The Value of Creative Communications for Change Projects

Mandy Dohren has always known she wanted to be a creative designer, and at Afiniti she helps build, develop and deliver engaging creative communications. In this talent insight, she discusses the necessity of creativity in those communications to enable successful change and highlights how our in-house creative team collaborates with our consultants to bring change to life.

What inspired you to pursue a career in creative design and what skills are essential to the role?

From a young age, I was lucky enough to have a clear sense of what I wanted to do as a career. Even in my school years, my favourite subjects were Art, CDT (Craft, Design and Technology) and IT. The role of a creative designer combines all of those passions and was, therefore, perfect for me!  

Apart from the technical skills, I’ve learned that creativity, effective communication, problem-solving abilities and excellent time management are essential to a career in graphic design. It is about artistry and the skill to bring ideas to life. 

What is the role of creativity in building and delivering effective, engaging communications? 

Creativity is the heartbeat of engaging communications. It is the magic that captures people’s attention and delivers messages in engaging, original and captivating ways. Whether through eye-catching infographics, impactful videos, or vivid animations, creative communications make complex information easier to understand and, most importantly, unforgettable to the audience. 

One of the most powerful tools in building effective communications is storytelling. It allows you to authentically connect to your target audience, engage stakeholders and help bring a narrative to life in an impactful and meaningful way. 

How do our Afiniti creative team and consultants collaborate to bring change to life and successfully deliver transformations?  

At Afiniti, we work closely with the consultants to shape compelling narratives, aligning the creative, visual themes and concepts to the key messages. Utilising everyone’s knowledge, different areas of expertise and intuition, we create an effective campaign consisting of dynamic and purposeful creative communications for change.  

Through constant collaboration and review, together with consultants we develop highly engaging content and materials that best complement our clients’ desired outcomes. These assets sometimes include engagement decks, animations and personas, but no matter the method, we always seek to bring the story to life in a way that is best for the target audience.  

Why should organisations always consider creative communications when delivering change? 

There are very few change programmes that don’t require a behavioural change or a new way of working, and these changes can be uncomfortable and worrisome for people. For an organisation to successfully implement change, they need to actively involve and engage their audience from the start. A high-impact campaign that clearly articulates the what and the why in easily digestible and memorable creative communications has the power to motivate, inspire and generate excitement and, ultimately, buy-in among employees. 

What is your favourite thing about working at Afiniti? 

For me, it has to be the people. We have a team of incredibly talented people who are deeply passionate about the work we do. Everyone is always willing to share their knowledge and expertise with each other and, just as importantly, are fun to work with. Despite being a virtual company with individuals being dotted around the world, we are always finding ways to come together and collaborate, whether it’s over Teams or face-to-face, which I think is vital in the new world of remote working. 

By Mandy Dohren, Partner, Creative Designer

If you’re looking for your next business change consulting challenge, take a look at our current opportunities. Alternatively, send us your CV using our contact form for a conversation on working together in the future to deliver effective creative communications.