[MrsLarry]

Just curious to see how other folks work.

When you get a design assignment, what's the first thing do you? Pencil and paper? Mouse and monitor? Meditation? Play with your cat? Research? What's your process? How do you follow through to completion?

For me, I rarely sketch to start. (I think I've lost my ability - mental note, get practicing again)

Step One is usually Illustrator. I think fonts are most often my biggest inspiration. I finagle with shapes and colors. Step Two is usually a bunch of googling. Different words, feelings, similar branding I might want to avoid, etc.

When I'm away from my computer, I carry a small notepad with me. Sometimes inspiration strikes in the grocery store, in which case I might stop and sketch a little doozy.

I finish pretty much primarily in InDesign these days. I don't do as much with photos as I used to, it's typically much more Illustrator-y graphics, etc.

[besson3c]

What mediums do you design for, Mrs. Larry? Based on your site portfolio, print primarily?

[andi*pandi]

When I'm actually designing, I still sketch. Very roughly because I know photoshop will do a better job of showing typography than I will, but enough to get an idea for grid, sections, feel. Then it's off to Illustrator (if vectory) or Photoshop.

I try not to google so I don't accidentally copy; as it is I'm handed samples or websites that my clients "like" that I have to figure out why they like it, and capture that without ripping anyone off.

I used to love going to photodisc etc and doing image/word association searches to get original images.

[MrsLarry]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

What mediums do you design for, Mrs. Larry? Based on your site portfolio, print primarily?

My site is my freelance business, and yes, that's all print. I do have a day job as an in-house designer - for a bank actually - and about 95% of it is print. I did a lot of designing of emails at my last job - a small agency - and PhotoShop was my go-to for that.

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

I used to love going to photodisc etc and doing image/word association searches to get original images.

I LOVE this idea! I'm totally snagging it.

[art_director]

1. RESEARCH -- How can I claim to have the solution before I know the playing field?

2. SKETCH -- The power of the thumbnail.

3. PUSH SOME STUFF AROUND ON THE COMPUTER -- The project drives the app.

4. TYPE, BABY -- I love type. When I start with type I spin my wheels. When I get a sense of where I'm going design-wise I find I get better results -- just my process.

[Thorzdad]

I actually DO meditate on it first. I roll the assignment around in my mind to see what sort of visualizations get kicked-up...What sort of associations come up. I'm one of those guys, much to my detriment, who looks to be just sitting and doing everything other than working, because I'm working stuff out in my head..Asking myself the questions and thinking about the answers. I'll play, too.

Once things become more focused in my head, I start down the usual paths...research if needed...sketching...then start building it on my Mac.

Great question, Mrs.Larry.

[design219]

Thinking and sketching always come first for me. Often, it's just doodles in the margins of meeting notes that ultimately nails the direction. I found that if I start with a computer, it seemed to limit where I go... but that's just me.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by art_director 

1. RESEARCH -- How can I claim to have the solution before I know the playing field?

2. SKETCH -- The power of the thumbnail.

3. PUSH SOME STUFF AROUND ON THE COMPUTER -- The project drives the app.

4. TYPE, BABY -- I love type. When I start with type I spin my wheels. When I get a sense of where I'm going design-wise I find I get better results -- just my process.

Seconded.

More and more lately I'm sketching on the computer, but that's usually because the project time-line is so tight that I feel rushed to get to a finished product sooner, which sketching in Illustrator allows. It's not a valid excuse, since it takes more time to do a rough sketch in Illustrator than on paper, and I'm working to get back to sketching on paper. The other challenge with sketching in our office is a strong push by the executive to cut down on paper use and we've received a few comments about how much paper we go through when we're sketching (even though lately we've been grabbing paper from the recycle bin next to the printer).

[Andy8]

I tend to doodle first, then mock up some headings, block text and pics roughly, cut up the pieces and play around with different layouts on the floor until I find something that fits together (this may take a few days of thinking and tweaking), then I move to get the mock up into the computer.