Let’s not forget it’s a craft.

In a “yeah, we can do that, whole site in just 3 weeks” type of world…it’s nice to get a somewhat sane time frame and deliver some real craftsmanship back to the client. Once in a while take your hand off the sausage machine and show the client, your team and yourself, that “damn, this feels good and we’ll show you” type of thing. A wise man named Christian over the past year or so has really re-ignited my love for “the presentation”. Whenever I get the opportunity (and the time) I love to present the client with something they can walk away with. Something that archives the journey to that point..it usually allows them to see where were going. Whether it’s an identity, website or whatever, why not give them something honoring the work. Let’s not forget it’s a craft…what we do.

I an era of creative presentations via powerpoint and phones or web ex meetings. I ‘ve even heard of presenations that are “un-manned”. That’s why powerpoint has that crazy record feature. The craft of the communication and presentation of ideas is not lost one..if I am to be involved. Be it elaborate or simply well thought through in terms of archival components…I see them as attempts to honor this craft.

Recently I have worked on few projects that had some wonderful craft traits to them. Education.com for one. A relatively fast moving project but very inspirational because of the folks we were working with. This essentially web MD for educational information had a detailed and complicated journey. At the end of a detailed and very interactive presentation. The client was presented with a documentation of that journey. This document was the culmination of the findings of a full brand exercise combined with first round identity directions resulted in a take home composition book. That drove home the greater idea of who they will be…and reminded them of those who helped get them there.

More recently a project for a web-service start-up with evite and myspace type of approach to the serious business of creating memorial sites for departed friends and loved ones needed an identity. Everyone on this project has experienced a death in the family or of a friend. We all knew this presentation had to be something from within us. In this instance, we wanted to not only reveal new identity directions but also let them see how impacting this service and its promise to the world could be. The result? A box of honor…with inset plates and chaptered stories setting up each mark retold the story from the presentation.

In both these instances story telling and craft really help sell the design and make our jobs as creatives not only easier, but more successful. At a bare minimum when I present the hard work of myself and the rest of my team (you know…the craft)…I want to do it justice. We as creatives on projects are often closer to the problems than our clients are during the design process and therefore more apt to see pitfalls and opportunities them anyone else. We all make decisions in this closeness. Those decisions are the parts of the story I need and want to re-tell. Those efforts deserve to be honored., and the clients should hear them. So next time, take the time for some set-up, build in some theatre and suspense. Your clients won’t forget you for it. Let’s not forget it’s a craft.