Good Design Doesn’t Start in Figma — It Starts in Strategy
At DesignLabs, we’re big believers in this idea:
Design is only as strong as the strategy behind it.
We’ve seen too many projects jump straight into logos, color palettes, and layouts — only to circle back months later realizing the core messaging was unclear, the visuals didn’t resonate, or the product didn’t align with audience expectations.
In this post, we’re breaking down a real-world example of how we translate strategy into design — step by step.
🎯 Step 1: The Brief
Client: An early-stage founder launching a productivity tool for remote creatives.
Challenge: They wanted a bold, modern identity — but hadn’t clarified their audience or position yet.
Deliverable: A simple brand system and landing page design that could launch fast — but scale over time.
🧠 Step 2: Strategic Discovery
We kicked off with a 90-minute strategy sprint covering:
Core Value: What’s the main benefit they offer? (Not features — results)
Audience Snapshot: Who are we talking to? Creators, freelancers, remote workers.
Brand Attributes: 3–5 words that describe the personality (Focused, Curious, Friendly)
Competitor Landscape: Who else is in this space — and how can we look/feel different?
We distilled this into a strategy doc that informed every creative decision afterward.
🧭 Step 3: Positioning & Messaging
From that doc, we developed key copy assets:
Tagline: “Structure for Creatives. Without Killing Flow.”
Headline Hierarchy: Value first, not features
CTA Language: “Start building now” instead of “Learn more” — to match their proactive user base
Voice & Tone: Conversational, confident, slightly playful
We treated these copy decisions as core design elements, not afterthoughts.
🖼️ Step 4: Visual Translation
Moodboard Development:
We pulled inspiration from 3 creative territories:
Minimal with warmth
Utility meets creativity
Fresh, optimistic color systems
We shared visual references for:
Type pairings
Icon style
UI flow aesthetics
Real product screenshots vs. stylized mockups
The goal: align early, avoid misinterpretation later.
🎨 Step 5: Design System Lite
We crafted a minimal but scalable brand kit:
Logo: Geometric, lowercase wordmark — high legibility
Type: One bold header font, one clean body font (Google Fonts for dev-friendliness)
Colors: Muted base palette with a single vibrant accent
Imagery Direction: Screenshots over illustrations, paired with soft drop shadows and ample whitespace
All of this was built with the dev team’s workflow in mind — design that builds fast.
📄 Step 6: Layout & Page Design
Using our strategy + system, we designed:
Homepage with story-driven flow:
Core benefit
Social proof
Product walkthrough
Founder’s note
Call-to-action
Landing Page Blocks for future use (pricing, onboarding, about)
We prototyped everything in Figma and annotated with content goals per section — making copy/design/dev all speak the same language.
✅ The Outcome
Launched in 4 weeks
Users said the site felt “like someone finally gets how I work”
Founder now has a repeatable system for new pages and assets
No redesign needed — because the strategy shaped the visuals from day one
🔁 Final Thought: Design Is an Output, Not a Starting Point
If your design process doesn’t include strategy, messaging, and real audience insight — you’re not building a brand. You’re decorating a screen.
When you start from clarity, design becomes faster, smarter, and more scalable.
Want this process for your next launch?
Our Strategy-to-Design Sessions help you build the message and the visual system that brings it to life. Reach out — or explore our templates in the Journal to DIY your first version.
