Enterprises depend on agencies and agencies depend on set processes and recipes. That’s how Branding, Marketing, Design, and Campaigns work in B2C. The focus is on consumer products/services and agencies do it quite well. There’s no secret sauce for selling a Sauce and jingles, hoardings, and creative campaigns roll out in batches, as if from a production facility.
In the tech space, stakeholder speaks about technology, right from the project initiation, and the designers/developers/marketing team of the supporting partner gets lost in the process. This is what worries every CMO and his/her team who spend humongous efforts to explain what they need and then spend sleepless nights hoping the delivery is at par.
Ultimately, selecting a partner who is at par with what companies visualize and expect, becomes the biggest challenge. Technology companies should identify a partner who follows the following practices, for the collaboration to be a success.
Taking time to understand tech –
Few agencies take time to understand what the product/service is. Almost all jump into the task at hand. Both companies and agency partners should ask the questions that should be asked taking time to understand the objective. Clients don’t come up with the technology solution in just a day. Naturally, agencies won’t get 100% of the product in just one meeting either.
A team that knows the basics –
From the designer to the client servicing to the branding executive, your partner’s team should be a mix of those who have a basic knowledge of prevailing and popular technologies. Knowledge transfer and understanding of a product/service becomes easier atop a pre-established foundation.
No assumptions but questions –
A mistake almost every design team makes is refraining from communicating the challenges they face and working on assumptions instead. The practice here is to ask and clarify doubts, whenever they arise. From the client support team to the project manager, nobody says ‘No’ to addressing technical queries.
Unlearning and updating –
Human memory isn’t like a hard drive in that you easily wipe earlier data and add new items. Yet technological advances aren’t static either. Today’s trending tech may as well become tomorrow’s obsolete item. Unlearning them and knowing the basics of emerging tech becomes a necessary practice.
Understanding is the base of delightful storytelling and visual thinking. Once the partner understands the objective and the product/service, mapping the same to a compelling story and visual design becomes easier and more efficient. All that remains is the team’s competencies to kick into action and exceed the client’s expectations with the final delivery. TALKD understands these clauses and knows that this collaboration is important for the success of both the parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four key practices an agency partner should know when translating tech to design?
The four practices are understanding the tech, having a knowledgeable team, asking questions instead of making assumptions, and continuously updating their knowledge base.
Why is it important for an agency to understand the client's technology?
Understanding the client’s technology ensures that the agency can effectively translate complex technical concepts into compelling and accurate designs.
How does a knowledgeable team contribute to successful tech-to-design translation?
A team with a solid foundation in relevant technologies can grasp the client’s needs more quickly and create designs that accurately reflect the technical requirements.
What is the significance of asking questions during the design process?
Asking questions helps clarify any uncertainties, ensuring that the design team fully understands the project’s requirements and can deliver a product that meets expectations.
Why is continuous learning and updating important for design agencies?
Technology evolves rapidly, and staying updated with the latest trends and advancements allows agencies to provide innovative and relevant design solutions.