Image: Via dezeen.com, design by NotOnSunday agency.
Most likely you are participating in a local organisation or club when you are not at school or work. This local organisation could be a sports club, political organisation, scout association, hobby related group and so on. These organisations are often voluntary and do not pay their members any money. The participants get involved because of their interest and passion for the cause. Within these organisations, many different people from different backgrounds come together. This leads to an interesting mix of skills and characters, however it is often the case that within the organisation no member has a background in design or design management. Which is difficult, since the organisation could have a lot of design problems or areas where creative problem solving is needed. The solution for these organisations is to outsource everything related to design, for example getting a graphic designer to create the logo or a web designer to create a website. Therefore, the optimal solution would be to have a design manager in the organisation or at least try to implement design management in the organisation. You do not know how? Well, here are 4 steps you should take to implement design management in your local organisation.
Step 1: Analyse the Status Quo
If you are eager to change certain characteristics of your organisation, do it, but make sure everyone agrees with your plan. Organisations like these can often be old and therefore may not be open for a change. Speak to the president of the organisation or when you are the president speak to your members. It is important that everyone is keen on having a change in the organisation, otherwise you will find yourself struggling in the implementation of the change. Attributes of the organisation such as the logo, the club house, the website and even the social media page can have sentimental value for members, so do not change it without approve. If members of the organisation are not receptive of your planned change they will confront you or leave the organisation, which will create a tense atmosphere. When you analysed the situation and you are sure that everyone is keen for a change you can get started with your project.
Even though you might only plan to change a social media platform of the organisation, it is important to know the organisation’s heritage. Where does it come from? What is the core of the organisation? Who is in charge of the organisation? Is there any history related to the organisation? Any anecdotes? And if you know the answers to all of these questions you have an accurate impression of the organisation’s culture. This impression is important because you do not want to miss important information that you have not known before.
Two important factors you need to include in your status quo analysis is whether it is a long or short term solution and whether there are competitors for your organisation. In this context competitors are meant to be organisations with a similar or same agenda. For example as a football club you have many other clubs which pursue the same interest. Here you want to assure that you do not copy design ideas directly from your competitors to prevent confusion in the community and to ensure your uniqueness.
Step 2: Apply project management methods
When your organisation plans an event or has a big project coming up, try to implement a project management tactic in order for the project to run smoothly. Planning your project is key for success and you should invest a lot of time in doing that. Here is a rough outline for the planning process:
- Identify your project.
- Define goals and objectives.
- Define tasks.
- Build your team.
- Be aware of any obstacles for your project.
- Create a timeline.
- Get Feedback on your plan.
- Adjust your plan accordingly.
After you carefully planned the project you will be able to start it strong and confident. Now, it is important to keep the project on track. Frequently check on your project and assure that the time management is accurate. Communicate with the people involved in the project and listen to what they are saying, be flexible! Furthermore, if they get lost, try to provide them direction and help them to get back on track. Adress problems before they occur, so try to detect obstacles early and eliminate them. Finally, celebrate achievements on the way to the final goal. The people involved will stay motivated and will be working towards success. (due.com, 2016)
Step 3: Create a marketing plan
A marketing plan is not just necessary for companies that sell products and services, it can also be used in a non-profit organisation. The goal here is not to increase sales numbers but to increase engagement with the target group. If your marketing strategy is solid and meaningful you may find yourself acquiring new members, sponsors and fans for your organisation. Additionally, your reputation and engagement with your target group will increase. Here is a simple manual to create your marketing plan:
- Get an overview of the organisation’s current situation (SWOT).
- Define who you want to target.
- Make a list of your marketing goals (For example: increase in social media engagement by 20%).
- Set the budget for your marketing activities.
- Research marketing tools and choose the right media platform.
- Discuss it with a responsible person or other members of the organisation.
(entrepreneur.com, 2020)
The marketing plan is created and the next step will be to come up with creative solutions for the marketing campaign. This should be easier now, because you know the current situation of your organisation and you know who your target group is. Additionally, do not hesitate to see what your competitors are doing for their marketing strategy. Get inspired by other’s work, but do not copy it. Take what ever inspires you and translate it into the organisation’s language and implement it into a creative solution.
Step 4: Treat your organisation as a brand
Although your local organisation is not your full time job and it does not pay your salary, you can still take it serious. The contribution of the organisation to the society may not be monetary but may be altruistic, cultural, traditional, entertaining and much more. This is why you should treat your organisation as a brand. Your target group has a perception of your organisation’s presence and all the touch-points it has. Your logo is one of your touch-points and it should be memorable and most important recognisable. Develop a tagline alongside your logo, which captures the essence of your brand, is memorable, catchy and meaningful. Your organisation’s communication should be consistent in its visuals and also in the way information is provided. Use templates and create guidelines in order that all members use the same communication design. Be true to what your brand stands for and make sure you deliver your brand promise. Otherwise it may happen that your target group may not be fond of your organisation anymore or that they will stop referring you to someone they know. (entrepreneur.com, 2020)
If your organisation has some sort of billboard or display for a short or long term solution, check that the logo is on it. This may seem clear, but remember that you can attach your logo anywhere. For example if you prepare a goodie bag for the winners of your soccer tournament that your organisation runs, put your logo on it. If you have a big meet & greet with fans of your organisation get pins for them and put your logo on it. If your scout association wants to sell cookies, put your logo on it. Hopefully you get the idea and you will always remember to put your logo on it.
Case Study: UK Scout Association
The London based design agency NotOnSunday has created a new elevated identity for the UK Scout Association. This project is part of a five year plan that the UK Scout Association created. The project was intended to shake off the old fashioned image and bring clarity and focus to the organisation. However, the strong links to its heritage were retained and the core message was not lost. Additionally the tone of voice, fonts and colours appeared more contemporary and made for digital use. The people involved always kept in mind that the look has to feel very friendly and approachable, because the UK Scout Association is such a big organisation and a lot of different people are involved.
This scouts association is the biggest in Europe and it apparently has enough resources to hire a design agency to work for a project. But this example is not relevant because of the outsourcing of the design, but the big change that the organisation was willing to make. Especially a very heritage based organisation, which was founded in 1907. This example should clarify that there is a possibility for change in a local organisation and that it can lead to an improved brand identity.
Conclusion
By analysing the current situation and having the motivation to change something in your organisation you already took the first step. But remember to always include other members of the organisation to maintain good communication and ensure that nobody feels excluded. Furthermore, check that every member of the organisation is in favour of a change, otherwise you will struggle to push your ideas and obstacles will occur. If your organisation is planning a big event do not hesitate to use project management tools in order for the event to run smoothly and use a marketing plan in case you want the event to be promoted. Additionally, try to treat your organisation as a brand, that way a lot of opportunities could come your way.
Whether you are a member of a sports club, scout association or a comic book club you will most certainly find a way to implement design management in your organisation.
Sources
Armin, 16 May 2018, New Logo and Identity for the Scouts Association by NotOnSunday
Entrepreneur Staff, 2020, Use these 5 steps to create a marketing plan.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/299487
Morris Ali, 24 May 2018, Scouts’ new visual identity designed to diversify membership
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/24/uk-scouts-new-visual-identity-notonsunday-design/
Rampton John, 26 January 2016, How to manage a project from start to finish.
https://due.com/blog/how-to-manage-a-project-from-start-to-finish/
Williams John, 2020, The basics of branding
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77408
I first want to mention what you can improve, because people always remember the last things said and I want that to be my positive feedback as there is much more of it.
So, to start with, I think you could be more concise in some parts of the blog. Sometimes you seemed to repeat yourself a bit or write sentences that could be shortened without taking away from their meaning.
Furthermore, I think that the intro could be rewritten into a more direct way. You start with a sentence that addresses the reader, but then you change to writing about “these organisations” and in the last sentence you get personal again. If the intro was written in this direct way that you kept up throughout the rest of the post as well, then it would be perfect.
Let’s have a look at the positive side:
Other than my criticism above, I really like you intro. You set the stage for what is to come.
In the first part you raise very important points such as keeping the traditions of a club in mind when introducing change in order to not violate the clubs values / lose exactly what makes the club special
The second part offers a clear and valuable guide on how to implement proper project management into any organisation.
In step 3 I completely agree with you when you suggest a club or non-profit organisation to create a marketing plan and I think that is often overlooked. It is a powerful tool that allows even small clubs to achieve their goals in a more efficient way. It may be because people don’t take it serious enough or just don’t know better.
This leads us directly to step 4 where you hit the nail on the head with this sentence: “Although your local organisation is not your full time job and it does not pay your salary, you can still take it serious.“ Even putting in just a little effort into design and design management related activities can pay off big time for organisations that did not do anything of that sort before.
I want to quickly throw in another key takeaway from step 4: put your logo on everything.
Finally, as a former scout myself I really appreciate your case study with the UK Scout Association. It serves as a perfect example for your post. I can only confirm that the scouts, a global organisation with over 31 million members, have a wealth of traditions which need to be protected. Given that the UKSA made the rebranding a five years long project shows that they do understand the importance of it and undermines your recommendations.
To conclude, your post is very well structured and gives a great step-by-step guidance. I immediately thought of clubs I know or am a member of and tried to relate their approach to your guide.
You write in a very reader-friendly style which I think is ideal for a blog post. The direct way you address the reader with gives the post a personal touch. Well done!