Path to a Successful Visual Story

Diagram showing steps of the Background Stories collaborative process. Steps are labelled Scope, Kickoff, Visual Story Development, Sketches, Digital Design, Iteration, Wrap-up

Diagram showing steps of the Background Stories collaborative process. Steps are labelled Scope, Kickoff, Story Development, Sketches, Digital Design, Iteration, Wrap-up

A step-by-step guide to our collaborative process

Visual storytelling is a powerful tool to help people understand and engage deeply with complex information.

Whether developing an infographic, printed sign, or animated video, we approach every project with a time-tested collaborative process. We can help your team benefit from the power of visual stories.

We’ve refined this process over the years to find a good balance of client-facing steps and “backstage” steps—in other words, the work we do behind the scenes.

Your Path with Background Stories

Scope

Kickoff

Visual Story Development

Sketches

Digital Design

Iteration

Wrap-Up

Scope

Are we ready to work together? Let’s find out!

Consider these questions:
- What is the budget?
- What is the scope?
- What is the deadline?
- Do I have a refined content outline? (If not, we can help! Our capabilities include research and content development.)
- Who will be the primary point of contact on my team?

We’ll discuss these questions with you and craft a proposal specific to your needs.

Review and accept that proposal to start working together.

Share any relevant background materials, including existing brand guidelines and data. We like to review these ahead of the kickoff meeting.

Backstage: We assemble our design team. This includes a creative director and a designer whose skills and interests best fit the project. Typically, the designer serves as project manager and main point of contact.

Kickoff

Beginning our work together

At this initial meeting, our teams meet and the journey begins! We will chat about the details of the project, confirm the scope, and review the timeline.

Consider these questions:
- Who is my audience? (If needed, we can adapt a visual story for multiple audiences.)
- What are my goals?
- What key messages do I want to communicate?
- What are my deliverables?

Share any examples that inspire your team.

We are a remote-based company and are comfortable meeting virtually. We’re also available to meet in person within the Twin Cities area.

Backstage: In advance of the kickoff meeting, we review any materials you’ve provided and compile questions to help us better understand your content, audience, and objectives.

Graphic of a laptop with kickoff questions listed, including who is my audience and what are my goals

Visual Story Development

Finding the key messages

You can provide content to us, or we can develop content based on raw materials that you provide.

Light story development (always included): You provide content, and we make high-level recommendations to refine the story in a visual format and tune it to your audience. Here is an example of the content structure and length we'll need from you for a one-page infographic with light visual story development.

Content development (optional): From your white paper, your research, or conversations with your team (to be agreed based on the proposal), we develop an outline and ask you to provide feedback. This add-on requires additional budget.

Backstage: We research your topic and dig into the content that you have provided. With your goals in mind, we create a visually-driven story that communicates the key messages to your audience.

Collection of research and data turning into a refined content outline document

Sketches

Confirming the flow with your team

At a meeting, we walk you through our rough sketches and invite you to share feedback. We may show different options and discuss which approach best fits aspects that you want to showcase.

If developing the “look and feel” (visual style) is part of the project scope, we'll propose color schemes, fonts, and/or illustration styles.

Backstage: Using the content outline as a guide, we develop a rough sketch that uses visuals to communicate your message. The primary designer leads hands-on design work, while the creative director provides guidance.

Refined content outline document turning into a black and white rough sketch

Digital Design

Your story comes to life

We share a first draft with you via email and ask for your feedback.

Backstage: We turn the sketched concepts into refined deliverables using color, typography, and illustration.

Rough sketch turning into a digital design with full color and illustration

Iteration

Collaborating to find the best solutions

The fun begins! We send you each design iteration via email, and your team compiles feedback in response. You can contact us with questions or request a check-in meeting at any time.

Most projects include two rounds of revision and one additional round of minor tweaks. If you prefer more iterations, this can be added during the initial Scope phase.

Recommendation: If approval is needed from external team members (such as other people in the department), wait until the second design iteration to share with others. This allows us to address your early feedback in a streamlined process.

Backstage: We use your feedback to refine the design. With each iteration, we may ask specific questions or propose ideas in the email.

Wrap-Up

Share your story with the world

We send you final files, and our account manager follows up with wrap-up steps. We’d welcome your feedback on our process and will confirm whether we can share your project in our public portfolio.

If the project scope includes extra deliverables (social media graphics, slide decks, etc.), we will start developing those with a similar collaborative process.

Backstage: We prepare the final files according to your needs and the project scope. Usually, this means a PDF or image file that you can easily share with your audience.