Graphic Design in the making - advice on design approaches

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" - Ghandi

Using logo design as an example, I want reflect on a typical approach and demonstrate why it's important to keep all working design roughs.

A logo is an integral part of a brand, the lynch pin that holds a brand together, communicating an identity of a business or individual; it is crucial to the perception of a business as it is generally the first thing people see.

Time is always against us and for most of us, time is money. Developing a logo can sometimes take time, a lot of time, for a lot of work can go into producing that final brand and/or graphic design.

Clients can sometimes question the end result and why not? They have every right to wonder why a single colour logo, made of one word and an icon for example can cost £700-£1000.  They need proof and design roughs can provide a working demonstration of how involved a graphic designer has become in

their approach to a logo.

The journey of a new logo or any other design requirement starts from the initial brief. Making notes with the first client engagement, through to the research using books, magazines, newspapers etc and of course the internet; sometimes mood boards help a designer visualise the subject and reassures a client's faith in the designer's approach.

It is crucial to have a clear understanding of a brief through research and questioning and the next stage might be rough concepts devised on paper or on screen, first evaluation, design development, proposals put forward, further development if necessary, final evaluation and deployment.

Often, deadlines are short and tight and exploring a potential brand might require cutting corners to successfully nail that deadline, so some of the above may not apply all the time, but research, 99.9% of the time, pays off. The more you put in, the greater the result.