Design + Strategy = Structure – Part one

Well, I did it. I hit the PUBLISH button on MY Designs’ Build Your Custom Workshop.

This is an idea that’s been floating around for the last couple of years, and I finally put it into action. Do you have an idea that just won’t go away? You know it’s good, or at least you’re pretty sure it’s good….or it sounded good…or maybe iit didn’t….maybe no one will like it…maybe….SEE WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE?

This time, I ran the idea past a couple of people who could give me valuable feedback. Then I worked with Linda DeLuca, a professional presentation coach and published author. She has a fantastic program called “4 Weeks & Done”. Each week – for 4 weeks – we met and each worked on one project. Sometimes I had time during the week to work on it, but most weeks I actually did the work while we met. I knew what I wanted this project to look like (design), but I had to plan out how I was going to get there (strategy). First, I wrote out the details/goals/timeline, then created the items needed, did a soft launch, and finally tested the system (structure). It all worked. Design + Strategy = Structure.

So I hit the PUBLISH button.design + strategy = structure

What made this experience different for me was the emphasis on the strategy part. The “4 Weeks and Done” approach emphasized the fact that purpose is not the same as strategy. While it’s vital to be crystal clear about the purpose of a project – whether that is a new type of workshop or a brochure or even a website – it’s just as important to plan out HOW the purpose will be achieved. Next post I’ll focus on how this works for websites. In that case, the strategy MUST work together seamlessly with the design to achieve an effective website structure.

So let’s trot back around to where I started this post, MY Designs’ Build Your Custom Workshop. The purpose of this kind of workshop is to address a need that I’ve witnessed for quite some time. I have been teaching workshops to small groups for several years, and it something I really enjoy. What I like about the smaller groups (and what participants have told me they appreciate) is the ability to be address actual problems or challenges rather than general practices. Busy schedules often get in the way of people signing up for a specific class on a specific day. I thought about doing webinars, or having downloadable content or doing podcasts. All are great ways to reach people and help them work around tricky schedules. But there is a lot of that out there already. No, I wanted to offer my workshops in a different format. So my approach is the opposite of all that. Build Your Custom Workshops are one-to-one, on the topic you pick, and the day/time that works for you.  Good old fashioned, face-to-face learning. Ask a question, get an answer instantly…like chat, but in person.

I’ve reserved time 3 days every week for these workshops. You can visit MY Designs’ Build Your Custom Workshop page and read about the topics before you select one, then pick a day. If you just need my advice to help you finish up a project – or even get one started, you can do that too! Bottom line, you get two hours of my undivided attention to help you in any way I can.