How to Start the Design Process
Whether you are designing clothing, products, or interfaces, there is a process successful designers follow before they begin. If you want to become a more effective designer, reference these three steps which explain how you should start the design process.
- Know what you want to accomplish in your design.
Every effective designer has direction before they begin working on their designs. Knowing what you want to accomplish guides the attributes that one allocates to their design. For example, when creating the Premiere Hoodie our first goal was defining what feeling the hoodie would convey. We determined that the hoodie should be minimalistic, classy, and polished. From that outline, we knew what we wanted to accomplish, which gave us design momentum for the project.
- Refine your idea.
Once you know what you are trying to accomplish and have an idea about how to accomplish it, the next step is to refine that idea. Refining your idea is like washing away all the dirt while panning for gold. Most initial ideas need to be refined several times before they become effective. For Edward Joiner, our initial design idea was not our last. Over the span of three months, we continuously revised our idea which led us to create what we have now.
- Gather feedback.
You know what your design is trying to accomplish and have refined it from its inception into something amazing. Now you need to gather feedback. As a designer, when you have spent a lot of time on what you are creating you see it as being perfect. While it might be a good design, it is important to get feedback in order to know whether the concept is functional and accurately conveyed. If you have trusted critics or evaluators, have them ensure that your design makes sense. Once you have gathered feedback, refine your design until it is effectively communicated.
Starting the design process can seem like a daunting task. Following these three steps will give you guidance when starting your design process.