Process

Teacher, Mentor & Coach

This is the mantra I keep in my head in all phases of the process. It doesn't matter if I am working with people I directly manage or company leaders, every part of the process requires me to wear one of these three hats to build trust with the people around me. The number one way to kill the creative process is to lose the trust of those you are working with. 

Prioritizing Research

My process all starts with understanding the ‘Why’ and the customers on the other end. I use research to maintain and fortify the decisions I make down the line, so it is crucial to utilize various research modalities to become as expert and knowledgeable as possible . I dig deep into anything that will give me a glimpse of insight and I document all I can to make sure any team I am working with can be informed.

Deliverables and tactics Include: Customer interviews, surveying, audience profiles, personas, usage data, competitive analysis, workshop planning and facilitation.

The Science of Strategy 

Strategy Is where the research takes me and is where I encourage the most collaborative efforts. I view strategy as the affirmation of our decisions and providing direction and guidance to the final output. This is where bringing together experts in overlapping areas to share insights and gaining group consensus is key. When consensus is not possible, acknowledging the disagreement and commitment to moving forward is the goal.

Deliverables and tactics Include: Value proposition, brand positioning, messaging frameworks, campaign councils, roadmaps and user journey mapping.

The Art of Storytelling

This is where I, and the creatives I am working alongside, intentionally break away and conceptualize. Once we are informed by research and have the strategy lanes in place, it is time to start dreaming big and take a step away from the conventional ideas for a moment, even if we end up coming back to them in the end.

Deliverables and tactics include: Wireframes, card sorting, mood-boards, story-boards, pitch decks and sometimes it's just space to look at the task differently. 

Execution and Expectation Setting 

This is where I try to make my steps as consistent and repeatable as possible. I believe consistency is key when it comes to execution and expectation setting. I begin with restating the task, revisiting the strategy and clearly presenting the proposed solution. It is followed up with design reviews, gathering feedback and implementing critical changes. My role during this process will vary depending on the project. Many times I serve as a stakeholder providing feedback on design standards and brand stewardship, but I have also served as a creative resource manager, project manager and more often than not, I have worked as the production designer on my own creative and marketing program initiatives.

Deliverables and tactics include: Creative briefs, project tracking, creative resource management, kick off meetings, feedback gathering and final file delivery.

Looking Back to Look Forward 

Looking back on a project once it has been deployed and having a discussion focused on the KPIs, process, internal wins, blockers, and perceived points of failure is a crucial practice. This is where we measure success and articulate what improvement looks like in the future. I try to standardize post mortem reviews and add data reports as deliverables in every project. I use those review meetings, and at times team meetings or one on ones, to facilitate a discussion celebrating the wins, acknowledging the failures, and considering solutions for the next project the team takes on.

Deliverables and tactics include: Post mortem meetings, 360 reviews, process documentation, and performance reporting.