Process

After meeting with a client and drawing up a project agreement, my process is fairly straightforward, whether for brand, print or web design. The example to the left is for a beauty product logo I created in-house, which consisted of several phases: research, brainstorm, sketch, mock-up, and refinement.

Research

During the research phase, I research both competitors and imagery. For example, when I created the series of beauty product logos, I researched competitor logos, color schemes of logos, and images of beauty in Western culture. I compared how competitors branded themselves, what color schemes or designs were prominent, and collected general imagery from the beauty industry for inspiration.

Brainstorm and Sketch

During the brainstorming and sketching phase, I develop rough drawings, whether for a logo, print collateral, or basic website. When I’ve come up with several sketches that are strong enough to be fleshed out, I move to the computer to create mock-ups.

Mock-up

In the mock-up phase, I will create three or more initial mock-ups depending on the scope of the project. For the beauty product logo shown, I initially created five mock-ups. This particular project was somewhat unique because this logo was the third in a series I’d created, and was not only based on a previous “cameo-style” logo, but also had its own look.

Refinement

When the client chooses a design to refine, the design goes through several iterations, again depending on the scope of the project and the contract. The example logo went through roughly five iterations before the company owner was satisfied.