Earlier this May I announced my personal Make It Happen May challenge and decided to take you through the entire process. With an unexpected freelance project now on my plate, this challenge has proven to take longer than expected. I already discussed the first stage of design which was doing research and gathering inspiration. Moving forward, it’s necessary to create several drafts of a design before finalizing a project, which proves to be both challenging and time consuming.
This stage of the process is going to differ based upon the individual’s vision and work-ethic. Some of my fellow designers immediately open Adobe Illustrator when starting a project. However, I believe that a well thought out design begins on paper. My design’s usually go through 2-4 drafts before making it to the computer. Either way is okay, everyone has their own preference. My first round of sketches usually includes any and all ideas I have mixed with notes, like photographed below.
After I have all my ideas down on paper, even if they’re extremely messy, I try to focus on 1-2 sketches. The designs I choose to further explore usually resemble my vision the most. I also try to keep in mind my skill set and deadline. I know I am capable of further creating the two designs below within my time constraint while still challenging myself.
At this point, I usually gravitate towards one idea over the other. I take the sketch through one more round of revisions on paper and add more detail. I know that this will be the sketch I base my computer work off of, so the more refined the better.
Once I scan my sketch and begin designing on the computer, there still may be more drafts before reaching the final product. Like I said before, this is a time consuming process and I still have work to do. Even if your project is taking longer than expected, it’s important to remember that the creative process can’t be rushed. I hope you enjoyed going through the second stage of design with me and are subscribed so you won’t miss the final greeting card!
How is your Make It Happen May challenge going? Do you do anything different in your process? Share in the comments!
