In design, creativity and project success really can’t be separated
Google “successful projects” or “project success,” and the vast majority of results will cover processes and steps to follow in order to manage a successful project. Here at Après, however, creativity and project success go hand-in-hand.
We can’t think of a single project here that didn’t have creativity or innovation at its core.
While there are best practices when it comes to design, marketing and branding, our projects simply won’t succeed if we use a cookie-cutter approach. Each client, each brand and each campaign needs a big dose of creativity to take it from functional to fabulous.
Think Beyond A to B
While a consistent approach to our design process does help us get from Point A to Point B, it’s those moments of crazy inspiration or off-the-wall ideas that really take a project to the next level. We veer off track, explore a tangent, and Boom! Sometimes the boom results in a fantastic new approach and sometimes it sends us back, literally, to the drawing board. Either way, it sparks us to think about the end goal in a new light, which ultimately results in a more satisfying end product.
If you focus too hard on a linear path between points, you might complete the project — but you might also want to dump the end result in the garbage.
Creating a message, and visuals, that speak to people at a deeper level means we can’t get too wrapped up in thinking “project completion” means “project success.” To us, it’s only a success if it sings.
Creativity and Disruption
In a piece for Fortune, Kathy Bloomgarden talks about some of the most famous “disrupters” in business today:
“Just look at the companies that have gotten ahead: They’ve ingrained creative thought as part of their inner fabric.To be successful, you need to think differently and look at the world through a new lens. Who would have thought that GM and Ford would find Google to be one of their fiercest competitors? Or that a young interior designer who couldn’t afford his rent could go on to become the founder and CEO of Airbnb, thereby completely reinventing the hotel industry? All businesses need to look to marketplace disruption and to the possibility that game-changing innovation could completely alter their world.”
In the design and marketing business, we’re not creating the next must-have tech gadget or life-changing app, but we still have the power to disrupt how audiences think about a target industry (multifamily, in our case). We don’t simply apply a tried-and-true formula to each new logo, website or marketing design. When we apply creativity and veer away from the expected, potential renters are more likely to stop and take notice.
So, in our world, we’re trying to disrupt old thinking. We’re challenging a target audience to consider what it really means to rent an apartment. We’re helping them see each multifamily property as a pathway to community and the lifestyle they seek.
It’s not about four walls and a lease anymore: It’s about identity.
Examples from Our Work
The examples below illustrate some of our “Boom!” creative moments that led to disruptive approaches to marketing design. Of course, these breakthroughs hinged on collaborating with clients who are themselves innovators and creative thinkers.
Parc Mosaic
The Parc Mosaic name was chosen to reflect the thoughtfully planned green spaces throughout the community as well as the diversity of residential living choices that assembles into one modern and luxurious living experience.
We were delighted to partner with the architects and developer for the Parc Mosaic. Our early involvement allowed us to synchronize the brand with the physical structure and smartly position it with the City of Boulder. Given the green aspects of the property, we leaned heavily on the original designer, Mother Nature, to inspire the refined and modern mosaic pattern. The classic yet current font communicates the upscale/refined tone of the community.
Sugarmont
Located in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood, the Sugarmont development is surrounded by expansive parks, a fierce buy local attitude and ridiculously easy access to Utah’s ski destinations. This luxury project will deliver the premiere living destination with deluxe amenities and easy access to the best of Utah’s outdoor lifestyle.
The Sugarmont icon’s stripe was directly influenced by the three-dimensional wood slats that served as inspiration for the interior design concepts. The top replicates the valley of the “M” while the bottom curve follows the line of the “S” in the wordmark. The juxtaposition of the angular and curved form create interest and movement through the icon.
When that kind of creative collaboration begins to take shape, it’s an invigorating experience. We move so far beyond the A-B-C steps of managing and completing a project in these moments that we have a blast clocking into work each day. Creativity fuels us.
To learn more about our approach to multifamily marketing and design, contact us.
