Planning, Strategy and Management: Philosophies, Roles and Approach
REFLECTION ON LECTURES AND RESOURCE MATERIAL
It was interesting to listen to the diverse approaches, sometimes conflicting and contradicting each other in this weeks lecture. My take on that is due to the scale of studio's covered from Someone (larger agency model) to Sarah Boris (studio of one + collaborators) that it is only natural that their business models would be vastly different.
It was interesting to hear Suzanna break down studios into their particular practice models or business development strategies in the introduction citing Pentagram as Partner, Wolf Olins (figurehead), St.Lukes (social co-operative), Maeda (leadership) and Aardmann as shareholders. Personally I would currently see my own studio sitting somewhere between a freelance business to agencies with a small client base although the ambition would be to move towards the social co-operative model of a St.Luke's. I want to remain small but, should the business grow, I could see myself employing an other designer and definitely someone from more of a business/marketing background.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR SETTING UP A STUDIO (TAKE OUTS)
On gaining and maintaining clients:
— Starting out you need at least 1 significant client, ideally 3.
— Repeat business is the easiest and best business.
— Ensure you deliver on your clients expectations.
— Don't overpromise or underdeliver.
— Build trust and have integrity in what you do.
— Be a people person: You need clients to like working with you.
— Present your ideas as if they have come from the client themselves
— Listen.
— Ask questions.
— Communicate sincerely.
— Learn to take and understand criticism.
— Learn to say no if the work you are being commissioned for is not a fit with your practice.
In studying all the materials presented one thing that seems to be a common thread is that most work comes through referrals so building your a network of collaborators is essential for the growth of your own business.
On studio space:
— Not required to start with.
— As you scale it is beneficial to have a studio/meeting area for clients to come to.
— Look for shared studio space. Also good for feedback from peers and collaboration.
On managing finances:
— A significant client ensures regular payments and cash flow.
— Stay on top of your expenses.
— Ensure you have a financial cushion.
— You need an accountant.
— Make a realistic inventory of costs: Overheads + Hourly Rate + Time it Takes + Experience?
— What are your overheads: Studio Rent, Equipment, Materials, Phone, Electric, Coffee etc...
— Be transparent and up front about costs for work, third parties.
On studio expenses and equipment:
— A computer is the only essential when starting out.
On running a studio:
— Be prepared to divide your time between design, admin and clients
— Planning your practice: Strategy, types of clients you want to work for, Rates etc... is your chance to 'design' the process.
— Don't allow jobs to run on forever. Build in a staged process.
— Self promote and make things to get you noticed for the type of work you want to be doing.
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Gem Barton: Don't Get a Job, Make a Job (TAKE OUTS – supplemented with my own research)
On elevator pitches:
— Review what your current goals are.
— What would you change.
— What are your future goals/ambitions?
— Be honest.
— Understand your position (level of experience).
— What are your core values?
— Are you a responsible practice: Social/environmental.
— Who is your audience?
On planning and strategic thinking for professional practice:
STRATEGIC THINKING
So what is strategic thinking? Strategic thinking is the ability to align your thoughts with defined goals and plan toward the future, formulating objectives and overcoming obstacles. Strategic thinking calls for problem-solving and decision-making skills obtained through experience.
Strategic thinking skills include:
— Communication skills: The ability to discuss complex ideas and strategies, and phrase the information being presented.
— Analytical skills: Research trends and analyse your current position before creating a strategy.
— Management/planning skills: Plan on when the strategy will be implemented and how.
— Problem-solving skills: Analyzing past problems, solving current issues and planning how to overcome future ones. Problem-solving enables you to look at every challenge from the "what should be done" point of view and take preventive measures.(1)
STRATEGIC PLANNING
In order to build an exceptional business, you must devote the necessary time to strategic planning. Without high-level planning, the business has no direction or strategic purpose.
— Prioritize your planning time as if it were for a client. Schedule time each week for strategic planning and treat it like a client engagement.
— Each planning session should result in an action list. Identify 1-3 action items that will help you accomplish your big-picture objectives within a defined timeline.
(1) Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2022/02/24/create-strategic-thinking-and-mindset-in-your-workforce/?sh=56f2bb9261e2.(2) Retrieved from: https://www.fastcompany.com/1826497/strategic-thinking-why-most-small-business-owners-dont-do-it-enough.
On ethos/positioning:
— What is your personal brand – how do you want to be described in your absence?
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On intellectual property
The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland is the official Irish government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
— Patents: If your idea is an invention that has a technical solution, you can get exclusive rights to the invention with a patent
— Trade Marks: If your idea is in respect of a unique brand consisting of words or a logo, you can have exclusive rights protected through trade mark registration
— Designs: If your idea has a special form or appearance, you can get exclusive rights to the design with Design Protection
— Copyright: If you have created original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works copyright is the legal form of protection that can be used. (1)
What is Covered by Copyright:
To be protected by copyright, a design must be “original,” that is, not copied from another source. In theory, two identical designs could be copyrighted by different owners if they coincidentally were created independently from each other.
In addition, the design must not be so elementary that it lacks sufficient creativity to be copyrightable. Examples of this would be simple geometric shapes.
Finally, the design must be fixed in a tangible medium of expression. That is, it must be written down on paper, or put into a computer’s memory, or recorded in a visual medium such as a DVD, tape or film.
The software that creates a font is protected by copyright, so you should get a license to use someone else’s font-generating software. However, the U.S. Copyright Office refuses registration for the artistic design of font itself (in other words, a typeface); however, most other countries recognize property rights in typeface design.
A computer icon would be copyrightable as a graphic work.
What is NOT Covered by Copyright Law:
Copyright does not protect an idea in itself. For example, the idea of drawing a fish flying through the air would not be protected. A particular drawing of a particular fish flying through the air would be protected.
Familiar shapes or designs, and mere variations of typographical ornamentation, lettering, or coloring, are not copyrightable.
A useful article having an intrinsic utilitarian function, such as clothing, dinnerware or an ornamental wheel cover on a vehicle, cannot be copyrighted. However, any pictorial, graphic or sculptural aspect that can be identified separately from the utilitarian aspect of the article — either physically or conceptually — may be copyrightable. For example, a carving on the back of a chair or floral leaf design on a dress could be protected by copyright, but the design of the chair or the silhouette of the dress itself could not. A drawing or photograph of an automobile would be copyrightable, but not the automobile. One exception applies to building designs: the plans or drawings of a building are copyrightable and so is the building itself if it was construed after 2002.
Although the Copyright Office generally refuses registration for screen formats per se, it regards a registration of a computer program as including the screen display.
(1) Retrieved from: https://www.ipoi.gov.ie/en/.
(2) Retrieved from: https://www.printmag.com/design-education/copyright-basics-for-graphic-designers/.
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John Maeda: Redesigning Leadership/Design Thinking and Creative Leadership (TAKE OUTS)
— Collaboration: Co-creation and inclusivity increases the impact of your work.
— Move towards an inclusive ethnographic approach rather than an empathetic one. You don't know how someone feels, thinks etc... don't assume anything.
— Traditional forms of communication verbal and face to face are the most effective.
— Design has value as it helps businesses top evolve and improves economies. It is a need to have 'investment'. Design communicates meaning.
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The Designer's Republic (TAKE OUTS)
— Decide early on whether you want to create work that fits with your ethos or become service based.
— Only take on work you would want to present to the world.
— Self initiated work is important because clients respond to what they can see.
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Melinda Livsey: How to run a creative business (TAKE OUTS)
This video was particularly interesting in the way they broke down the nuts and bolts of costing a business properly by hour, job and expertise as well as giving some great advice regarding being up front about money.
Melinda currently splits her fees across low tier ($100ph) jobs such as small logo requests, high tier ($175ph) jobs such as branding projects, and production ($75ph). This is similar to my own model but the fees are a lot lower than Californian rates and in Euro. It was interesting to hear Chris' point of view on this because he more or less said you set your rate, stick with it, ask them what the budget is before the project starts and if you can't do the work for that rate - say no (but suggest someone else that might do it instead). I'm not so sure you can afford to do this when you are just starting out because the idea is to get work to be able to present your practice - then after a while maybe you can become a little bit more selective about who you accept work from. Although this in-depth review of your current practice is a strategy in itself for re-evaluating and reviewing your practice for moving forward.
Chris splits his day between, admin, sales and marketing and design, but contrary to the video he is a workaholic working from 7am to midnight every day. It's interesting to include sales and marketing on your list or 'focus plan'. I have never thought about including it as a daily action and the website always get put to the bottom of the list so that's definitely something I can include in my future planning. He also talks about presenting yourself as expensive to attract the right kind of customer that will invest in design and have the budget to do so. That doesn't mean I will do this but it is an interesting tactic to use to position yourself correctly. Chris explains this by saying that you are designing in a way that filters out the smaller clients. Content should be thoughtful and intentional and case study based.
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Stefan Sagmeister
— Unique approach to practice: Subjective, human strategy that brings surprise.
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Workshop Challenge
THE CHALLENGE
How do you translate your perceived design ethos and positioning to your defined audience?
Revisit the geotagging workshop challenge from Week 2 of the Contemporary Practice module, and explore different studio philosophies through their about button and company statement.
Write an ‘about’ paragraph – an elevator pitch on either your current positioning or one you would like to establish. You may choose to take a speculative approach and envision your global dominance as a design studio superpower. Or as a more humble sole trader who works in a freelance capacity. Have your values changed since beginning the course? Is there a strategic approach your company would communicate to potential commissioners or clients?
Please consider the following in your approach:
— What is the idea?
— How does it work?
— Why does it work?
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Reflections on GDE710 Week 2: Industry Today (Geotagged Agencies)
On revisiting GDE710 Week 2 I discovered an underlying pattern to the varied approaches in agencies presenting their about stories. Most start with an brief intro in who the company is and whether they partner or collaborate with others, unpack a brief snapshot of their practice's sectors (In my case food service), their roles inside and outside of the industry (as business leaders or teachers), their reputation, success and approach.
What is also common is a tone of voice utilising keywords to express their philosophy and approach: Diverse, Grounded, Analysis, Objectivity, Pragmatic, Distinctive, Intelligent, Ambitious, Restrained, Meticulous, Well-Crafted, Open Minded, Sense of Adventure, Adaptive, Measurable, Revolution, Virtual, Physical, Push, Play, Innovative, Responsive, Enquiring, Impetus, Iconoclastic, Experimentation, Diverse, Precision, Analogue and Digital.
I also looked at SPIN (London) again as I found their language to be inspiring and forward thinking when viewed during the same module. One phrase stood out for me which was "Ongoing dialogue between a conceptual practice and its many applications in the real world". This is an all encompassing statement which is as broad as the area of work they cover.
I revisited my own statement of intent and it feels lacking in saying what I actually do within my own practice. It synopsises who I am and who I have worked for but doesn't really share knowledge about the breadth of work or diversity of clients, talk about my collaborations and partners, highlight my new role as a teacher or focus on the type of business my practice is focused on. It also lacks forward thinking language and ambition. All this will need to be addressed in my re-write.
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CURRENT CLIENT FACING MESSAGING
Hello from Wes Trumble Design:
Wes is an Award Winning Senior Graphic Design Creative with over 30 years experience in Brand Design & Communication. He has worked on accounts as diverse as An Post, BOI, Belfast Telegraph, Bulmers Ireland, Eason, Galway Hooker, Glanbia, Green Isle, Keogh's Farm, Kerry Foods, Kilbeggan (Cooley Distillery), Linwoods, O'Briens Wines, Ornua, Spice O'Life, Superquinn, Vodafone and Vytal amongst others.
Wes’s philosophy is simple:
It is Wes’s mission to engage with you, your business and your target audience from day one by gaining insight into market trends, competition and brand semiotics. You are an integral part of the process, with collaboration at its core, and with watertight working practices we can achieve the best results together.
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In reviewing my notes taken this week I have decided to answer the following questions before I write an elevator pitch:
What are my core values / ethos?
Current mission statement:
Effective design, creatively executed.
Design with purpose
— Responsive
— Collaborative
— Meticulous
— Grounded
— Effective
— Distinctive
— Ambitious
— Responsible
— Independent
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What is my level of experience?
Current:
Brand Design & Communication for the Food Service Industry. Packaging, Identity, Corporate Identity, Signage, Livery, Website Design and Digital Animation.
Ambition:
Sustainable packaging for food service/other, design for the Cultural sector (the arts), design for the social/environmental sector (NGO's and charities), design for the music industry. Packaging, Identity, Publication, Exhibitions.
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Is my business responsible from an environmental or social perspective?
Not as much as I would like to be. I have a few clients that are sustainable in their practice and one client who is socially responsible.
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Who is my audience?
Currently it is not focused in any one area but you could say food service.
Ambition:
Foodservice, Cultural sector, NGO's and charities, Music Industry.
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How would you like to be described in your absence?
Approachable and easy to work with, co-creative, innovative, practical, knowledgable, reliable, responsive and effective.
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Who are my collaborators/partners?
Current:
Clients, agencies and Third Parties.
Ambition:
One sales and marketing business partner, clients and third parties. Experts for ethnographic and qualitative/quantitive research.
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What is the inherent value of design?
Design should be viewed as an investment, emotive, measurable, adding meaning and purpose.
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How do I measure my own success?
Current:
Quality of the creative produced.
Client response to overall process.
Design effectiveness in targeted area.
Less so through award schemes.
Ambition:
To showcase case studies
To showcase testimonials
To showcase accolades
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Is my work curated?
Yes. But I need to do a lot more with the current website.
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How do I present myself?
Current:
Instagram
Website
Ambition:
Writing for design publications/organisations.
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This was quite a useful exercise as it has helped me envision the future practice verses the current one and highlights specific areas for improvement. It has also made me think in terms of a pitch that is forward thinking rather than a tidying up of the old set of values and ethos.
ELEVATOR PITCH
At Skope we love problems. Big ones and small ones. Problems we can research, reveal new insights, create narratives and ultimately resolve.
We are small enough to be responsive and wise enough to be responsible. We create partnerships with our clients and co-create towards the same goal. Together, we reduce risk and scale up with collaborators as required. We are inclusive and like to include you in the process.
We like to work with like-minds. People who love the planet, its people and its culture.
We are ambitious in realising your aspirations and innovative in our output. As design experts, award winners and teachers; we bring our thinking caps to the table. We reach for the stars with our feet firmly on the ground and create meaningful design with purpose. We always root for your success and are with you every step of the way. When you are successful, our work has just begun.
We are Skope.
Effective Design, Creatively Executed.