Not everyone needs something fast, speed is a unique requirement of a unique circumstance and strategy.
If you’ve been online within the last 3 years, and have scrolled through Instagram, chances are you’ve stumbled across fast paced hustle culture. Either influencers promoting their work being high output, or agencies advertising being faster than the rest (I mean- we’ve done that!).
We live in a unique time, where as technology speeds up, so does consumer expectation of quality things arriving faster than before. And to a degree, this has pushed the design world considerably more forward. Cutting out inefficiencies and creating an overall better experience not just for the users on the end product, but for the businesses hiring these designers or studios as well.
But it doesn’t look like people are slowing down. In fact the churning of creative work for some studios only gets faster, with 48 hour branding and web in a weeks (hello again, we’ve done both). And these are not inherently bad, speeding up has its profound impact for businesses and unlocks challenges. However its benefit only comes to those with the wisdom to know when to speed up, and when to slow down. Not everyone needs something fast, speed is a unique requirement of a unique circumstance and strategy.
So what happens if you approach everything with a rush?
It gives you the power to move fast and deploy your brand quickly. It gives you the ability to focus on the output of your business and make topical creative decisions fast. This means the ability to get to market faster than competitors, and position yourself as an authority faster if executed well.
But fast does not always mean correct, or long-lasting. Fast simply means it’s fast, and when you can deploy quickly you can adapt quickly. Without the proper steps taken, fast usually means you’ll have to redo it again but it’s a bargaining chip most businesses understand. Testing and iteration become the pairing of speed. The decision comes at that exchange every time.
This doesn’t mean speeding is wrong, again, there is a time and place to execute as quickly as possible. Often though, businesses who are looking to speed their output in creative work forget the pair that comes with speed. Leading to fast, closed room decision making that results in low market acceptance and performance.
Proper time has its value. We are so used to doing things at an incredibly crescendoing speed in our lives we forget that taking the time that is needed is not bloated. It’s more efficient long term as you validate decision making properly.
Most people want to paint studios, designers and honestly any industry at this point as negative if they decidedly take the time needed to accomplish them. I want to share the benefits of taking proper time (notice I did not say more time, or slower time) in creative work. You’ll find this applies to most things in life.
Refreshed Eyes
Getting branding done in 48 hours is an incredible feat of modern creativity. Here’s what you don’t get with it though: a clean outlook a week later on your closed room decision making.
The decisions you make in a rushed timeline will inherently be different from the decisions made in a regular timeline. Refreshed eyes when looking at creative work is essential. Allowing you to reframe your decision making process, assess new things to adjust or to further validate a decision if solid.
If you’re in any business, chances are that when you sit on a decision for a week and assess it from a refreshed perspective, you make a more qualified decision or often tweak that decision making process to better fit into the current situation.
Researched & Tested Decisions
You simply cannot properly research and test in a rushed timeline. Which in design thinking models and principles, is kind of a cardinal sin.
Which means you have to add it later, research and test with your real market and adapt with it quickly. But most people doing fast work don’t follow up on this point. They give you your fast deliverable and then go away just as quickly, or worse, you the business owner are fine with not testing decision making processes.
Research and tests are what ensure you create proper market fit, and a brand or product that consumers actually love to use. What’s the good of being fast if it doesn’t really work, and you’ve only designed something that looks cool but doesn’t function?
Long Lasting Deliverables
Making space for the proper processes and decision making to deliver branding, design or any work ensures you create deliverables that last. It is really frustrating as a business owner when you spend money on something that ultimately has to constantly change.
While sometimes a real exchange of high moving industries, it doesn’t mean you have to be always rebranding, always refreshing and always redesigning.
Creating long lasting deliverables means these deliverables are adaptable and have the ability to be added to.
When you’re rushing, you simply don’t plan for the long term future for the business you work with.
Take Cracker Barrels branding disaster for example. While I cannot argue that they rushed it, I can argue that they did not make time for testing, research and market fit.
While you cannot predict the reactions of your audience, you can damn well make sure you are making validated decisions that won’t assault your consumers if you take your time and do things well.
If you needed any backing or validation this week to take the time needed to create incredible working things… this is it.
Do the required elements, follow design thinking processes & principles. And be unapologetic about it because you know that you are guiding your clients in the right direction.
And remember to be efficient with the time you have.
