Don’t you hate spending several hours sifting through gianormous amounts of data, spending heaps of time in research, and then taking ages to type out a strategic brief that will have a 0.0001% chance of being read?
Reality check: clients are more interested in the strategic summary more than anything else. They don’t have the time to read every page of a fifty-page strat document. They want to know your strategic recommendation fast. That’s what you’re paid for.
Good news: it is possible to speed up the process of getting to a strategic solution for a client and even nail down Homepage elements in record time. To do this, carry out shallow and rapid Engagement Review and Recommendation*
Shallow? Does that mean rushing through the strategic process? No. Shallow in the sense of focussing your energy on what’s IMPORTANT. Instead of diving deep into every factoid, look for data that stands out from research: deep valleys and high peaks.
The purpose of strategy is to arrive at the best possible solution within knowledge, time and resource limitations.
A brief overview of key data and factors will be enough to give the strategist an understanding of the major issues of the design problem. Time saved going over mounds of data and documenting everything gives the strategist more think time. Much of what is documented in the early stages of strategic processes is no longer relevant post-presentation anyway. More importantly, a rapid process of feedback and iteration of solutions will lead to a final solution that will be well orbed and thought out.
So instead of doing:
Long analysis > documentation of analysis > solution > iterations of solution > documentation of final solution
Do:
Rapid analysis > solution > rapid iterations of solution > documentation of final solution
Rapid Prototyping in practice.
At Cru, we map out and draw our strategy with markers on large sheets of paper. All this after receiving and digesting the client’s brief and related data, of course. The clearer and more succinct the brief, the faster we can be.
The sheets are presented to the team for feedback. We re-map and redesign. After that, we present to the client. We redo the strategy and homepage design on the spot, in collaboration with the client. Once we have reached an agreement on the strategy, I proceed to document the Engagement Review and Recommendation formally, and establish the creative direction in the process.
Clients are very open to receiving and reviewing strategic concepts on big sheets of paper. Perhaps it’s a response to the stiffness of PowerPoint. Maybe it’s because they can see all the important stuff at once. I believe it’s both.
Give it a go. Godspeed.
*Context, content, user > engaging proposition > user engagement scenarios > Homepage design/paper prototypes.
