The Marmalade Method: Why I only deliver one concept to brand clients.

We’ve all seen the Fiverr ads: ”I’ll deliver you 50 logo variations in 24 hours with unlimited rounds of revisions.” This honestly sounds like hell on earth to me. I often wonder why designers do this to themselves, but it’s a result of hustle culture, desperation to find work as a freelancer, and the devaluation of art and design. Just because the tech bros on Upwork and Fiverr are doing it, doesn’t mean it’s the best choice.

When I first started working with clients, I was vaguely familiar with the One Concept Method. This method of design involves delivering one complete concept for clients to review and give feedback on. This is very different from the previous methods of “do a bunch of different things half-assed and see which one they like best”. I knew that I didn’t want to work myself into the ground; I just wanted to create quality designs for my clients that lit them up about their business.

You might be curious how this plays out with a client, and after testing it several times, I can confidently say it has been a BREEZE of a design process.

When you get shown several different concepts, you experience decision fatigue. What if you choose the wrong one?! What if you like part of one version, and another part of a different version…then you end up with another frankenbrand (ya know, a brand made up of a bunch of random parts).

Before I even start the design process, I do research. I gather information from you about your business and I do a deep dive into your industry. This lays the foundation for the brand direction we will be going.

After the research is done, I’ll put together two mood boards. Depending on which moodboard you choose will determine which concept we nurture over the next few weeks. You end up with a far more refined and cohesive brand identity this way.

I use a similar method when building a website. I lay out the content in a way that I think is best, showcase it to the client over Loom and let them give feedback about what they like or don’t like. This helps us quickly refine the parts that you want adjusted and continue to nurture the parts of it you loved without risk of mismatched website.

When you have a clear path, you end up with a clear goal. Streamlining my design process has been integral to client success and happiness. It’s also resulted in a huge weight off my own shoulders, no more drawn-out projects, and unlimited revisions. Just a highly-refined, deliciously good brand.

With The Marmalade Method you can celebrate your launch and your brand, not spend months in revision hell and bogged down with decision fatigue.

My clients have felt relieved and found clarity about their business by using the Marmalade Method to create their brand identity and web design! If you’re ready to drop the half-baked visuals and create a perfectly crafted brand identity, let’s have a brunch date. ☕️