What it’s like to work with me: the five stages of my design process

3 Aug

From concept to completion

“I know from the outside looking in, the work we do as designer must look a little ‘smoke and mirrors’ – so to help give you a better understanding of what it’s like to work on a project with me, I’m sharing the five stages of my design process.”

I know from the outside looking in, the work we do as designer must look a little ‘smoke and mirrors’ sometimes.

It’s not like walking up to a cafe and ordering a coffee that’s in your hands ready to drink five minutes later – so much of what we do for you is intangible. Because of this there’s a lot of trust involved in the process.

Whether we're creating a new brand identity, designing a website, photographing your business or developing marketing assets, I’ll always tailor the process to your needs. Every business, every project and every client is different, so not every project is going to look exactly like the same.

What does look the same for every project is the overarching philosophy: understand first, design second. And while I can’t change the tangibility of what I do, I can share some insight into what it’s like to work with me as a designer.

So to help give you a better understanding of what it’s like to work on a project with me, and (hopefully) put your mind at ease – even just a little – I’ve shared the five stages of my design process below.

Phase One: Discovery

This first stage is huge – without it, the wheels can easily fall off your project before you’ve even got on the runway.

Discovery looks a little different for every client: sometimes it might include a discovery call (virtual or otherwise), other times it might just be an informal conversation over email, followed by a detailed questionnaire.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach because not everyone communicates in the same way, and not every project has the same requirements or workflow.

Regardless of how it looks – this first stage of the process is all about asking all the right questions to better understand you and how I can best help you.

I'll dig into your business, your goals, your audience, the challenges you're facing and what success looks like for your project. I'll also help identify where I think I can provide the most value, which isn't always the service you originally came looking for (or even working with me at all).

It’s all about building the foundation we need to design with success.

Phase Two: Proposal

Once I understand your needs and project and am confident that we’re a good fit for each other, I'll prepare a tailored proposal for you.

While my website includes general service packages to help guide you before deciding to enquire, my proposals go deeper and are built around what your business actually needs. They outline the recommended services, what's included, project deliverables, investment, timelines and the overall approach we'll take together.

It takes everything we’ve learnt about each other during discovery and ties it up in a pretty little bow for your consideration.

Phase Three: Research & Strategy

Once you’ve decided you’d like (read: LOVE) to work with me and all the admin is out of the way, it’s time to get started on the fun stuff.

First up: research and strategy!

This stage of the design process sounds a little unglamorous, however it’s one of the most important and fun parts of the journey.

Before opening up Adobe or sketching a single idea, I spend time researching. I take all the intel I’ve gathered during the discovery phase and analyse your business, your competitors, your industry and your target audience to understand where your brand or website currently sits and where it needs to go.

Designing without strategy is like building a house without plans: bound to fall down. Whether we're building a website, developing a brand identity or creating marketing material, research and strategy is what turns aesthetic design into effective design.

Phase Four: Design

Now for what we’re all here for, the really fun part.

Once we've established a clear strategic direction through Phases 1-3, then I can get stuck into bringing it all to life.

The Design Phase of most projects begins with mood boards or initial concepts that help establish the overall visual direction. From there, we'll refine, review and collaborate until we've landed on a solution that feels right for your business or project.

I see design as a collaborative process. I'll guide you through each stage, explain the reasoning behind decisions and make sure you're involved without feeling overwhelmed.

This should be the most exciting stage of the process for you as you see your vision finally come to life.

Phase Five: Handover

Once you've approved the final design, it's time to hand everything over to its rightful owner – you!

Exactly what this includes depends on the project.

For branding, you'll receive all of your logo files, brand assets and any brand guidelines included within your package so you can confidently use your new identity.

For websites, I'll transfer ownership, connect your domain where required, help set up your Squarespace owner account and provide guidance on how to manage your new website moving forward.

Whatever I’m handing over, the goal is for you to leave feeling confident in using your new assets, not overwhelmed and dependent.

Designing with me is a lot like building a house: discovery is pouring the foundation slab for us to work on; the proposal is building the framework; research and strategy is putting is putting in the walls, windows and spaces; design is adding the paint, floors, furniture, and accents; and handover is when I give you the keys to your new house.

Along with this clear process, one of the biggest advantages of working with me (if I do say so myself) is that I don't just look at projects through the lens of a designer.

With qualifications and experience across both graphic design, marketing, and communications – along with running multiple small businesses of my own – every recommendation is backed by strategy as well as creativity. I consider the full picture – how your branding, website, photography and marketing all work together to create a cohesive experience for your audience.

Because at the end of the day, good design isn't just something that looks nice, it's something that helps your business grow.

If you're considering a new branding project, website or creative refresh, I'd love to hear about what you're building. Whether you already have a clear vision or don't know where to start, we'll work through the process together – one step at a time.

You can book in a free consultation here.