Design Intensives: What Are They & Who Are They For?
Design Intensives (commonly referred to as VIP Days, Design Days, etc) have been a common offering among the design community, specifically small, boutique studios and freelancers the last handful of years. You may have seen this offering promoted by a variety of people: coaches, financial advisors, or anyone who has a high-ticket offering that is using intensives as an opportunity to give the same offering, on an expedited timeline, at a fraction of the cost.
Today, I’m going to be breaking down what exactly a Design Intensive is, how it works, and if it’s right for you.
Lets dig in →
What is a Design Intensive?
In a nutshell, Design Intensives are a type of offering or project structure that consolidates a full-service offer into a condensed, expedited timeline. While a full-scope branding or web design process make take an average of 4-8 weeks of time (including phases like in-depth exploration and strategy, thoughtful presentations and client collaboration, and multiple rounds of revisions), an Intensive consolidates this process into one full day, opting for efficiency, affordability, and an abbreviated output.
How does it work?
Think of a Design Intensive as having a designer on staff for the day. Depending on how many days book, you’ll have the full attention of my studio for a full-day timeframe to accomplish your goals, whether it be brand or website creation or refinement, or collateral development. Every studio has their own spin on process, but here’s how I typically structure mine:
Prep
When booking a Design Intensive, there is a significant amount of prep work that will need to be done on your end to ensure the day can be as efficient as possible. Completing a creative brief is the first step for all projects, but if we’re working on a website, you’ll be leading the charge for pulling together copy and brand photography, so that on our design day I can focus solely on execution with the assets provided.
In addition to preparing your assets, we’ll also have a prep call scheduled to review the brief, align on priorities for the day, solidify design direction, and go through any last-minute assets that need to be gathered before our d-day.
On our scheduled Intensive Day, it is requested that you clear your schedule and are on call for the day. Because of the fast-paced nature of this process and the limited timeframe, having you available for quick responses and on-the-fly feedback is imperative to get the most done as possible during our time together.
Design Day
Our day together is blocked as a full day, with a one-hour designer break mid-afternoon. Clients will want to block their day to be available for on-call revisions, questions, and communication.
On the day of your scheduled intensive, you’ll receive a text in the morning letting you know we’re starting your project, along with an estimated timeframe when we’ll be in touch with a first look at your assets.
Throughout the day, we’ll be communicating back and forth with questions, sneak peeks, and on-demand feedback. Typically, in the early afternoon, you’ll be able to have a focused timeframe for revisions (during the one-hour designer break).
The last hour block of our day is reserved for the exporting and packaging of assets, and your final off-boarding email.
What’s included?
Rather than a guaranteed list of deliverables, we align on a priority list to punch through on our day together. This is one of the main differentiators between a full-scope project (with a guaranteed list of deliverables) and a Design Intensive (whatever we can knock out in the timeframe you’ve scheduled).
Deliverables and what we’re able to accomplish primarily depends on your ability to prepare required assets, your clarity of vision, and your rounds of revisions.
→ TIP: If you know yourself and value collaboration, ample time for revisions, and getting it *perfect*, you may prefer one of my full-scope offerings, giving you a set number of deliverables, revisions, and a non-rushed timeline. Click here to get the run-down on my offerings and investment.
Who is it for?
I started my business because I love working with entrepreneurs of all experience levels, but as I’ve grown my studio and refined my offerings, it can easily price some people out that I would still love to serve. And reality is? Not everyone needs full-scope branding and the price tag that comes with it. For some, especially those who aren’t yet clear on their business and are still in the proof-of-concept stage, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a full-scope investment. Design Intensives have been a great solution for me to be able to serve entrepreneurs that come to me that may be working with a more limited budget or quick-turn timeline.
I’ve found that intensives work best for:
→ Business owners on a limited budget who are ready to pass the creative torch to a pro and are able to make quick decisions on the fly
→ Dreamers turned do’ers looking for the tangible assets they need to help get them started while they work on proof of concept and save up for a full-scope investment
→ Freelancers or side hustlers that want to refine and elevate their current brand or online presence
→ Entrepreneurs short on time that need a landing page or mini brand identity knocked out for their next initiative, event, or campaign
→ Self-starters that need refining from a pro on their existing branding and online presence
→ Business owners in need of supporting, one-off collateral assets for their growing brand such as a landing page, welcome guide, or capabilities presentation
How many days should I book?
Typically, I book intensives in 1-2 day slots. The days recommended depend on the deliverables you want accomplished. If you’re curious what would be the right fit for you, feel free to reach out to share a bit about your project with me and I can make a recommendation. Half-day slots are available to be added on if we need a little more time together.
How much does it cost?
Pricing details for Intensives are outlined for you in my Pricing and Services Guide*.
*Design Intensive pricing is set to increase in Fall 2024.
Is a Design Intensive right for you?
The intensive approach isn’t right for everyone, and my priority is to recommend a solution that is truly going to be the best fit for your needs, your business, and your working style.
An intensive might be a good fit for you if:
You are able to be decisive and work well on a quick timeline
You’re ready to pass the creative torch to a professional
You prioritize your time, and want to knock out your deliverables in one day rather than a spread out process
You have an existing brand or website and just need refinement
You have a clear understanding and outline of your needs, and are confident you will be able to prepare finalized copy, direction, photos, and other assets required
You are looking for simple, straightforward deliverables without a ton of revisions
An intensive will NOT be a good fit for you if:
You want to be hands on in the process
You are indecisive
Your project has more than one outside stakeholder
You value collaboration and want to be hands-on with the design process
You are particular
You are a perfectionist
You like the guarantee of knowing exactly what you’re going to be getting for your investment (understandable!)
→ If you find yourself resonating with the second list — that’s totally normal! Your business is your baby and all these approaches are totally valid and welcomed in the branding and web design process. If this is you, I would recommend going all in on the full-scope offerings that allow more collaboration, thoughtful timelines and process, and a guaranteed list of deliverables.
How to Book
I’m opening up a limited number of Design Intensives this summer through an offering called Summer Sessions. Click here to hop on the interest list and be first in line when doors open in May.
Getting your business off the ground but not sure where to start? Download my free Brand Checklist to get the run-down on all you need for a stand-out brand.
Hi there, I’m Blake!
Branding expert, graphic designer, and your new (personal) cheerleader. With over a decade of experience building brands, my sweet spot is helping passionate entrepreneurs like you grow their business with confidence and clarity. Let’s work together →