Process
Creativity and structure are valued equally here. At Pop & Grey, we believe the journey to creating your brand is just as important as the final product, and the experience can literally make or break a project. So we don’t mess around, but we DO have fun. Brand positioning & design typically takes about 6 weeks and The Works takes about 12 weeks.
We’ll be spending a good chunk of time together, you’ve got a successful business to run and don’t have time to waste waffling back and forth on lots of meetings and unnecessary proof reviews. Our process ensures that your project will run seamlessly from start to finish. You’ll know exactly what to expect and when to expect it, and of course I’m always accessible if there’s a question. All of our calls and design presentations will be scheduled ahead of time and will be done via Zoom so that we can feel like we are meeting in person no matter how much space is between us. There is no substitute for face to face communication and no better way for us to really get to know you so that we can create a truly authentic brand for you.
Phase 1: Pre-work
Even if there is a bit of a wait before your project officially starts, we will hit the ground running as soon as you sign your contract. You’ll have some homework in the form of a branding workbook and a secret Pinterest board to show me some inspiration images. If your project includes website design and copywriting, your workbook will include questions related to that aspect of your project as well. Pour a cup of coffee and put your best effort into this refreshing exercise that will dig into your business foundations and set the stage for our work together.
Once complete, we will have a video strategy session to dissect your motivations, values, client and experience so that we can start to visualize the foundation for the brand we will create.
Phase 2: Kickoff + Strategy Creation
Our strategy session officially kicks off your project. We’ll dig into your workbook and Pinterest board and dissect the overall positioning of your brand so that any visuals created will communicate exactly that. After our strategy session, it’s time to create your brand strategy brief, the infrastructure of your strategic brand positioning and design. It will dissect your brand values, ideal clients, brand experience and brand voice, ending with a visual strategy that supports all of those things and a carefully-curated mood board to showcase how that visual strategy will come to life in your brand.
Phase 3: Design & Content Creation
Once you approve the brand strategy brief and mood board, the magic really begins, and you get to prop your feet up for a while we do all the heavy lifting. This is when we will write your brand positioning statement and tagline, design various versions of your logo, create your custom brand patterns, social icons, Facebook cover and Instagram templates. We will also create an extensive brand style guide that will walk you through how to successfully implement your brand and include color formulas, typography style formats and other instructions for use. Once those primary elements of your brand are approved, we will move on to secondary collateral — email marketing template, business cards, notecards and launch graphics. If we are creating a website for you, you will use this downtime to get all of your content and images organized and ready for us.
If you are going through Strategic Brand Development, your files and usage instructions will be delivered, and it’s time for you to celebrate. If you are going through The Works which also includes custom website design, copy and launch, then keep reading.
Phase 4: Website Creation
Website creation begins as soon as your brand design is approved. Writing and design will be completed simultaneously so that each makes the other stronger and they cohesively work together (and allow you to launch your beautiful, new site much faster!). Once the design and copy is approved, development will officially begin, and you’ll have a live test site to view before approving it to launch.
Phase 5: Education + Celebration
After launch, we will have a live, recorded screenshare tutorial so that you know exactly how to update and take care of your site in the future. The beauty of a custom website is that we make whatever you need easily customizable based precisely on your needs. Then we celebrate your beautiful new site and share it with the world so that it can start attracting your ideal clients and bringing in the best of the best inquiries.
