The one concept method is almost exactly what it sounds like: a single concept. Those familiar with brand identity projects are most likely familiar with the delivery of multiple concepts to a client. After all, people love to make decisions, and here at MB-Creative, we love to make you happy. However, we’ve decided to move away from this traditional multi-concept approach, and here’s why:

The Old Way Things Worked

When a client goes to a professional (like us!) asking for help in creating their brand’s identity, they want the best possible service and outcome. The traditional approach has been to create several potential concepts for the client to choose from, but this has yielded many faults. For one, as stated before, client’s want the best possible service, not the best possible services. By being tasked with making more than one concept, designers are often not able to do their best, simply because they have multiple concepts to think about. Creating more than one concept that is captivating and that the client loves is easier said than done, and instead of channeling their best work into one design, it has to be channeled into three.

This leaves our designers feeling burnt out, and often not able to do their best creatively because their best ideas end up spread out over multiple concepts. Furthermore, if a client sees parts of different concepts that they absolutely love, you risk having to blend all of the concepts into one concept. And then you’re back at one, anyway. So why waste all that time making more than one? Finally, for those indecisive people who actually don’t love making decisions, this is just all the more stressful. I know I can be an indecisive person, and being presented with, say, three awesome concept designs, I would have no way of choosing. So, all of these factors have led us to:

The New (and Improved!) Way

I’ve found that by presenting clients with one, single concept instead of multiple, both the client and the designer are left way happier. Client’s no longer have to stress about the best direction for their brand to go in because the designer has already done that. This makes the client’s brand identity more clear and put together.

Why I Love the One Concept Method

By using the one concept method, I’ve found that there are fewer setbacks along the way. By presenting the client with multiple concepts, there was almost always a client asking for some sort of revision on their final concept. This revision was usually based on ideas from one of the alternative concepts, which takes us back to blending concepts and mixing and matching ideas. Furthermore, when a designer comes up with multiple concepts, ninety-nine percent of the time, there is one idea they like the most, or end up favoring in their design process. And if a client doesn’t choose this concept, then they are left working on an idea that they don’t truly love, which can make the task seem more of a burden.

I’m sure you have experience working on something that you had no interest in (we all have as academic students, at one point or another in our lives). Why make our designers go through this? Plus, forcing designers to frequently work on concepts that they don’t love can lead to burnout. The one concept method completely eliminates this, and ensures designers are working on concepts that they love. I love the one concept method because it allows and encourages creativity to truly flourish.

How it Works

I have all potential clients fill out a Brand Application so I can determine what their goals for their brand are, and if/how we can help them reach these goals. In the Brand Application, I ask the client to fill out statements like “My Mission statement is…” and “My vision statement is…” This ensures that I know exactly what the client wants, so that I can best fulfill this for them!

You can never overshare; however, please don’t make your request so rigid that there is no room for creativity! If we’re a match (and I hope that we are!), then we can move forward in the design process. I work with the client every step of the way, so that no part of their brand ends up being a surprise for them. As much as I like surprises, I don’t want a client to see a finished project and feel like it’s not right for them. So, I make sure that client is informed of every major decision that we make, and even some minor ones, too. I want the created concept to be fully representative of who they are, and what their brand is.

Additionally, I strive to be as clear and open throughout the design process as possible, explaining design choices and ensuring the client can envision their concept in action. A concept is no good if it only looks good on paper, and I want to make sure that the client knows how to fully utilize everything that I provide them with! I want to be accessible if the client has any questions, and most of all, I want the client to fully feel as though they have control over their brand.

Final Thoughts

So, to wrap things up: we, at MB-Creative, want to give you, the client, the best possible concept possible. We do that by only presenting you, the client, with a single concept that represents our best ideas and work. While you may be disappointed that you don’t get to choose, I promise that this will not make your final concept any less stellar. Plus, you still get a huge say in the design process, and if you don’t like how something is done or how something looks, you can totally change it! The sky is still the limit with what your future concept may look like, so don’t be afraid to head on over to the Brand Application to get started! I look forward to hearing from and working with you.