The Graphic Design Process – From Idea to Execution

Graphic design is fundamental to everything we do at ID:10. Whether it’s used for a printed poster or for a website, the principles are much the same, and so is most of the process.

The most important person in that process is you, the client. The whole object of a graphic design project is to make your potential customers stop and look, for that design to tell them why they need to do business with you. It can seem like an arcane procedure, though, so here’s a simple run-down of what we do.

Establish What You Want

Whatever we might design, we’re wasting our time if we haven’t found out what you want from it. At briefing meetings, whether in person or virtual, we ask a range of questions to establish your needs, e.g.:

  • Who are you addressing?
  • What do you want to get over?
  • What branding elements, if any, need to be included?
  • What’s the deadline?
  • What’s your budget?

Creating an Outline and Proposal

After reviewing and assessing the information, we’ll draw up an outline of the project, explaining our concept of the design with preliminary sketches, or with wireframes of websites. This will include the content, dimensions, colours and technical aspects of printing or online realisation. We’ll also propose a time-frame and cost.

We’ll discuss this with you and take note of what revisions you require for the outline, explaining any change this might involve in time-frame and cost. Once you’re satisfied with the proposal, we can start on the artwork.

Creating the Artwork

At this stage, we’ll produce a draft of the actual artwork. In fact, we’ll normally produce several drafts, since it’s difficult to tell exactly what works or not from an outline or sketches.

When we have the artwork ready, we’ll present you with the various options, and you tell us what you like and what you think could be improved. It doesn’t have to be a straight choice between the versions. If, for instance, you like the overall look of one but prefer the font on another, we can combine them.

When we’ve made the changes requested, we’ll bring the revised version back to you — and repeat the process, if necessary, till you’re satisfied.

Producing Your Design

When you’re happy with the design, we’ll ask you to confirm that in writing. All that remains then is for the finished item to be produced. Depending on the project, it can go to the printer or be incorporated into a web page.

If you want to know more about what you can expect from the graphic design process, feel free to contact us

Author Sean O'Keeffe

Sean O'Keeffe is creative director at ID:10, a Hertford based design agency.

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