Research Competitors- it is almost impossible to be the best if you do not know who you are up against. Be sure to research your competition and their competition. Sometimes you might not know someone is on your tail until you look behind ya. Even look at organizations that may be up and coming as well as organizations that have tanked. You can be encouraged and inspired by doing this process. By researching and finding who you are against, it strengthens your own game!
Communication Strategy- this is insanely important before just jumping right in and creating something. This is equivalent to brainstorming at the max level. You are using other’s ideas to fuel your own ideas. Seeing where other organizations did really well in their collateral materials as well as where they went wrong can help guide you to creating great work. Another good thing about having this strategy is that you have a starting point and hope to not stray too far away from this as well.
Inspiration- best thing to do for this is mood and inspiration boards!!! I can not tell you how much inspiration and guidance can come from a free website, Pinterest. I was a bit hesitant at the start, but after figuring out the SEO and buzz words, the inspiration came easy.
I used all three tips above to create a business card for my chosen organization. I think it is a little bland and basic right now, but I think this is a solid start to the process.
