Systematization of the process of graphic design
Unlike other types of art, the creation of graphic design is not limited to drawing with a pencil on paper.
Graphic designers should help users understand the meaning conveyed and sell the product or service .
Design is doomed to failure if the client does not have a strategy. Unlike traditional art, graphic design is designed to convey a certain value.
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Systematization of the process of graphic design can help the designer to achieve a better result.
Systematization of any project, be it graphic design, web design, programming, or something else, will provide better results and faster delivery of the project.
This article presents a graphic design process divided into five steps .
You may want to start drawing right away, but first you need to gather the necessary information. Most graphic designers will get this information from their customers. But even if it is your own project, it is important to first gather the necessary information.
Most customers will contact the graphic designer with something like this:
After that, the client will ask to tell him the price for this project and provide contact information. The client will think that everything is already normal, the project will be started, but for the designer it is not so simple.
Some customers will provide more information, some less. However, even when you have a lot of information from a client, this is usually not enough. Before you tell the client how much the project will cost and start developing, make sure you have the answers to the following questions.
You can get the answer to this question from the client’s line “Poster will be shown on locations A and B”, but it will be better to ask the client personally. So you will have a better understanding of what the target audience will be.
Just because a poster will hang on college campuses does not mean that the poster is intended for all students. Ask the client if there is any group of people in which he is more interested? Maybe this is a group of design students? Or engineers? May be interested in a group of teachers?
Information about the target audience should contain age, geography, interests and requirements.
To advertise a product, the slogan “Buy Me!” Will obviously not work. Ask the client how the meaning of the product or service will be transmitted.
Any type of graphic design, be it a logo, poster, t-shirt, etc., requires some kind of message. Get this information from the client before you begin.
If you create a poster, what size should be the poster, what colors will need to be used, how many copies are required? Does the client want to include in the design of the poster any other design elements? If a logo is created, does the client have any color preferences or a ready-made brand? Does the client have any ideas for this? If a design for clothes is created, what size is needed, what colors and what patterns?
With any graphic design, you must have a foundation to get started.
Forgetting something important can mean that you will need to make a lot of changes in the project and ... earn less than you originally intended. Before starting the project, make sure that you have all the necessary information.
You will also need to clarify with the client the budget, deadlines and other business-oriented issues that will need to be included in the design proposal (discussed below). This will help identify those customers who need design very urgently and those who are willing to pay too little.
Present your pricing structure to the client, and also provide reasonable deadlines. Later you can add information about the price and deadlines to your design proposal.
To systematize the initial communication with the client, use the ready list of questions. Such a list will help you not to forget something important.
You can always make changes to this list of questions, depending on the specific project. The whole point is that you will not need to create a new list every time and re-think everything for each client.
It would also be advisable to include the client in this process through some kind of collaboration tools, such as BaseCamp or Google Docs . Discussion of the list of issues can be much easier without using e-mail and this can be a good start for effective project management in general.
This is quite a lengthy job, but it will not take you much time if everything is systematized. All these documents (price, offer, contract or even work plan) can be created on the basis of ready-made templates. Systematization can make this whole process quick and easy.
If you do not have such templates, you need to create them as soon as possible. Initially, it will take quite a lot of time, but then save.
If you are an employee of some company, then you may already have access to such templates. However, freelancers will have to start from scratch.
Create templates for these documents, maybe even on the basis of similar documents that you found on the web. The ideal template must be created in such a way that only the customer’s name and contact information needs to be changed.
The proposal is a bit different, as it should be written for a specific project and client. It is impossible to create such a template in which you just need to enter the name of the client.
The proposal of graphic design should provide the client with the entire process and sequence of actions, deadlines and budget.
The proposal should also contain information from the list of issues: target audience, goals, etc. This is a project plan.
Here, too, templates will save time if the headings and the general text are written in advance. Just add the content of the sentence and it's done.
Your personal plan will contain most of the offer, but will be adapted to meet your needs.
For example, if the proposal will be written on the specific day of delivery of the project, then your personal plan may contain deadlines for performing several specific tasks, which are required for the timely delivery of the project. These can be days of brainstorming, the creation of the first version of the design, the completion of the preparatory work, etc.
Here, too, you can use the template, editing it for each specific project.
Think about the work that you do for each project and organize them. Write down, step by step, all that is to be done and organize them in the most convenient way possible. This will save you time and certainly will not forget about something important.
Many designers will agree that it is impossible to achieve better results if you immediately start working after issues related to the TOR, the budget and the deadline are settled.
Rather, you will need time for inspiration, researching similar designs and brainstorming.
Without performing this part of the graphic designer process, the designer may need to start from scratch several times, make many edits, or simply work inefficiently. Spending a little time getting inspiration and organizing thoughts will make you work faster.
Inspiration is the first step that leads to brainstorming and research. The following are some good ways to get inspiration:
Brainstorming is the process of converting inspiration into something that can be used in a design. The ideas, styles and elements you want to use in your design are all part of the process.
Draw a few layouts, experiment with color schemes and typography, and try different ways of presenting graphics. This is the process by which the main idea of ​​the design is revealed.
This is the process by which you do research on the final idea and how everything will be done. I like to collect items from other designs and check what will look better. This is a great way to try something new and get the perfect look.
Collect materials and learn a few new things. Then you will be ready to create a client project.
When collecting resources and researching styles, you most likely have new ideas. Try several different things using your original goal for comparison. Do not just start work, create something and finish it. Thus, you will not only learn something new, but you will also have something to show the client when he wants to see other versions.
Many designers do not like the patch phase, especially when they feel that the client has a bad taste and wants to spoil the design they have been working on for so long. Do not worry, it is not so painful.
Show the client the created design, or, as many designers do, several design options. If the client asks to change something or correct, do not refuse.
It can be difficult to understand a client who does not know what exactly he does not like but just wants “something else”.
Have on hand some gallery of finished works that can be shown to the client for inspiration. If the client does not like the font used, show him the gallery of fonts. Ask him to select several fonts to better understand the client’s taste. So it will be easier than asking a person, without any design experience, to tell you exactly what he means.
This part of the graphic design process requires the most attention and systematization of this process is the most difficult. But the resources described above can help with this. Do not be afraid to ask the client questions and cooperate with him when you do not fully understand what he means. It is better to spend time getting clarifications from the client than to correct all the work.
Tips from this article will help to systematize any process. But you should also identify the work that you regularly perform and find ways to perform more effectively.
Graphic designers should help users understand the meaning conveyed and sell the product or service .
Design is doomed to failure if the client does not have a strategy. Unlike traditional art, graphic design is designed to convey a certain value.
')
Systematization of the process of graphic design can help the designer to achieve a better result.
Systematization of any project, be it graphic design, web design, programming, or something else, will provide better results and faster delivery of the project.
This article presents a graphic design process divided into five steps .
1. Collect the necessary information
You may want to start drawing right away, but first you need to gather the necessary information. Most graphic designers will get this information from their customers. But even if it is your own project, it is important to first gather the necessary information.
Most customers will contact the graphic designer with something like this:
I need a poster for my new project X [next is the project description]. The poster will be shown on locations A and B and we need a talented designer to create a poster that “sells”.
After that, the client will ask to tell him the price for this project and provide contact information. The client will think that everything is already normal, the project will be started, but for the designer it is not so simple.
Some customers will provide more information, some less. However, even when you have a lot of information from a client, this is usually not enough. Before you tell the client how much the project will cost and start developing, make sure you have the answers to the following questions.
The target audience
You can get the answer to this question from the client’s line “Poster will be shown on locations A and B”, but it will be better to ask the client personally. So you will have a better understanding of what the target audience will be.
Just because a poster will hang on college campuses does not mean that the poster is intended for all students. Ask the client if there is any group of people in which he is more interested? Maybe this is a group of design students? Or engineers? May be interested in a group of teachers?
Information about the target audience should contain age, geography, interests and requirements.
Ask the customer the exact meaning being conveyed.
To advertise a product, the slogan “Buy Me!” Will obviously not work. Ask the client how the meaning of the product or service will be transmitted.
Any type of graphic design, be it a logo, poster, t-shirt, etc., requires some kind of message. Get this information from the client before you begin.
Technical requirements
If you create a poster, what size should be the poster, what colors will need to be used, how many copies are required? Does the client want to include in the design of the poster any other design elements? If a logo is created, does the client have any color preferences or a ready-made brand? Does the client have any ideas for this? If a design for clothes is created, what size is needed, what colors and what patterns?
With any graphic design, you must have a foundation to get started.
Forgetting something important can mean that you will need to make a lot of changes in the project and ... earn less than you originally intended. Before starting the project, make sure that you have all the necessary information.
Budget and timeline
You will also need to clarify with the client the budget, deadlines and other business-oriented issues that will need to be included in the design proposal (discussed below). This will help identify those customers who need design very urgently and those who are willing to pay too little.
Present your pricing structure to the client, and also provide reasonable deadlines. Later you can add information about the price and deadlines to your design proposal.
Systematization of all this
To systematize the initial communication with the client, use the ready list of questions. Such a list will help you not to forget something important.
You can always make changes to this list of questions, depending on the specific project. The whole point is that you will not need to create a new list every time and re-think everything for each client.
It would also be advisable to include the client in this process through some kind of collaboration tools, such as BaseCamp or Google Docs . Discussion of the list of issues can be much easier without using e-mail and this can be a good start for effective project management in general.
2. Write a proposal for the design, price, contract and work plan
This is quite a lengthy job, but it will not take you much time if everything is systematized. All these documents (price, offer, contract or even work plan) can be created on the basis of ready-made templates. Systematization can make this whole process quick and easy.
If you do not have such templates, you need to create them as soon as possible. Initially, it will take quite a lot of time, but then save.
If you are an employee of some company, then you may already have access to such templates. However, freelancers will have to start from scratch.
Create templates for these documents, maybe even on the basis of similar documents that you found on the web. The ideal template must be created in such a way that only the customer’s name and contact information needs to be changed.
Sentence
The proposal is a bit different, as it should be written for a specific project and client. It is impossible to create such a template in which you just need to enter the name of the client.
The proposal of graphic design should provide the client with the entire process and sequence of actions, deadlines and budget.
The proposal should also contain information from the list of issues: target audience, goals, etc. This is a project plan.
Here, too, templates will save time if the headings and the general text are written in advance. Just add the content of the sentence and it's done.
Personal plan
Your personal plan will contain most of the offer, but will be adapted to meet your needs.
For example, if the proposal will be written on the specific day of delivery of the project, then your personal plan may contain deadlines for performing several specific tasks, which are required for the timely delivery of the project. These can be days of brainstorming, the creation of the first version of the design, the completion of the preparatory work, etc.
Here, too, you can use the template, editing it for each specific project.
Think about the work that you do for each project and organize them. Write down, step by step, all that is to be done and organize them in the most convenient way possible. This will save you time and certainly will not forget about something important.
3. Brainstorming, research and inspiration
Many designers will agree that it is impossible to achieve better results if you immediately start working after issues related to the TOR, the budget and the deadline are settled.
Rather, you will need time for inspiration, researching similar designs and brainstorming.
Without performing this part of the graphic designer process, the designer may need to start from scratch several times, make many edits, or simply work inefficiently. Spending a little time getting inspiration and organizing thoughts will make you work faster.
Inspiration
Inspiration is the first step that leads to brainstorming and research. The following are some good ways to get inspiration:
- Read the book. Many designers look at other graphic designs for inspiration. One of my favorite ways to get inspiration is to just read books. By focusing your attention on words, you are helping your imagination to do your work, which you can then use in your project.
- Visit a museum. This is a more visual path to inspiration, and more pleasant. But it is not necessary to go to the art museum. I noticed that visiting any museum can bring inspiration.
- Relax. Relax, take a walk. Without thinking about work, you can get rid of those thoughts that were not successful. As soon as you are properly rested, you can again take up the work and implement new ideas.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming is the process of converting inspiration into something that can be used in a design. The ideas, styles and elements you want to use in your design are all part of the process.
Draw a few layouts, experiment with color schemes and typography, and try different ways of presenting graphics. This is the process by which the main idea of ​​the design is revealed.
Study
This is the process by which you do research on the final idea and how everything will be done. I like to collect items from other designs and check what will look better. This is a great way to try something new and get the perfect look.
Collect materials and learn a few new things. Then you will be ready to create a client project.
4. Try different things.
When collecting resources and researching styles, you most likely have new ideas. Try several different things using your original goal for comparison. Do not just start work, create something and finish it. Thus, you will not only learn something new, but you will also have something to show the client when he wants to see other versions.
5. Correction Phase
Many designers do not like the patch phase, especially when they feel that the client has a bad taste and wants to spoil the design they have been working on for so long. Do not worry, it is not so painful.
Show the client the created design, or, as many designers do, several design options. If the client asks to change something or correct, do not refuse.
It can be difficult to understand a client who does not know what exactly he does not like but just wants “something else”.
Have on hand some gallery of finished works that can be shown to the client for inspiration. If the client does not like the font used, show him the gallery of fonts. Ask him to select several fonts to better understand the client’s taste. So it will be easier than asking a person, without any design experience, to tell you exactly what he means.
This part of the graphic design process requires the most attention and systematization of this process is the most difficult. But the resources described above can help with this. Do not be afraid to ask the client questions and cooperate with him when you do not fully understand what he means. It is better to spend time getting clarifications from the client than to correct all the work.
Conclusion
Tips from this article will help to systematize any process. But you should also identify the work that you regularly perform and find ways to perform more effectively.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/75438/
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