My Creative Process: The 4 E’s - Evolve
Part 4/4
Evolving the Creative: Learning and Growing
In the previous posts, I spoke about the first steps of the creative process: Evaluating, exploring, and executing. Now it's time for the interesting part: Evolving the Creative. This is where we learn from what we've done and make things even better.
The Power of Data
Let's say you're creating different versions of a social media post. You can test each version to see which one gets the most likes, comments, and shares. By analysing the data, you can understand what resonates with your audience and make smarter choices for future posts.
Don't Be Afraid to Experiment
The best part about this stage is that you get to try new things, don't be afraid to step outside the box. Experiment with different colours, styles, and messages in your marketing campaigns and blog graphics. You might be surprised at what you discover! Sometimes its looking at the colour of call to action and running it against another colour you think might work to see which performs better. The results can dictate change and help the creative evolve into something stronger. For example during my time at Animal Friends we had green call to action on the website and on some digital ads, we tested the same ads with the same audience but with hot pink call to actions, #ed1277 to be exact. The results were really interesting, the conversion rate was much higher on the hot pink call to actions so that test made an impact on future creative. The hot pink was more on brand and there was a data to back up a creative decision so I was really happy with this evolution. The hot pink call to actions are still used today.
Building Your Creative Toolkit
Every time you create something successful, you're adding a new asset to your creative toolbox. These winning ideas become your secret weapons for future projects. You can reuse what works and build on it to make even better things next time. These can be illustrations, photos that have performed well in A/B tests. Whenever I create a blog post I copy and paste any assets I like the look of into the toolkit and sometimes a design system. It helps the brand evolve and also is a really helpful file to give to any freelancers or new starters that you work with on projects.
Considerations
Brand evolution requires careful consideration of several key factors. It's crucial to maintain core values, preserving the fundamental principles and unique selling points that define the brand. Losing sight of the brand's origins and the trust built with audiences should be avoided. Change should be implemented gradually, allowing for incremental updates that prevent alienating loyal customers and facilitate a smooth transition. Finally, a clear communication strategy is essential, ensuring that the brand evolution is communicated effectively to customers through various channels to manage expectations and foster understanding.
The Bottom Line
Evolving your creative isn't just about finishing a project. It's about learning, growing, and constantly improving. By paying attention to what's working and what's not, you can create amazing things that truly connect with your audience. This is one of the main reasons why I prefer to working as an in-house designer because you’re working on a project for the long term and you can often see how your ideas perform.
Conclusion
So there you have it – the four Es of my creative process: Evaluate, Explore, Execute, and Evolve. From understanding what works to pushing boundaries, putting ideas into action, and then refining everything based on real-world results, this cyclical approach keeps the creative engine running. It's a continuous loop of learning, doing, and growing, ensuring that every project, every campaign, and every idea is the best it can be. I hope sharing this process has given you some insights into my approach and maybe even sparked some inspiration for your own creative journey.