Time. And time again.

The value of time.

In the creative world everything seems to be getting faster.

Faster tools.
Faster expectations.
Faster decisions.

And we are all good with that. That acceleration is good for business.

But one thing has not changed.

Great ideas, conceiving them, nurturing them and developing them, still take time.

When discussing new projects with clients, one of the most important items on our agenda is time.

The appropriate amount of time is something we value highly, and something we will sometimes stand up for and explain the value of.

This is not about increasing billable hours.
It is about allowing space for thinking.
Often in the background, between moments, where better ideas begin to take shape.

Because the right amount of time, at the right moments in a project, can shape the final outcome in powerful ways.

Making time a priority

When we sit down with clients to discuss new projects, time is often one of the most important considerations. Sometimes even more important than budgets.

Time for them to talk about what they are hoping for from the project.
How it fits into their wider business.
What anxieties they might have about it.

Why do we make time such a priority?

Because the right amount, at the right moments across a project, can have immense value in shaping the outcome.

So what does time actually give you?

• Time for clients to talk about what they are hoping for from a project

• Time to understand how the project fits into their wider business.

• Time to understand what anxieties they might have about it

• Time to listen, question, and then listen again

• Time to challenge and refine the brief

• Time to understand audiences and culture

• Time for curiosity (“Ooh… look over there”)

• Time to explore, test and develop ideas

• Time to simplify an idea to its clearest expression

• Time to play with words

• Time to lean on experience, or recognise when it is time for something different

• Time to add craft, detail and care

• Time for clients to reflect on ideas, challenge them, and see the unexpected leap within them

• Time to build genuine long term relationships and trust

And finally, and sometimes crucially, time to realise you might be solving the wrong problem, and to truly understand what the client needs.

When speed is essential

The need for time in creative projects can sometimes conjure up an image of wistful creatives draped across chaise longues in a sunlit studio, waiting for inspiration to strike.

The reality could hardly be more different.

We have turned around a large scale branding project for a major law firm merger in the face of frighteningly short deadlines.

We have helped a brilliant charity client raise £1.25 million in just 36 hours.

And we have shown time-poor financial analysts how to understand the value of a complex global rating agency offering in the blink of an eye.

So when speed is essential, we can move fast.

In fact, urgency, and the pressure it brings, can be a powerful source of creative inspiration.

Some might say this all sounds nice in theory.
But we live in the real world.

The reality is, you can almost always make time for the things that matter.
Especially if the ambition is to do something properly, and do it well.

Enough time to be right

Often the best projects have just enough time to do the job properly, but not so much that urgency disappears.

So yes, time matters.

It is the foundation of strong ideas and lasting partnerships.

The difference between good work and great work.

Creativity does not need endless time.
It just needs enough time to be right.

Because many of those moments above can happen in the blink of an eye.
But they only happen if creativity is given the one thing it needs most.

Time.

Without enough time, the risk is not always bad work.
It is more often shallower work.

Ideas that answer the brief quickly, but miss the real problem.
Or solve the obvious, rather than uncover something better.

Because time, and time again, is what makes the difference.

And on that note…

Time for us to get back to work.

 

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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.