The new year and second half of the Media Design MFA program begins with the Design Strategies and Motivation course. In the first week, we read several articles about Design Strategy and two chapters from George Felton’s Advertising: Concept and Copy. We also began a Strategic Development project for a fictional client: a Boxpark sushi shop in East Side Milwaukee.
The Value of Strategic Design
In the week 1 live session, Professor Bartley Argo encouraged us to dive deep into our research of sushi, East Side Milwaukee, and container park malls in order to create the brand. We need to understand what consumers want and why they want it. Argo noted that many companies will already have the business established before they come to a designer, but the design skills and strategies we are learning help build our value. Rosebrook (2017) reaffirms this, saying “A designer who spends time giving insights on how you can solve a business problem with a creative solution will ultimately help you position yourself as more than a pixel pusher.” These problem-solving skills are what separates designers from production artists.
Researching the Client’s Product
The first step of the Strategic Development project is to research the client’s product, in this case sushi. Argo recommended following four prompts from Advertising: Concept and Copy (Felton, 2013).
- If possible, use it: wear it, eat it, drive it, drink it, bathe with it, etc. Learn everything about the product firsthand by conducting primary research on YOURSELF as a consumer.
- Become its student, learn what’s in it, how it’s made, who makes it, how it works, what its history is, all those things. Learn about the different types of sushi and the history of its use in the USA.
- Find out what consumers think about the product. Talk to people like sushi chefs, food critics, and the average person who likes (or dislikes) sushi.
- Don’t just focus on your client’s product, learn about the category too. There are many different kinds of sushi prepared in different ways and served by different types of establishments. A wide knowledge of the category helps you find ways to differentiate the product.
Types of Competition
The second step of the Strategic Development project is to research the brand’s competition. Burstein (2012) refers to three types of competitors in the business world:
- Direct competitors: brands with similar products that are likely to be used if your client’s product did not exist.
- Indirect competitors: brand with similar products but a strong differentiation from your client or in another market segment.
- Replacement competitors: brands with very different products that are competing for the same customer’s time and money.
For this project we are focusing mainly on direct and indirect competitors, but it’s good to be aware of all aspects of your client’s marketplace.
References:
Burstein, D. (2012). Market Competition 101: The 3 types of competitors to keep an eye on. Retrieved from https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/competition-types-to-watch/
Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (Third). New York: W.W. Norton.
Rosebrook, D. (2017) What is Design Strategy? Retrieved from https://read.compassofdesign.com/what-is-design-strategy-497453c9d83a
Joshua Siegel's Mastery Journal 