Do you manage creative projects? Are you looking to improve your graphic designs? If you are wondering how to optimize your graphic design process, then you’ve come to the right place. We at Draftss have some exciting tips for you.
In this article, we will explore the graphic design process for bettering your creative visual content. Read along to maximise the efficiency of your graphic design process.
Let’s get started!
What exactly is the Graphic Design Process?
To tell you what exactly the graphic design process is, in a nutshell, it is the process from ideation of the creative design brief to the finished product. These include all the steps that are required to make a quality graphic design.
Take a look at the steps required to create an optimal graphic design for a better visual experience.
Creative Brief
The creative brief is the first step & probably the most important step when making a graphic design. It sets the entire mood for your design project. Having a clear, informative & solid creative brief helps the designer understand the project.
Meeting in person with your client or using an online collaboration tool is the best approach to generating a solid brief. When you meet in person, you can discuss any issues or concerns in real-time. This gives you a better understanding of the client’s requirements.
You may also utilize a form tool to collaborate on a brief with your clients. Google forms, for example, will make it easy for you and your clients to respond to any design-related inquiries.
Try to mention these points in your creative brief:
- Information about the business
- Guidelines for branding
- The primary audience
- Define the brand’s problems
- What should the finished result look like? (I.e., brochure, eBook, etc.)
- Expectations and milestones
- Budget
Examining the creative brief in person or over video is the best approach for everyone on the team to be on the same page.
Graphic Design Research
While doing graphic design research, try to include all the essential information as possible in your creative brief to minimize the time spent in this phase. It may vary depending on the scale of the project. That being said, it’s also equally beneficial if graphic designers do research on their own. By doing so, the designers get a better understanding of the project & the audience they are working for.
Include these aspects while doing your graphic design research:
- Competitor analysis
- Researching your target audience’s interests on social media
- Look for competitor press releases & interviews
This helps you understand your competitors & you might learn a few things. Also, you get to know what works & what doesn’t in the graphic design market.
Brainstorming Design Ideas
Once you & the graphic designers have researched, the next step is to brainstorm different design ideas. It is important for the client & graphic designers working on the project to brainstorm design ideas.
The project owner has firm ideas about how the final designs should look. Ideally, include any relevant links or inspiration in the brief to ensure maximum clarity to graphic designers & everyone else involved with the project.
You can reach out to different design forums or social media groups to get more ideas & inspiration. Quora, Facebook, Slack, etc. are some of the popular options you could refer to.
Here are some tips to have a productive brainstorming session:
- Don’t be self-conscious
- Look outside for inspiration
- Be transparent
- Be honest
- Question the creative brief
- Play word games for idea generation
- Take a break when needed
This way, you get one step closer to optimizing the graphic design process.
Review Your Work
Project design managers must check in with graphic designers from time to time. This helps to ensure that the project is running smoothly & as planned. When project managers check the project at the crucial parts, they can give feedback to designers at the right time. Project managers must be able to properly guide the designers to fulfil the task as required by the client.
Once the design is almost done, it is essential to review each & every aspect of the design. You have to ensure that the graphic design is per the client’s needs. Sometimes you have to compromise with yourself & accept that the client is paying for the design they want.
Final Presentation of the Design
Once your graphic design project is complete after many revisions, then comes the final presentation part. It is perhaps the most nerve-racking part of the entire graphic design process.
Once you present your design to the client & they like it, you don’t need to make any more changes to the project. You now, need to carefully package the project in a structured manner. Also, we would strongly advise you to attach an invoice along with your project.
Key Takeaways
The graphic design process is complex, but a few of the steps that we’ve mentioned may surely help you. Of course, not every step can suit your style of project management. We’ve made this article to make it simple & easier for you to understand how you can optimize your workflow.
Check out our blog page for more such informative articles.
Have you already tried any of these or other steps to optimize your graphic design process? Let us know in the comment section how it went for you.
