We are Communication Designers
As a continuation of my previous post discussing the set up done by Julian Cole around the roles and expectations of a brand planner vs a comms planner, I had another brainwave just now while in the shower as I recalled what happened when i was trying to express my opinions to another planner on what her brief should be for, and would look like.
(this must be how my bosses felt sometimes when they explain things to be at the beginning.)
The way I see it, advertising is all about communications in a manner that will make you DO things (mainly buy, but also for example, stop smoking).
As an agency, we would ideally as a collective come up with
- what to say
- how to say it
- where to say it at
Naturally, the role of the planner (still trying to figure this out, you see) is to pinpoint WHAT to say. This is where the strategy comes in - finding out the problem (not necessarily the biggest), and the solution (the most effective) to get around it in the most efficient manner. And one could argue that that is the most important step in the process because if you find the wrong problem to solve, you're not really solving anything at all.
Now that's a known. But bear with me -
What I would like to propose is that instead of being a dedicated brand planner or a comms planner, we could be communication designers.
OK, this mainly stems from the fact that 'planner' as a title really sounds as if we are walking around with calendars in our heads and hands trying to 'pencil things in' like a secretary. It does not speak of the creativity, the logic, and the consultancy advice that the role requires. Ironic that the very people that try to help clients with image problems have an image problem themselves in the name!
What I like about the title of 'communication designer' is that it is quite specific to the job - we are in the business of communications, that of which is advertising - yet it retains an air of creativity and meaningful and thought-out craft with the word 'design'. We are however NOT visual designers, who do communication. No. It's the other way around.
Now then with a new swanky title as communications designer - the next thing I would like to propose is for that CD to look after everything. Before you go "jack of all trades..", I would like to say of course figuring out what to say is still the most important (hence client/category/consumer insight). But I don't think we should ignore how to say it and where to say it at, if an insight or idea comes creatively in the manner, or from a user channel behavior end. As a designer, we should be able to craft out the message from start to end, even if we do leave room for creative expression and amplification.
We need to be the ones ensuring that the communication is on track, that it reaches the right audience, and makes the most impact to bring in the most sales/change.
Now who's with me on throwing away all those name cards and making new ones?
(this must be how my bosses felt sometimes when they explain things to be at the beginning.)
The way I see it, advertising is all about communications in a manner that will make you DO things (mainly buy, but also for example, stop smoking).
As an agency, we would ideally as a collective come up with
- what to say
- how to say it
- where to say it at
Naturally, the role of the planner (still trying to figure this out, you see) is to pinpoint WHAT to say. This is where the strategy comes in - finding out the problem (not necessarily the biggest), and the solution (the most effective) to get around it in the most efficient manner. And one could argue that that is the most important step in the process because if you find the wrong problem to solve, you're not really solving anything at all.
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| Great article (and source of pic) on digital 'strategy' |
Now that's a known. But bear with me -
What I would like to propose is that instead of being a dedicated brand planner or a comms planner, we could be communication designers.
OK, this mainly stems from the fact that 'planner' as a title really sounds as if we are walking around with calendars in our heads and hands trying to 'pencil things in' like a secretary. It does not speak of the creativity, the logic, and the consultancy advice that the role requires. Ironic that the very people that try to help clients with image problems have an image problem themselves in the name!
What I like about the title of 'communication designer' is that it is quite specific to the job - we are in the business of communications, that of which is advertising - yet it retains an air of creativity and meaningful and thought-out craft with the word 'design'. We are however NOT visual designers, who do communication. No. It's the other way around.
Now then with a new swanky title as communications designer - the next thing I would like to propose is for that CD to look after everything. Before you go "jack of all trades..", I would like to say of course figuring out what to say is still the most important (hence client/category/consumer insight). But I don't think we should ignore how to say it and where to say it at, if an insight or idea comes creatively in the manner, or from a user channel behavior end. As a designer, we should be able to craft out the message from start to end, even if we do leave room for creative expression and amplification.
We need to be the ones ensuring that the communication is on track, that it reaches the right audience, and makes the most impact to bring in the most sales/change.
Now who's with me on throwing away all those name cards and making new ones?
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