Do you have a competitive advantage that makes you stand out? What makes you different from your competitors? Often the difference is hidden in those things that make your studio unique. So what makes your agency different from the other 8,000 design agencies in Australia?
This is where ‘onlyness’ comes into play.
Your onlyness comes from your accumulated experience, perspective, and vision. When you think about it no other person in the world has your accumulated experience, perspective and vision.
Unlocking your onlyness is the key to your competitive advantage.
The first step to finding your onlyness is to find clarity about what you do differently from others.
One way to get the separation we need for clarity is to turn a human-centred design tool more commonly used for clients on ourselves: a customer journey map turned on yourself: a personal journey map.
It’s a simple (fun) process you can use to map what you’ve done and how you’ve done it, making it easy to identify what makes you, you.
Google personal journey mapping and you’ll find heaps of resources. It’s an easy process to follow. You can document your whole life, or just an experience, like your tertiary education or a stint in a studio. For more detail on how to define your onlyness and use the personal journey map see the links below.
The next step is to stand back and extract the valuable information. Look for re-occurring patterns, feelings, and thought processes. Where you felt strong, confident and capable. Use that information to write your own design value proposition – articulate your strengths in a language aimed specifically at your clients.
Onlyness is the magic dust, because if you can define what you do differently to other designers, you no longer compete. You have a something completely separate to offer.
All very possible. Want to know how? Contact Greg for a discussion that will help you develop a competitive advantage.
Contact me if you would like to learn more about defining your competitive advantage.
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Greg Branson
Greg’s passion is the research and development of methods that improve design management and the role of design in business.
Greg and Carol developed the Design Business Council as a management school for design leaders. Contact Greg to learn more about developing your skills as a manager.
