From the course: Graphic Design Careers: First Steps

Planning your design

From the course: Graphic Design Careers: First Steps

Planning your design

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- So, you have a design project and you are ready to dive into InDesign to start creating. Before you do, take the time for one of the most important, yet often overlooked, parts of the design process, concept development. Before you turn on your laptop, or iPad, the right way to start any design project, is to pick up your old trusty pencil and paper and simply sketch. When you first brainstorm an idea, it's usually the most common and expected solutions that first pop into your head. So it's vital that you push beyond those. Sketching will force you to use your imagination. Find a quiet and inspiring place to work, grab a coffee, put on your favorite music and give yourself a specific amount of time to really think, research and experiment. If you need a boost of inspiration to help you start, Stefan Mumaw's "Creativity: Generate Ideas in Greater Quantity and Quality" is a great resource to learn helpful idea generation tips. Another effective strategy in design, is using story. Some of the greatest designs, that have captured our attention and our hearts, have done so because they used story. In our course "Storytelling for Designers", you'll learn the elements of a compelling story and how to weave narrative into pictures and graphics, in a way that you audience will respond to. An important component of storytelling, involves creating an emotional connection with an audience member. So remember, design is so much more than colors, images and typography. The way to set your design apart is starting with a strong concept.

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