As designers, we are tasked with solving our clients problems. It’s logical to want all the data and content upfront, allowing you to do the best job possible. Anyone in this industry longer than a week knows this is often not the reality.
We also know that as a good partner to our clients we do not accept “blockers” or a lack of content that would typically slow the progress of a project. The business must go on. It is our job to help our clients to extract the data we need, but it’s just as important to make the best use of our time when these inevitable delays occur.
I have grown to see these situations as an opportunity, not a roadblock.
I like to take advantage of this opportunity to play and explore. Using the information I do know about the brand and about the project, and begin building my approach. This requires initiative to fill in the blanks to keep me moving. There’s something about designing without all the pieces, without parameters, that fosters growth and imagination that can often times help push the project to new heights.
Recently, I was able to take this approach while working on HotelTonight’s website. This is a continual collaboration between myself and their internal marketing team to revamp their existing website, starting with their home page. When joining this project, they were in the beginning stages of expanding and defining brand. Redesigning the site was paramount in building a foundation, and key in pushing a refined direction across their many other marketing and branding channels.
However, one of the first steps of this challenge was establishing the right editorial direction, exploring what photography could best tell their brand story. Yet, at the start of the project, we did not have a clear photography direction — this was still to be decided. Instead of waiting on imagery, I excitedly took initiative which kept conversations going and the project moving forward. I put together mood boards, resources and suggested a photography direction that would help lead to a more consistent and powerful brand direction.
Leveraging my knowledge of the brand and the goals for the project, I was able to use this time to work with HotelTonight’s internal team and help build a consistent brand image and replicable brand presence, across multiple touch points expanding beyond our intended contribution.
And I had a lot of fun doing it.
Finding Opportunities from Delays was originally published in accpl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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