Incredible designs don’t happen overnight; they require high focus, in-depth understanding of the task, expertise in the graphic design process & creativity. A skilled graphic designer keeps up with the ever-changing market & makes the designs very engaging to the users. In this article, we’ll talk about 5 essential graphic designer process steps.
We’ll also talk about how a newbie can get into graphic design. So, if you want to enter this industry, this article might help you.
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The Essential Graphic Designer Process Steps
With every project, graphic designers go through these phases listed below.
- Collecting project information
- Brainstorming design ideas
- Be creative
- Reviewing the work as per the client’s needs
- Adding the finishing touches
When the graphic designer coordinates with the client, these steps can produce the best outcomes. By doing so, the designer gets informed in detail & understands exactly what the client’s needs are.
Let’s dive deeper into each of these steps to understand the stages of the graphic designer process.
Collecting Project Information
Before starting the project, the graphic designer must know the graphic design task, client expectations, payments, etc. Having a solid creative brief sets the tone for a successful project.
It’s best to discuss the project information in real-time. The way to go is to meet the client in person or via online collaboration tools. Doing so makes it easy for you and your clients to respond to design-related inquiries.
The graphic designer process consists of asking questions related to the target audience, message, pricing, budget, dimensions, deadline, etc., from the client so they can refer to them throughout the project.
Researching your competitors or people in the same industry might also help perfect a graphic design project.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a key step in the graphic designer process. Graphic designers need to brainstorm different design ideas to have a smooth workflow. After getting the briefing from the client, the graphic designer or the design team needs to work on ideating the project.
Graphic designers can also reach out to different design forums or related social media groups for ideas & inspiration.
Here are some tips for having 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
In the free-thinking brainstorming sessions, the team can come up with very unique & creative ideas for the project.
Be Creative
A graphic designer’s work must be new & unique! It needs good skills & creativity. Using the client’s favorite pieces as a guide to working on your next project might be a good idea. However, the designs should be unique and your own. The graphic designer process consists of creativity.
To harness creativity, it might be helpful for you to read a book, take a walk, or draw something you like. Creativity hits differently for everyone. Once creatively charged enough, you can start working on the sketches & wireframes.
Create a few simple hand-drawn drawings of the piece’s arrangement before proceeding with a professional application like Illustrator or InDesign. It’s a good idea to show your customer your basic concepts before spending too much time on design to see whether you’re on the right track.
Reviewing
Next on the list of graphic designer process steps is reviewing your work.
Once you’ve presented the rough work to the client & they like it, you need to start designing. Graphic designers should consider the client’s needs & work accordingly on the design.
Project managers should check the project at the crucial points to give designers feedback at the right time. Project managers must be able to properly guide the designers to fulfil the task as required by the client.
The graphic designers must be able to keep their pride aside & work on the design project per the client’s briefings.
Adding The Final Touch
In the last step of the graphic designer process; the designer adds some final touches to the graphic design. Coordinate with the client and make all the micro changes requested by them. This might include changes in color, slight font changes, background color changes, or something else. These minor changes might go on for a couple of rounds before the client is satisfied. Do as your client wants the design, but you can also properly lend a few suggestions. After all, the client has hired you for your expert opinion, so don’t be afraid to say things if you feel they might work better for the design.
Something to keep in mind
If you follow these graphic designer process steps, they may be of great help to your next graphic design project.
Remember, the design is not about you but the client. They are paying you to put across their message via the graphic design. If you have suggestions, try to put them politely without getting egoistic or loud.
Fresher who are looking to get into the industry can also start their careers by interning at Graphic design agencies to get first-hand experience.
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