Do research before starting to design?
I know you are probably saying to yourself “Research? what does research have to do with designing?” Well, let me explain…
You’ve been offered to design a brochure for a company. You are given the copy. Told “make it look nice“. The artiste in me is tempted to simply start designing right away. But do I start designing right away? NO.
What to do before you click that mouse:
- Ask to see previous design done for the company.
Regardless of if you are there to completely overhaul their look or if you are simply designing a new piece, always look at what has been done before you got there. You may need to tie in your look with the work previously done to maintain branding consistency. - What field are they in?
Whatever field they are in (be it financial, real estate, pharmaceutical, ….) ask to see what their competitors are doing design-wise. Or, get samples from their competitors if they don’t have any. See what trends are currently used and how they approach design. - Determine what style they are going for.
Do they need a more informal, professional, conservative, or progressive design? What do they want the look to say about their company? - What is the look and/or mood of the piece?
Are they looking for something more comical, sporty, or casual… Perhaps they are trying for a ‘60’s, disco, renaissance look to the piece? - What is the demographic the company is aiming at
Are they going for kids, adults, seniors, … Mostly males or females? These will affect choices such as color, type and graphics elements used. - Are they targeting a particular culture group?
Is the piece you are designing targeting an audience in a particular race or culture (Italian, French, Chinese, ….) - Find out if they have corporate identity package in place.
If they have a manual detailing how their logo or what typeface should be used — and other graphics decisions — already made, you need to make sure you follow them. - Do they have corporate colors?
Do they already have colors that they use that are “company” colors? - Do they own their own artwork? Have they already purchases some stock art that you can use?
- What are their expectations for the piece.
What are they planning to do with the layout you are designing. Is it going to be used for different purposes? For examples, will it need to be faxed, mailed, handed out? Transfered to the web? Does it have to be multi-purpose? Is it going to later be modified by someone other than you? Will it be a part of a series? You need to know the answers to these questions before you start to click.
C O N C L U S I O N
It’s very tempting to dive right in to a project. Often that’s the last thing you want to do.
Every designer wants to leave his “imprint” on the company’s design. Everyone wants to create original work, n’est-ce pas? But remember, it’s not about you, it’s about the client.
It’s time to think outside the box (in this case, “the box” is the computer).
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