Film design thinking: How you can use film techniques to improve your results
Being a self taught product designer, I’ve never had any formal training in the field and had to rely heavily on a mix of YouTube videos, design courses, marketing gurus, and flat out research. Why is that a problem?
In the world of internet learning, anyone with an opinion and limited knowledge can claim to be an expert in any field. They’re all competing for your attention and have to find the best means to do so. Making lists tends to work well in this format, and that’s why you see over and over again “someone with the secret techniques to be a better UX Designer”, or “the only 5 things you need to know as a digital marketer”. And you start asking yourself, “if there’s only one way to do it, why are there so many lists?”
Before I chose to start a digital marketing agency with my girlfriend, I was studying photography and film. This is a competitive field with a lot more history than the digital marketing and design fields and there’s a lot that you can learn about the process.
The first thing you learn about directing is nobody has the same process. Sure there are best practices and there is an actual process you need to follow to get your film made and funded. But the art of making a movie is different for everyone. Some directors write the script first, others build storyboards, and some have a different process depending on the project they’re working on. That’s the takeaway from all of this…
Nobody is the same! You’re an individual with specific skills, don’t let anyone tell you what process you should follow. With that being said, let’s contradict everything and tell you how I apply my filmmaking process to our projects.
“Film what you know” — Martin Scorcese
Your experiences are unique to you and your expertise is yours alone. Try to focus on what works for you in the digital marketing field. Some would say that this is finding a niche, and they’d be absolutely right. Find a field you’d like to laser focus your talents on. When you become an expert in something, selling it becomes so much easier. You know what prospect’s pain points are, and you value the solutions or products that your client is selling. You can make this project unique to you. And who can compete with that?
But, bills need to be paid. And it’s only right that you take anything that lands in your lap. So if you are handling a project you don’t know much about.
Strap in and be ready to do hours of research. Your client will thank you in the long haul and will more often than not understand if you tell them you need some time to learn more about their business, industry, and competitors in order to make their product or service stand out.
Start with the copy: Write the Script
Most films begin with a script, this is because people tend to lack imagination. They must see it in written form in order to understand what is happening. Start with the copy, whether it’s the client that gives it to you or someone else has to write it. Doing this step first helps you hone down on exactly what you are going to say with your project. You’ll be able to think only in terms of what your prospect wants to read, your words will be more strategic and allow you to focus on influencing decisions through your copy.
And as you start to write you begin to have an idea of what decisions you need to make in your design. Where things should go, how the user should experience it, what content to use, you’ll also begin to get your tone, and this will make the designing process flow later on. What do you think should come next?
Build your wireframes: Draw your storyboard
Once a script is finished, the usual step is to draw the storyboard. This helps your team decide the angles, lenses, blocking, and movement of the film. This is the design equivalent to a wireframe. Here a visual representation of the design starts to come to life. You begin to think in terms of user experience and can see how the product is going to move. Where the content will be placed. Here you can take your copy and focus only on the user experience. You’ll know what comes next and what leads to where. You can make your wireframe quickly because you know the copy. You are aware of the prospects’ needs and can influence the experience to achieve your overall goal without worrying about what comes next.
Brand Guidelines: Casting and location scouting
Now your film needs actors and locations. In the design process this is the brand guidelines. This is what’s going to shine in your design and make it a box office, oops, I meant success. Your brand guidelines help you set the tone, tell the message, and present the emotions of your product design. And just like the actors, this is what keeps people interested in the product. You know the tone based on your copy, you know the experience based on your wireframes, now make it pop. Next comes the fun part.
Design it: Start Filming
All major decisions have been made and everyone knows their roles. Timelines are now in full effect, and this is where it all comes to life. You know what content you want to use, you know the flow of the design, and you know what it’s going to say. Now you don’t need to worry about anything but letting your imagination roam wild. You built a strong foundation and anything at this point is straight up creativity. That’s not all.
And while you’re building the design, you or your team can start focusing on quality control. They can see things in the wireframe, copy, and brand guidelines with a different perspective now that they’ve had some time to let it sink in. Some things can change at this point but that’s okay, because just like directing, the performance is the most important thing.
Development: Editing Process
The design process is now finished and hopefully your client has approved it. This is where you make it a living, breathing product. Whether it’s a website, application, interface, or any other digital product. A design means nothing if you don’t execute it correctly. This is what every prospect will experience so it’s important that this stage is handled with care. Just like a poorly edited film, people will know something is wrong but not understand what it is. This causes frustration and everything you worked on to this point will be nothing but a hard lesson.
You need to take your time in this stage, find the best people you can if you’re not involved in this process and prepare for several corrections. It’s all part of the process, but if you do it right, you can now sit down and watch (or experience) your masterpiece take on a life of its own. Your client will thank you and your value will grow.
If you read the introduction to this article, you’ll know that it’s not about design thinking. It’s about who you are as an individual, and the strengths of your team. No one process is the same just as no one person is the same. This is what works for us and can be totally different for you.
What are some processes that work for you?
Anything you would do differently?
