Designers must understand the seven steps of the professional design process.

It is not easy to complete a high-quality design work according to the needs of customers. Most designers know that it is very important to establish your effective time management structure.

There are many ways to establish this process, but several key stages, such as investigation or modification, should always be part of your schedule.

There are seven steps. Most design projects must get a successful design from the initial customer briefing.

Step 1- research customer data

Set goals and backgrounds according to the outline, which will be the blueprint to guide your final design. Now ask as many questions as possible to make sure you start on the right path.

Highlight the key points: what is the message you want to convey, and by what means (such as slogans, photography, etc. )? With these convenience points, you can ensure that you will not deviate from the track in the follow-up work.

A comprehensive design summary will serve as a reference point between you and your customers to ensure that everyone is in the same channel and remains consistent throughout the process.

Step two-research, research, research

Take as much time as possible to make sure that you know the project as comprehensively as possible. The initial research areas should include the history and culture of the client company, the environment of local (and possibly international) competitors, and any industry-related trends. There is nothing worse than creating an amazing design and being rejected, because it looks like your company's main competitor.

Next, you need to analyze the target audience of the project, or demographic data-the age, gender, income, occupation, location and lifestyle that the customer wants to achieve. Knowing your audience is the key to ensuring that you convey the right message.

If you want to know more about how research affects your design, please check the topic of my last article (/article/647/4-reasons-why-research-will-make-you-a-better-designer).

Step 3-Brainstorm

You have studied your personal data, customers, industries and audiences, and now it's time to put them together. One way to brainstorm is to use structured mind maps to connect your central ideas. Others prefer to make lists, or write down random thoughts on waste paper and mobile phones. Get those fleeting ideas regardless of your personal preferences!

Make sure to record all your thoughts and concepts. You never know when you will get back what you gave up. This may be the perfect solution to all your troubles.

Step 4-Sketch

It is a good way to save time to sketch out your ideas and define their visual elements. You don't want to spend a lot of time refining concepts that customers hate in Illustrator.

With sketches and design models, you can create a series of different methods relatively quickly and get the feeling of some basic elements, such as the basic layout of a web page or the shape of a logo.

Step 5- Extension of Concept

Once you have drafted the initial idea, it's time to further develop the concept you like. Usually a good idea needs to develop 3-5 different concepts to give your customers some choices, although this number can fluctuate according to the needs of the project.

Introduce these concepts to your customers and explain the basic principles behind each concept and why they are successful. This is where all your design research comes in handy!

Don't think that concepts that are not selected are wasteful-giving your customers choices usually allows you to combine elements they like. In addition, the talks that are superior to others will give you more insight from customers and help you complete the final design without being terminated.

Step 6-Correct

After the customer chooses a concept, it is time to modify the design to meet the objectives and outline. Customers may want you to mix and match all the concepts or come up with something completely new. From their suggestions, you can come up with a second design. Sometimes, several rounds of changes may occur before you finally complete the design.

Don't worry about what seems to be the best opinion. After all, you are a design expert, and customers are often willing to accept guidance, but remember to do research according to your suggestions and often quote the summary of feedback to customers. Based on the most effective established goal you know, it is particularly important to strike a balance between the delivery of works and the subjective satisfaction of your customers.

Step 7, finish

Almost! Except for some minor adjustments, your customers are very satisfied. Once this is done, there is only one step left. ...

Complete the acceptance!

Send the last file-Project complete!

Nothing is more valuable than a complete project to satisfy customers, so congratulations on your good job. If you have finished, start to turn to new customers.

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