A Design Process

Young graphic designers spend a lot of time learning the design process, while experienced people just need to update their application methods and use new design software.

Completing a high-quality design task is not easy according to the customer’s needs, so graphic designers know that structuring the approach leads to effective design time management.

Depending on the customer, goals and marketing campaign, there are many ways you can approach and design this process. But there are basic steps that no designer should go through and ignore.

Factors such as research, revision, and the like will ensure your path to success in graphic design. In this article, we will cover seven steps to help you impress any customer with your professionalism.

Here are seven steps most design projects must take to move from a customer initial briefing to a successful project:

Step 1 – Study customer needs

Adjust the design goals and context to the customer’s needs. This entry form is basically a design that will lead you to the final design. Now ask as many questions as you can to make sure you are on the right track.

Make sure it provides answers to your questions that will enlighten you about the key points of the project. What message is your customer advertising and business trying to convey? What art styles and design approaches do customers like to see? Are they ready to use images or photos?

Do not be afraid to ask because it is always better than guessing and it brings you closer to the point of view of the business owner. A design summary serves as a reference point for both you and the customer, making sure they all agree. Talking to business owners and industry experts about managing customer expectations and needs will give you a better idea of how you can liven up your customer vision.

Step 2 – Research, research, research

You must have noticed from the three emphasis that you do as much research as you can. This will help you to understand the project as fully as you can. Primary areas of research should always include the customer’s history and culture, the perspectives of local (and possibly international) competitors, and any industry-related trends. Doing so will keep you from revisiting your draft.

For the next step, you need to analyze your project’s target audience. You need to consider the age, gender, income, occupation, location, and lifestyle of the people the customer wants to reach.

Knowing your audience is key to ensuring that the right message is conveyed in the best possible way.

Step 3 – Get ideas flowing

As a designer, you have researched your client, industry, and audience. Now it’s time to put everything together.

One way to generate ideas is to use structured mind maps with ideas related to your core concept. Some may prefer to make lists or random ideas that they occasionally come up with on waste paper or in their phone book so that you do not forget them. You come. No matter what method you choose, there is always a way to get those ideas flowing!

Make sure you record all your ideas and concepts. You will never know when what you initially threw away will come back as a great solution to all your problems. Your current drafts may become a treasure trove in the future to help you build a bank of design ideas that will be very useful for your future projects.

Step 4 – Design

Drawing your own ideas to define their visual elements is a good way to save time. For example, you do not want to spend a lot of time in Illustrator software on concept corrections that your client does not like. These prototypes allow you to work confidently on your design. This is a common practice performed by experienced graphic design professionals to give their work a solid foundation.

With design drawings and mock-ups, you can create several different concepts faster because they do not require much detail. This way you can feel how basic elements like a web page design layout or logo design shape work.

Step 5 – Develop the concept

Once you have drawn your initial thoughts, it is time to develop your favorite concepts a little more. It is a good idea to develop several different concepts to give your customer more choice. However, their number can fluctuate according to the needs of the project.

As a professional designer, you need to present these concepts to your client, explaining the logic behind each design. This step is where all your design research will benefit you!

Do not think that unselected concepts are also wasted. Giving your customer options often allows you to combine their favorite elements from each. Did they like the font you used for option 1? Or did you like the color scheme you created for the other options? Choose their preferences and use them in your work. This gives you valuable insights about your customer and helps you execute the final design.

Step 6 – Review and make corrections

Once the customer has chosen a concept, it is time to revise the design to fit the goals and outlines.

The customer may ask you to combine all the concepts you have presented or come up with something completely new. After hearing the comments and suggestions, you can present another series of new designs.

On average, one to three rounds of review are done before a plan is approved by the customer. Of course, you do not need to worry too much, because it is necessary and normal to make corrections to improve your work. Even experienced designers encounter them on a daily basis. In addition, corrections become easier each time.

Do not be afraid to comment on what it looks like. After all, you are a design expert and customers often welcome this type of guidance, but remember to make your suggestions based on credible research and regularly consider the needs and wants of the customer because the customer wants a lot.

Step 7 – Complete the design and get approval

In the last step, you need to get confirmation from the customer and send the final files to him. Tell the customer in one sentence that the project is complete! There is nothing more valuable than providing a complete graphic design program to a satisfied customer. So, be sure to congratulate yourself for doing a good job, and be sure to include your work in your resume and give your future customers something that is unique and unique.