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The Creative Process
Your visual identity, and how it is acheived.
A cohesive visual identity with impact is the most important way of distinguishing your business from others – the creative process helps effectively embed your image in people’s minds.
Graphic designers are often misunderstood.
Real graphic designers are trained to listen, not just to the creative brief, but the often unstated, underlying wants and needs of the client. Over time a designer learns to anticipate what is not being said, and ask the right questions to clarify this.
Systems and outcomes
He/she must methodically research and critically observe what else is being done in the field, and apply a system of creative processes to achieve a design solution; a successful outcome for the client. In many instances a client sees a successful outcome as being a design that matches the existing vision they have, and that’s fine. If the designer can bring this together, everyone is happy.
Creative process
The other side of the equation is when someone says “Here are the details, what can you do for us?” That’s when the creative process is put to the test. A designer needs to explore the industry, extract the essentials and formulate something unique.
Finding influences and insights and exploring the potentials of this particular product or service, the designer must combine these with a range of visual elements and design philosophies to create particular meanings, moods or effects, and express the sum of these in a concrete manner.
Results
The result might combine symmetries, contrasts, subtleties, influences, colour theory, symbolism, emphasis, directional flow, suitable focal points, repetition, and a myriad of other visual language conventions. Add to this the extra layer of semiotics and we are taken into a subliminal world of implied meanings, subconscious affectations, and unrealised coercions.
The sum of more than just design…
Many people don’t realise designers are not necessarily experienced typesetters with an interest in, or talent for layout, and the complexities involved. Often taken for granted, textual layout can be many times more time-consuming than graphics. If it is not done correctly it doesn’t look right and getting it to look right can be a very exacting task.
What about communication skills?
Then there are the communication abilities – many designers can design, but have no real communication abilities. These include being able to write punchy copy, skilfully edit supplied copy, spell and punctuate properly, add emphasis, structure, appropriate tone, and understanding how to string a sentence, and a story together. Having studied both design and communication at tertiary level, it became clear that this combination of skills is rare indeed. Everyone who attends university has to write, but very few receive above average results consistantly.
Solutions
Finding someone who can combine this mishmash of skills and abilities is not easy. Being that someone is not easy. Designers earn their money – providing outcomes that work is quite a task. Producing stunning results is difficult. All of this must be done in a timely manner, usually while balancing a wide range of other responsibilities (such as running a business) at the same time.
CardLab provide premium quality printed products, with custom designs by a degree-qualified graphic designer.
Written content – Copyright Card Lab