Module 03: Graphic Design Process

1. Graphic Design
Process

2. In order to make effective graphic design
solutions, graphic designers follow a specific process to
understand the task, determine the best solution, and
create the final designs.
Design Brief –or- Creative Brief
Research
Thumbnailing
Roughs
Comprehensive
Presentation
Finalize

3. Design
Brief
What is the
project?
What should the
final product be?
What format and
materials should
be used?
What are the
specs?
What is the
deadline?
Who is the
Target
Audience?

4. Understanding the
Design Brief is
CRITICAL
Designers can create a
beautiful design, but if it does
not meet the client's or
teachers' requirements for
the task, then it does not
matter how beautiful it was.

5. Break the brief down into a few categories:
Project
Objective
Size &
Format
Target
Audience
Tone Timeline Budget

6. Project Objective
A simple explanation of the project.

7. Size & Format
• The final expected file size and file type. It may be pixels, inches, or cm.
• It may be png, pdf, jpeg, ai, indd, psd, or a combination of them.
• It is vital to produce the file type the client needs as they may be sending it to print or putting
online, and that specific file is needed for that purpose.

8. Target Audience
Who the advertising appeals to. The target audience is not the client, but who buys the
product/service.
Designers describe the target audience with their:
• age
• Occupation
• Income
• Hobbies
• Gender
• and more.
It is essential to know who will be the target with the design, often the person the client is selling
to is not like oneself, and designers have to make a design that appeals to this other person.

9. Tone
• The way the content should be written and displayed. This may be:
• Academic
• Humorous
• Bubbly
• Matter of Fact
• Enthusiastic
• Think about the tone of voice. "It is not just about what you say, but how you say it." Design is
the same. Designers can use colors, fonts, and copywriting to communicate the tone.

10. TImeline
• When the project is due. In our program we are extremely strict about deadlines because this
career is rigorous on deadlines, designers must ask when a client needs something in the first
meeting, and have it to them well before that deadline.
• Instructors expect the same from the students in this program.

11. Budget
• All projects in this course will not include a
budget element, but it is essential to ask a
client what their budget is BEFORE starting
a project.

12. Once you have a good
understanding of the
project, you will follow
the Graphic Design
Process to execute your
design.
1. Research- Generate and gather
information.
1. Look at other examples in the same
field.
2. You will spend MOST of your time
researching. Do not rush the process.
3. Pay attention to Color, Typography, Tone
4. Use descriptive adjectives.
5. Use mind maps.

13. Thumbnailing
Create several thumbnails sketching many
possible layouts for the design.
Thumbnails should explore a wide range of
possibilities.
Explore a variety of typefaces, layouts, styles.
Remember, you are trying to communicate
something specific. This is a problem that you
need to solve. There may be many possible
solutions. Your job is to explore them all and
determine which one is the best.

14. Roughs
• After receiving feedback from your peers/colleagues, you can proceed to the next step.
• Develop 2 or 3 of your best ideas a little further. This can be digitally or by hand.
• Roughs are similar to creating a Rough Draft when you write a paper.
• Once the roughs are complete, you will need to decide which one most aligns with your
client’s brand or product. Which one communicates most effectively? Which one has the right
voice and tone?

15. Comprehensive
• From your 3 best ideas, pick the very best
and create a final comprehensive.
• This is the design that you will present to
your client for feedback.

16. Presentation
At this stage, you have done a lot of work and you are ready to
present to your client.
You will need to be able to communicate why you made the
choices you did and why you believe those are the best choices.
Be prepared for feedback. This is your client’s company. This is
their livelihood. They will have opinions and rightly so.

17. Finalize • Make adjustments per your client's
request.
• Once the design is approved, send it to
the client in the requested format.