Brand Strategy Workshops vs. Questionnaires: How to Guide Clients Through a Strategic Design Process
What’s the Deal with Brand Strategy Workshops?
If you're a designer who wants to build deeper, more strategic brands (and avoid endless revisions), then brand strategy is your best friend. While visuals get all the glory, strategy is what makes the visuals stick. It’s how you connect with a brand’s audience, define their voice, and build something with meaning—not just pretty pixels.
I use two main methods to gather strategy insights at the start of a project:
A Brand Strategy Questionnaire
A Brand Strategy Workshop
Each has a time and place, and both give you the tools to craft thoughtful, purposeful designs.
Implementing Brand Strategy
1. Brand Strategy Questionnaire 📝
Perfect for budget-conscious clients or when time is tight, this method gives your client the space to reflect and respond on their own.
What it is:
A guided worksheet your client completes solo.
What it includes:
Brand purpose, mission, vision, and values
Target audience and personas
Competitor analysis
Personality, tone of voice, and messaging
Brand positioning and differentiators
This is great when you want the client to think deeply, but you’re not collaborating live.
2. Brand Strategy Workshop 💬
Ideal for collaborative clients, large projects, or higher-value packages. This session (online or in-person) is where you walk your client through the strategy together.
What it includes:
Everything from the questionnaire
Deeper exploration of brand archetypes
Group discussion and interactive exercises
Instant alignment on values, audience, and direction
How long does it take?
Generally 2–4 hours depending on the project scope. It’s informal but structured, with prep emails and tutorials to get everyone ready.
What happens after?
I write a summary of the findings—either a Return Brief or Brand Strategy Report—so everyone’s clear before the creative work begins.
3. Why Brand Strategy is Essential for Designers
Strategy eliminates guesswork. It gives you confidence in your creative direction, and helps your clients feel heard, involved, and excited.
Key benefits:
Branding that truly connects
Messaging that’s clear and confident
A focused visual style
Less back and forth
More meaningful, aligned work
4. How to Use Strategy Research in Design
Once you have the insights, here’s how I translate them into visual design direction:
Moodboards based on audience insight and visual preferences
Messaging tone shaped by pain points and positioning
Visual differentiation pulled from competitor gaps
Do’s and don’ts informed by their goals and values
This step makes the creative process smoother, more intentional, and more aligned with their business needs.
5. When to Do the Workshop or Questionnaire
Do it after:
Contract is signed
Deposit is paid
Before:
Creative direction is presented
This timing ensures strategy guides the project rather than coming in too late to be useful.
Want to Offer Brand Strategy?
If you’re ready to start offering brand strategy to your own clients, I’ve made it super easy. The Mega Brand Strategy Bundle includes:
Brand Strategy Questionnaire
Workshop Template
Strategy Summary Template
Brand Archetypes
Email Templates
Step-by-step tutorials
It’s everything you need to confidently offer strategic services—without starting from scratch, check it out below.
Want More Time-Saving Tools and Freebies?
This process is just one of the techniques I share across my design templates and digital assets, made especially for designers who want professional results—without starting from scratch every time.
