Many of you have asked us about some tips on how to create good Solutions. There isn’t a perfect way as every creative follows a different creative path. Today we are happy to present you the creative process by straussandco, whose Solution was shortlisted by Abrau-Durso.

Thank you very much, Konny, for your assistance!

Here is the process.

So here is the way I proceed in general:

1) Of course, read the brief ;)
Then I analyze everything I read and make notes. Sometimes briefings are a little bit flue, so you have also to read between the lines. It’s also very important, in case you don’t understand something, to ask precise questions. In my case ideas come immediately when I read the briefing and that leads us to step 2.

2) I take my ideablock and start to scribble. And again I take notes about why I do this like this or that like that… That’s very important because in this way you develop a strategy and you can find out your own mistakes. For me this step is the most important because the creation is there. To bring everything after in the computer is an easy thing to do, because the idea(s) is/are already there and you know where you go.

3) In case I have to create a logo this step consists of finding a nice typography or to develop one. Then I follow what I scribbled, make colortrys etc. (with illustrator).

In the case of Abrau-Durso I proceeded steps 1+2. Step 3 consisted in finding a nice typo and to create the visual of the young people (as well on illustrator).

My decision to put the eagle as a main visual on the label and to mix it up with the young couple was aimed at giving their identity a modern touch and using it like a graphical element - “yesterday becomes tomorrow”. Abrau-Durso is a long existing brand and they don’t have to hide this factor; they need only modernity and a young input.

Sometimes it’s a mistake to change everything at once, because people who are used to the product are used to recognize the visual - if you change everything at once they won’t find themselves anymore in what they bought before.

The Abrau-Durso Target Audience are young dynamic people (or those who stayed young ;) and who like to enjoy themselves in environments like Discos, Bars and Launches. For them I created a face label which is not too elegant, but very stylish and fashionable (the trend today for young, dynamic people who like music, clubbing and dancing). The added colors are black and gold to give the image a luxury touch.

Only after that I created the foil and the back-label, then I put everything together and made the presentation on the bottle (in photoshop).

I didn’t change the foil - in the classic gold - so also “young-stayed” people can identify themselves with the style of the bottle. In total the image reflects a mixture of classic and modern tendencies.

4) After all those steps I made the conclusions and the design of the presentation. It is very important that the client understands your “WHY WE DID IT IN THIS WAY?”. The reasoning is as important as the creation itself.

Do you also have some secret recipe on how to create a GREAT SOLUTION to share?