What is The Graphic Design Process?

Graphic design is a collaborative process. As a client, you begin the process by submitting a design brief. Meanwhile, the graphic designer creates and revises the project assets. However, what are your role and your graphic designer’s responsibilities during the graphic design process? Before that, let’s review some key points before the process occurs.

Key Notable Areas of The Graphic Design Process

Design Brief Creation

As the client, you must create a graphic design brief that your designer will refer to during the whole design process. Here are the must-haves when preparing a design brief:

• Business name
• Brand guidelines (if applicable)
• Logo (if applicable)
• Competitors
• Audience/Market
• Design references
• Budget
• Timeline

Communication Platform

If you’re working with a freelance graphic designer, it would be a good idea to settle where you should discuss project details. This way, you know where to communicate mainly. Some graphic designers may prefer emails or chat platforms. However, many graphic design services use project management tools to get things done for clients.

Feedback Pointers

One important step in the graphic design process is to provide feedback to the designer. Your designer will appreciate that you give them input since it will help them improve and create designs. That said, it’s important to provide meaningful feedback and not criticism. Here are tips to remember when giving feedback to your designers:

• Be clear and specific – Emphasize what you want to address in the design. Don’t be vague by saying make it pop or give it a Gen Z vibe. For example, there’s a specific element that your designer added that you want removed. You can say, “Can you remove this element here, I’d like to see what it would look like without it.
• Use tools to visualize the issues – Tools are your best friend when providing feedback. This ensures that nothing gets lost in the translation of text. You can use proofing or screen recording tools!
• Provide examples, if needed – Sometimes, your designer might need a reference to produce your visuals. Example graphics can help them understand what they need to improve.
• Stick to the design – Ensure that the feedback is directed to the graphics and not to the designer. You can say something like, “the color on the logo doesn’t look great, can you try this color or that color?”

Design File Types

Many designers will indicate which design file types or deliverables they can provide after completing the project. You need to familiarize yourself with the major deliverables. This way, you’ll know which ones are the best for the web and print. Plus, these file types can be used on major apps.

• JPG (for web)
• PNG (for print)
• PDF (for print)
• PSD (Photoshop file)
• AI (Adobe Illustrator file)
• SVG (for web)
• GIF (for animated files)

Initial Communication

Submit the Graphic Design Brief (Clients)

A prepared graphic design brief is a must when searching for a graphic designer. This way, when you select the best graphic designer for the job, you’re ready to submit the brief, and your designer can review the brief.

However, if you haven’t had the brief yet during your search, don’t fret. You still have time to create it before selecting your designer.

Review the Brief (Designers)

Once you submit your graphic design brief, your designer must review it first. This way, they can ask questions and clarify some things. Once everything is clarified, your designer can start working on their initial design. Part of this process also involves ideation since designers would have an idea of how a design could appear before they draft it.

Creation & Review

Initial Draft (Designers)

Once everything is clarified on the designer’s end, they should create the first drafts after that. The time it takes to create a design draft depends on the availability of the designer. For instance, most freelance graphic designers would complete a draft at least 24 hours after reviewing the graphic design brief. After all, most freelance graphic designers handle multiple client projects at once. They might have to prioritize other client projects. 

Meanwhile, some graphic design services have a 24-hour period to submit their first drafts. They use a project management system to ensure the queue will prioritize clients and know which projects to submit first.

Design Draft Review (Clients)

Once your designer submits their first design draft, you can move the graphic design process along. Sometimes, the graphic designer won’t immediately get your vision, which shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you’re lucky, a designer could create your envisioned design, and it’s done by then.

Design Revisions (Designers)

If your case is the former, this will move to the revision process. A revision process can take some time, too, depending on the volume of edits necessary to correct the design. For instance, you submitted a project for various social media posts. Revising this could take time since your designer will edit multiple designs simultaneously. 

Final Edits

Review Design Revisions (Clients)

After the revision process, it’s time for you to review it again. After all, you need to see if the designer followed your feedback. Sometimes, your designer nails the revision, and they will move on to the final edits. However, some designs will still need more edits before your designers can finalize them. In this instance, you go back to the revision and review process.

Polish and Final Edit (Designers)

Once the clients approve everything, the designers should put the finishing touches on the designs. This could include removing unnecessary elements. Some designers might even use this time to render designs into different files to ensure that they can be accessed in multiple applications. Once the designer completes this process, you get the designs and can use or publish them.

Final Thoughts

The graphic design process can be time-consuming, especially when things aren’t clear from the get-go. You can avoid these blunders by ensuring that every little detail has been discussed with your graphic designer on how to communicate and what deliverables to expect. Before this process begins, you need to find the right graphic designer or team to help you complete your project. 

Fortunately, with Penji, you can expect our designers to follow this process and ensure clear communication and professionalism all the time. Additionally, you don’t need to find an outside communication platform or proofing tool. You have everything you need and more when you subscribe to Penji. And if you want to give Penji a shot, watch a video demo!