Bring us the problem.
The project that keeps going round in circles. The change nobody planned for. The opportunity you can see but haven’t worked out how to use. We help founders and teams question the obvious answer, find a different angle and decide what to do next.
You don’t need to arrive asking for a brand, campaign or website. Sometimes the first useful piece of work is deciding what needs to happen at all.
Strategic thinking, human understanding and creative judgement from Awove, a multi-award-winning brand and web agency.
No strings attached.
Before we make something, let’s make sense of it.
Sometimes the brief describes the answer someone has already settled on, rather than the problem that needs attention. A new website. Another campaign. A different logo. We help work out whether that is the right move before you invest in making it.
We look at the situation, the people involved and the constraints that are real. We question what has been assumed, what has changed and what else might be possible. The aim is not to be contrary. It is to find a useful way forward. Read Noam’s view of a useful strategic conversation.
Perspective.
Separate what you know from what you have assumed. Look at the situation from the business’s side and from the people it needs to matter to.
Possibility.
Explore a different response, a new use for what you already have or an opportunity hidden inside the constraint.
Direction.
Choose what is worth pursuing, what needs testing and what should happen next. A clever idea still needs somewhere practical to go.
You don’t need a better-looking version of the wrong answer.
The thinking comes before the deliverable.
From going in circles to a next move.
Some briefs need a focused working session. Others need a closer look before a recommendation is useful. We agree the involvement around the situation, not a prescribed number of workshops.
- 01
Get the situation on the table.
What is happening, what have you tried and what needs to change? We listen to the history, the pressures and the different views in the room. An untidy explanation is a perfectly good place to start.
- 02
Question the obvious answer.
We pull apart the assumptions and look for the difference between the visible symptom and the issue underneath it. Sometimes that confirms the brief. Sometimes it changes the question we need to answer.
- 03
Look for another way through.
We explore possible responses, including the less obvious ones. That might mean reframing the offer, reaching different people, using an existing strength differently or finding a new purpose for something already there.
- 04
Give the options a reality check.
Who does each option serve? What would it take to carry out? What are the trade-offs, constraints and things we still need to know? We help distinguish an interesting idea from a direction worth pursuing.
- 05
Decide what happens next.
We make the recommendation clear and agree the next actions. That might be a decision, a small test, a sharper brief or a separately scoped creative project. The result should be useful beyond the conversation.
Leave with a next move. Not just more to think about.
The answer is not always a new thing to make. It might be a decision, a different approach or a clearer brief for the people already involved. We agree what the engagement needs to leave you with.
A clearer question. A useful answer. A practical next step.
- A clearer account of the problem
- What needs addressing, what has changed and which assumptions or missing information matter to the decision.
- A different perspective
- A reframing of the situation or a new way to use the business’s strengths, relationships and existing work.
- Options with a reason behind them
- Possible routes, their trade-offs and the questions that need answering before committing further.
- A recommended direction
- What we think is worth pursuing, why it makes sense and what would make us reconsider it.
- Practical next steps
- The agreed actions, priorities and tests that can turn the recommendation into progress rather than another open discussion.
- A brief for any work that follows
- Where the response needs a campaign, identity, website or product, a clearer basis for scoping that work with Awove, your team or another specialist.
The useful result may be a written recommendation, a decision summary, a concept or a brief. We agree the format and depth before starting. You do not have to commission a design project afterwards.
The proposal confirms the question we are addressing, the people involved, the outputs, timing and fee. Further research, creative production and ongoing involvement are agreed separately.
No strings attached.
A working session. Not a workshop for the sake of it.
Bring the people who know the situation and can help move it forward. We create room for the useful questions, challenge the assumptions and keep the conversation connected to a decision or action.
A focused question.
For a founder or decision-maker who needs an outside perspective on a specific challenge or choice.
A team pulling in different directions.
For people who need to make sense of competing views and establish a shared basis for the next decision.
A situation that needs a closer look.
For a brief that needs time between conversations to explore possibilities, review relevant information and develop a useful recommendation.
A one-off engagement can be enough. Where further work would be useful, we discuss it separately. You do not have to start with a retainer.
Where thinking becomes work.
Selected brand, web and product work by Awove. Each project is labelled with what we delivered.
A few things worth asking.
What kinds of problems can we bring?
Business, brand and communication challenges where a different perspective could help: a project that is stuck, a change in circumstances, competing directions, a missed opportunity or uncertainty about what to do next. We’ll be clear where a brief needs specialist expertise outside our experience.
What if we can’t explain the problem clearly yet?
Start with what is happening and what feels unresolved. You do not need a polished brief or a named deliverable. Working out the useful question may be the first part of the engagement.
What actually happens in a session?
We work through the situation, ask questions, challenge assumptions and explore possible responses. It is a working conversation, not a lecture or an exercise performed simply to fill a workshop agenda.
What will we receive afterwards?
We agree that before starting. It may be a written recommendation, decision summary, next-step plan, developed concept or a clearer brief. The output should suit the decision you need to make.
Do we have to commission a brand or website afterwards?
No. The thinking is a service in its own right. If the right answer does involve further creative or technical work, that is scoped separately. It may be work for Awove, your own team or another specialist.
Can you work with our existing team or advisers?
Yes. Their knowledge and responsibilities matter. We agree who should be involved, who is making the decision and where our perspective will be useful. We do not need to replace your team to help it move forward.
How does this differ from creative marketing and direction?
They are connected. Problem solving starts with the situation and asks what to do. Creative marketing focuses on reaching people and prompting a response. Creative direction develops and guides the expression of an idea. You do not need to choose the perfect service label before talking to us.
Is one session enough?
Sometimes a focused conversation resolves the decision. Other situations need further information or development between sessions. We scope the initial engagement around the question rather than promise every problem can be solved in an afternoon.
How much does it cost?
The fee depends on the involvement, preparation and outputs required. We agree the scope and price before the commissioned work starts. Ongoing involvement is optional, not the default.
What happens in the free 15-minute consultation?
Tell us what is happening and where you need help. We’ll ask a few questions and work out whether we are the right people to get involved. It is an initial conversation, not the full problem-solving engagement. No strings attached.