DESIGN PROCESS

DESIGN

• Every design starts from research and early concept.

Experimentation• Designer always start from sketchbook

Initial Photographic research

Then, Abstraction of photographs and addition of text

• Further exploration of text• Looking at figure-ground relationship and color

Then, cut off the numbers as an alternative

FINAL DESIGN

The final designs show how the research impacted the decision made

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTHere’s another example. How a designer develop his idea.

Typographic experiment

Map as a background image

Extended photographic researchDrawn from magazine

Further image abstraction

The last series of sketchbook pages shows the final decision

FINAL BOOK COVER DESIGN

• Designer always brings up idea but easy to forget.• So, it’s better to use sketchbook to write the idea

down• Or if you see some inspiring thing, use your cell phone

to take picture.

• At that moment, you may not need it• But if forms an archives of idea and inspiration• It can save your day later

I mean it helps your design later.This book saves you when you are short of idea

• Make it a habit• Do it constantly. • When something grabs your attention, draw it, write it or photograph it• Record your initial thought• Over time, it becomes your “catalog of inspiration”

Later on, you’ll find out that you develop your own signature & style.

Another designer’s sketchbook- Design library catalog

Get inspiration on document book in library

Typography and architectural elevation of the library Type displayed on its side

Vertical typography Vertical “book-spine-like” structure on a page

directional arrows and fists are traditional

Victorian library signage The charm and form of brown paper envelopes

Example of proposed finishing material.Print test onto the chosen paper.

FINAL DESIGN

You remember those directional fist & arrow from his sketchbookThe graphic element and 19th century fonts give a historical feeling

The back of catalog

• The guy is the chief librarian• The line of text connect the old time( directional fist) to

contemporary collection (that guy who is still alive)

• Do you still remember his sketchbook?• He likes the type on its side and the “book-spine-like” structure .• He applies at here.

• Do you remember that he likes the charm and forms of brown paper envelopes?

• Now, he applies at here

LINEAR REASONING / LATERAL THINKINGFocus & methodical Diffuse & expansive

Both are very useful research & development tools

Linear reasoning • Stragetic thought process, step by step logic, following a specific path

• e.g. split the idea into components like color, type…etc

• Then, work each through• Then, finalize the design to fit the concept

Lateral thinking • Indirect exploration, generate many ideas• Emphasize on indirect creative forms of

research• e.g. brainstorming

• Think some words that are associated• Keep exploring and comes out the idea that you have never

thought of.

• Some designers like to do brainstorming first. Explore the idea• Then, use linear reasoning at later stage e.g. think of color, type and structure split everything into parts and combine into one final piece. OR a more linear way like storyboard

EXPLORATORY DRAWINGGoal: explore ideaConcrete form ---> abstract idea

Abstract Drawing• Originally, he is drawing

some organic shapes with movement.

• Later, it invokes some letter forms/ calligraphy

• Through drawing, you can understand the subject as shape, color as tone.

• It helps you to understand perspective and how an object exists in space.• It shows you how to convey texture & density.

Here’s an example

• Through drawing, you know more about dimension & space• Also, experiment with different media • e.g. pencil, chalk & ink….etc

• Exploratory drawing helps you to “understand form”

• The background is a map• After the designer trace it, he finds out that it’s similar to the forms of plant & flower.

VISUALIZING IDEA

Thumbnails• Sketches for business card layout shows variety of options• During the initial design stages (we call this “roughs”)

The roughs can be shown to a clientBefore committing extra time to refining a design

ROUGHS • 1/3 or half of actual size• Vague and no need to be detail• So, it leaves a lot of imagination and leave

options open• Designers use thumbnails & roughs to work out

idea

Combining StylesThese logo development sketches provides quick visualization.Then, you combine the style that your clients like. Explore the possible layout & make a final design

DON’T BYPASS THIS PROCESS!DON’T PRODUCE YOUR IDEAS DIRECTLY ONSCREEN!!

( What if the client doesn’t like your idea? You need to do it all over again. Kind of wasting your time)

Cost-effective flexibilityAfter the client finalize the idea, you can do it on computerYou can provide multiple version of that designOn little refinement. E.g. color and typeface can be easily changed by computer. That’s more effective in this way.

Computer Visualization• After the client finalize the theme, you just move around the

image, typeface and color.