Why Approach?
Approach is a way to get the creativity going
Approach gets the thought process started
You think from the customers point of view
Better Approach = Faster Project Completion =
Better work = Less Running Around = Happy
Customer = Happy You = Happy Us = WIN WIN!!

Sketches Design
Gather
and multiple
Information
Wireframes versions
Create an Harness your
Revisions
outline creativity
Brand Stick to all
Referencing
Personality the steps
Graphic Designing Process
Algorithm

Gather Information
Before you can start a project you of course need to know what
your client needs. Gathering information is the first step of the
graphic design process. When approached for a new job, set up a
meeting to discuss the scope of the work. Be sure to gather as
much information as possible:
Next Slide – What to ask your clients?

•Who is the target audience?
Find out who you are designing for. This will have a great
impact on the style, content and message of the project.
For example, a postcard aimed at new customers will be
completely different from one aimed at existing customers.
Some variables that can impact design include:
• Internal (i.e. employees of the company) or external
customers
• Age
• Geographic location
• Gender
• Depending on the project, factors like economic status
and religion may also come into play.

What is the message?
Find out what message your client is trying to get across to
the target audience. The overall message can be
something as simple as thanking customers or announcing
a new product. Once that is established, go beyond it to
find out the “mood” of the piece. Is it excitement?
Sadness? Compassion? Gather some keywords that will
help with the overall style of your design. If you are in a
meeting with a group of people, consider asking each
person to come up with a few words that they think
describe the mood of the message, and brainstorm from
there.

What are the specs of the project?
The client may already have an idea of specifications for a
design, which is helpful for determining the time involved in the
project, and therefore the cost. For example, a 12-page brochure
will take much longer than a 4-page foldout. If the client doesn’t
know exactly what they are looking for, now is the time to make
some recommendations and to try to finalize these specs. The
amount of content to present, budget, and final use of the design
may all affect these decisions. Determine:
* Dimensions
* Number of pages
* Black and white vs. 2-color vs. 4-color printing
* Paper stock
* Size of print run (the number of pieces to print)

What is the budget?
In many cases, the client will not know or disclose their budget for a project.
They may either have no idea what a design should cost, or they may want
you to say a number first. Regardless, it is usually a good idea to ask. If a
client has a specific budget in mind and tells you, it can help to determine the
scope of the project and your final cost. This is not to say you should do the
project for whatever the client says they can pay. Instead, you may alter some
parameters (such as timeframe or the amount of design options you provide)
to fit within the budget.
Whether they reveal a budget or not, it is ok to say you need to review the
project and will get back to them with a quote. You don’t want to throw out a
number that will have to change once you’ve had more time to think about it.
Sometimes, the client budget will be much lower than you were expecting for a
project, and then it is up to you if you want to take the work below your costs
for the experience or your portfolio. In the end, you should be comfortable with
what you are making for the amount of work, and it should be fair to the client.

Is there a specific deadline?
Find out if the project needs to be done by a specific date. The job may coincide
with a product launch, or another important milestone, for your client. If there is
not a deadline, you will want to create a timeframe for completing the project
and present it to the client. This, much like your estimate, can be done after the
meeting. If there is a deadline and you feel it is not reasonable, it is not
uncommon to charge a rush-fee to finish it in time. All of these variables should
be discussed prior to the start of the work, so everyone involved is on the same
page and there are no surprises.

Can the client provide creative direction?
Whenever possible, it is helpful to get at least a little creative direction from the client. Of
course, you will be creating something new and unique for them, but some ideas will help
you get started. Ask if there are any designs, design elements or other cues they can give
you, such as:
* Colors
* Fonts
* Works of art
* Other designs
* Websites
It is also important to find out if there is an existing brand that you need to match. The
client may have a color scheme, typefaces, logos or other elements that need to be
incorporated into your design. Larger clients will often have a style sheet you can
follow, while others may just show you some existing designs.
Collecting this information, and any other ideas, from your potential clients will help the
working relationship and design process go smoothly. Be sure to take detailed notes when
asking these questions, and include as much information as possible in your proposal.

Additional Questions we should ask
# Can the client provide examples of design they like?
# Is there an existing corporate brand that needs to be matched?
Remember – All the questions don’t apply everywhere, but
it is our job (to make our job easier) that we get as much
information from them as possible
STEP 1 is the most tedious
But remember
The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war 

Create an Outline
Using the information collected in your meeting you'll be able to
develop an outline of the content and goal of the project, which
you can present to your client for approval before proceeding. For
a website, include all of the major sections and the content for
each. Include the dimensions and technical specifications for
print or web work as well. Present this outline to your client, and
ask for any changes. Once this is finalized, you know you are in
agreement on what the piece will include and can proceed to the
next step of the graphic design process.

Brand Personality
• It is a comprehensive concept, which includes all the tangible
and intangible traits of a brand, say
beliefs, values, prejudices, features, interests, and heritage. A
brand personality makes it unique.
• Brand Personality describes brands in terms of human
characteristics.
• Brand personality is seen as a valuable factor in increasing
brand engagement and brand attachment, in much the same way
as people relate and bind to other people.

Questions to ask while determining Brand Personality
• What characteristics would a brand have?
• What would “foxy” do everyday if he was a human?
• 5 adjectives that would describe the brand
The point of creating a brand personality is that it gives a
sense of creative direction for the designer and more often
than not it allows the brand manager to connect with the
design of the logo or website

Referencing
Find references for the various thought processes thus
determined and also start creating a reference bank, so that at
any given point of time in a period of 6 months we don’t need to
research AS MUCH (we always need to research), the research
is present and exists.
This is important to get the thought process rolling and more
often than not it is switches “on” the creative switch for the
designer

Harness your Creativity
Design should be creative! Before moving on to the design itself (don't
worry, that's next) take some time to think about creative solutions for the
project. You can use the client's examples of favorite work as guidelines for what
they like and don't like, but your goal should be to come up with something new
and different that will separate them from the rest (unless of course they
specifically asked to fit in). Ways to get the creative juices flowing include:
Brainstorming
Take a walk
Read a book
Draw
Get away from the project and look around to find inspiration!!

Sketching and Wireframes
Before moving into a software program such as Illustrator or InDesign, it is
helpful to create some simple sketches of the layout of a piece. This way, you
can show your client some ideas without spending too much time on design.
Find out if you are headed in the right direction by providing quick sketches of
logo concepts, line drawings of layouts showing where elements will be placed
on the page or even a quick handmade version of a package design. For web
design, wireframes are a great way to start with your page layouts.

Design Multiple Versions
Now that you've done your research, finalized your content and gotten approval
on some sketches you can move on to the actual design phases of the graphic
design process. While you may knock out the final design in one shot, it's
usually a good idea to present your client with at least two versions of a design.
You can agree on how many unique versions are included in a job in your
proposal. This gives the client some options and allows you to combine their
favorite elements from each.
TIP: Be sure to keep even the versions or ideas that you choose NOT to present
and that you might not even like at the time, as you never know when they'll
come in handy.

Revisions
Be sure to let your client know that you encourage \"mixing and matching\" the
designs you provide. They may like the background color on one design and the
font choices on another. From their suggestions you can present a second
round of design. Don't be afraid to give your opinion on what looks best...after
all, you're the designer! After this second round, it isn't uncommon to have a
couple more rounds of changes before reaching a final design.

Follow the Steps
When following these steps, be sure to finish each one before moving on to the
next. If you conduct solid research, you know you can create an accurate
outline. With an accurate outline, you have the information necessary to sketch
out some ideas. With the approval of these ideas, you can move on to create
the actual design, which once revised, will be your final piece. That's much
better than having a client say \"Where's the Logo?\" after the work is already
done!