In this post, I’d like to share how we approach our work at IN FOCUS. Listen to the client, clarify the requirements, define the structure, then move into design. That’s probably the order most projects follow. At IN FOCUS, we do things a little differently.
Placing a Dot on a Blank Canvas
When a new project begins, what lies before us is something like a large, blank canvas. As we listen to the client talk about their business, we try to place some kind of “dot” on that canvas as early as possible.
That dot might be a reference website that captures a certain feeling, or a conceptual mock-up that suggests a possible direction. Sometimes we share it as early as the second briefing. It isn’t a polished piece of work. Its purpose is to ask, “Does this feel close to what you have in mind, or far from it?”
We do this because we feel there’s a limit to how far words alone can take us when discussing design and video. “Something sophisticated.” “A tone that inspires trust.” Ideas that sound similar in words can produce very different reactions when presented visually: “This is close,” or “This isn’t it at all.” Placing a single dot on a blank canvas gives us a reference point—a way to see distance and direction. Starting with a tentative idea and being able to say “not this” helps us understand what’s needed far more precisely than discussing it with nothing in front of us.
Listening and Showing
At IN FOCUS, we explore through conversation and visuals at the same time.
In the first meeting, we listen to the client talk about their business. Where are they now? Where do they want to be in six months or a year? What language do they use internally? Which competitors are they watching? A producer often leads these conversations, but who joins depends on the nature of the inquiry and how far along the client is. A creative director may be involved from the start, or a director specializing in the relevant field or a project manager may join the discussion.
Alongside these conversations, we begin exploring visually right away. As we hear about the business, we may get a sense that “this could be a direction worth exploring.” Rather than waiting until we can fully articulate it, we give that initial impression a tangible form. Once we do, we start to notice what feels right and what feels off. Those intuitive responses help us discover what’s really there.
What we hear in conversation takes visual form, and the reactions to those visuals guide the next conversation. At IN FOCUS, listening and showing aren’t separate stages. They are parts of a single exploration, happening at the same time.