SIMPLE RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE CREATIVE

May 30

It’s always a treat to get a nice slice of something from your favourite café. But it’s also awesome to bake your own. We reckon creating great work is a little like baking cakes, so here’s a simple recipe for homemade success.

First line up your ingredients. Unlike the usual sugar, flour, milk and eggs, you’ll need some insights, experts, challenge and time.

Step 1: Crack the human

Eggs don’t give up their magic until you crack them. So crack into your audience and really dig in to understand the human. Who is this person we’re talking to? Why will they care about us? Digging deeper than obvious data will unlock magic action.

Hot tip: Want more on digging for the human magic? Read this.

Step 2: Mix in the experts

This is where you grab the right people to add flavour to your cake. One person rarely thinks of everything. So bring in the team. Creatives, strategists, lawyers, techxperts – every different voice adds a new flavour. Mix it up.

Hot tip: Experts aren’t always obvious. Don’t be afraid to ask your Mum.

Step 3: Turn up the heat

Asking questions and fielding feedback is crucial. It might feel like you’re pulling things apart to put them back together, but if you’re not clear about why this works, your audience definitely won’t be. So challenge the thinking. It helps the cake rise.

Hot tip: Look out for themes in feedback. Is it technical? Structural? Subjective?

Step 4: Let it cool

Whether you’re baking cakes or crafting work – good things take time. So give yourself as much as you can. Rushing to the finish can leave you with a soggy middle. Make sure you make the time to craft. And your team has plenty.

Bon appétit

That’s all there is to it. The four steps of home baking: understand your human, gather the right experts, turn up the heat for feedback and take the time to make it great. It’s a recipe for success on every creative project. Bon appétit.

Want more recipes? From cut-through copy to kick-arse content – explore some other handy ‘recipes’ below.