- The redesign of the logo, packaging,
marketing materials, or website is finished.
The client loves the work, and insists
that you continue working together on new projects.
But there is one last hurdle.
The launch communications.
We touched on different ways to launch a redesign.
Getting buy-in from the in-house
and exterior audiences is critical.
Now, I know people say print is dead,
but in this instance, a smart and beautifully designed
launch publication, can make a huge difference.
It needs to be a physical object
that someone can hold and keep at their desk.
This creates a tighter bond than an email message.
Hye Jung-Sung design a successful suite
of launch communications for a proposed West Elm redesign.
The publication and posters are not a manual
for the logo or style guide.
They highlight the new and feel with examples and text
explaining the rational.
The work succeeds because it is not dogmatic or rigid.
It tells the viewer that the change
is easy to understand and use.
It also demonstrates how the new design can be utilized
on different media.
We take for granted that the viewer will be able
to look at a new design and see potential.
But most people need a little help
to envision what it could be.
Just as the launch materials are important,
a presentation communication has the same job,
but to a smaller group of decision makers.
Fazel Sayeh worked on a redesign for Bank of America.
The presentation included a printed book
that explained the new approach.
It had little text and relied on appealing
to the client's emotions.
Alluding to youthful games and thinking,
the reasoning for the redesign was clear,
it was time to imagine endless possibilities.
There are many ways to create excitement
around the redesign, but none of them are standards manuals.
The time of dropping a giant manual on someone's desk
and telling him or her to follow it are gone.
Today, the internal audience wants a sense of ownership,
and the external audience needs help understanding
why there is a change.
Once the launch materials are released,
or you've handed out a presentation publication,
remember, if everyone loves it, either they're lying,
or the solution is bland.
It's okay that some people
may not be enthralled by the work.
But in my experience, if the materials are light and fresh
with optimism and energy, it works pretty well.