Pre-project preparation can help you hit the ground running and creates a chance to collect and digest some of your thoughts about the project to be undertaken and therefore influence the design briefing.

Any user research such as customer surveying, focus groups or online research looking at your competitors and your analytics data can help form a better understanding also influencing the design stage. Adding depth and perspective to what we ‘think’ we know into what we ‘actually’ know.

What to THINK ABOUT prior to a workshop

Customer surveys - it is useful to know what your clients think. Download a short survey to use.
Focus group - facilitate a group of customers to sit and chat about your business.
Customer feedback - reviews or testimonials you may already have, or can ask for.
Competitors - with your likes and dislikes.
Moodboard - website links, graphics, cuttings, pins that resonate with what we are aiming for
Google Analytics - access to any statistics data or reports

What to bring to a workshop

Yourself - with an open mind and ready to chat.
Any further stakeholders - or those whose input is valuable or will be involved with the project.
Any brand assets - logo, colour palette, typeface and guidelines that may already exist (in digital format)
Any imagery or graphics - the business currently has that may be used for this project (in digital format)
Examples - of current marketing, sales and stationery material (printed or digital)
Content - or copy you may have structured or started to write
Homework - anything gathered from the list above.