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There is no going back.",[],{"_key":282,"_type":88,"children":283,"markDefs":287,"style":96},"8e810086c5ea",[284],{"_key":285,"_type":92,"marks":286,"text":103},"a5008f51615b",[],[],{"_key":289,"_type":88,"children":290,"markDefs":295,"style":96},"cbb1d99e5f50",[291],{"_key":292,"_type":92,"marks":293,"text":294},"9cec89a2ff1a",[],"So what does this have to do with designing a logo for a law firm or a website for a theatre?",[],{"_key":297,"_type":88,"children":298,"markDefs":303,"style":96},"7e9f72c9e874",[299],{"_key":300,"_type":92,"marks":301,"text":103},"5256a9fc1bc3",[302],"strong",[],{"_key":305,"_type":88,"children":306,"markDefs":311,"style":192},"80fa69be2f55",[307],{"_key":308,"_type":92,"marks":309,"text":310},"74834894f116",[],"Act one in design: The problem",[],{"_key":313,"_type":88,"children":314,"markDefs":318,"style":96},"c28e6845bd2f",[315],{"_key":316,"_type":92,"marks":317,"text":103},"32c7e6eddeb0",[],[],{"_key":320,"_type":88,"children":321,"markDefs":326,"style":96},"3921a19a2ed1",[322],{"_key":323,"_type":92,"marks":324,"text":325},"266d5f885d7d",[],"The first act of the design process is the problem space.",[],{"_key":328,"_type":88,"children":329,"markDefs":333,"style":96},"4028cf066b18",[330],{"_key":331,"_type":92,"marks":332,"text":103},"34d82f91eea8",[],[],{"_key":335,"_type":88,"children":336,"markDefs":341,"style":96},"11191c7a007a",[337],{"_key":338,"_type":92,"marks":339,"text":340},"30ba7631911d",[],"This is where we meet the protagonists (the client, stakeholders, users), the antagonists (competitors, market pressures, confusion, obscurity), and the world they inhabit (brand equity, existing assets, tone of voice, audience expectations).",[],{"_key":343,"_type":88,"children":344,"markDefs":348,"style":96},"8919c6b404d3",[345],{"_key":346,"_type":92,"marks":347,"text":103},"f0c2e75b8cc2",[],[],{"_key":350,"_type":88,"children":351,"markDefs":356,"style":96},"208fc1624be7",[352],{"_key":353,"_type":92,"marks":354,"text":355},"4f6ef72b42d6",[],"Somewhere in this phase, we encounter the inciting incident, the reason the project exists at all:",[],{"_key":358,"_type":88,"children":359,"markDefs":364,"style":96},"4d22462d98b0",[360],{"_key":361,"_type":92,"marks":362,"text":363},"964d31846cd4",[],"•\t“We’re trying to reach a new audience.”",[],{"_key":366,"_type":88,"children":367,"markDefs":372,"style":96},"3b0ca46c42ee",[368],{"_key":369,"_type":92,"marks":370,"text":371},"482dd72e434a",[],"•\t“Our organisation has changed and our identity no longer reflects who we are.”",[],{"_key":374,"_type":88,"children":375,"markDefs":380,"style":96},"5e57a71ebf3f",[376],{"_key":377,"_type":92,"marks":378,"text":379},"01c03501df69",[],"•\t“People don’t understand what we do.”",[],{"_key":382,"_type":88,"children":383,"markDefs":388,"style":96},"5a6f539a4de2",[384],{"_key":385,"_type":92,"marks":386,"text":387},"2b218321a959",[],"•\t“We’re invisible in a crowded market.”",[],{"_key":390,"_type":88,"children":391,"markDefs":396,"style":96},"835817e1bc72",[392],{"_key":393,"_type":92,"marks":394,"text":395},"213150d36436",[],"The end of act one in design is not when ideas begin; it’s when the problem is properly defined. 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Stakes escalate. The initial plan proves insufficient.",[],{"_key":468,"_type":88,"children":469,"markDefs":473,"style":96},"d6152c9b59ad",[470],{"_key":471,"_type":92,"marks":472,"text":103},"7fa3165093fa",[],[],{"_key":475,"_type":88,"children":476,"markDefs":481,"style":96},"ae7f1fb8809b",[477],{"_key":478,"_type":92,"marks":479,"text":480},"2a421bd0cea9",[],"In design, act two is where creativity does its work.",[],{"_key":483,"_type":88,"children":484,"markDefs":488,"style":96},"334842f42346",[485],{"_key":486,"_type":92,"marks":487,"text":103},"bcfc7ffdc68c",[],[],{"_key":490,"_type":88,"children":491,"markDefs":496,"style":96},"863a2abec8e3",[492],{"_key":493,"_type":92,"marks":494,"text":495},"8ac5e609d799",[],"This is the phase of research, sketching, prototyping, testing, iterating, and discarding. Ideas are generated, evaluated, combined, and refined. Concepts are presented, challenged, and evolved. This is where designers explore multiple possible answers to the brief and test them against reality, client expectations, audience needs, brand constraints, and practical limitations.",[],{"_key":498,"_type":88,"children":499,"markDefs":503,"style":96},"d7d7ffb30fd2",[500],{"_key":501,"_type":92,"marks":502,"text":103},"9426c2a042cc",[],[],{"_key":505,"_type":88,"children":506,"markDefs":511,"style":96},"1e12b204bf6b",[507],{"_key":508,"_type":92,"marks":509,"text":510},"c5649f5f5335",[],"Importantly, act two is not a straight line toward success. It is defined by a productive struggle.",[],{"_key":513,"_type":88,"children":514,"markDefs":519,"style":192},"b213d41c217b",[515],{"_key":516,"_type":92,"marks":517,"text":518},"3af29a0a8e07",[],"\nAll is lost",[],{"_key":521,"_type":88,"children":522,"markDefs":526,"style":96},"87521551af3f",[523],{"_key":524,"_type":92,"marks":525,"text":103},"66fd34a2fd10",[],[],{"_key":528,"_type":88,"children":529,"markDefs":534,"style":96},"fcdbab53e57b",[530],{"_key":531,"_type":92,"marks":532,"text":533},"ba7465242e63",[],"In stories, there is often an “all is lost” moment here. This is the point where the protagonist seems furthest from their goal, everything’s gone wrong, and we’re heading for disaster – think Luke Skywalker in Empire Strikes Back, his hand cut off, his friends under attack, his mentors gone, finding out Darth Vader is his father! (spoilers). This will be very familiar to designers. 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