MY STEP-BY-STEP DESIGN PROCESS
To ensure everything runs smoothly from the beginning of our collaboration until the delivery of your artwork files, I’ve established a process that allows me to work efficiently and to focus on the actual creative phase.
If you decide to hire me, here are the different steps of a typical design project.
(But don’t view these steps as rigid and constraining rules! It’s just a skeleton that allows us to focus on the most important. I’m flexible and working together should be fun and pleasant. And my goal is to provide you with a design that satisfies you 100% and turns you to a happy client who won’t hesitate to recommend me!)
01 Design Brief & Estimate
– To accurately estimate the scope and cost of your project and later provide a tailored design solution, I’ll gather information about your project, business, schedule, and the deliverables required. I want to understand your business/brand, likes and dislikes, objectives and needs, and as many other details as possible. This is a crucial stage!
You can fill out one of my questionnaires or send your own design brief. (I know many people hesitate to talk about their budget, so I won’t force you to fill out that line, but knowing that information can be a big help and save time!)
– I might have to ask you about additional details, so we can talk via email or Zoom.
– I’ll then provide an estimate.
02 Quote & Confirmation
– If we agree to work together, I’ll send you a quote*, establish a schedule with milestones and a final deadline, and send a letter of agreement using HelloSign. (*At this stage, we can still discuss the quote and add or remove items to fit your budget.) Make sure to read my Terms & Conditions.
– Once everything is reviewed, approved, and signed, I’ll ask you to pay a 50% non-refundable deposit (by bank transfer or credit card) of the quoted amount before the exciting part of the project begins!
03 EXPLORATION OF YOUR TASTES
Expressing one’s tastes verbally can be quite difficult.
That’s why I suggest you create your own inspiration board on Pinterest! It will allow me to identify what you really like.
Don’t worry, even if you’ve never done it before, I’ll guide you through this step.
04 Research & Presentation of Proposals
– I’ll do thorough research about your industry, competitors, and target audience, and I’ll start gathering inspiration, color palettes, fonts, and shapes. I’ll explore different ideas, and I’ll experiment while keeping your objectives in mind.
– Depending on the nature and the scope of the project, I’ll present you with different* initial concepts/design directions (moodboards or more developed designs) (* usually 3).Don’t worry, I’m not going to show you one good proposal and two ugly ones. I’ll only show you the best ones, and I’ll explain my choices.
05 Creation Phase & Design
– I’ll develop and polish the artwork according to the design direction we’ve agreed to follow while taking into account your comments and instructions. I might ask for some more feedback during this phase to be sure that I stay on the right track and avoid any negative surprises later in the project. It should be a collaborative process between us.
06 Iterations & Refining
– At this stage, we should be quite close to a design that suits your business perfectly and meets your expectations.
– After a number* of rounds of revisions (*as specified in the contract), I’ll finalize the artwork.
07 Invoice & Delivery
– Now that we’re both happy with the result, I’ll send you my invoice.
– As soon as I receive the payment of the balance (by bank transfer or credit card), I’ll send your files and other deliverables.
08 Kampai!*
– It’s now time for you to show your beautiful branding to the world!
(*Cheers! in Japanese)