What are Stylescapes?

Do you have a design process that guarantees a particular level of success?

For us, our strategy relies on the utilization of Stylescapes.

Stylescapes are a carefully collected combination of key-visual, font, logo design, iconography, picture language and other media like web design, business cards, flyers, etc.

Stylescapes translating words into images. They assist to get both sides to agree on the design direction before you design anything.

We use Stylescapes mostly for every project. To help those patrons understand our design opinions, a stylescape is a chance to demonstrate to the patron how a brand will look and feel.

Keep reading if you aren't already incorporating Stylescapes into your design process. You're over the edge of discovering the real reason you and your clients always clash, in addition to how you can simplify your design projects going forward.

Know What Your Customers Want — Translating Words into Images

What is the number of times your clients tell you "this is not what I imagined?"

In a discovery session with a client, many things will stray in translation. They assert one thing, but you interpret it as something else entirely. 

You present the deliverable, however, and they don't seem to be interested. You will be asked to take on the same project again. Moreover, they'll do a little research themselves and suggest what you can do to support what they discovered. The edits, revisions, and last-minute adjustments continue, and you keep presenting new concepts, but you do not get anywhere. You’ve lost specialise in what this project is meant to be.

Then, you've gone beyond the scope agreed upon, the client is frustrated, and you're close to quitting. Is any of this sounding familiar?

Stylescapes are vital to agree on a direction. For the planning process, there is no transparency or exchange of ideas. If there's anything we've learned from working with clients, it's that they need to know where the planning process is going. 

You Should Find Out the Language of Your Client

Before going to the drawing board, you would like to figure out what your client means when they say "this isn't what I was picturing.". You don’t need a ball or some spell to step inside their brains. you would like to try to do something about your discovery process.

By asking questions, you slowly begin to understand what your clients mean, but you cannot get the full picture from just their words.

The reality is that you and your client do not speak the same language. You’re coming from a spread of perspectives as a designer, strategist, and problem-solver. you would possibly think you recognize quite your client in terms of the simplest direction for the project, but you don’t.

Certainly, they're looking to you for expertise and style, but their business is in your hands. Keep in mind that clients entrust you with something that will help resolve whatever dilemma they're facing.

You should make sure that you simply understand exactly what they mean when they say, "I just like the minimalist style," or "I love so-and-so's brand."

Stylescape "Platform" using core values Empower, Community, Quality

Stylescapes Let You Know What Your Clients Want

Stylescapes lets you decode your client's words. As opposed to returning from the invention session with a deliverable, you bring a Stylescape or two to essentially ask, "Is that what you were thinking?"

In stylescapes, the goal is to get the client to feel something once they see what lies ahead. Additionally, they play a role in helping establish the overall look and feel of the brand identity, digital product, music video, or whatever you're designing.

A stylescape offers the opportunity for you and your client to engage in a collision of ideas, providing both of you with a means for collaborating and communicating effectively. If he loves your Stylescape, your client can point to a specific element or the whole Stylescape and state that without hesitating.

As opposed to still guessing what their words and concepts sound like, you'll find images, colors, or typefaces that visually represent their ideas.

You can bridge the gap between what they assert and what they mean, get them to see what you see, and move forward with greater confidence.

Before You Begin Working, Make Sure You Get Approval

Additionally, you get a verbal confirmation that you and your client are on the same page. You know your project has a green light when the client asks for a Stylescape, confidently stating, "That's the direction I want to go," that is the green light.

Too often, designers try to read their clients' minds. There are times when they don't get a complete 'yes', which sets off a cycle of revisions, headaches, and lost time.

So let's be clear: we're not telling you to dictate the design process. It's quite the opposite. Our clients want to participate, as we discussed previously. The best way to ensure that their needs and concerns are heard is to allow them to voice their opinions. You will gain clients' trust more easily when your processes are transparent.

After showing sample designs of what the final product could look like, clients will be more excited about the final version. When you use Stylescapes, you receive design approvals faster, more clearly, and with greater confidence—before the design ever gets created.

Stylescape for "Jenna" a young professional dancer

Take a Look at the Difference Stylescapes Can Make

Imagine knowing exactly what your clients wanted, or being able to share your ideas with little friction. Avoiding extra work, staying on task, and staying within the scope. Just imagine having the freedom to do what you love without anyone stepping on your toes.

Fortunately, Stylescapes make this all possible. They fill that gap between the creative brief and the design work where information gets lost.

By working together to find the best solution, you connect with your client and don't lose sight of the project. Slowly but surely, you start to rely on your client or boss to tell you what to do without that visual reference.

It's important that you avoid running back and forth from the drawing board. It's pretty soul-crushing to become your client's puppet, if we speak from experience. The last thing a designer wants is to feel like they can't perform their jobs well.

You Can Make Your Design Projects More Profitable

Having a Stylescape doesn't mean clients will always agree that it's the one. Building Stylescapes is only one tiny part of the project.

Because it's not only a matter of turning your client's concepts into visual references, but also presenting them in a way that gets them on board. You need to be able to paint a vision that will inspire them to choose a direction they can feel good about.

By implementing this system, you'll stop guessing what clients want, present ideas confidently, and set up a repeatable process that guarantees success.

It's not just about making stylescapes look great; it's also about making them work. Using these resources and templates, you'll learn how to vividly describe your visual concepts and gain your clients' approval quickly. In contrast to waiting weeks for a fusion, you can do it almost immediately.

Stylescape for "Henry" the Sports physiotherapist

‍Work in a New Way with Stylescapes

Stylescapes can help you regain control over your design projects. By integrating Stylescapes into your creative process, you will land more rewarding work.

You no longer have to worry about endless revisions, last-minute tweaks, or dragging your projects beyond their scope. Neither you nor your clients will clash over design direction.

When you incorporate Stylescapes into your projects, you'll have a proven method that can help you exceed your customer's expectations, get design approval quickly, and demonstrate your capability as a designer.

You'll never work the same way again with Stylescapes. Are you ready to begin?