the process

Successful collaborations come from good communication. Over several years, I have refined my processes so everyone knows what to expect. Each project is different, but the following descriptions will give you an idea of what is involved. If you’d like to work with me, please get in touch and I will create a custom proposal and quotation for you.

CONTENT CREATION

More than ever, social media is vital to your communication and allows you to engage your target audience directly. After The Rain will help you tell your story in a visually exciting and beautiful way to get you the attention you deserve. I start by analysing your audience and understanding your brand. We talk about the messages you want and need to send out, and look at responses you’ve had to previous posts and video.

We can work in one of two ways. The first option is for me to produce a one-off strategy document and create you a style guide and templates so you have a visual identity to create your own posts, reels and stories.

The second option is to collaborate regularly on your storytelling. Working several days a month for you, we come up with a monthly content strategy to suit your objectives. We meet to create magic and shoot stills and video that reflect your brand’s style and enhance your messaging. Then we edit, caption and schedule your reels and posts and provide the tools you need for stories, leaving you to engage directly with your followers and grow your business in the knowledge that your brand is shining.

Product, location, lifestyle and people photography are also available.

BRAND IDENTITY

Your branding project starts with a strategy session. What is your business all about? What drives you? Who are you selling to? One of the key factors in creating the right visual identity is for me to understand your business, so it’s important to take the time to do this. I use this understanding to put together a vision board that we work on together. This is when you show me what you like and I highlight some ideas for discussion.

Then I create up to two concepts for you to choose from. We work on the one you like best and I create a primary and secondary logo and icons, with a colour palette and typography selection. I will present these to you as digital files with a detailed style guide to help you in using your new brand, from colour selections to imagery suggestions.

Representing your brand through beautiful photography is key to your online and social media presence. I create a photography guide, plan and style your photoshoot and take the photographs in a half or full day shoot. Once the finished images are edited, you have a visual library that complements your brand. After The Rain shoots are enjoyable, fun and highly creative, and clients are always delighted with the results.

I can apply your new visual identity to graphics such as business cards, email signatures, postcards, stickers and social media banners so you’re ready to launch your new look.

Approximate timescale 4 weeks

WEBSITE DESIGN

Again, we start with a strategy session. Before the design is considered, it’s important to establish who will be looking at your site, what they want to get out of their visit and the devices they might be viewing it on. Usability and functionality requirements will be established before I put a site structure together, listing the pages, their messages and links.

Once we’ve talked about the look and feel, I design your home page and send it to you for discussion. At this point, you need to provide your content, or I can create it for you. I can plan and style a photo shoot so your product images are in keeping with your brand identity, or I can curate some library images. I can also write or edit copy. If we are building an online shop, you need to consider what products you are offering. I will send a list of information you need to provide for each one and you will be shown how to load them onto the site.

When the home page is perfect, I will work on the other key pages. We talk about your hosting, ecommerce requirements and technical extras and then I organise to have your site built. After final checks and a training session on the content management system, your site will be ready to launch.

As an additional package, I can set your site up with the best Search Engine Optomisation (SEO) which will help to boost your site and make it more visible in searches. We’ll establish keywords and phrases to cover relevant search terms and ensure the right data is applied to all the pages and images.

Approximate timescale 4-6 weeks

PACKAGING & PRINT

A packaging project involves three stages. The first is the research phase, during which we look at materials, shapes and printing methods. I can obtain quotes for a variety of options so we have a template. I then create up to two packaging concepts with this in mind. The packaging not only has to complement your brand identity and be attractive to your target audience, but it also has to suit the product itself and all its variables.

We refine the concept you like best and during stage three, I apply it to the first product, carefully selecting typography that will best display product information, ingredients and company details. The finished layout is then applied to all of the products involved.

There’s nothing quite like a tactile piece of print. I have extensive experience of producing designs for print. I also have good relationships with a number of printers and work with them to achieve the highest quality for business cards, stationery, flyers, postcards, stickers and magazines, to name a few.