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I was on a client call today explaining why I went with a certain brand direction and halfway through I realized I wasn't explaining anything. I was figuring it out on the call.
Like.. the strategy doc exists and the rationale is in there. but the thing that came out was even better than what I had, and I think that's because I had to make it understandable for someone who's not in my head for 3 weeks.
Not sure if that's a bad thing or not? I think the reason presenting design work feels awful sometimes (at least for me) is because my thinking isn't done yet and I can feel myself finishing it in real time and there's nowhere to hide.
I've been trying to just... accept it? Like, stop treating the presentation as the thing after the work. It might be the work.
Still figuring that out tbh
👍
It's for sure really hard to present design decisions when we feel as if nothing is ever considered "done". I think designers index pretty high on the perfectionism scale which makes it so difficult to feel like anything is ever complete. I think putting ourselves in positions...
Hardest part for me is that I'm not really the best at vocalizing my decisions, as it always looks or seems better in my head. When I try to say it, sometimes it comes up wrong, and that's been pretty frustrating at times.
I 100% understand that frustration! If it was only as easy as "Why can't you just see it the way I see it in my mind?!?!" haha
But for real, I think the more designers present their work the more they are forced to, while designing, make a more conscious effort to document...
That's a great idea. I'm also thinking about making a deck with some of my favorite designs so that I can just walk clients through it, instead of trying to speak it out every time.
The presentation being the work is a real thing. Some of my best strategy decisions came out of trying to explain a direction to a client and realizing the explanation was sharper than the doc. That pressure to make it land for someone outside your head forces clarity.
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Really nice direction. The soft gradients and blur give the AI brand a very human feel.
That neon green and charcoal palette is such a statement. The brand sprint results really show the depth of thought here!
why is it so much harder to brand yourself than it is to brand a client?
I'm working on a MUCH needed rebrand for my own studio at the moment and the amount of second-guessing involved is genuinely shocking for someone who does this for a living. You're just so close to it! My studio is my baby, and I suppose it’s quite hard to assign a single five-colour palette to a baby…
That being said, I’m starting to really fall in love with the direction its moving towards and am so, so excited to share the final visual identity (including a new website!) once it’s finally ready. I’ve grown so much since I started two years ago, so I’m very much looking forward to having a brand that’s been caught up to speed.
Its so true, ahah!
BTW, just wanted to ask how to post like this, like a courousal style on contra, where you can swipe up the slides??
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