In the creative industry, the relationship between agencies and clients has long followed a familiar formula: receive the brief, host a debrief, develop a proposal, pitch, then execute. Everything moves like a well-oiled machine, efficient on the surface.
However, this process carries a significant weakness as agencies often propose solutions based on a limited understanding of the business. These solutions rarely focus on building a long-term strategy. Instead, they aim to answer the brief, like solving a puzzle with a single correct answer. The result is a lack of clear direction and a missing sense of sustainable collaboration.
So, CDA chose a different path. We don’t believe a strong brand can be defined in a thirty-minute pitch. We believe in long-term partnerships rooted in co-creation, where clients aren’t just approvers, but collaborators. We believe in long-term partnerships where clients are not simply approvers but active co-creators, involved in everything from strategy to execution.
In many cases, the brief is just a checklist and does not reflect the full scope of the problem.
A brief cannot fully capture the real challenges that a business is facing. It only reflects what the client perceives as the problem. In many cases, the brief represents just a small part of the bigger picture and can even be subjective, based on the brand’s perspective of itself.
Once, we received a brief requesting a “redesign of the interface and content update for the website.” However, through working closely with the client, we discovered that the issue was not the interface itself but rather the way information was organized on the website. This made it difficult for users to clearly understand the client’s rather unique business model. Simply redesigning the UI according to the brief would have left this fundamental flaw intact, directly affecting the system’s effectiveness.
That’s why we don’t want to rely solely on the brief. We aim to dig deeper, to understand the client’s pain points and challenges as well as their vision and mission. This approach helps us develop solutions that are meaningful, sustainable, and closely aligned with the client’s long-term goals.
We don’t work based on assumptions. In many typical collaborations, there are cases where agencies propose solutions based on assumptions, such as what the agency thinks the client wants, what it believes the user needs, or what it assumes about the nature of the business.
However, relying on guesses can often lead to missed opportunities and misaligned outcomes. Instead of assuming on our own about what the brand or client truly needs, we prioritize collaboration and discovery together. Every insight is generated through deep listening, asking the right questions, and validating ideas alongside our clients.
This process helps minimize the risk of delivering solutions that only work on paper but fail in practice. Every step, from strategy and design to execution, is grounded in a clear understanding of the real challenges and goals.
In many traditional models, clients are often confined to the role of final approvers. They participate only to nod in agreement or reject ideas that agencies have prepared after pitching sessions.
If clients are merely approvers, they struggle to accurately convey the brand’s core values, deep market insights, or the real challenges the business faces. This results in solutions that fail to align with the brand’s core values.
We see clients as collaborators, not approvers
The outcome may be a visually appealing image or product on the surface, but it fails to create sustainable differentiation or drive long-term growth.
We believe that only when clients become co-creators and engage in every step can a brand be built authentically and with depth. This involvement helps uncover deep insights within the organization and builds strong alignment and commitment among all parties.
Collaborating at every stage also means we share responsibility with our clients for every challenge and opportunity, continuously learning and adjusting along the way. This transforms the agency-client relationship from a simple transaction into a sustainable journey of growth.
Branding is much more than just creating a logo or visuals. It’s a thoughtful process that starts with a deep understanding of the brand and close collaboration with the client. This is precisely the approach CDA takes when partnering with clients on every project. Here’s how the process unfolds, step by step:
Stage 1: Narrate - Defining the brand story and strategic foundation
We begin by working closely with our clients to gain a deep understanding of the brand’s mission, core values, long-term vision, and current business context. Through a process of analysis and strategic dialogue, we help define a brand story that is clear, cohesive, and meaningful. This unique story is for external communication and a guiding foundation for future growth and development.
At this stage, we deliver:
Stage 2: Co-create - Building a cohesive brand identity system
Building on the brand story, we work hand-in-hand with our clients to co-create a complete brand identity system that includes:
A key part of this stage is the close collaboration between CDA and the client’s internal team — ensuring that the identity system is not only visually strong and creative, but also authentically reflects the brand’s essence and spirit. We also focus on flexibility and scalability, so the brand can grow and evolve over time, rather than being locked into a rigid system.
Stage 3: Adapt - Bringing the brand to life across real-world touchpoints
A brand only truly comes to life when it is consistently and strategically expressed across the touchpoints where people actually experience it. At this stage, we help translate the brand’s identity system and strategic foundation into real-world applications.
Deliverables may include a new website, marketing collateral (brochures, pitch decks, one-pagers), custom visual assets (imagery, icons, illustrations, motion design), social media templates, and event branding.
This is an iterative process, with continuous feedback, testing, and refinement to ensure that every touchpoint communicates the brand story clearly and consistently.
Stage 4: Evolve - Equipping the brand for long-term growth and adaptability
We believe a brand is never truly finished. A strong brand must grow alongside the business and adapt to shifts in the market, technology, and consumer behavior. In this stage, we design systems and tools that empower clients to actively maintain and evolve their brand over time.
Deliverables often include:
Our goal is to give clients the ability to confidently manage their brand with consistency, while retaining the flexibility to continuously refresh and evolve as the business grows.
CDA’s process for a branding project
Alongside the branding process, the digital experience process at CDA is not just about design or development; it’s a journey of strategic thinking, continuous collaboration, and meticulous refinement. This process ensures that the final product is not only visually appealing but also delivers real value and aligns perfectly with the brand’s goals.
Here’s a step-by-step look at how this journey works:
CDA's process for digital experience project
In the co-creative relationship at CDA, both clients and we benefit from a deep connection and close collaboration. Here are the tangible values clients gain when partnering with CDA throughout their brand-building journey:
Clients are the closest to their brand; they engage with and live the brand every day. However, this familiarity can sometimes limit their ability to see the brand clearly and objectively. Harvard Business Review calls this Functional Fixedness - when people get stuck thinking about things in the same way for too long, which can reduce their capacity for objective evaluation and creative insight about the brand. Through the co-creation process with CDA, clients often expand their perspective, discovering fresh insights they hadn’t recognized before. This enables them to gain a clearer understanding of the brand’s true essence, laying a solid foundation for building a precise and deeply meaningful brand identity.
When viewed as true partners in the co-creation process, clients feel comfortable sharing all their thoughts, desires, and even unique challenges within the project, things they might hesitate to voice in traditional relationships. Frequent and transparent communication creates an environment where both sides actively participate and deeply understand each other's expectations and needs.
Open and honest sharing with no secrets
In this collaborative partnership, clients openly share sensitive details, like budget limitations, internal challenges not yet disclosed, or shifts in business strategy that may impact the project. Through co-creation, both agency and client embrace these insights together, allowing them to adapt plans thoughtfully, avoid wasted resources, and boost the effectiveness of collaboration.
Without honest and ongoing communication throughout the co-creation process, it is difficult to build a deep understanding and find truly fitting solutions.
When clients join us in co-creating from the start, they get solutions that really tackle the heart of their brand’s challenges. Throughout the journey of ongoing collaboration, we work closely with clients to pinpoint the real issues, steering clear of assumptions or quick fixes that only address surface problems. Rather than imposing solutions, clients actively participate in identifying strategic priorities based on a comprehensive and deeper understanding of their brand.
Imagine a client who thought their logo just needed a refresh. But as we worked closely together, we discovered the real issue was how the brand shared its story and values with its audience. This insight led us to redesign not only the logo but the entire brand identity to truly reflect its core spirit and values.
Throughout the collaboration, clients are not just recipients of the final result but are actively involved in every step of the project. Continuous co-creation allows clients to closely monitor progress, provide immediate feedback, and make timely adjustments when necessary.
This process minimizes errors, ensures the direction stays aligned with initial goals and expectations, and guarantees that the final product meets the agreed standards. Clients can be confident that everything is carried out transparently and on schedule, maintaining tight control throughout the development journey.
The creative world goes beyond unique ideas and attractive visuals. At every step of co-creation with clients, from understanding the brand and developing ideas to bringing digital experiences to life, each solution carries vitality, depth, and a commitment to long-term growth. The partnership between CDA and clients is more than a simple transaction; it is a shared journey to create lasting value and meaningful differentiation in a constantly evolving market.