7/15/24, 9:30 AM Gmail - 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)

Márcio Pinheiro Costa <[email protected]>

🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)
1 message

The Design Scientist <[email protected]> Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 8:42 AM

To: [email protected]

Hey there!
Congratulations on reaching the final day of Think Like A Design Scientist!
We have one more lesson in store for you—and it is not to be missed!
Today’s email is a handy checklist that teaches you how to:
1. Figure out your design needs
2. Understand creative provider options
3. Select the right partner
4. Create a vision-aligning mood board
5. Create great work together
So far, we’ve discussed how to use design and branding to stand out and drive
meaningful business growth. The only aspect left to cover is how to actually implement
design in your company.
How do you find and work with a 10x design partner to turn your vision into reality?
That’s the focus of today’s email.
Here’s our checklist to help you land a top-notch design partner:
Step 1. Figure out what you need
Before searching for outside help, conduct a self-assessment to figure out what type of
design support would be the best fit for your needs and resources.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 1/6
7/15/24, 9:30 AM 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)
Gaining clarity on your requirements will make it easier to identify the right type of firm or
Gmail -

specialist.
Take stock of your needs, resources, and preferences
Consider factors like:
1. Budget - What can you afford to invest in a partner now and ongoing?
2. Thought Partnership - Do you want strategic guidance or execution?
3. Design System - Is there an existing system for a vendor to work within?
4. Project Scope - Is it well-defined or still fluid?
5. Team Integration - Should they interact with internal designers, engineers etc?
6. Development Resources - Can an internal team build what the vendor designs?
7. Communication Style - How much live interaction do you need?
8. Future Needs - Will you want ongoing work with this partner?
Gaining clarity on your requirements will determine which type of firm or specialist is
right for you.
From there…
Step 2. Understand your creative service provider options
There are four main tiers of design service providers to choose from:
1. Freelancer
2. Small Studio
3. Large Agency
4. In-house Designer
Every option offers unique benefits and considerations; understanding these common
categories will help focus your search.
If you are looking for the AI-assisted design agency to grow revenue, of course, there is
designscientist.com.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 2/6
7/15/24, 9:30 AM Gmail - 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)

In-house designer
Bringing design talent in-house makes sense when you have specific needs for an
integrated thought partner over the long term.
When to hire in-house
Consider adding in-house designers when:
You need help establishing design systems and processes from scratch
You want designers to be embedded into cross-functional product teams
You have substantial design needs across various specialties
You are rapidly scaling headcount and design can't lag
In these cases, having designers as internal team members translates to tighter
collaboration, alignment, and innovation.
Generalist vs specialist
Generalists are versatile designers who can own projects from research through
execution. As an early in-house hire, they:
Handle the full design cycle end-to-end
Work across various scopes as priorities shift
Take on diverse design challenges from day to day
Fill gaps based on business needs
Strategically assess problems before designing
Later on, adding specialists allows for deeper design expertise in key areas like brand
identity, data visualization, illustration, motion graphics, packaging, UX prototyping, and
more.
Recommendation: If you’re early-stage, prioritize versatility; specialists can come later.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 3/6
 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)
Step 3. Select the right creative partner
7/15/24, 9:30 AM Gmail -

Once you've identified a few candidates, here are some tips for making the right choice:
Get direct referrals from investors, colleagues etc.
Have an intro call to assess fit and ability
Carefully review portfolios for quality and relevant work
Look for glowing testimonials and social proof
Interview finalists thoroughly, especially about their process and comms style
Bring other stakeholders into the decision process
Don't drag it out - the best design teams get booked
Rushing decisions can backfire but so can endless deliberation.
Stay focused on your specific needs and let that guide your next steps.
Step 4. Create a vision-aligning mood board
Now that you've selected the right creative partner, the next step is aligning on aesthetic
vision. Do this by first creating a collaborative mood board showing examples of:
Inspiring creatives or campaigns
Fonts, graphics or illustrations you like
Color palettes that fit your vibe
Whatever visuals resonate with you
Benefits of visually enticing moodboards:
Requires you to visually articulate brand aesthetics
Sets clear creative direction to reduce iterations
Speeds approval cycles so you get compelling work faster
Prevents vague, subjective feedback like “make it pop more”
Including these examples gives your team and creative partners a glimpse into the
visuals in your mind’s eye so the output maps closer to what you imagined.
That way, you’ll:
Iterate less
Be less frustrated
Spend less money
Need some inspiration? Here are ​30 moodboard examples​with inspiring aesthetics.
Step 5. Create great work together
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 4/6
7/15/24, 9:30 AM 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)
Finally, once you’ve found a design partner and put together an inspiring mood board,
Gmail -

the most important part of the engagement is having a strong creative brief.
Write a detailed creative brief
A creative brief is your opportunity to align with your team on goals, budget, and scope.
It’s also useful to share a brief with vendor candidates during your search to make your
discovery conversations more efficient and use it as a basis for your project contract.
A creative brief should include:
Business and project goals
Moodboard
Success metrics
Key teammates, stakeholders, and decision-makers
Target audiences
Constraints (budget, deadlines, etc).
Deliverables
There’s no right or wrong way to structure a creative brief. But if you’re looking for
inspiration, ​grab a copy of Design Scientist's creative brief template​as a starting point to
help craft your own.
This is the same exact template we use with all of our clients at Design Scientist—it
works!
That’s a wrap on the Design Like A Design Scientist email course!
Well, we've reached the end!
I hope you feel equipped to get out there and find the perfect design partner for this
stage of your business. Don't forget to grab your creative brief template before you
head out.
And if you think Design Scientist sounds like an ideal match for your design needs, ​click
here to book a free 30-minute strategy sesson.

Our team would love to hear all about your vision and help make it a reality.
Wishing you all the success in the world.
Take care,
- The Design Scientist

P.S. Free gift 🎁

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 5/6
7/15/24, 9:30 AM 🔬 (Day 5) How to find the right design partner (try this experiment)
Over the past 5 days, you learned how to use design to grow your business.
Gmail -

To help you continue applying these lessons, we've compiled the entire course into a
handy Notion doc for easy reference.
Get it here: ​Think Like A Design Scientist (Full Course)​
We hope you walk away feeling empowered to make design a pillar of sustainable
business growth. The insights you need are now at your fingertips!

Thanks for reading!

If you're ready to learn more, schedule a free call with Design Scientist
If you're not enjoying the course you can unsubscribe here.
To change your email or preferences manage your profile.
113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/?ik=501abee17a&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1804645198238721099&simpl=msg-f:1804645198238721099 6/6