Here's a step-by-step view of how I manage my design projects from start to finish.

RESEARCH AND STRATEGY

When I'm given a creative brief I like to take time to review it, write down my thoughts and start researching visuals that are current and fresh for the project I'm designing for. I also take a few minutes to plan how I'll tackle the assignment and what steps I'll need to achieve the end product in a timely manner and with quality in mind.

PLANNING ON PAPER

Before I put my hands on the mouse, stylus or keyboard, I grab a pencil and start sketching tiny thumbnail drawings of what I see in my mind's eye. These fast, miniature layouts give me an idea of what will and will not work on screen and points me in a better direction by eliminating quickly what won't work.

COMPUTER DESIGN

When I have strong group of thumbnail sketches, I start putting those visions to life on my computer. I work in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for all assignments. These are my go to programs and often all 3 are used in one design project.

REFINEMENT

When I'm happy with my final computer created concepts, I will review them and make final adjustments and corrections before I send them to my clients.

PRINT/WEB FILE PREPARATION

I have devised a list of steps that need to be done to prepare my files for the printer or the web developer to handle. I will often contact the printer and/or developer to discuss their needs and preferences for file setup and make myself available to them until the final artwork is printed or live.