During this phase we meet with the client for a brief overview and gather as much information as possible.  This includes the vision, ideas, applicable historical background, goals and objectives, materials on hand, marketing techniques, time frame, budget, requirements, products or services, specific features, and anything else that the client deems important for their website.

We also provide a questionnaire to gather some basic information and provide an estimated price. This gives us some fundamental information needed to begin the project, with an emphasis on the “need to know” over the “nice to have” information.

Once we have received a brief overview from the client, we dig into every possible source we can find and start researching. During this phase, we seek information on competitors, point of differentiation (POD), market, audience, trends, and future prospects.

We research the client’s competitors to ensure that we don’t copy or make anything too similar. The objective is not to steal a competitor’s idea, as this takes away from any differentiation the company may offer in their market, but rather to understand the lay of the land.  Once we have insight into the market and point of differentiation, we begin to dig into our client’s current and potential customers to understand who we are designing for.

At this stage we use the information gathered from the briefing and research to produce relevant ideas for the design. We put pen to paper and start brainstorming ideas.

Every element of a design is sending out a message to viewers, from colors and typography to the tagline and symbols, so we give each element considerable thought before making any hard decisions. The brainstorming process allows for a creative exploration of how these different elements can work together to support the message. The outcome is a list of ideas that can be used in the next phase.

Now we begin to draw rough sketches of the ideas. We generally start with a paper and pencil, to quickly iterate on rough designs. Next we take the mockup to the computer to beginning to digitally materialize the ideas.

Once we have come up with 2 or 3 potential designs, we share our sketches with our client. This gives us a fair idea of whether or not we are headed in the right direction. If so, we pick the sketch we have agreed on and begin the design phase.

At this point, we use our design software to start creating various versions of the selected sketch. We may mix and match color palettes, typographic pairings, or a grid structure to create variations from which the client can pick the most suitable design.

We strive to involve the client as we work by sharing our drafts and asking for feedback. It isn’t uncommon to try several rounds of this step before finalization. We may also ask colleagues or associates with a keen eye for design for their thoughts and opinions. They could possibly provide valuable insights, especially if they are part of the target audience.

We start the present phase with the final piece. We choose the file format according to the intended purpose for the design.

We will give our client another chance to review the end product and provide feedback. If it aligns with the brief’s objectives, we are usually good to go, although one more revision may be allowed depending on the price and product chosen.

Once the elements in the design brief have been met and our client is satisfied, we deliver the final invoice. When the charges have been remitted, we deliver all of the files containing the work product to the client and implement the design.

We are grateful for the ideas and suggestions contained in an article by Sylvia Lewis titled, “Design Process: Tips from an Expert Graphic Designer”, written on Jun 23, 2015.