What is graphic design?

Graphic design is a problem solving process, requiring substantial creativity, innovation

and technical expertise. An understanding of the client’s product or service and goals, their
competitors and the target audience is translated into a visual solution. This visual solution
is created by manipulating and combining shape, colour, imagery, typography and space.

The graphic design process

A good graphic design process is structured around ensuring that the client gets the
highest quality solution and service appropriate to their business, marketing or
communication problem.

There are four major steps involved in graphic design:

1. Briefing.
2. Design.
3. Artwork.
4. Production.

1. Briefing

The briefing stage may consist of either or both of the following:

• Initial informal discussions between you, the client, and us – covering

project objectives, timing and budget.
• Formal meetings to discuss your project in detail and clarify any technical
issues including budget, timetable and corporate identity guidelines.

2. Design

Development

• Our designer reviews the brief, background material and identity standards
to ensure we understand the project context and your corporate requirements.
• We develop the draft concepts and preliminary designs and select the most
appropriate options for further development.

Presentation

• Our designer presents visual solutions and explains design decisions.

• We work with you to evaluate the visual presentation against the brief.

Refinement

• Following your review and feedback, our designer amends the material as
required and, if necessary, presents you with new design/s.

3. Artwork

• We prepare the artwork files and provide a proof (email or hardcopy).

 • You either approve the artwork by signing the proof, or mark-up changes
you’d like to make.
• A further proof is provided if required.
• Any “author’s corrections” (client requested changes to content already
provided which may include additional charges: see quote conditions provided with
quote).

4. Production

• Our designer forwards the artwork to the print bureau.

• Our designer views a bureau proof and passes the proof on to the client for
approval.
• If required, we conduct a “press check” of the printed sample while the job is
running on the printing press.

Tips for briefing graphic designers

• Let us do the creative part. Our specialist design team has access to a large
pool of resources, training and experience.
• You should thoroughly communicate your needs to us at the briefing stage.
We recommend you provide information about:
o Your organization’s practices and values.
o Corporate identity requirements.
o Existing communication material which you think reflects your
organization’s practices and values.
o Objectives of communication material.
o Words to describe the desired “look” and “feel” such as
“contemporary” and “innovative”.
o Emotional response you would like to achieve from the audience
such as “excited,” “proud,” or “scared”.
o Target audience.
• You should include specific briefing information about your design project
including:
o Logos, symbols, trademarks.
o How text and photographs will be provided, if needed.
o How graphs and any other graphical elements will be provided and
used, if required.
o How many design concepts will be needed.
o Production specifications (for example, number of pages, quantity,
paper quality/stock, size, preferred binding) if known.
o Any special finishes (embossing, foiling, die-cuts). We can provide
specialist advice on specifications and finishes.
o Proposed production schedule.
o Packaging requirements.
o Printing preferences.
o Delivery requirements including contact/s and address/es, electronic
file formatting (if relevant).
o Timeframes for concept presentation and approvals.
o Delivery deadline.
• Allow enough time for the design process
o Often people are tempted to ‘crunch’ the time allowed for graphic
design. To maximize your design investment, we suggest you allow
substantial time for the design process. The focus should be on ensuring
the text, design and artwork is correct. If you face strict time constraints,
 please discuss appropriate solutions with our designer. We can provide you
with some options that won’t compromise the value of your communication
project.
• Try not to let personal taste affect your opinion of a design. Consider
whether the design will reach your target audience and whether it will achieve the
intended result.
• Criticisms or design suggestions should be specified as clearly as possible
using the briefing checklist which follows.