Successful Project Kick Offs and Brand Workshops

At Giant Peach, our designers LOVE their first meeting with a client.

The heart of any successful project lies in these very first workshops – whether it’s a kick off for a website design project, or an immersive brand workshop that helps us to start to define your brand story, positioning and messaging.

Our approach is grounded in asking the right questions to unearth hidden gems, and using those gems as foundational pillars to drive the project forward.

How do we do it? Here’s how… 

The Power of Questions

From the very start, our favourite part of any project is getting to grips with the brief by asking a whole lot of questions. These aren’t just surface-level queries, but in-depth explorations into what the business stands for, its values, and its core beliefs.

This phase is crucial, because it helps us uncover small but significant pieces of information that could become the cornerstone for the entire project.

The Role of Brand Workshops

Brand workshops are designed to align diverse perspectives within the client’s team – and by diverse, we mean it!

By mediating these sessions, we ensure that every voice is heard, and the process remains democratic. This is particularly important in building a rapport and setting the project off on the right foot.

Our exercises are honed over years of experience and are crafted to build a relationship with the client, understand their business deeply, and uncover the motivations behind their long-term commitment.

Building Relationships

One key focus in a project kick-off session is breaking down the client’s business into pillars, in order to direct our thought processes and generate inspiration.

This helps with presenting a clear vision during the initial design rounds, which boosts the project’s momentum and builds the relationship with the client, by demonstrating our understanding of what motivates them.

When clients see their vision reflected in our ideas, it not only excites them, but also drives us to push boundaries even further.

Creating That Spark

When we align with the client’s vision and they see the potential in our approach, that’s when the magic happens. This synergy not only propels the project forward but also instils excitement and motivation on both sides. It’s about finding those nuggets of information that set the direction for the project, allowing us to align our ideas with the brand’s core pillars.

Getting Personal

Understanding why long-standing employees stay with a business or what attracts newcomers can reveal profound insights. These personal anecdotes and success stories often contain the essence of the brand, which we then weave into the project’s narrative. It’s these stories that give the project meaning and ensure that every design decision is rooted in the brand’s true identity.

Aligning Values

One of our favourite exercises during brand workshops is values alignment. We encourage clients to write down what they feel their values are and then group them together. Watching different team members, from various parts of the business, align on these values in real-time is incredibly powerful. It informs the direction of the project and ensures that the brand’s core values are universally understood and embraced.

Embracing Differences

Disagreements can be just as valuable as alignments. When team members from different levels or departments view questions from their unique perspectives, it sparks important conversations. This process helps in creating a well-rounded understanding of the brand’s personality and how it should be represented.

Customer Experience Mapping

A key tool in our arsenal is the customer experience map. This visual representation of a customer’s journey with the brand—from initial search to post-purchase advocacy—provides a clear picture of where improvements can be made.

By understanding how customers interact with the brand at various stages, we can identify pain points and opportunities for enhancement, ensuring a seamless and engaging customer experience.

Adapting and Evolving

It’s important to remember that these maps and journeys are not set in stone. As we move from conceptualisation to design, adjustments are made to reflect real-world interactions and feedback. This iterative process ensures that the final design is not only optimal but also practical and aligned with the client’s vision.

In Summary?

Our approach to project and brand workshops at Giant Peach is all about building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients. By asking the right questions, aligning values, embracing different perspectives, and mapping out customer journeys, our work resonates deeply with both the client and their audience. This process ensures that every project we undertake is rooted in a deep understanding of the brand, driven by insights, and designed to succeed.