The Design Process: Developing the Design

The client is satisfied with the concept direction. And they agree that it answers the objectives in the design brief or project plan. Now you're ready to take that concept and develop it into a viable design solution.

What does that mean?

It's time to take the concept and create designs that will be close to the final or an actual final. These will then go through a series or two of reviews and refinements until the client and designer are satisfied.

I believe it's a good idea to outline the amount of edits and the kinds of revisions required ahead of time. This is best done at the contract or design scope defining stage. The reason for this is that projects have a tendency to drag on at this stage with loose, undefined types of changes. Sometimes clients may even request changes that are entirely new concepts or design directions that are often outside the design brief objectives.

This can often be avoided by clearly articulating the expectations ahead of time. So the client will be aware of what to look for at each stage and of what constitutes a change in scope. This makes it easier to communicate how certain changes can affect the timeline and cost of the project.

At this stage it's customary to explore color options, fonts, and styling choices. And then choosing the best direction to refine further until the project is considered final.

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