Brief and Strategy

Lecture Material

How do you develop a strategy and project plan for a client / audience in a continually evolving global market?

Studio Dumbar, Rotterdam

“You need to understand the person on the other side, you need to speak their same language, you need to analyse them on a professional, emotional level”

Torsten Posselt (FELD)

From the above, Torsten has made me question whether I understand my audience? Well, I have the benefit of studying in the industry which gives me a bit of insight into how the world of design works. Albeit my knowledge is only second hand, as I have not directly experienced working as a graphic designer with clients and long hours etc. Therefore how can I understand my audience better? I need to consider potentially creating a survey or having discussions with people in the industry. Could I talk to fellow peers and/or tutors and how could I structure this? I need to figure out what the main problems are in the industry before I can begin to scope out my project further.

“We are in an evolving global market and things are changing by the second. You have to be aware of that and conscious of that. And not be so stringent with a project plan that you’re not allowing the evolving global kind of trends and insights, to really guide how you’re managing that project.”

Michelle Dona (Accept and Proceed)

Things I could research:
• What movements are there globally to support mental health, particularly in creatives?
• What companies are striving for graphic designers to be mentally healthy? What systems are in place that work currently?

“We always start every project by doing research. It’s partly our own research – we do desk research, we try to understand the market, we try to understand the client, we try to understand the product. We use the documented research of the client”.

Wouter Dirks (Studio Dumbar)

• Research how and why graphic designers struggle with their mental health
• Research why this is happening and why this system hasn’t been changed
• How can craft be reintroduced to the design tech world whilst appearing modern?

“Rebel a bit in terms of design thinking in boardrooms… we just put up post-its endlessly. Approach the local market differently”

Stijn van de Ven (Eden Spiekermann)

• Mindmap processes, sticky notes, thoughts that stick out to me in research and see if I can connect the dots.

“First of all being aware of what’s happening globally, and what’s happening outside of your own specific industry.”

Luke Veerman (Eden Spiekermann)

• Is there anywhere I can research outside of creative world i.e has Covid-19 brought a rise in mental health cases and how is that being combatted?