With Uni starting next week, I thought it would be a good idea to document my current design process, and compare it at several times throughout my study. This will allow me to gain a greater understanding of my knowledge and development as a design student.
1. Start with a concept
I begin with a concept that the design will be based around. For this I have used a ‘Random Business Name Generator’ because it will be a fictitious concept. The concept will be to create a logo for a pretend business called ‘Large Cow Design’.
2. Research similar industry and trends
I use the website Designinspiration to browse logos that are related to the design industry. This gives me a number of ideas, shows trends and possibilities. The important thing to note, is that I use the logos as inspiration, but never directly copy any design. While browsing other designs, I also start to have ideas formulating in my mind of how the potential logo could look.
3. Make some sketches
Now that I have a concept, have looked for inspiration I can make some sketches. Sometimes I might choose to use a pencil in my sketchbook, other times I will sketch ideas in Adobe Illustrator, which I will for this process. The sketches do not have to look impressive, they are about exploring potential designs avenues and having planned ideas visible.
As mentioned, the sketches that I have created here are very basic, but they give me an idea of potential styles that I want to design. At the moment, I like the idea of having a large cow, that is above the text, and I will now define this.
4. Define sketch ideas
When defining the sketch, the first step is to make sure that the relevant design of the ‘cow’ can be recognised as one, and not the weird creature in the sketches. I look up images of cows to make sure what I am creating is going to look right.
5. Select and tweak favourite
Now that I have a clearer idea of how the design will look, I pick a favourite and tweak it. This includes changing colours and picking a typeface (font) that suits the overall design much better. Sometimes during this process, you might also play with a few new ideas.
6. Finished design
After all the design process, I now have a finished logo design for the fictional business Large Cow Design. I picked the design that I thought would be most flexible in different environments. Such as used on the web, in printed materials (business cards, flyers, posters, etc). I believe it also gives a clear visual representation of the business name and association with ‘cow’.
There is always going to be improvements you can make. Normally when making a design you would also have feedback and suggestions on what is liked and disliked by the person or group wanting the design. You might also start with one concept and end up creating something completely different, which is all part of the creative design process.
I do hope that this can be a clear record of my current design process and something I can look back on.