Concept projects as evidence of thinking.
In a new studio, concept work is not filler. Treated seriously, it is direct evidence of how the studio thinks about a real business problem.
A new studio faces a familiar problem: the strongest evidence of capability — client work — is the thing a new studio does not yet have in volume. Case studies of past clients build trust quickly, but they are also, in a sense, historical.
Concept projects, treated seriously, are a different kind of evidence. They are not filler. They are direct evidence of how the studio thinks about a real business problem, in the absence of a live client to organise the project around.
This only works if the concept work is honest about what it is. A concept project should be identified as such, clearly and consistently. It should not borrow the visual identity of a real company, and it should be careful with contact details that could be mistaken for a real operating business.
Held to that standard, a small library of concept projects can do more work for a new studio than a larger, weaker portfolio. Each one becomes a written argument for how the studio approaches strategy, structure, content, and design — the same arguments that will one day be made about client engagements.
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