Proving that creative work has real commercial value is one of the most persistent challenges in the industry. The good news is that the answer does not start at the end of a project — it starts right at the beginning.

This question was answered by Michael Tsapazi, an industry leader with deep experience connecting design decisions to measurable business outcomes, and Andy Wright, host of Asking For A Friend on Never Not Creative, who brings a sharp focus on the practical realities facing creative professionals today.

Start with clarity, not assumptions

Michael's core argument is straightforward: if you want to prove your work delivered results, you need to agree on what those results should look like before a single concept is sketched. That means getting commercial goals written into the brief — whether that is increased revenue, stronger brand presence, reduced costs, or the ability to expand into sub-branding. If those goals are not there, the move is to send a reverse brief back to the client and make sure everyone is reading from the same page.

Design is not always about repositioning

One of the more surprising insights from the conversation is that design value does not always look like a rebrand. Michael shared a project with a major wine producer where the primary goal was reducing label production costs — to the tune of around $700,000. By creating consistency across label sizes, shapes, and finishes, the design work went straight to the bottom line. The brand looked better too, but the commercial win was the whole point.

Ask for the data — because clients rarely offer it

Michael noted that clients almost never volunteer results information after a project wraps. You have to go looking for it. Asking for the same data points before and after a project, then giving it six to twelve months to settle, creates the conditions for a real before-and-after story.

AI as your in-house analyst

Andy's contribution here is timely. With AI tools now readily available, creatives can take that raw data — sales figures, search mentions, audience perceptions — and ask it to help identify patterns and build a compelling narrative around the work's impact. No analyst on retainer required.

The bottom line is that proving creative effectiveness is less about justifying yourself after the fact and more about setting the right foundations from the start.