Visual Direction Review
Does the visual identity match the strategic intent? A diagnostic of where the visuals support the campaign and where they contradict it.
Scoped · Timed · Priced before it begins
What it is
A visual identity is a claim about what your campaign feels like. When that claim contradicts the strategy underneath, the campaign loses force without anyone being able to say why. Visual Direction Review runs your current visual system against your strategic narrative using our Visual Direction Framework, and identifies exactly where the visuals support the intent and where they undercut it. You walk away with a Visual Direction Review Report and a Direction Statement that says what stays, what goes, and what new work is required.
Best suited for
Organisations whose visual identity predates their current strategic direction. Campaigns that feel off despite strong messaging. Teams preparing a visual refresh and wanting strategic rigour behind the design choices.
Process
How the engagement runs, step by step.
1 to 2 weeks. Gated. Each step signs off before the next begins.
- 01
Intake
A working session with your decision-maker to surface the current situation, context, and constraints.
- 02
Diagnostic
We apply the relevant framework to the material you share and identify what holds and what must change.
- 03
Drafting
We draft the deliverables and review them with you in a single iteration cycle.
- 04
Sign-off
A locked, signed artefact is handed over. Gated before the next phase, or ready to stand alone.
What you get
Signed artefacts, handed over at the end.
- 01Visual Direction Review Report
- 02Direction Statement
Framework applied
The InStone toolkit running under the engagement.
We publish the framework names. The internal mechanics stay with us. That is what you are commissioning.
01
Visual Direction Framework
Pricing
From £6,500
Locked in writing before the engagement begins. No uplifts mid-engagement without explicit scope change.
What drives the price
- Core identity system plus two flagship assets (standard)
- Additional flagship asset reviews (additional fee per asset)
- Sub-brand or variant reviews (additional fee per variant)
Common questions
No. A brand review looks at your identity as a whole. Visual Direction Review looks specifically at whether the visual system matches the strategic direction of a campaign. Narrower in scope, more actionable in output.
No. The output is a review plus a direction statement. Design work is commissioned separately, either with your existing team or with InStone under a Campaign Architecture.
Then commission a Narrative Audit or Campaign Foundations first. The Review needs a narrative to audit the visuals against. Without one, the work has nothing to measure against.
Yes. Most reviews cover the core identity system plus one or two recent flagship assets: hero campaign visual, major event materials, or a lead advocacy asset. Additional flagship asset reviews are scoped per asset.
Yes. The Direction Statement becomes the Phase III input on a Campaign Architecture or Full Strategy, with the Review fee credited in full against the larger scope.
Start with a brief
Send a written brief.
Tell us about the situation, the audience, and what part isn’t working. We respond in writing within two working days with a fit confirmation, a locked price, and a timeline. The call comes after. To sign, not to discover.
Related engagements
Often commissioned alongside Visual Direction Review.
Narrative Audit
Where your messaging holds, where it drifts, and what to do about it. A diagnostic of your current narrative against our framework.
Campaign Architecture
Expression and Activation. Visual direction, iconic image, channel plan, timeline.