In the case of Simples, the early stage of the design process could accurately be described as an interview. The founder shared her reverence of the plants and their powerful properties. She shared her knowledge of the history of plant medicine and her desire to elevate our collective condition.
She helped me understand her vision. I asked her to write out single words that she felt described what she was wanting to create. I pulled some of most descriptive words from her list and turned them into the early guiding principles I would use for myself and the small design team responsible for creating the first seeds of the Simples identity system.