Visual design is often the polar opposite of engineering: trading hard edges for subjective decisions based on gut feelings and personal experiences. It's messy, unpredictable, and notoriously hard to measure. The apparently erratic behavior of artists drives engineers bananas. Their decisions seem arbitrary and risk everything with no guaranteed benefit."
I couldn't agree more with the quote above. There are no set equations that a designer follows. An idea will often strike me instantly, but more often than not, I rely on my eye and intrinsic artistic senses to arrive at a solution.
Throughout my design process, it is absolutely critical to dig through research, sketch in page after page of my sketchbooks, and exhaust every potential idea in order to create something memorable, unique, and exciting.
"Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions."
Below is the process I follow when I design.
The brief is the design problem. It is very important at this initial stage to gather as much information from the client is possible. I prefer to meet with clients directly, in order to fully understand what they need.
After understanding what the client wants in the design brief, getting to know the client's business environment is the next important step. Research is crucial in understanding what the organization does and the processes it has. Designers that have a better understanding of what they're designing have more insights that are reflected in the final work.
Armed with this information, I also like to carry out a bunch of visual research. If I can, I'll go to the business and look at its environment. The colors, textures, and the pace of the organization (fast or slow) help me to visualize a design.
The research stage never really stops. It leads to some great ideas that I will begin to sketch out in the concept development stage.
Ideas flow much faster when I'm free to sketch and work them out as they come to me. I like the freedom a sketchbook gives me to quickly put ideas to paper. Once I have enough sketched out concepts, I'll begin to transfer them to the computer. I mostly use Adobe Illustrator, but depending on the project, I'll also use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe After Effects to further experiment with a concept.
At this stage I will meet again with the client. Depending on the project, I'll present three or more solid concepts. These are mostly completed ideas but they are still in a stage in which changes can be made. The most important thing is to listen to the client's wishes. After a final design and direction is decided upon, I'll head back to complete the final design.
After everything is completed, I find it necessary to celebrate. My favorites include: jumping on the bed, going out for dinner, or taking a much needed vacation!
Every new year, a budding ring of wood is formed on a tree. Each successive ring adds more structural support to the tree to allow it to grow larger. All the events that occurred to the tree can be seen within its rings. The width of each ring shows the amount of growth a tree had during that specific year. Dark scar marks, caused by forest fires, to periods of large growth spurts, can all be seen within its rings.
Design is dynamic and like a tree ring, design reveals the amount of change from year to year. Different design trends, processes, and ideas are always remaking the industry. It is very much like the music industry. Musical tastes, genres, and artists come and go. Some have lasting impressions, while others have little influence.
Structure is necessary in order to build upon. Without proper support, everything falls apart. Perhaps most important is allowing your structure to grow with you.
When I design, I always start from a solid foundation, then research, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! A successful design is backed by purposeful and solid research. Fantastic ideas are formed from learning something new and using that in a way that hasn't been done before. Without that process, designers can only rely on what we have done before. Research adds structure to arrive at a completed design.
From a firm foundation, I can spread my roots, nourishing my core to provide nutrients to build my structure so that I can produce much fruit.
