No one asked for this.

Maybe that sounds like LinkedIn in a nutshell, but, hey, here we all are . . . and, actually, that phrase – ‘No one asked for this’ – has become a bit of a holy grail for us when it comes to solving a brief.

But what about our responsibility to meet the brief that we’ve worked hard to fashion in collaboration with a client?

Are we implying that we should be free to indulge ourselves by creating work that isn’t what the client wants, but which gives us satisfaction, wins awards and raises our profile within our industry?

Not at all.

Looking beyond the basic.

For us, ‘No one asked for this’ is about our ambition not merely to answer a brief, but to look beyond it and deliver something more than the basic minimum requirement.

In our experience, the most rewarding client reactions are rarely, “That’s exactly what we asked for.” More often they’re something closer to, “We hadn’t thought of that,” or, “Why didn’t we see that before?”

That kind of response is the goal, because it signals that something has shifted. An idea stands out, is memorable and has meaning while still delivering on the objectives of the brief. It’s unexpected, yet completely right.

And nobody saw it coming.

The “what?” and the “why?”.

Every brief contains two conversations. There’s the thing being asked for and then there’s the reason it’s being asked for.

The first is straightforward. A new brand mark and visual expression. A campaign. A website. A positioning statement. A brochure. A launch. A refresh.

Then there’s the second part of the process: the one that defines the need. Greater confidence in the market, a clearer story, a stronger reputation, standout and memorability through physical or digital touch-points, or a more compelling way of explaining what the brand stands for.

This second stage often takes a little more digging. What, precisely, is the problem that needs to be solved? Who are the audience, and what motivates them? And for the client, at this specific moment, what does success look like?

Listening to what goes unsaid.

For us, it starts with feeding our minds and crucially, listening intently to what is said – but also paying equal attention to what isn’t.

Sometimes the most valuable insight is hidden in a throwaway comment during a conversation, a founder’s frustration, an overlooked strength, a peculiar detail or a contradiction that nobody has questioned.

Often the thing that eventually sparks the unifying idea has been sitting there in plain sight all along.

Bringing it alive always involves a well-informed creative leap. Sometimes it may seem small and subtle. Sometimes it’s bigger, more radical. But there has to be a leap. And then it’s all about execution; how you explore and develop an idea to achieve its full potential, using all the craft and experience you’ve acquired over many years.

Feeding the essential leap.

That leap doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from feeding your mind – by collecting references, connecting with people, being restlessly curious about clients and their markets, asking simple-but-difficult questions, challenging assumptions, messy thinking with a methodical approach, allowing yourself tos doubt, trying things, breaking things, starting things, then dismissing them, collecting fragments from different places and experiences.

It also requires trust, which is why relationships are so important. Working in genuine collaboration with clients who have come to you for your experience, perspective, and craft, as well as your proven record in delivering creativity that make a difference.

And the results?

Ideas that are memorable, and matter; human and engaging, with a digital or physical execution that has tangible and emotive impact. And crucially, ideas that are unexpected, yet immediately feel completely right – sometimes giving a sense they were waiting to be discovered, rather than newly originated.

Expect the unexpected.

If the outcome is exactly what everyone expected from the outset, it may be well executed, but, almost by definition, it won’t be particularly compelling or effective.

The most valuable ideas are rarely the ones that were requested at the beginning. They’re the ones no one asked for.

And maybe the same applies to this little article. In scratching an itch, and sharing a thought that was on my mind with you, perhaps we’ve ended up somewhere interesting, but somewhat unexpected . . .

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Written by Dana Robertson, Founder and Creative Director at Neon Brand Consultants, a Chichester-based brand consultancy working across sectors from law and finance to culture and start-ups.

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If you have an upcoming project you’d like to talk about, then for sure contact Neon we’d be absolutely delighted to hear from you.

Please drop an email to or connect with via LinkedIn Dana Robertson.