How to Use Design Strategy in Your Business

From the HOW Design Conference session by Rochelle Seltzer

“Design strategy is a process that powers brilliant design.” Following a good, solid process leads to a good result. Having a design strategy also allows objective evaluation of the creative solutions.

1. “Investigate deeply.” Interview the client, research their market, identify the goals.

2. “Review and synthesize.” Design team uses the information to write the proposal to the client. Media, visual direction, timeline, budget, metrics. Once the client signs off, the proposal guides the critique.

Advantages: client understands the reasoning behind the creative, requests fewer revisions, feels invested in the solutions

Try using a card sorting game. You present cards with descriptive words and the client puts them into piles: what we aspire to be, what we are, not us. Then distill down to 4 or 5 key words that will direct the tone of the design.

Design strategy sometimes uncovers business problems that design alone can't solve. The process can be extremely valuable to the client.

Use hard facts and anecdotes to measure success of the design. Make checking results part of the timeline.

A strategy-based designer rises in credibility and value. You are not a commodity.