Communication Design

 

I need to communicate something!

Multi-disciplinary teams are critical for creating effective marketing communications that truly speak to your customer. That’s why Machteld Faas Xander believes in getting the right people involved from the start.

MFX applies our Design Thinking method that focuses on customer needs, by mixing practical and creative ways of thinking (left and right brain), by incorporating all ideas from all stakeholders and by making sure all needs are met, which leads to a final marketing message that your customers can relate to.

Our extensive experience allows us to offer a full range of Communication Design services, including:

 

Brand Identity

Description: Brand identity is a rigorous process involving research, strategic thinking, design, and project management—throw in a whole bunch of patience, the ability to make vast amounts of information translate visually, and the determination to make it perfect and you’ve summed up MFX’s process for identifying brands. Remember: When you are brainstorming there are no stupid ideas.

Steps:

  1. Examine brand goals and target market needs
  2. Develop a timeline.
  3. Determine the team.
  4. Examine needs of client as a team.
  5. Examine competitor brands/companies as a team.
  6. Brainstorm in smaller groups using job mapping.
  7. Organize names in categories and identify a larger theme as a group.
  8. Explore variations on each theme in smaller teams.
  9. Search for existing trademarks and conflicts.
  10. Cross reference for negative language and cultural connotations.
  11. Conduct contextual testing by putting in ads, headlines, business cards, company letterhead, etc.

 

Logos

Description: At Machteld Faas Xander we believe that logo design must integrate meaning within visual form. That’s why we examine hundreds of ideas before focusing on a final choice to ensure the longevity of the design for both the client and the audience.

Steps:

  1. Because we have multiple designers, MFX often asks each designer to develop a uniquely different concept and positioning strategy behind their logo design.
  2. During this process, the designers will put various sketches up on the walls around the MFX office for discussion.
  3. Everyone takes part in the critique and refinement of the designs, questioning everything from possible negative connotations with competition, culture,
    other companies, until a single, sustainable logo emerges. 

 

Print—Brochures

Description: Brochures are an extension of your company’s identity. They invite readership and increase brand recognition because they present one, consistent, cost-effective and user-friendly marketing tool to your customers so they can understand and buy your products and/or services.

Steps:

  1. Examine client brief—goals and functional needs of the client.
  2. Design a brochure that anticipates future change.
  3. Sketch and design cover.
  4. Write copy that gives customers a call for action (i.e., sales contact, website, email, etc.).
  5. Select typeface family.
  6. Select artwork (i.e., photography, illustration, etc.).
  7. Determine brochure size, printer and paper. 

 

Web

Description: The best websites understand and respect users. How? By respecting the needs of the customer and offering up an authentic brand identity for them to explore on their own terms. At MFX, we design websites with reader needs, goals, and authentic brand and clear messaging at the centre of every aspect for a positive user experience.

Steps:

  1. Set goals.
  2. Establish project team.
  3. Identify audience and key messages/positioning.
  4. Sketch out rough site map/plan.
  5. Define the site structure with content, not screen design.
  6. Write copy and plan editorial schedule.
  7. Proofread and sign off on copy.
  8. Create visual site design/interface.
  9. Integrate media and test prototype.
  10. Development stage (data integration, static/dynamic, content management, security, etc).
  11. Site launch, promotion and maintenance. 

 

Video

Description: The most powerful videos hit the viewer where it’s most relevant to them, with the power of thoughtful suggestion—while letting them draw their own conclusions based on needs, wants and experience.

Steps:

  1. Identify client goals. Ask: Who is the target audience for your promotional video? What will be the tone of your promotional video?
    How do you want the video to encourage viewers? How long do you want the video to be (i.e., promo web and mobile videos should be less than three minutes long).
  2. In the pre-production phase, the video script is written first.
  3. Client approval and revision of the script (this step can have many revisions).
  4. Once the script is approved, storyboarding will lay out how the video will look—including mapping out each frame of the video.
  5. Voiceover talent is selected and recorded at a professional sound recording studio.
  6. Video animation and shooting happen concurrently.
  7. Video editing takes place and all titles, music and images are added to the video in the editing studio. 

Portfolio
Take a look at some of the video work we’ve done for clients like > RIM, 17Muscles and Canlyte.

 

Environment

Environment Portfolio
Description: A retail store, a jazz bar, a luxurious spa—you better bet business owners know the success of branding their environments as well as their products and services. MFX knows that stimulating customers starts with understanding the experience they most desire from a business. We have collaborated with interior, lighting and structural designers to create a memorable space made especially for customer experience.

Note: Customer research understands the needs, habits, preferences, and ideals of the target audience while competitive research is conducted to understand successes and failures. The aim is to brainstorm and create a customer experience that supports the company brand. The space should consider and support all aspects of customer service, customer traffic, product displays, operational needs and sales, and also the comforts of lighting, temperature and environmentally-friendly products and textiles whenever possible.

Steps:

  1. Primary research and any online research is conducted and collected.
  2. Statistical, demographic and qualitative research is interpreted.
  3. The team explores the qualitative research to shed insight on customer values, beliefs, feelings and buying behaviour.
  4. In-depth one-on-one interviews are conducted with senior management and top customers.
  5. Focus groups are selected and conducted.
  6. The team explores the competitive research—industry and earnings, etc.
  7. Usability and segmentation testing—human factor and demographic tests of the specific environment are conducted using more
    focus groups if necessary.     

 

Market Research—Personas

Description: With each and every customer persona developed by MFX, we use every tool at our disposal to gather, evaluate and interpret data affecting customer preferences to determine the values, opinions, preferences and behaviour at the heart of the buyer’s decision-making process.