes and our mistakes. But in the meantime, you can see the poster and flyer here. 
                                                      
©2002

04-09-03
And the results were? Pretty darn good. Excellent turn out. District Organization Officials were very impressed with the whole shindig. And lots of people showed up. Part of that I am going to attribute to Mother Nature cooperating. Several new members have joined in the past six to nine months. And the organization liked the flyer so much, they are using an updated version again this year.

But...next year....I'm doing something totally new!