As described on my About page, the name of my design studio cont ains a promise. In order to deliver on that promise, I use the process described here. This is a high level approach that leaves enough room to deal with the specifics of every project.
Understanding your goals and needs
The first and most important step is to talk. I will have lots of questions!
Such as: what are your goals with this design? Who am I designing for? What action should they take? If you want me to create something new, what should that do for you? If it is a change to something that already exists, what would you like to improve about it? What are the conditions or constraints that I need to take into account?
You get the idea – let’s talk as one business person to another so I have a complete understanding of what results the design is to achieve. Later on in the process I will have to make many design decisions, and without this information I have no context for those decisions.
Don’t have goals for your project? No worries, I’ll just make them up as I go! Just kidding of course – you probably have more than you think and my questions are designed to bring that out. In the unlikely event that we do come up empty, you should probably keep your money in your pocket for now.
Let’s make it official
After you and I have a clear understanding of the goals and terms, I will put everything in an agreement so there is no misunderstanding of the details. This agreement will cover topics such as:
- Goals and conditions
- Number and format of final deliverables
- Timelines, and roles and responsibilities for you and me
- Compensation, cost and payment schedule
- Ownership and usage rights
You’re up next
At this stage in the process you will have some work to do: return the signed agreement to me, make the initial payment as agreed. If applicable, you’ll have to send me the materials that I need before I start (for example: your copy and illustrations, or house style). This will also be listed in the agreement so it’s clear when everything is ready for me to start.
Now it’s my turn
When I have all the input from you that we agreed, I can start the work of actually designing the content that you have given me, to meet the goals you have stated. This part of the process will differ from one project to another, but it typically covers:
- Research – this will depend a lot on the project, but some form of research is always included to make sure I have the background and context needed to help you achieve your objectives. Google is always a good starting point, but more might be required! I will share the major conclusions with you as well as my proposed approach for your project based on the research.
- Idea generation – I will look at your assignment from as many different directions as possible so I can be sure I take the approach that best fits your objectives. Pen, paper and scissors are used for quick prototyping of possible approaches.
- From sketch to final product – When the direction is clear, I will follow an iterative process to turn rough sketches into detailed sketches into the final product. The original idea might be adjusted as the final solution takes shape.
- Quality checks – When I think I’m done, I’ll do one more round of quality checks to make sure I have covered everything and all materials are in perfect shape for the media where you plan to use them (for example, the technical pre-press requirements of your printer in the case of printed materials)
Delivering the final concept
Once the concept is complete, I present it to you through a detailed case study. This case study contains an overview of my design process for your project and describes how the final solution accomplishes your goals.
Once the final invoice has been paid, the deliverables (such as vector files and any exports) are sent to you.
Let’s stay in touch
I’d love to hear how things work out with the materials I design and hope to hear you’ve surpassed your goals. Let’s pick a time to catch up some time after the work is done. If you get the coffee, I’ll bring the cookies!