Where do we start?
Able Studio’s clientele includes titans of traditional industries, government agencies, and clients that tailor to a specific target audience such as arts and culture event promoters. Projects hoping to reach a broader audience require more time and effort to nail down their marketing approach since it is more difficult to find a common denominator for a greater number of people and vice versa.
Each client has their unique taste and requirement and it’s naïve to think that two clients would accept the same design. Able Studio usually kicks off the drafting phase by having our clients take an aptitude test, and no, we’re not interviewing our clients to see if they’re a good match to Able Studio; the aptitude test will tell us how attuned our clients are to color and design, so we can narrow down the designs that would appeal to them. Furthermore, our clients are asked to list references of the websites they like and dislike, to help us assess their aesthetic goals. It is through this process of understanding our clients’ requirements, establishing rapport and trust that we are able to provide a customized solution to each and every client.
However, like every other aspect in the design industry, the business model can be subject to change and adjustment. We were once approached by a fitness equipment company with the offer of building their website, only to discover that they already had a clear picture of how they wanted the website to look like, so we skipped the preamble and asked the ultimate question: How much? But instead of asking how much we’ll be compensated, we were asking how much will our client benefit from our work.
As trite as it may sound, we at Able Studio believe it is the benefit we bring to our clients that determines our value, not how much we are paid. Our design will not only outline the skin and flesh of a brand, but will allow a glimpse to the soul so when people see a customized Able Studio design, they see the brand philosophy and its core values. Anyone can sell fitness equipment, but our client will be the brand that delivers a healthy lifestyle. Like the Fox said to The Little Prince: “what is essential is invisible to the eye.” And it is within the invisible where opportunities lay.
A brand image that can be seen by the eyes, and positive brand associations that can be felt by the heart; these are the services Able Studio will provide to our clients.
People are staying home for longer stretches of time due to the intermittent Covid lockdowns this past year. With restaurants and sports arenas closed, people turn to the internet for entertainment as well as other more basic needs like remote learning and grocery shopping. Longer time spent on the internet means more exposure to online product ads and product information, making it crucial that brands are digitalized into images and symbols to reach online shoppers.
Design language and wireframe
Have you ever watched back-to-back interviews of David Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hiddleston and noticed how different they sound? Despite all being natives of London, their accents and inflections are byproducts of different backgrounds and upbringings; so as viewers we are well aware that they all speak the same language, but the flair and charisma we find in their individual speech however, is unique.
The same could also be said about design language.
Design language is a system that outlines the look and feel of a digital product; for example, typography, color schemes — these are all part of the design language of a webpage. Combinations of different brand images, visions, and philosophies create a unique design language that is particular to a brand. In a different period or region, the same design language may also bring a different dynamic to the brand.
The designer’s concept will begin to take form during the discussions surrounding design language, now they need to decide what tool to use to bring the design to fruition. Much like an artist choosing between paint or sculpture or music to express their vision, designers have different platform options from which to choose. Windows is the most commonly used operating system for design communication whereas we at Able Studio prefer iOS. However, we retain the flexibility to use different systems depending on the needs of our clients to ensure the communication can flow smoothly without technical incompatibility.
Once the design language and the operating system are confirmed by the clients, designers start sketching the wireframe. Wireframe is the basic schematic that maps out the priorities of information and functions on a webpage, in other words the blueprint of the content architecture. Where to place the business logo, the side bar, or the navigation bar… these questions all seem innocent enough, but the placement of information actually underlines great care and thought from the designer. Case in point: for an education institute, we would put its philosophy at the top, as it is the first thing we want the audience to see; more details about the institute like schools and colleges would go in the middle, followed by links to separate department pages; contact information would usually go to the very bottom of the page. In addition to help designers visually prioritize information; wireframe is also a means to communicate with clients to ensure their requirements and objectives are fulfilled.
Design Management
A full functioning team might require several designers, and this is where the role of Design Manager comes into play. Internally, Design Manager should act as a coordinator to ensure all communication pertaining to the design is synchronized. Externally, Design Manager is the contact window to clients, they hold the responsibility of conveying the design concept and creative direction to the clients; when clients have special requests or conflicts arise, a Design Manager needs to decipher the client’s message in a way that designers understand to facilitate the project.
When working with clients of considerate scale, Able Studio takes a three pronged approach: after being awarded the project, parent company (project team) outsources to designers (visual and UX team) and engineers (program design team). Designers will be Able Studio’s contribution to the project. A large and complex team organization is expected in a large scoped project, as is a fully dedicated Design Manager. However, there is a far greater supply of Project Managers than Design Managers in Taiwan as Design Management is still a relatively new concept, Design Managers at Able Studio are expected to go beyond the responsibilities of Design Management, planning cross-departmental communication and allocating resources to fit the project schedule.
Brand digitalization
In an age where people no longer rely on print ads or TVCMs as outlets for information, but have access to a sea of information on the internet via smartphones and computers, brand digitalization has become an integral process of business. We’ve seen companies going the approach of digital marketing by promoting their products on social media platforms, or some have been making digital modification to their logos. World renowned brands such as BMW, Google, YouTube, and Mastercard have updated their logos to a two-dimensional look to conform to the digital aesthetics of the millennia. To promote brand digitalization is one of Able studio’s key missions. In this day and age brand digitalization is no longer a benefit but a requirement. We hope to help our clients immerse in the digital world with our services.
Interning at Able Studio
Not all Able Studio interns came from design backgrounds; we encourage well rounded candidates from different disciplines to join our family and we offer a wide variety of training courses to help them fast-track their careers in design. With that said, we expect our interns to work harder given their lack of design experience; extracurricular reading will be the key to accumulate basic knowledge of the trade.
In terms of what material our interns should read, we strongly suggest design related articles and papers in English. First for the obvious reason of improving their English proficiency, second to help them think globally, as our long term goal is to expand our client scope internationally. Another reason to keep up with the design trends of the world is because Taiwan’s design industry is one to three years behind its western counterpart, by visiting award winning websites or reading trade journals, we can keep up with the best of the industry and implement the latest trends and technology in our work.
We want our interns to keep these two things in mind:
1. There are no stupid questions
2. Be inquisitive, be perceptive
By encouraging a lot of questions from our interns, we aim to lessen their pressure of not knowing the answers a design major would know, as not all our interns have a design degree. We believe by asking questions among themselves, our interns will ignite sparks of imagination and possibility that will eventually lead them to the solution to their questions. We also ask our interns to be receptive of information that seems unrelated to design, because design is embedded in every aspect of life; the more they pay attention to details, the greater their design data base grows. Reading, asking questions, and discerning matters that seem minute, these exercises will instill a sense of perception in our interns to help them become Able material.
Be Able, be cool
In the four years since its inception, Able Studio has dedicated its services to brand digitalization, CIS, and website design while upholding the values of Art, Growth, Technology, and Conscience, offering quality design that raises our clients’ visibility to the world. Visually, Able Studio is not a fan of splashy animations; we much prefer simple designs with a touch of elegance and great attention to details, designs that bear the resonance of our passion and values. We want to deliver our quality, integrated services to clients in Taiwan and beyond, to bring a holistic user experience to every consumer. With our design, Able Studio will show the world anything is possible.
