Graphic Design Process
- 2. In order to make effective graphic design solutions, graphic designers follow a specific process to understand the task, determine the best solution, and create the final designs. Design Brief –or- Creative Brief Research Thumbnailing Roughs Comprehensive Presentation Finalize
- 3. Design Brief What is the project? What should the final product be? What format and materials should be used? What are the specs? What is the deadline? Who is the Target Audience?
- 4. Understanding the Design Brief is CRITICAL Designers can create a beautiful design, but if it does not meet the client's or teachers' requirements for the task, then it does not matter how beautiful it was.
- 5. Break the brief down into a few categories: Project Objective Size & Format Target Audience Tone Timeline Budget
- 6. Project Objective A simple explanation of the project.
- 7. Size & Format • The final expected file size and file type. It may be pixels, inches, or cm. • It may be png, pdf, jpeg, ai, indd, psd, or a combination of them. • It is vital to produce the file type the client needs as they may be sending it to print or putting online, and that specific file is needed for that purpose.
- 8. Target Audience Who the advertising appeals to. The target audience is not the client, but who buys the product/service. Designers describe the target audience with their: • age • Occupation • Income • Hobbies • Gender • and more. It is essential to know who will be the target with the design, often the person the client is selling to is not like oneself, and designers have to make a design that appeals to this other person.
- 9. Tone • The way the content should be written and displayed. This may be: • Academic • Humorous • Bubbly • Matter of Fact • Enthusiastic • Think about the tone of voice. "It is not just about what you say, but how you say it." Design is the same. Designers can use colors, fonts, and copywriting to communicate the tone.
- 10. TImeline • When the project is due. In our program we are extremely strict about deadlines because this career is rigorous on deadlines, designers must ask when a client needs something in the first meeting, and have it to them well before that deadline. • Instructors expect the same from the students in this program.
- 11. Budget • All projects in this course will not include a budget element, but it is essential to ask a client what their budget is BEFORE starting a project.
- 12. Once you have a good understanding of the project, you will follow the Graphic Design Process to execute your design. 1. Research- Generate and gather information. 1. Look at other examples in the same field. 2. You will spend MOST of your time researching. Do not rush the process. 3. Pay attention to Color, Typography, Tone 4. Use descriptive adjectives. 5. Use mind maps.
- 13. Thumbnailing Create several thumbnails sketching many possible layouts for the design. Thumbnails should explore a wide range of possibilities. Explore a variety of typefaces, layouts, styles. Remember, you are trying to communicate something specific. This is a problem that you need to solve. There may be many possible solutions. Your job is to explore them all and determine which one is the best.
- 14. Roughs • After receiving feedback from your peers/colleagues, you can proceed to the next step. • Develop 2 or 3 of your best ideas a little further. This can be digitally or by hand. • Roughs are similar to creating a Rough Draft when you write a paper. • Once the roughs are complete, you will need to decide which one most aligns with your client’s brand or product. Which one communicates most effectively? Which one has the right voice and tone?
- 15. Comprehensive • From your 3 best ideas, pick the very best and create a final comprehensive. • This is the design that you will present to your client for feedback.
- 16. Presentation At this stage, you have done a lot of work and you are ready to present to your client. You will need to be able to communicate why you made the choices you did and why you believe those are the best choices. Be prepared for feedback. This is your client’s company. This is their livelihood. They will have opinions and rightly so.
- 17. Finalize • Make adjustments per your client's request. • Once the design is approved, send it to the client in the requested format.