Complete Graphic Design Course: The BEST Workflows & Processes (MUST KNOW)

Summary of "Complete Graphic Design Course: The BEST Workflows & Processes (MUST KNOW)"
Short Summary:
This video focuses on essential workflows and processes for graphic designers, aiming to guide viewers from project brief to final design. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the client's objectives, target audience, and industry context. The video explores various layout design approaches, including hierarchy, modular grid, and asymmetrical layout, and presents a five-step design process involving empathy, problem definition, goal setting, creative solutions, and concept refinement. The video concludes with a real-life logo design project, demonstrating the application of these principles and methods.
Detailed Summary:
1. Design Process: From Brief to Final Design
- The video starts by outlining a design process that begins with defining the objective and audience of the project.
- It emphasizes the importance of thorough research, including competitor analysis, industry standards, and audience insights.
- The speaker suggests establishing a clear objective sentence or phrase to guide design choices.
- The video then delves into the importance of color palette, shape psychology, and typeface selection, highlighting how these elements should align with the project's objectives and target audience.
2. Layout Design Approaches
- The video presents three distinct layout design approaches:
- Hierarchy Approach: This method involves categorizing design elements into primary, secondary, and tertiary groups based on their importance. Hierarchy can be achieved through size, color, and texture.
- Modular Layout Process: This approach utilizes a grid system with modules (squares, rectangles, or circles) to organize design elements. The speaker emphasizes the importance of determining the number of modules needed and using buffer lines to create micro white space.
- Asymmetrical Layout Process: This approach focuses on establishing a focal point, often off-center, and balancing it with a collection of smaller elements on the opposite side. Contrast and white space are crucial for creating visual distinction.
3. Five-Step Design Process
- The video introduces a five-step design process applicable to any project:
- Empathy: Understanding the needs and emotions of both the client and the target audience.
- Problem Definition & Goal Setting: Identifying challenges and establishing objectives to be achieved through design.
- Generating Creative Solutions: Brainstorming and ideation, including reverse brainstorming to identify potential problems and develop solutions.
- Design Concept Phase: Refining ideas into functional and working concepts, ensuring alignment with project goals.
- Concept Refinement & Final Design Solutions: Evaluating concepts, prioritizing those that resonate with the audience, and refining them through visual elements like typography, color palettes, and imagery.
4. Real-Life Logo Design Project
- The video presents a real-life logo design project for a new Jiu-Jitsu brand.
- It highlights the importance of initial client discussions to understand their business, goals, and target audience.
- The speaker emphasizes the use of keywords to guide the design process and generate concepts.
- The video demonstrates the research process, including mood board creation and industry analysis.
- The speaker explains the importance of shape psychology and typography selection in relation to the brand's message and target audience.
- The video showcases the concept generation process, using keywords and word pairs to develop visual ideas.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of client feedback and collaboration throughout the design process.
Notable Quotes:
- "Every choice we make should be linked back to the objective and the target audience."
- "Empathizing with their target audience... those horizontal lines... they're not just aesthetic choices, they're deliberate design elements meant to evoke a sense of calmness and stability."
- "Reverse brainstorming... try and brainstorm potential ways to cause problems for your design projects."
- "It's about getting unfamiliar and getting uncomfortable, but make sure that your ideas aim to solve the problems and the goals from step two."
- "Client always wins, right?"