We don’t do ‘ta-das’…
- Rebecca
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
A recent Design Week article got us talking here in the studio about the importance of collaborating with our clients and the difference it makes to design outcomes.
‘We don’t do ‘ta-das’ was the eye-catching title of the piece. The article was discussing why design agency egos are becoming a thing of the past – thank goodness for that – and being replaced by more iterative creative ‘partnerships’ with clients.
This was music to our ears because this is precisely what prompted us to set up Innovare Design back in 2006. After many years working in some major retail design agencies, our founder had become very sceptical about the ‘big reveal’ process which was popular back then. His instincts told him that there was a different path which would make creative outcomes more robust and which he felt sure clients would prefer. And he was right.
As Design Week says, a strong creative process isn’t about a grand ta-da moment. It should be about bringing the client on the journey, so by the time the work is done, they’re signing it off because they not only believe in it, they own it.
This years’ annual client/agency research report from Up to the Light* reinforces this view. Apparently more than one in four clients wish their agency was more collaborative. It’s evident that there is growing pushback to the ‘big reveal’ design agency model of old.
For us, we honestly don’t understand why more agencies haven’t seen this important shift in the creative approach before now. Yes, a thorough briefing and familiarisation process has always been critical, but staging the whole creative delivery process and checking-in with clients along the pathway should be an equally vital part of the creative process. And for our projects, it’s a process which delivers success for our clients.
Design Week concludes that collaboration isn’t optional, it’s essential. We couldn’t agree more! So, here are our top 6 dos and don’ts for a successful collaborative design process:
DO: Take time at the start to help the agency understand both your business vision and the expectations of your specific design brief. Be clear about the challenge(s) you want the agency to solve.
DO: Insist on a staged design process with clearly identified deliverables and regular opportunities for you to feedback to the creative team.
DON’T: Design by committee doesn’t work. Yes, your agency will want all key decision makers to be involved but there will also need to be one key decision-maker on the client side to consolidate feedback. This avoids diluting ideas, maintains engagement, and prevents the process from slowing down.
DO: Make sure you are completely happy and sign-off each stage of the creative process before the agency moves on to the next step. Is the agency actively listening? Have they understood and responded to your feedback?
DO: Challenge any disconnects between the agreed brief and your expectations at every stage. Is the agency staying on brief and answering the challenge(s) you set out to address at the start?
DON’T: Move the goal posts only when it’s essential. Yes, you want your agency to be responsive to changing circumstances, but you and the agency should be stress-testing creative ideas against the original brief. If new information requires a change of direction, then pause and reset the brief and deliverables together.
A successful client/agency collaboration needs to result in a shared vision. The experience for both sides should be an engaging, reassuring process that builds trust and confidence in a final design solution that will deliver commercial success. And that’s precisely what we’ve been offering clients since 2006.
* Up to the Light interview over 500 clients on behalf of agencies each year and annual publish the ‘What Clients Think’ report
The Our Work section of this website features a range of collaborative retail and hospitality design projects that have changed the fortunes of our clients. For a couple of recent examples, take a look at:
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