RESEARCH - GRAPHIC DESIGNER DAVID AIREY

these are the points that I have learnt throughout my modules and its reasurring to see that great designers do still use pencils based ideas and that the skills of drawing are not too important. some helpful information on how to present work for the client.

FROM: http://www.davidairey.com/process/

"Chapter seven

From pencil to PDF

To be a good designer, you must be curious about life; the strongest ideas are born from the experiences we have and the knowledge we gain from them. The more we see and the more we know, the more ammunition we can stockpile for generating ideas.

I’m frequently asked how to integrate this stockpile into actual logo concepts, and that’s what we’re going to focus on in this chapter. We’ll look at the two vital steps in this process— mind-mapping and sketching—and then talk about what to include when preparing your presentation PDFs for the client.

Mind-mapping

Using mind maps helps you consider as many different design directions as possible, and at the stage when they’re most needed. It’s a relatively straightforward process of word association. You write a word that’s central to the design brief, and then branch out from it, writing other words that spring to mind. These additional words could come after some thought, or after researching the central topic. The idea is to form as large a “thought cloud” as possible, giving you a strong tool to refer to when it comes to the next stage—sketching.

Mind-mapping is particularly useful in the design profession because it’s very effective for working through these important steps of the design process:

• Getting into a creative groove 
• Collecting your thoughts 
• Generatingideas
• Associating words with images

I’ve been using mind maps for as long as I’ve been studying design. It’s a tried and tested formula, and other designers often ask me to provide more detail on the intricacies of this practice.

The fundamental necessity of the sketchpad

A by-product of sub-par design courses is that aspiring designers today see computers as the only truly necessary tool. On the contrary. By removing the computer from the creative process, you gain much more freedom when translating your thoughts.

You learned to draw before you learned how to use a computer. Why? Because it’s easier. It’s less restricting. And it’s more creative. You want a circle here? A stroke there? No problem. Just do it. Translating the same process to a computer requires unnecessary steps that hinder your creative flow. 

The sketchpad is a conceptual playground—a tangible scene where an idea can be batted around and subjected to the immediacy of uncensored thoughts. Random concepts collide with intention. Suggestions are made. Some stick. Others are tossed. Eventually your concept develops structure, and only then are you ready to use a computer.

It’s vital to keep an open mind and not limit yourself during the sketching process. Even if your ideas seem too far-fetched, it’s best to make a visual note of all the thoughts that cross your mind.

Remember, too, that your drawing skills aren’t important.
What is important is that you churn out as many ideas as possible before turning to your computer. Your mind map gives you access to the most important thoughts you can associate with the company you’ve been hired to represent. Sketch based on a single thought. Merge two together. Combine a group. There should be a huge array of possibilities. Whatever comes into your head, sketch it before it’s gone.

Dress for success

Once you feel like you have several strong design possibilities, you’ll want to render them as presentational PDFs. You should always document your work in a PDF file, even if your presentation is in person. PDFs are helpful because the layout and formatting of the content is fixed—that is, it won’t change, regardless of the software your client uses to view it.

Because half the battle of creating an effective design lies in pleasing your client, make sure you render only your best ideas. Don’t include any designs you think might be unsuitable, or you risk diluting the quality of your great designs with sub-par possibilities. Including ideas that you’re not sure of also introduces the possibility that your client will choose the weaker candidate among a group of otherwise great options. 

Where Photoshop comes into play

Showing your designs in context—in other words, as they will be seen by others—is key to helping your client visualize how great you can make the company look. It’s comparable to buying a car. The car might show a fresh paint job and have that “new car smell,” but unless you take it for a test drive, you won’t be entirely convinced. That’s why showing your logo designs in context can be what finally cements the deal with your client.

Using Photoshop to add your logo concepts to photos of cars, building signage, billboard space, business card mockups, and so on, you can augment the PDFs of your best ideas for your presentation to the client. The more variety you create, the more consistent the usage becomes, and the more attractive the outcome will appear.

Most clients won’t have time to concern themselves with every step in the design process. They’ll be focused on the end result, so the more tangible your concepts appear, the more the client will be able to visualize the benefits.

As much as we like to think otherwise, books are judged by their covers, so make sure your identity presentations—the PDFs and mockups done in Photoshop—look professional.

Make sure, too, that you save your PDF files with the date in the actual filename, since there might be some back-and-forth with your client. Seeing the date in the filename helps with version control and ensures you and your client are looking at the same document when talking things through on the phone.

Let’s recap the main points of this chapter:

• Mind-mapping helps you consider as many different design directions as possible.
  
• Even the most simplistic designs are helped by an extensive sketching session.
  
• A pen or pencil offers much more control and creative freedom than a computer mouse, so don’t use a computer until your ideas are in place.
  
• Don’t fret if you think you can’t draw, because what’s important is that you document your ideas so that you can either build upon them or rule them out.
  
• Don’t be tempted to show a client all of your sketches, because there will undoubtedly be directions you don’t want to pursue, and it would be most unfortunate if the client chose one of those directions.
  
• Make sure your PDFs help the client focus on the idea, and not on an easily changed aspect like color.
  
• As much as we like to think otherwise, books are judged by their covers, so make sure your identity presentations look professional to keep clients on board. 
  
  
  
  
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