Blueprint for Design

All creative people have a process.   The process I speak of is everything it takes to bring a client’s thoughts or idea to a completed design.  Sometimes, it can be easy.  Other times it can be grueling. Inspiration, creativity and progress might happen fast or you might find yourself at a major roadblock.   The process can sometimes be quite a journey.

I love the comment, “You must love designing for a living.” At that point I usually start to laugh or break into uncontrollable tears.

— Andrew Lewis

For me, I tend to look at my work as having 6 major parts in the design process.

1. Acquiring
2. Researching
3. Designing
4. Reviewing
5. Fixing
6. Completing

Much like a sermon series at church, I’ll be visiting one topic each week for the next six weeks and then finishing up with a conclusion. Let’s get started and learn how it all begins.

Acquiring

First, you need to acquire the design project. I include this because the process of getting a project can have a major impact on the completed design. From the moment you begin communicating with a potential client you are already dictating the course of a design.

At any given time you’ll start learning specifics about the project. You have to in order to come up with a quote.  You’ll try and ask as many questions and gather as much detail. Conversations will occur and design is discussed. The risky part of this is that clients will remember everything. It’s important not to make promises you can’t keep or give unrealistic ideas.

You may not have provided a quote yet.  Don’t talk Ferrari if the client can only afford a Chevy.  Showing your expertise without giving too much away can be key to your success.

Your past projects might even dictate why you acquire a project and what the client wants.

From experience, the most common example would be the client who calls you and says, “I really like that {insert name of old project here} project you did! We would love to hire you to create something that looks just like it.” This isn’t necessarily bad. At least someone is appreciating your work.  Not to mention, you’ve begun with some clear expectations of what the final product will look like.  It might even give you a slight advantage when coming up with a quote. From the get-go, expectations have been set and the process has begun.

What I’m trying to say is be cautious when acquiring a project.  What you say now will have lasting impressions on how the project may run it’s course.  Be careful what you say. Be careful what you promise. This is where the foundation is poured.  The rest of the design process will build off of this.