DESIGN PROCESSDenean Caperton • Graphic Design • Documentary

Graphic Design Process

This is a compilation that represents my graphic design process for a pho-to-documentary entitled “Souvenir”.

I’ll display my ideation, imaging, testing, and final product. Although in a more architectural diction, I think design theorist John Zeisel explains process best in Inquiry by Design:

“It includes a stage when detailed working drawings of a project are given to contractors instructing them how the designers expect the project to be built. It includes a stage when contractor and designer negotiate changes in design to respond to problems that arise during construc-tion. The process formally ends when construction is completed.”

Research

Historical research can help inspi-ration, solving problems (that have been historically addressed), and to correctly quide creative direction. Analyzing historical models helps lead to successful, new, solutions.

I usually write out a mind map of all of the artists, designers, and move-ments that can be associated with the direction I am taking my project. From there I visit the library and search the internet. I produce work-sheets with images and analysis to help see what solutions are histori-cally worth repeating, changing, or cutting out completely.

I took inspiration from Nan Goldin, Art Chantry, James Reid, Dan Fried-man, Wolfgang Weingart, New Wave, Swiss Style, among others.

Textual and Visual Ideation

The sketchbook is an integral part of the design process. Verbal ideation, or mindmapping, brainstorms, lists, stream of consciousness prose, and random thoughts are logged. Visual ideation, or imaging, sketch-ing, drawing, copying, are also accounted for. As many solutions as possible are documented so the most successful are sifted out.

This is an example of preliminary idea, brainstorm, and sketches.

Textual and Visual Ideation

Here is an overview my sketchbook pages dedicated to this project.

Imaging and Testing

Creating a more tactile and eas-ily rearrangeable visual pallette is a better choice for some projects. I took over one thousand photo-graphs for this documentary so I narrowed it down to approximately 300 semi-final photos and printed them out at a small scale. I then could easily compare images and make compositions faster than do-ing the same on the computer.

This direction also allowed me to bring my visuals to different loca-tions and get advice from others outside of the visual realm. For instance, I gained conceptual and compositional solutions from a pho-tographer and friend at her home.

Testing and Feedback

At certain points during the process I incorporate “in process critiques”. Here, I ask fellow graphic designers in my studio to experience what I have made so far and respond. They can give problem solving feed-back and a fresh point of view.

These meetings usually show if I am going in a successful direction.

Testing Finished Product

Finally, the final product is complet-ed and tested once more.

“The many adaptations, revisions, and conceptual shifts that take place during design are guided by a design-er’s vision of the design process leading to action.Something is built.”

John Zeisel