Design Strategy for Creative Professionals
A course by Douglas Davis, Strategist, Author, and Professor
Discover the Creative Strategy Framework, which explores the business side of design, and learn to develop creative solutions to marketing challenges
“The reason artists are in the room is to turn the rational “language of the suits” into the emotional language of design.”
Award-winning designer and strategist Douglas Davis combines creativity with the principles of business to come up with innovative marketing solutions for clients including HSBC, The Economist, Campbell’s, and Deutsche Bank. He has also published a book, Creative Strategy and the Business of Design.
In this online course, he teaches you how to build your own step-by-step methodology for solving design problems. Learn to use the Creative Strategy Framework to produce strategic threads that you can apply to execute creative concepts for your personal brand or clients. Organize the chaos and question the answers to turn insights into action!
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 29 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know the designer and strategist Douglas Davis. Discover how he turned his childhood love for drawing into a successful career along with the influences that inspire him.
Examine your role in the context of business before diving into some essential marketing concepts. See which parts of an organization you can influence, and find out how to turn a client’s request into viable solutions.
Learn how to use the Creative Strategy Framework to organize your creative process in four columns: target, facts, features, and finally, the objective or message you want to communicate.
Organize your research and pull out the resulting threads from the previous exercise. To wrap up the course, Douglas teaches you how to develop these into a scenario analysis ready to present.
- 100% positive reviews (23)
- 1,405 students
- 17 lessons (3h 38m)
- 29 additional resources (11 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Use the Creative Strategy Framework to develop innovative solutions to marketing challenges.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for creatives looking to expand their business knowledge and enhance their practice.
Requirements and materials
Previous knowledge of design is required.
In terms of materials, you’ll just need something to write with.
Reviews
Douglas Davis
A course by Douglas Davis
Douglas Davis is an award-winning designer and strategist. As a child, he was always creative and dreamed of becoming a cartoonist thanks to his love of drawing. He later went on to study graphic design and photography at Hampton University as well as communication design at Pratt Institute. However, he credits his education to his first day on the job as a designer.
Since then, Douglas has worked for clients including HSBC, The Economist, Campbell’s, Ruby Tuesday, Deutsche Bank, Liberty Mutual, Dassault Falcon, Maserati, Scholastic, Aveeno, and Illy. He has also taught strategy and design at institutions like NYU, SVA, Pratt Institute, Maryland Institute College of Art, and the City University of New York. Douglas has published a book, Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, and worked on projects including Imported from Brooklyn, a story about finding the path to possible, which received over 15 million views and was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
About Me
-
Influences
-
-
U2
The Communication Gap
-
Negotiating the Transitions
-
Business Concepts Creatives Should Understand 1
-
Business Concepts Creatives Should Understand 2
-
Three Levels
-
What They Say vs What We Hear: Translating Client Requests
-
-
U3
The Creative Strategy Framework: 4 Columns
-
The Target 1
-
The Target 2
-
Product and Finding the Facts
-
Features and Benefits
-
Objective or Message
-
-
U4
The Creative Strategy Framework: The Process
-
The Creative Strategy Framework: Quantity and Quality 1
-
The Creative Strategy Framework: Quantity and Quality 2
-
The Creative Strategy Framework: Pulling Out Strategic Threads 1
-
The Creative Strategy Framework: Pulling Out Strategic Threads 2
-
Scenario Analysis: Rhinoceros, Rhombus, and Rainbow
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Design Strategy for Creative Professionals
-
What to expect from a Domestika course
-
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
-
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
-
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
-
Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
-
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
-
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
-
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
-
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate-level creatives who want to deepen their skills in creative strategy, branding, and communication within business and marketing contexts.
A foundational understanding of design, marketing, or creative fields is recommended. Prior experience with creative projects or brand communication will help you get the most from the course.
You'll learn to apply creative strategy frameworks, analyze target audiences, develop brand positioning, manage creative teams, and bridge creative and business goals to produce impactful campaigns.
Yes, the course includes guidance on portfolio presentation, helping you showcase your creative work strategically to attract clients or employers.
Yes, the course explores processes for redesigning digital platforms like websites and creating engaging web series content as part of broader creative projects.
You'll analyze branding strategies in hip-hop, streetwear, and luxury collaborations, exploring how cultural trends and iconic partnerships influence brand identity and messaging.
Yes, the course provides strategies for managing fear, overcoming creative blocks, and fostering confidence in creative projects.
If you apply this course to yourself, your client will not let you go and will not look for someone else (only if you are reliable ;>)
Excelente curso
Great course!
Amazing course and teaching.
Recomendado para cualquier creativo que quiera desarrollar aspectos estratégicos del marketing.