As designers, we understand the many complexities as well as twists and turns that can come with any graphic design project. Through experience, we’ve worked to educate our clients on some effective streamlining tips that help them (and us) gain efficiencies while working through the project.
Start with The Basics
Although the graphic design process is standardized to some extent, there are ways to improve your workflow. We compiled a list of 5 tips to optimize the design process, allowing you to gain efficiencies right away with little pain.
Get Off to a Good Start
Getting things right from the outset has proven time and again to be a major “point of efficiency” in any design project. We coach our clients to bring inspiration and design references of what they are after as part of the “project intake” process. When the client is challenged to step back and think “big picture” about the goals of their project, and what they want to achieve with it, it can often times bring a new way of thinking to the project, one that is more on target and clearer in message.
Content is King
No matter what the project, coming to the table with a solid mix of content will not only save time and money, but it will also instantly create a more cohesive synergy between your account team and our designers. Bringing final, proofread content to the design team before starting any layouts is a critical step in that first round of any project.
Deliver on the Promise
As the client, it’s critical that you set clear expectations as to what the deliverables will be, especially for the first round of design concepts. This keeps your timeline on track, and also avoids unnecessary and costly changes so early in the creative process.
Time is of the Essence
Formulate a timeline for your project that accurately reflects your internal approval process, the time needed to develop any content, and ultimately the deadline for getting this to market.
Content Clarity
The biggest timesaver and efficiency gains have come when we’ve worked with our clients to learn, use and understand the powerful yet simple ways that Adobe Acrobat can streamline turnaround and provide greater clarity to your design and content team. Using PDF comments to work through edits allows designs, production artists and copywriters to quickly and efficiently make the necessary changes and provide a revised proof in less time.
Taking It A Step Further
Once you’ve mastered the basics, then you can consider layering in other processes, tips and methodologies to take your project streamlining to an even greater level. Are you interested in teaming up with a group of pros to help you streamline your design process? Click here to get in touch with the Deforest Group team!