Helpful questions to get you started
Getting started on your design project can be overwhelming. Whether it’s kicking off a new business, refreshing an existing business or rebranding from scratch. These questions aren’t designed to overwhelm, but instead are here to prompt and assist you in the process.
Have you sorted out the fiddly business bits? Things like registering your business name, getting your ABN set up, registering your domain and email address?
Have you done a business plan and researched your industry, competitors and target market?
Have you had a look at where you would like your business to sit visually? Do you have inspiration ready to go?
Are there other brands out there that you admire? What are they doing well?
What colours do you like? What works in your market and what is on trend?
What fonts do you like?
Have you decided on your tone of voice? Are you writing the copy yourself or are you working with a copywriter?
What sort of imagery would you like to use for your brand? Are you going to have photography done for your business, or are there stock images that you think would work well for your business? Have you found a photographer you’d like to work with?
What do you need to get started/ expand your business/ refresh your business?
What stationery is a must have and what can come later?
Have you got your copy ready? This could be the copy for your website, your tagline, a brochure, your product descriptions or even the content your social media.
Do you have a printer that you’d like to work with for your project?
If you are working on a packaging project, have you received your die line/ knife line from your printer? Do you need barcodes?
Does your industry have any standards that need to be met? For example, are there legal requirements for your packaging, are there warnings and disclaimers that need to be included on your products, have you consulted with an industry body about this?
What sort of marketing are you going to do? Are you going to do your own social media? What program are you going to use?
Starting or refreshing a business can be very exciting, however key things are often overlooked and thought about too late in the process. The more research and preparation you can do in the lead up to do your project, the more time and money you’ll save down the track. Preparation will help you have clear direction, a clear objective and most importantly, a clear brief for your designer.
