Having a Design Process = Less Design Anxiety
My advice for fellow design students — wish I had done this sooner!
I had an instructor compliment me recently on work I completed in his class which was great to hear — I’m always worried my designs haven’t accomplished the brief or just “aren’t working.” He then followed that up by pointing out that he knows I have design anxiety and said I really needed to document my process so I could replicate good work and relax a little more. It was kind of like a compliment sandwich — you did great, don’t be so anxious, great job. I took his advice and thought through what made that project successful so I could follow those steps going forward.
Here are four core things that came to mind regarding my “process” and how I used them recently on a real-world brand assignment.
Setup
Our class was tasked with helping an up-and-coming “legal tech” company brand themselves and their portfolio of products. They offer a unique and valuable service in their industry, which makes it a fun challenge to integrate seemingly disparate brand values and services into one “superbrand.”
My Process (as written to myself)
1. Research and immerse yourself fully in the context of what you’re designing for. Pull out key/repeated words, visuals, colors, etc.
For this brand, I spent ample time diving into brand competitors, brands that were adjacent, and even a few unrelated ones, like fashion labels and productivity apps. I wanted to know what the most popular colors were (blue, green, purple, and red/orange); what kind of typography most brands used (modern sans-serifs dominated); and what kind of language this brand’s competitors used the most (“simple,” “easy,” and “modern” were popular).
2. Give yourself enough time to work on something, which means a little sacrifice. When you rush, it shows.
I began to track my time for this project so I could calculate how long it takes me to design the V1 of a brand, on average. I forgot to keep tracking after 5 hours but that was just research and idea compiling. I know I’ve spent at least another 8 hours or so designing and refining up to this point. And I have about another 5 or so to go, I think, before wrapping it up for this round. Which means no Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this weekend. Good thing I actually like designing.
Another benefit to giving myself enough time to work means I’m less anxious and insecure when it comes time to present because I know I’ve put in the time to get to the design solution I land on. That solution may still have flaws and room for improvement, but I can stand behind it with pride in my efforts.
3. Listen to your intuition and know that in some wacky way, the solution or inspiration for a direction WILL come to you. Someway, somehow.
This part of the process almost didn’t happen this time. I was just suffering my way through because I felt too challenged by the diversity of offerings under this one brand. My brain kept saying, “Cannot compute.” But then, it happened!
“Know that in some wacky way, the solution or inspiration for a direction will come to you.”
I showed two logo options to the client, thinking the first one was really strong and the second one was too “editorial” and maybe not as compelling. Funnily enough, the second option was the one he preferred and he gave a great explanation as to why. A few words and phrases from that conversation — such as “journalist” and “reporting in a way that is compelling” — completely turned the tide for me in The Inspiration Department. I’m still iterating on ideas but regardless of the outcome, I feel settled and at peace with the new direction I’m going in. Looking forward to seeing what the client thinks during the next go around.
4. Encourage yourself in the fact that you are designing “a” solution, not “the perfect” solution.
I typically struggle with this one on my process list, feeling my first-born, perfectionist tendencies rising up every time I open Adobe Illustrator. For this brand project, however, I am proud at how I successfully reminded myself of this little mantra over and over throughout the process. With those reminders, I came up with solutions that could successfully solve the design challenge, instead of turning in a blank presentation because I couldn’t get past trying to be perfect.
As I look forward to my future design career, I know that if I do my absolute best to design against the brief or client request every time I work, and can defend my decisions with conviction, I will have done my job as a designer. My designs will (hopefully) become more successful as I grow in skill but no matter what, solving the problem should be the foundation of everything I make.
I’m truly grateful my instructor suggested I write my process out. Now, I have a roadmap to follow for projects that helps ease some of my “design anxiety” as he puts it and becomes a kind of “guarantee” for me. I know now that if I follow these steps, I’ll come up with something. It may not be “perfect,” but I can live with that.
