When we talk about brand architecture, there are two very distinct views. There is the identity that is visible to consumers—the external facing brand in front of the curtain. And just behind the curtain, there are resources and systems that influence the brand internally. One can’t exist without the other, and overall brand success depends on the unique purposes and participants on both sides.

Consumer research sometimes gets a bad rap publicly. Its demand on resources can be enormous. Consumer research might even lead teams down the path towards developing a better iron lung instead of the polio vaccine. Nevertheless, if you find yourself asking “What do my consumers want?” conducting consumer research can provide valuable insight.

Within organizations, traditionally you might meet product designers who help to decide how a thing looks and functions. Turn a corner, and you might find graphic designers working to make information clear and understandable. More recently you might meet UX/UI designers who work on digital products and interfaces. Additionally, you might meet service designers, experience designers, business designers, and strategy designers. So what do all these folks do?

Innovation doesn’t just happen by accident (I mean sometimes it does, but we can’t just rely on fate, right?). For organizations to find, develop, and most importantly prioritize new and innovative ideas, they need an innovation process. And while there is no one-size-fits-all solution, there are some common elements and problems to solve.

Communicating with consumers is important. Your biggest ally in creating clear communications is your consumer. Do yourself a favor. Get to know her. She has a lot of thoughts about you that she hasn’t shared. She has secret joys about what you do for her. But also more than a few gripes about what you could be doing better.