As a student in my beginning years of college, my fine art professor told me, “You must have a unique style.” Which I didn’t.
As I gravitated toward design, my new professor told me, “Whatever you do, don’t have a unique style. You must adapt and design to your clients’ needs, not yours. An agency whose work all looks the same will be temporary.”
That really stuck with me. It wasn’t just one of those things that I learned in school and applied it because someone told me that was the right answer. It was, and is, one of those things that just makes sense. Her lesson is something that I truly believe and will always think about before approaching any branding project.
But, there are trends, and sometimes those trends tend to grow into styles, and once that happens, it’s all over.
The other day I walked through our break room and saw an annual report lying on the table, designed by another agency. The cover caught my eye because it was smartly designed. But once I opened it, I knew the agency that designed it.
Later in the day, I received a direct mail piece from a company. I investigated further and found that it was created by the agency that designed the annual report. Again, I saw the same trendy look. These work samples were created for two different clients, in different industries—but the designers executed almost the exact same brand guidelines. It seems that the agency is using the same brand for its book of business. That’s just not right. Clients deserve better than recycled brands.
Here’s my approach—and what you will see in the work of Paul Werth’s creative:
The brand represents the one-of-a-kind soul of an organization and should shine through in every work of design. Our work reflects each company’s unique soul, not our own.
Ask yourself this question:
Does your agency interview you before each project, as a continuing opportunity to know what you and your projects are all about? Are they seeing your brand through their company’s lens or the lens of your company’s soul?
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on authentic and unique, company-specific branding. Please drop me a line, as a comment on this blog or personally, at kwaldron@paulwerth.com.
I absolutely agree, but how do you achieve the effect? Designers are incredibly fickle, and I have met very few that can truly change their style to match the needs of the client.
We take the approach of keeping a few different designers on staff with unique styles, as well as a few we can call on as an additional resource. That gives us the opportunity to match a clients style with the designer that is most suitable.
Jason,
When we go back to a client with concepts, we give them options that are true to their soul. And they ALL represent the personality of the company. We have talented designers on staff who are willing to adapt to each client’s vision.
Talented designers are more than one-dimensional. They should be able to work outside of their comfort zones. It probably starts with recruiting the right people…who are able to be chameleons. People who can constantly shed their skin to create what our clients need.
Thanks,
Ken