Are We There Yet?

Imagine that the design process is a car, a very large car, packed for a vacation to an incredible destination – we’ll call it “Brand Land.” In the front seats are your designers, driving and navigating the way to Brand Land. You are comfortably in the backseat, enjoying the ride, playing the ABC sign game, and helping out with the navigation when mommy needs a nap. Though, after a time, you start getting restless and thus begins the inevitable refrain, “are we there yet?”

Anyone who has travelled with children of a certain age will recognize this scenario. What’s funny is that in the world of design, we designers experience a very similar situation. The branding process can be an arduous one – sometimes there isn’t a rest stop for miles and the truck stop snacks can wreak havoc on your tummy – and sometimes the client gets restless. We understand the frustration, but we want to help you to enjoy the journey (as opposed to squirming in your seat).

The thing you have to remember is that branding and design is a process and one that differs from job to job, client to client. This is why we never give a timeline. When you ask us, “how long will this take,” the truth is we don’t know. We can give you a rough estimate, but design projects are organic and depend on a number of variables (remember variables from algebra? yeah, kind of like those), so the exact time is never set.

You should also consider is that you hired a designer for a reason. You want professional work. Professional work isn’t necessarily fast, but it should be of the highest quality. If you’re working with us, then you know that we aren’t a fast food chain – no frozen, griddle-grease burgers with spongy tomatoes and limp lettuce here – so the timeline may not be as fast as you had hoped. We understand your excitement (and believe us, we are excited too), but rest assured that at the end of this trip, the time you’ve waited is going to be completely worth it. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Remember: half the fun of any journey is getting there.