THE
One-Concept Practice
Throughout my years as a brand designer, I’ve revised my process more than a few times in an attempt to find the method that leads to the strongest results.
That’s when I developed the One-Concept Practice.
To say it revolutionized my work, and my clients’ experience, is an understatement—which is why I don’t ever see myself going back to the days of multiple concept presentations.
What is the One Concept Practice?
You guessed it—It’s a design method where I present one brand concept to my clients rather than multiple options.
If you’ve worked with a designer before, multiple design concepts may have been presented to you. While it might seem like “the more, the merrier”—when it comes to design, this approach tends to be more effective in producing the best results for clients.
Why is it the most effective design approach?
As an intuitive designer, I tend to have a clear idea of how a brand should look and feel fairly early on. With the one-concept practice, I can channel my intuition, creativity, and strategy into perfecting that single design—one that accurately reflects my client, their audience, and their business—instead of spreading myself thin and trying to create multiple concepts that aren’t as strong.
Also, I found that offering multiple concepts was often overwhelming for my clients. With more options came more decisions and more stress. Instead, this practice allows me to focus on a single concept and helps my clients breathe easier, too.
Does that mean you do less work?
While you’ll only see one complete design concept, I do plenty of design exploration, strategizing, and drafting before that point. From font choices to market research, diving into trends and exploring colour palette options, I put in the same amount of work, but instead, I’m able to focus it all on developing one single, strong concept.
What if I don’t like the concept?
Just because I present one design concept doesn’t mean it’s set in stone! During the refinement phase of design process, you’ll have the opportunity to review the concept, provide feedback, and request adjustments.
Moral of the Story:
When the design guidance comes through—you run with it.
During my design process, I always come to a point where I know which concept is the strongest. And so, why wouldn’t I make this process easier for both of us and present the one concept that’s best for my client’s business?
With my experience comes an expert eye, which is what my clients hire me for. I’m not really hired to present you with multiple options and make you select one; my role as your design partner is to do the work, follow a strategy, and create the best possible brand, which is what this practice enables me to do.