Design Process: Start to Finish As A Graphic Designer

As a designer, we all need a process. a Step 1, 2, 3 and so on to get us started on a project. All projects are different, but the design process should pretty much stay the same. Every designer has their own process, but I'm here to share mine with you!

Whenever I get a new project, the first thing I always do is RESEARCH. I research the market for what I am designing for, I research what is popular now and projected to be popular for the next few years, I research popular logos and what makes those work for this market, etc. Research is a phase I take my time on. I make sure to gather enough samples and examples for the next step which is MOOD BOARD. I don't care what anyone says, mood boards are so important to help convey a story. For clients, especially for people who are not artsy or creative whatsoever, a mood board can help them see where you are coming from. In my mood boards I include photographs of images that inspired my logo concept, images that inspired the color palette, images that inspired the fonts, etc. The mood board can consist of anything and everything that inspires the design.

Once I have done research and compiled images to start my mood board, I move into the SKETCHING phase. I typically sketch on a piece of paper, and stick primarily to black sharpie. Adding color at the beginning can cause too much distraction from the creation of the logo. I create anywhere from 10-15 sketches for my concepts, and from there go into a designer discussion/brainstorm, and narrow the designs down to three. Anything more than three typically overwhelms the client. After the sketching and client review of the sketches, I move into the BASE CREATING phase. This phase can be creating one of the items, or all three of the items, depending on what the customer is want to be presented to them. I typically try to have it narrowed down to one for this phase, and I am still not using color.

After the base creating, the customer reviews that one item, or three, I then go into a COLOR PALETTE selection and review. If the customer knows one color, or the mood of the color, I usually take those into consideration when creating the color palette options. Again, I try not to present more than three to the customer. In this stage, if the customer hates all of them, I typically ask "What were you looking for then?" or "What colors did you have more in mind?" Once you get their response, or even a sample color, I typically try creating 2 more options for them. Once the color palette has been established, I use those colors in application to the product. Whether it's an illustration, 3D model, or logo, I create 3 options using the palette in a variety of ways, and have the customer review those options.

Once the layout for colors in the creation have been selected, I go into font selection (If the project requires it). I typically use 4 different fonts, and you can read more about those fonts in my blog post titled "Branding: Font Selection For The Brand". After this is selected, I take time to compile everything into a beautifully laid out branding book, illustration, 3D model, etc.

Each project is different in what is required, but the bare bone design steps are pretty similar in order. Having your own process that you follow is so important, and it makes your work flow so much easier. So, find out your process, and stick to it!

Sincerely,

Just Your Average Graphic Designer in totally Digital World

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