The Entire Client Brand Design Process: Exactly What I Did With One of my Clients
Hey everyone, welcome to an in-depth exploration of the Client Brand Design Process, breaking down the entire journey from onboarding to offboarding - and everything in between! This blog post marks the beginning of a ten part series, where I break every step of the process down more in depth in future videos and blog posts. If you're a graphic designer looking to elevate your client branding game, stick around as I share insights from my own experiences.
First Contact From my Client
Let's kick things off with a real-life example—a client who owns a beauty distribution company specializing in lashes. The business name is OKNGN Beauty - a fun and approachable beauty brand that wanted branding to reflect their values.
The approached me for a complete brand makeover, setting the stage for a transformative process.
The First Phase: Onboarding the Client
The initial step in client branding is onboarding. It's the point where a potential client initiates contact with you - and the impression you create here can lead to a sale.
Leveraging tools like Calendly for client calls, I thoroughly reviewed questionnaire responses and Pinterest boards (yes, I always ask clients to create a Pinterest board before speaking!) to understand preferences. Crafting a detailed project proposal and securing agreement through a contract marked the formal start.
Take a look at my blog post, How to Onboard Clients as a Freelance Designer & Create Project Proposals - where I delve deeper into structuring project proposals and managing client expectations effectively.
Conducting Brand Research
With onboarding complete, it's time for research. Research is arguably the most important phase of the process - it’s where you uncover your client's brand, target audience, market competitors - a solution for problem areas, and much more. I utilize a brand research toolkit for each of my clients - which I have available for sale on my shop. This toolkit includes the results of research methods I’ve conducted, as well as a report to present the findings to the client. I’ve also created a video detailing some super effective research methods for freelancers and soloprenuers who don’t have a research team so they can conduct complex research on their own.
Determining the Brand Strategy and Creative Direction
Transitioning to the brand strategy and creative direction phase, following the culmination of our research and determining which direction to take the brand - I created a strategy for the brand’s identity, and presented creative direction options with the help of moodboards. I’ve got the comprehensive template + a real life example PDF of the document I created for my client for sale on my shop.
Creating the Brand’s Visual Identity
Moving on to brand identity, let's put pen to paper for authentic designs. This is the phase where you’ll finally be able to start creating designs to showcase to the client. Ensure you’re maintaining good communication with your client, keeping an open dialogue and incorporating client feedback to ensure the final design aligns perfectly with their vision. To streamline this process, I create templates to present the visual identity and space to explain my process.
Designing Collateral and Applications
Once logos are approved, breathe life into the brand with collateral and applications.
How to Effectively Manage Feedback
Managing feedback is crucial. Set clear expectations, be flexible, and prioritize kindness in customer service. Strong client relationships are built on respect and empathy. Really listen to the client and don’t take anything personally.
The Final Step: Offboarding the Client
Conclude the project positively with organized offboarding. I Utilize Google Drive for easy access to project files, and send a thoughtful goodbye package.
And that's a wrap for the first part of the Client Brand Design Process series. I hope these insights help you navigate your client branding projects effectively. Subscribe for more in-depth discussions on each step, starting with the onboarding phase in the next post.
