In March last year I was approached by a web-development firm based in Austin, Texas to write a proposal to take a fresh look at their brand identity. On the strength of an astonishing track record, a vibrant company culture and business growth the CEO and founder (who is also a champion of entrepreneurialism as well as a local thought leader in SME business development) was ready to upgrade the brand identity for the next stage of growth in the business he has established

I won the project over other designers, who, from what I gather, offered design-led branding and the usual contracts and service agreements. I take the view that my client's success is also my success and so my clients' best interests are also mine. From a brand reputation point of view this approach renders contracts and service agreements redundant and so I don't offer them at all. In my view, 'hard-nosed' traditional business practices have a marginal place to play in the 'soft power' world of brand identity consulting

A significant part of my creative process involves a getting-to-know-your-business phase, which I usually conclude by delivering a business description and single positioning line that demonstrates a sound understanding of my clients' business ambitions. Consequently, 'strategic web-solutions partner' is a catch-all positioning line that indicates my client's business doesn't merely offer supplier level web-development but that they work closely with clients as an embedded partner to transform the business strategy at a foundational level by adding an internet dimension to their business operations