How does the design process work?

by Lucie Selby | Oct 17, 2023 | Branding, Business, Graphic Design

Ever wondered how the branding process works?

Thought I’d post this as it’s often the conversation I have with clients ahead of starting a project.

Hopefully this also goes to show where the design fee comes from too- it’s not just the finished output you’re paying for, it’s the experience, the process, the communications, the research, the artwork, the delivery.

I bloody LOVE this process, it’s super exciting, filled with the excitement for its potential. When choosing a designer though, make sure you’re choosing someone whose processes, style, experience, personality and quality all fit with your aspirations and budget. When you do find that designer, that’s where the magic happens 💫

1. The Brief

I’ll ask you to fill out a creative brief for me to understand the background of your business.

I like to know your style preferences AND dislikes so I can get a fully rounded perspective.

I’ll find out what you want to achieve from the project – it might be a rebrand from existing, or a start from scratch. Both are as exciting as each other…

2. Research

I’ll use your brief as a starting point for me to come up with concepts. I’ll do some competitor analysis to see what similar businesses are doing, both locally and on a wider scale.

I’ll also dive deeper into understanding your desired brand positioning based on your price points, personality and messaging.

These aspects allow me to start the really fun part of design…

3. Design

My chosen method, which I’ve found most successful with clients, is to design 3 concepts.

Typically, I find that delivering 1-2 that answers your brief and 1 that pushes boundaries, can offer different perspectives you may not have considered.

Concepts are usually delivered in B&W to pick based on the success of the design before we look at colour.

4. Review

I’ll send concepts via PDF and then we’ll book in a zoom to review options.

I like talking through together so we can discuss positives/negatives, thought processes etc. It’s also a great way to streamline edits.

There are 2 rounds of edits included in the design fee. 1 from concept stage to refine the direction and another once the design is agreed to make any minor tweaks.

5. Refine

After you’ve chosen which design you love, I’ll then refine and develop the variations to your branding so you have a full set of assets.

Typically you’ll get an inline version of your logo, a round version and a submark in all colourways.

6. Deliver

You’ll receive a WeTransfer link with a full Brand Package to download and save to your computer.

Included will be the vector based source artwork, all logo assets in png and JPG. A PDF with brand guidelines, font files and a PDF explaining files types.