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June 5, 2025June 5, 2025

20 killer tips to land your first Junior Graphic Design role

Your first Junior Graphic Design role…. that was many moons ago.

This post offers useful, honest, and actionable tips to help you land your first Junior Graphic design role or internship. Much of this experience comes from hiring design interns and from myself hiring interns for more traditional design roles.

Although I would like to add… the design profession has changed dramatically. There will still be some helpful little tips for me to share.

Now, go get your first Junior Graphic Design role of dreams ( maybe ).

your first Junior Graphic Design role- You are on a mission graduate graphic designer

This post is here to help

“If you have no idea what type of design you want to do, don’t be too hard on yourself – I didn’t know either.”
– My older to younger self

Getting your first Junior Graphic Design role: overview

Finding work as a fresh-faced young ‘Graphic Designer’ can be a challenge! More so in this day and age.

In order to land that perfect design role, you need to really sell your skills and passion in a very competitive and crowded market. Saying ‘give me a job’ won’t cut it. Companies don’t want to do you a favour, they haven’t the time. By offering your assistance in the role, you can help in a design position, which may shift your mindset.

What can you bring to the role? Does your portfolio align with what the company wants and needs? Does your style suit the job and the company?

This post has been written to offer assistance in your journey to landing that desired role. Hopefully, following these 20 graduate designer tips will bring you closer to achieving your goal of becoming an intern or a graduate designer. But, I shall promise and guarantee nothing – the creative world is too turbulent for that, I am afraid!

As for my credentials, I have both been a design graduate and a manager in charge of hiring interns and graduate designers. This post will cover what the company looked for (my previous role), what ‘I’ looked for, and what I wasted my time doing in the beginning when looking for work.

My Career Credentials in Design

1) I’m not Neville Brody or Saul Bass.
2) A lot of this experience comes from nearly 20 years working in-house and freelance
3) The rest is self-taught
4) The rest of it is from first-hand experience hiring

Your first Junior Graphic Design role: 20 detailed tips for landing that ideal creative role :

Part 1.

Part 1 – Getting Into Mindset –Job hunting is a job in itself.

1 ) Be positive, and stay positive

There may come a time in your search for work where you will feel down in the dumps, the worst thing you can do if you really want to be a Graphic Designer is throw in the towel too early on.

Some graduates manage to find jobs as a designer straight out of University, they are lucky or super gifted or both… or know somebody.

Others will land roles off the back of work experience

Other graduates will land a job after 4 months of applying for design work ( mine was 11 )

After 400 applications and rejections.

Or moving closer to where you are likely to find design work ( that was my story )

Keep going and push forward. No two people are the same and your journey could be different. Do what you need to do – it’s tough. Think adapt and learn.

2 ) Don’t waste (too much) time with recruiters

I put too strong an emphasis on talking to recruiters en masse when looking for work in London! This was at the start of my career, believing they would be the gatekeepers to my dreams! I can recall a few being pretty blunt, some downright rude, and very few kind or helpful.

Generally speaking, recruiters don’t manifest results if you are a graduate. This may not be the case for all, but this was certainly the case for me.

I will assume they are more preoccupied with chasing bigger commissions. Or speaking with cooler non-country bumkin designers. Who knows!

The few that were useful gave some interesting advice – remember these people. All in all, don’t wait for recruiters. Go search yourself.

Try this website: –
– Creative Opportunities

3 ) Keep bettering yourself

This follows on from “wasting time”. Sitting on your computer watching Youtube videos about cute cats jumping off of furniture isn’t going to land you a job!

Make use of your time by researching companies, learning the nuances of your desired design specialisation. The more skills and worthwhile projects you have in your portfolio, the closer you will come to landing your first ideal role.

You may find things like this interesting while you are tinkering with software :

4 ) Imagine your ideal role

Landing your first Junior Graphic Design role is hard enough, so is trying to imagine it.

For me, this was the trickiest part of finding a role, and I feel that my portfolio, although diverse, could have been considered convoluted. This was at a time when graphic designers and multimedia designers did not wear the same badge at all. You were one of the other.

I didn’t have a clue what sort of design job I wanted – I just wanted a lucky break. However, reflecting on it, a more focused approach to my portfolio may have helped me land a role. A scattergun approach can have its advantages, but being too broad can also be a disadvantage.

If you have no idea what type of design you want to do, don’t be too hard on yourself – I didn’t know either.

You want your portfolio and visual language to be in tune with your first full-time job. If you can.

In hindsight, I had no idea about what type of job I wanted! I just wanted a creative job. If you don’t know, consider working backwards – what jobs don’t you want?

With this in mind, this could help you in shortlisting the types of design roles you make like. Now take the time to look at what these types of jobs are looking for and align yourself with these expectations. Hopefully, this may help align you with your first Junior Graphic Design role.

5 ) Your portfolio and CV are not speaking to each other

Not as crackers as it sounds!

When trying to land your first Junior Graphic Design role, make sure your CV and portfolio reflect each other. At least, to a lesser or greater degree.

I don’t think I’m God’s gift to recruiting, design or jobs, but I was involved heavily in hiring my own intern designers. I wanted to see who could assist and help a little while also giving them with their journey.

CVs … CVs everywhere!

I have read great CVs, useless CVs, silly CVs, random CVs, and just obscure and irrelevant CVs. And CVs that looked like they didn’t belong to the same person or portfolio – that is my point here.

Your CV needs to be relevant to the role for which you are trying to win, as does the portfolio. The contents of your portfolio should reflect some or most of the information in your CV as a designer, they should link or marry up.

Spelling and typos are only the beginning. A CV and portfolio that relate to each other will in land a role.

Make sure they relate and match.

6 ) Right place at the right time | luck and availability

Sounds like a cliché? It is!

You can be a ridiculously talented designer with a great portfolio, but if you’re not in the right place at the right time, then you won’t get the job.

Roles can become available due to an employee leaving, maternity cover, looking for contractors for specific tasks, or the company is expanding!

Be on the job boards, be ready, and be available. You need to be watching the job market all the time to give yourself the best chances of finding that desired design role. In other words, you need to make your own luck.

7 ) Businesses aren’t charitable

Your first Junior Graphic Design role probably won’t come out of generosity. When I first started trying to get my first job, my CV and covering letter didn’t hardly brought anything to the job. This is the power of hindsight.

Unconsciously, I expected the role would just land in my lap as I was a shiny new graduate with all the paperwork. Don’t buy into that illusion, I will tell you now.

Graduating or passing your course is just the beginning, and employers smell your un-jaded optimism and inexperience from a mile away.

Here is how I first started applying for design work, so you can avoid the mistakes I made.

How I presented myself ( badly ) when I tried to land my first junior design role

With my begging letter (covering letter) at the ready, it said far more than what was written on the paper. Between the lines it said :

“Please give me a job, I have nothing to offer, and you will be doing me a favour by hiring me… please do me a favour! I need experience.” Of between-the-lines wording to that effect.

Companies will already know how much experience you don’t have if they take a close look at your CV. They’d only need to take a look at when I graduated to guess my experience level! Avoid pleading and sounding desperate if you can. Even if you are!

Word your CV to sound as if you have something to offer them, not ask for them to offer something to you. Even if this is the reality of your situation.

Draw attention to how you are bristling with energy and ideas, or your design strengths, or how you are a passionate designer who works on plenty of side projects in a similar industry.

Instead of please give me, consider ‘eager to learn and become part of a team.’ Getting a graphic design job – a true ‘Graphic Design’ job is harder than ever to find.

Some kind souls took the time to answer my queries and offer advice, but most of the time, they ignored my queries. I sent hundreds of applications to land my first full-time role.

Aside from drawing attention to my blemish of inexperience, employers will know you are a graduate just by looking at the graduation dates. Focus on what you can do and do well.

Companies won’t hire you out of pity

Section 2 | Getting your first Junior Graphic Design role – Preparation

Preparation is key.

Looking at the points before, have you picked your ideal employer or type of job?

Are you considering how your portfolio will align with your ideal role?

8 ) Physical design portfolio

Trying to land your first Graphic Design role as a junior? You will need a portfolio.

As a hiring manager for my own little department ( it was small ), I have had “designers” apply for roles without a portfolio.

You need a portfolio.

This shouldn’t even need to be pointed out, but I have run interviews where ‘Graphic Design Graduates’ came to a creative design interview without a portfolio… or anything to show for that matter. And before applicants got as far as being short-listed, so didn’t have a portfolio with their application, none whatsoever!

Suggestion 1 – A portfolio to win the job.
To win that dream job, you need to show what you can do, not just tell everyone what you can do. A portfolio is proof.

Suggestion 2 – Have a portfolio to hand…. just in case.
For example, I can recall a few applicants coming to an interview without any form of portfolio. To begin with, that applicant was relying on my memory (my poor memory) and hoping that I could recall everything in their portfolio. Don’t leave it to the person hiring to remember; remind them of your awesome designer.

The case for the ‘on-day’ portfolio – your first Junior Graphic Design role

You want to use anything in your arsenal to win that job as a graduate designer, whether through the passage of an internship or via a direct application.

Having a portfolio on the day of an interview can be very advantageous as a graduate designer. Here is a short list of reasons why having a portfolio can be a great idea.

(Something I used to ask myself) Did their college or institution not require the designer to create a portfolio? Where did they study!!!
A design portfolio will allow you as a designer to put your best foot forward.
Your portfolio can be a chance to discuss your best pieces of work and describe your part in a project.
Dozens of other applicants will turn up with a portfolio, and it is a very competitive market. You will want to do everything you can in a competitive market.
Your portfolio can be a terrific reminder of your skills… if asked!

In my opinion, having a physical portfolio is important if you are attempting to get a print design role. Which brings me to the next point in preparing you for applying to the right role.

9 ) Compile a digital portfolio

Before an employer looks at your ‘physical portfolio,’ you should have a digital portfolio.

A digital portfolio, a website, or an online presence will be used to make that initial first impression.

Whether it is a compressed PDF, a Behance link, or a website, this will be one of the first things an employer will look at when gauging whether to give you the job for a junior design position.

*Remember! When creating your digital PDF portfolio, keep the file size small. Anything above 10 MB may be blocked by the recipient’s firewall.

Bonus tip – Don’t be afraid to include a little bit of process as well in your portfolio or as a supplement. But all-in-all, your portfolio should focus on final product solutions.

10 ) Your graphic design CV

You NEED a CV.

In the same way, a designer needs to be given a brief for a project.

A portfolio alone is not enough as employers will want to see where you have studied, what you have studied, dates, and so on. Employers and HR are looking for relevant information; they are looking for pieces of information and that will help recruit the ideal candidate for the role.

If your CV is irrelevant, thin, sloppy – you are lowering your chances of being selected.

Handy print design CV notes :

Don’t publish your CV straight from Word. You are a designer, put some style and class in it to show you design things through and through – including your design CV.
Remove irrelevant job experience. Art Directors, Senior Designers etc, are not interested in your paper round from when you were 15. You won’t be delivering papers in your internship or graduate design role, well… at least you are not likely too!
Make it easy to read and skim. Hiring managers are in a rush, and they are also human… make your information snappy and easy to navigate. They might be reading a lot of CV’s and by the 70th applicant, the focus can start to go out of the window.
Use your CV to sell yourself and reinforce your absolutely killer portfolio!

11 ) Write a covering letter worthy of landing your first Junior Graphic Design role

I don’t proclaim to be god’s gift to writing covering letters. But, covering letters are where I have seen some of the biggest mistakes in an application for a junior design position.

Keep it polite and acknowledge the job listing.

You can sniff a ‘copy and paste’ email from a mile away, as it seems to ignore all of the points in the job listing. But if you do ‘copy and paste’ make sure to add the name and don’t leave sentences like this. eg, the spaces are still there.

“Dear _____

I would like to apply for the position of ____ as I believe I could bring something new to the team.
“

I have seen letters with the “___”still left in. Remember to fill the blanks at least.

Speak to the reader, show your passion. Say what it is you want to do. And try to add the most compelling information in the opening paragraph for jaded eyes.

**12 ) Your CV is full of sh*t** ( Don’t talk crap! )

Sorry, was that blunt? Please take it with a small dash of humour. We can all over egg a CV. But a CV that talks rubbish is easy to spot in the design sphere. Especially when you should have a graphic design portfolio show.

I’m going to let you in on a secret.

After reading many CVs applying for the creative intern roles at my former company, I stopped reading the CVs first. This is why :

Some CVs lie
A portfolio can say more about the designer
It saved time
I value a relevant portfolio over a well-written CV telling me what I want to hear

For me, it became a portfolio first and then a CV.

Here is a small design story.

Your first Junior Graphic Design role – A Dull CV Story

Many moons ago, many applicants would apply for a design role. And I mean many! On their CV they would proclaim : “I’m a graphic designer,” ” I own Photoshop!” or that they studied an irrelevant field, so it entitles them to that title – Graphic Designer!

If they are allowed that badge… where does that leave those who studied it?
Or the self-taught one who toiled for years?

I have read CVs that say they have worked on many projects, yet there was but a single A4 page with a poorly designed classified ad in the top left corner.

Some, state they are the next best thing to come into the design world. etc etc. I’ve read their hyperbole, been hyped and somewhat entertained by their prose, and then looked at the portfolio….

Practically nothing. Hot air.

With the one particular applicant in my mind, that isn’t me bashing a graduate designer, not at all. I don’t blame them for trying to find work. But there is selling yourself, then there is the proverbial talking out of it. CV’s can say one thing, but a portfolio can say another.

I wasn’t convinced they studied design, unless it was at the school MS Publisher 1995.

It was these little scenarios that led me to adopt a ‘portfolio first’ approach to the recruiting process. Let me see what you can do, now tell me!

Part 3 – Getting your first Junior Graphic Design role | Uncomfortable & unspoken realities

I’m going to spill the beans on things outside of your skills, CV, and portfolio that may or may not impact you getting a junior design role, and it is not just down to a lack of experience.

Some of these are opinions, first-hand experiences as a design jobseeker myself, and from quiet conversations behind closed doors.

Hopefully, the points in this section will be both helpful to you and make me hated by recruiters and companies. So be it!

13 ) Your university, school, and background can influence your selection

Ouch…

I would like to add that I was sympathetic to those who were not ‘in the club‘ – I was never in the club either. I think graphic design is not immune to this method of selecting who does and doesn’t get the job.

After a conversation with another Senior Designer, I was surprised by a couple of things about their selection process at their company.

According to the designer, at a certain establishment, they checked the following:-

Where applicants had studied ( they chose from elite universities )
Grades – fair enough
Secondary school and GCSEs – ‘secondary school and GCSEs?’ –

( Record skips and scratches, tea is spluttered everywhere! )

Honestly.

And… ‘Secondary School’

This one got my goat a bit. Most graduates did not choose where they studied in secondary school, so how is it fair for this basis to be an influencing factor?

You cannot choose your past or where you went to school as a teenager. Back in school, I didn’t know what I was going to study afterwards, nor did I know that being at that school could have an influence. Believe it or not, I think there is a certain level of elitism in certain establishments that goes beyond your accomplishments and attainment, sadly…

The monocle club is selecting!

14 ) Geography – Where you live can impact your chances of getting a design role

This is both from personal experience as an applicant and as an employer.

Recruiters and employers can sometimes see ‘where’ you have applied from. So if you are looking for a Job in London, for argument’s sake, and you are based in North Scotland, certain job websites tell the recruiters and prospective employers where the application came from.

How do they know, and why does it matter where you are based?

It shouldn’t, but it will be counted against you regardless. Recruiters and employers like you to already live near the location where the job is situated, unless it is a purely remote position! I will come to what I believe to be the case shortly.

Geographical pains of getting a junior design job in London

My location: I have experimented with this by accident. I the past. On my CV, I wrote that I was currently living in London, I was staying in London on and off, but of a fixed address there.

On my CV it stated that I lived in London. I applied for a role through a website, and a recruiter rang me the following day.

“So your CV says, you live in London, but your application came from Cornwall?” That is a paraphrased version of the conversation. Some of the remarks after that – don’t worry, you live too far away, I need you this afternoon, or based on a recent conversation I asked – “Does it matter where I live now?”
“OF course it does!” they replied!

It matters. This was more of a gulf than a hurdle, as I found the design industry to be quite concentrated in London, as many things seem to be so London-centric. Despite the fact that I was up and down to London frequently, they wanted somebody who lived their all the time. there

It was mostly from recruiters who would bin my application after finding out that my permanent address was in Cornwall at the time.

The why! Recruiters want to make money quickly, and sadly, if they find another eligible graduate for the position who lives in or around London, they will get the first pick; it can be as simple as that.

When recruiting for an in-house junior design role

When hiring for internships, my previous MD favoured local applicants as it was convenient, among other reasons. As a designer myself, I tried my best when possible to favour passion, talent, work ethic, and a cracking portfolio when selecting a candidate!

Geography was irrelevant to me, as I wanted to hire based on merit and suitability of the candidate.

However, pay heed to what was mentioned above and note the bigger picture. Recruiters, bosses, companies etc, will often favour those who are near to those who are far. And in terms of supply, there is a glut of graduate designers trying to find work, especially in and around London.

It could be a stark realisation, but if you are a match for a match candidate who can start immediately, this will put you in good standing compared to those who can’t.

What if you live too far away from landing your first Junior Graphic Design role?

It can be easy to become despondent when applying for design work. I spent 11 months applying for my first full-time role in London. Adopt the following mantra to overcome the geographical bias:

Persist and keep applying
Be patient
Find a friend or relative to stay with whilst you look
Look for more creative jobs that bypass recruiters
Move nearer to a big city and find alternative work while building your career
Consider remote positions

15 ) Your first design role | You might be working on boring tasks at first

As a graduate, you may be given some repetitive or smaller jobs.

But you should use these to your advantage, do a great job, do it quickly, and use these tasks to make an impression!

You might also get a great reference from your employer at the end. Onwards and upwards!

Part 4 | Getting your first Junior Graphic Design role | Employer’s Perspective

Here is a short glance through an employer’s lens when recruiting for a junior design role.

16 ) Let your character shine!

A great portfolio, an active mind, somebody who will do the tasks when asked! These were all traits and signals we were looking for when hiring. We wanted to recruit a graduate designer who was buzzing with flair and ideas. We wanted a graduate who would be able to apply their skills to the brand and be part of a team.

In a highly sociable office / studio, I would have to gauge how the applicant may interact with me and the rest of the team. Do take note of how I mentioned ‘the rest of the team’.

It was not enough to only get along with me. I needed to gauge how the applicant would get along with the others in the company. I could be away, in a meeting, or really busy.

If I left leaving the junior designer alone with the sales manager, it would cause the office to combust; it was a risk I could ill afford to take.

How you bond, think, act and speak has a bearing on your application.

There is more to an interview than just a Portfolio and CV. As is winning the junior design role.

17 ) Ask questions, show interest

When applying for a junior design role, take an active interest in the job and company. It is not enough to say you have taken an interest in the role. Make sure to do your homework and come prepared for the role. An interviewer may not ask you anything about what you will bring to the table in terms of ideas, on the other hand – they might!

18 ) Sharing your ‘Interests’ on your CV

Why did this matter to me and the company?

Varying from industry and role to role, sharing your relevant interests may have been utilised for the role advertised. For example, are you passionate about football? Are you applying for a design job that is all about football? This could be helpful to know!

It’s not a huge point, but as strange as it sounds, if I were interested in the candidate’s CV, I would look at their hobbies and interests to see if I could find any relevance.

If the candidate mentioned that they were interested in ‘tech’ games, gifting, arts and crafts, etc it, it could have been a tipping factor for taking more interest in their application.

Not all companies will care about your interests, but I paid attention to them as a footnote on CV.

Consider adding some interests if you think they could be applicable to the role, or whether it will help your bond with the team.

**19 ) Commercial experience will put you at an advantage**

Relevant experience will put you at a distinct advantage when applying for your first Junior Graphic Design role. Although I do appreciate that this can be very chicken and egg when applying for a role to gain experience.

Any commercial design experience is still transferable experience.

Whether you gain this experience through family & friends, internships, college, university, freelance, or by any other means – this will place you in better standing for a design role in the future.

It can be extremely frustrating to gain experience, and I would highly recommend trying to get as much as you can while in your study years instead of when you are kicked out of education and into the job market. Getting experience can be tough.

I tried to be sympathetic towards graduate designers having no commercial experience when hiring for internships. Speaking in broad strokes, design agencies like you to have experience when you walk through the door.

I collected my experience together via my HND in design, Work placements, and starting with freelance work.

20 ) TAKE NOTICE | Watch the job market around you

Since I first wrote this post years ago, a lot has changed. Even the Graphic Design industry has changed considerably. This point originally said to ‘stay positive’ but I felt this needed a dire change since that point was written!

When trying to get your first Junior Graphic Design role, please pay attention to the design job market. The design industry and design jobs market are ever-changing, and what is true of today may not be true of tomorrow.

Graphic design is at a challenging time – make sure to check your skills and portfolio. Be desirable to help you land your design role.

I think it is okay to consider whether higher education is relevant or will help you land a job. IF you feel it isn’t, consider ways in which you can make yourself ‘more relevant’ and desirable when that job finally comes up.

Don’t bury your head, don’t be passive, don’t wear blinkers. LOOK.

Takeaway to getting your first Junior Graphic Design role

There is a lot to getting a design job, and I am not 100% certain the same rules will apply in the future. But from the more human basics of landing a job, much of what is written will carry.

Make good use of your time.
Be prepared, have your portfolio and CV ready
Remove irrelevant information from your CV
Create a portfolio that is applicable to your ideal role
Get as much experience as possible!
Work on personal projects and keep bettering yourself
Try to network with companies, directors, charities, etc – focus much less on recruiters
Keep checking job boards
Show interest in the role if you get the interview
Keep a close eye on the industry and try to align yourself

Stay positive, I’ve had a couple of cringey interviews!

While seeking your first Junior Graphic Design role, these may be interesting

jimmsdesign

April 9, 2025April 11, 2025

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Tips & tricks from a designer

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? ( amended and updated )

As somebody who has worked in print for years, I know black can be a troublesome colour to work with when it comes to professional printing! From dull colours, noticeable banding, to the colour being milky and muted. There is a wide variety of headaches when it comes to working with black.

As a former in-house designer at a gifting company, black was a core brand colour I had to wrestle with weekly. I could have burst a blood vessel.

Black can be a royal pain to print, I feel you! In light of a recent project where I had to work with black once again, it reminded me of this post.

This post has just been given a refresh to further help and aid any budding designers or those looking to troubleshoot their problematic black print.

Why is black colour coming out dull when printed - title graphic

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed?

As to why your colour black is coming out dull and muted. Dull black in print can be caused by mismatched colour profiles, paper types, poorly calibrated screens, working on dated screen types, wrong settings in your application, variation in printers, and professional printers using professional print equipment compared to your domestic-grade equipment. It can also be due to a lack of colour checks before sending professional artwork to print.

There can be a variety of reasons, all working in conjunction to produce a lacklustre and milky print. These reasons can be a mixture of both software and hardware-related.

To avoid dull black colours, employ a variety of techniques to remedy the issue. Such as running test prints, checking settings in your applications, and working with a printer.

If printing on a domestic printer from your home or office, remember to check that you are not running low on black ink! This can also cause dull or streaky prints.

Investigate the points mentioned above. You may need to take it a step further of look for additional help to resolve the issue.

Working with the colour black in Graphic Design for print

Black can be a trouble to work with when it comes to print, especially with all of the varying print processes, paper finishes and general variations with commercial printing machines. Ink types, screen calibrations, applications and so on – can impact your dull black when printed.

Being empathetic to how black can be problematic to print as a designer myself, both you and I want to put our best foot forward and try to reduce dull blacks and greys. Below is a list of tips and tricks to beating a dull black when printed, which just may fix the problem.

A list of tips and tricks to get the colour black you desire!

Black can be one of the most problematic colours to handle when it comes to design.
Here are some tried and tested solutions I have used to remedy why your black colour is coming out dull when printed.

Tip 1 ) Fixing Black – Consider whether your black is ‘black’

Not everything needs to be pure black. There is black and there is ‘black’. This is more applicable if you are working with photography, illustration or texture and not a black as a block colour.

When working with either illustration or photography, for example, it is common for me to add tones that will either warm or cool my black colour. Black is rarely pure black in the real world. Consider whether any colour or surroundings in your image would be influenced but subtle tints. Black, not being total ‘black’ can be one of the easiest workarounds.

I have added an illustration below to show different tones and hues on a black background and colour to further illustrate my point.

Left to right – reference image below/

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed - black hue comparison — This image shows how tints and shades can show some almost black can work. Most things are not strictly jet black. Especially in artwork or photography.

( Left ) Flat grey black

Notice that this image is devoid of colour. Presumably, this is only in ‘greyscale’ ( older illustration ), but this still has tone and depth. The colour of this, however, could be more of a gamble when printing based on past experience. These more monochromatic greys and blacks seem to be more prone to branding in Photoshop.

( Middle ) Added tint to black

The middle circle is black with a tint of red, which again could work well in a photo that has relevant colours or tones in the image to influence this type of black. I have added a paragraph below on how to add a hue in Photoshop.

( Right )Adding a couple of subtle colours

The tint added to the circle on the far right is closer to a deep red – reddish black, but perhaps something of this nature would be truer to the nature of artwork or photography being shown and displayed?

For argument’s sake, you could consider adding a slight tint of green or yellow to test and measure.

Test print what you create and gauge some of the warm hues. I have employed similar techniques again in attacking posterization in Photoshop.

Tip 2 ) Check Your Colours – Digital Black Colour in Photoshop

It is always wise to check your colours when working with print, generally, not only black! If your black is arriving with a murky, milky or dirty quality, check your colours by the number, not just by what you see on your screen in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

To follow the first tip of adding a slight tint of colour can be all that is needed to remedy your dull black.

Take note of the CMYK | C=65% M=70% Y=66% K=85% for illustration purposes.

For those who would like to know, the ‘K’ is the black notice, and the black also has a lot of colouration. This is not a rich black or the sort of black used in editorial design for fonts by the way.

Photoshop Colour Palette example — And an Example of using the black in the colour palette – Photoshop

Tip 3 ) Breakdown – Avoid dull black in print by checking colours digitally

Before sending your artwork to print, check that your black isn’t the wrong sort of grey or black by either opening the window above or checking that black is represented correctly only on your computer screen. In applications such as Adobe Illustrator, certain preferences will allow you to see black colours in their ‘truer’ form. You can also enable the output as shown.

Tip 4 ) Test print your black design work

Save yourself the worry and heartache and consider running some homemade test prints first. Although a home print is not a substitute for a professional print run, it is better to try and discover any issues with your black colouration before seeing it on a 1000 or so copies of your print run.

Tip 5 ) How your colour black is displayed

** IMPORTANT** This can be a significant contributing factor as to why your black colour is coming out dull when printed. There are options in various graphics programs that can be misleading when working with black. There are options that will allow you to see your black in its truer form compared to what is being shown on your computer screen.

If your black is not coming out as expected, check that your ‘Appearance of Black’ in your applications preferences is set to display blacks as required. ( see screen grab below )

Here is an example taken from Adobe Illustrator showing how a more accurate representation of black can be shown on your screen.

See the image above, notice how – onscreen – Display all blacks Accurately is set? This will help you to see how your black may come out in print. Allow yourself to see!

Tip 6 ) CMYK vs RGB vs GreyScale Printing

By default, most designers who were taught to work with 4 colour print were taught to work with CMYK. CMYK, in comparison to RGB can be seen as the poorer cousin colourwise! This is the profile you must work with most printers unless they state otherwise.

However, it is common practice for printers to work with CMYK and should follow suit with this unless stated otherwise.

RGB ( Red, Green, Blue ) is the 3 colour profile I tend to work with more now for digital and website design. RGB is also by far my favourite to work with, however, RGB is better suited to screens which can display millions of colours. You may notice that your vibrant colours and hues suddenly become dull and muted if you switch to CMYK towards the latter end of the design process. By default, RGB is best left to work with screens for final output for print. CMYK for print. Here is an example website design project where I have gone to town with RGB.

Greyscale, brace yourself for mono colours. However, this can work well for simple black and white line drawings with an absence of colour.

Tip 7 ) Work with your printer to avoid dull greys and blacks

It can pay to work closely with your printer in the first instance to avoid headaches and dull black colouration coming out in print. Ask your printer how they’d prefer to receive the artwork. Most professional brick-and-mortar printers will request that your file be supplied in CMYK and as PDF’s in the ideal world. Although that can only now be used as a guide and not a hard and fast rule.

Graphic Design Question: Why is my black print coming out dull grey and not black?

The reason that your black colour is coming out grey and not black as intended, could be that the colour is grey and not black! Certain options in your preferences in your graphics programs may be showing dark greys as black and misleading your eye.

To fix this, you will need to check that the preferences in your graphics application are enabling you to see all black colouration in its true form.

Another reason that your black is printing grey could be due to screen calibration and screen brightness.

Now less common, some of the worst screens for displaying black are TFT screens. As you can still get on some budget laptops, i would recommend rigging your laptop to a screen that enables better representation of colour and colour depth.

Although I have had to use TFT screens in a professional setting in the past, I would recommend using a screen which can show a better range and depth of colour – including black. TFT screens are awful for seeing colour in print.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Summary takeaway

The reason behind your dull black and almost grey colouring when printed could be down to a range of issues. Some of these issues and causes can extend beyond this list. It is a problem that needs a bit-by-bit approach to find out what is causing the problem in the first place.

I would check that you have your colours and preferences set correctly. Making something CMYK isn’t enough to avoid off-colouration when printing with black.

It is also worth being mindful that any web-based print of design software used for proofing can be problematic when trying to get true representation of your colour. These web programs and can deviate from typical standards used by professional printing companies.

These misrepresentations can include low-res proofs, misrepresentation of colour, and poor representation of bleed. What you see, isn’t always what you get.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? Bonus Tips

Take Notice of the colour warnings when you are in the colour picker window. This could save a lot of headaches later on.
Let the printer do the legwork. Send your artwork to the printer and try to let them help you. A printer worth their salt will want to help you and have your return custom. To reinforce your expectations, send them a physical sample from your home printer – assuming you have a good-quality home printer.

A HUE, if you are working on an image with a lot of dark areas, why not add a little hue / tint of colour? 20% cyan, for example or some magenta/red for a warmer image.

Avoid working with 0, 0, 0, 100 K, as this is best reserved for font/text printing and can your work charcoal appearance. Use a ‘Rich black’ or ‘designers black’ instead. 20, 20, 20, 100 k for example.

Avoid 100, 100, 100, 100, CMYK as this is reserved for crop marks and using this colour can drown the paper – no one wants drowned paper!

Don’t be fooled. Your screen can be way out of sync with your printer. Do some tests first and see what results come from your printer. Even printing on your home printer cannot guarantee the finish you require when you send your work to print.

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed – Other Related Topics: Design & Print

Interesting Internal links around design and design projects.

Need a hand with your board game design project?

Why is my black colour coming out dull when printed? – External websites :

https://www.jimmsdesign.co.uk/

Board game services

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025

My Creative Graphic Design Process | Explained In 7 Stages

Let me share my secrets.

For those who are interested in knowing more about my design process and workflow, this post is for you.

My creative graphic design process is explained in 7 easy-to-follow stages.

This post offers an inside look at how I approach design projects. From designing an eye-catching theme for a board game to creating a compelling landing page for a website, this step-by-step overview highlights my workflow and processes as a designer.

Design is a journey, and this is how I travel.

I advise anybody who is showing an active interest in working with me to take note of this post and try to read and consume as much of the information as possible. This post can also be hugely beneficial to those who have never worked with designers before and would like to understand the creative process.

For those of you new to working with designers, you may find this post interesting: What is a creative design process?

You also jump straight into the steps of my design process from here.

Now let me spill the beans and share my secrets…

How My Creative Approach Differs

I believe much of my design process is not too dissimilar to that of many other ‘creative’ and idea-based designers. However, I would also like to add that not all designers are the same. Our minds, education, and career paths can shape how we approach creative challenges.

I like to present myself as a ‘conceptual designer’ in a freelance and business setting. Offering ideas and solutions with a capable hand in delivering these ideas.

Having worked with a mixture of start-ups and companies with a history in product development, this has sculpted my approach and techniques when it comes to graphic design.

Does Graphic Design Have & Structure?

It should! Design for the most part, is applied and used in commercial environments. Be it for selling a product, an idea, or to convey some sort of message through the visual medium.

Graphic design can also play a pivotal part in the product itself. With this in mind, it should have some form of workflow and process and not be left to chaotic creativity alone. The creative process of design should, adhere to a structure that enables it to meet a brief with a precise outcome.

This need not inhibit creativity… On the contrary! A process can help the design with a mutually assured aim between the client setting the brief and the designer!

Box design - packaging — As an example, I have attached an image from the Aardman project were involved with. You can read more in the post.

My design process, whether for a board game, a crowdfunding campaign page, or digital content! Relies on a professional structure for both creating something that is ‘on brief’ and manages the project and client’s expectations in a piecemeal and controlled manner. As a designer and business owner, I try to avoid unexpected surprises.

My Creative Graphic Design Process – Table Of Contents

) Admin, set-up, learning brief
) Research, find Inspiration, collect data
) Early ideas, and very rough artwork
) Develop ideas
) Refine, polish, and finishing touches
) Final artwork sent for ‘final approval’
) Handover of artwork

My General Graphic Design Process Table Diagram

Infographic For My Creative Design Process

At the mid to latter stages of the creative process, a form of control is introduced that funnels decision-making.

At these junctions, I encourage the client to approve what is shown and discussed before proceeding with the journey. You can imagine this as a fork in the road or a crossroads in which I will also act as a guide and sherpa. This method enables me to put my best foot forward and enables the design direction to remain focused. ( We don’t want to veer too far off the beaten path! )

Please see my information graphic for this stage of my creative design process!

My General Graphic Design Process info graphic and flow chart.

1 ) Getting To Know The Client – Admin & Project Set Up

This is a crucial step in the process as with the rest of the steps. This also forms part of the pre-preparation stage.

This very first stage – which could easily be called step ‘0’ – is where all paperwork is signed, and documents are filled. It is all part of the grand plan.

In this step, I will also try to learn more about the client, their business intentions, and their project.

At this stage, I may or may not have already spoken to a client based on an initial discovery call. This call is to learn more about you or them, and whether I can help with the project.

From this call, I will either advise and offer my paid consultation service first, which can save money in the long term, or act as a bridge stage before the client fully commits to a project and budget. Or if they are ready, the steps will involve moving toward making a full project.

It is also important in this stage to discuss the matter of payment and when these payments need to be made.

Itemised examples of what will / may happen in this stage

Signing documents
Discussing what documentation needs to be created
Arranging payment and payment terms
Scope of work
Discussing copyright

And other administrative stages.

2 ) Collect Information, Research and Study Competition

After the correct paperwork is completed and signed, the in-depth creative stages of the design process can begin.

At this point, ask if you already have reference materials, images, fonts or pieces of relevant information for the project. I could also ask if you have any more research materials or ideas that could contribute to the design.,

In addition to this, I will likely carry out my own research to further buffer my inspiration and ideas.

I will also utilise this opportunity to study relevant competition to further guide my hand and thought process.

This stage of the creative process paves the way for the next stage – generating the initial roughs and ideas!

3) Ideas / Early Design Work / Initial Design

There are many synonyms I would like to use to describe this first phase of the design process. However, I feel the most accurate description would be ‘rough designs, iterations, or ideas‘.

You can also call it :

Sketching ideas, creating first roughs, hashing out ideas, getting ideas down on paper – any other associated wording to say ‘Rough’ ideas, and feeling my way through the early phase of a project. It is in this stage that I get into my stride of a project and immerse myself in the project.

Here are a couple of examples that my past clients were kind enough to allow me to use.

logos — Generating ideas for logo design project examples!

Or cover ideas

Cover artwork Creative Graphic Design Process — Design examples for a box cover design – streetwise

UI process Wimbledon Brewery — This is an example of the website UI I was involved with.

No design drafts at this stage are final or polished, nor am I precious about the proofs presented.

These first drafts are the foundational step in orienting the design direction of the project.

To further illustrate how this step works in the design process…

– With these early drafts, I will often refer to items on an art board with ‘A, B, C, D’. This is to help both me and the client to reference what design or designs we think are the strongest. It helps with communication.

Creative Graphic Design Process - example selection

Example 1 ) If ‘B’ is selected, I will then ‘develop ‘B’ and invest more time and energy to ‘make good’ that rough idea.
Example 2 ) Based on this early stage of creating rough designs, if a client says they like ‘B’ with elements of ‘D’ I will remain in this phase and create another idea based on that feedback. However, the more iterations created, the more time and budget are required. If there is more experimentation, this is likely to inflate time and budget, even more so if this is repeated a couple of times.

Creative Graphic Design Process – More examples of the ‘ideas phase’

To further illustrate this idea phase, here are some more samples of what can take place:-

Rough sketches and drawings on paper
Rough digital drawings
Scribbles ( Very, very early exploration of ideas )
Initial digital mock-ups ( as proof of concept )
Loose thumbnails ( small drawings )
A selection of ideas with labels
Annotated concepts showing reasoning

These are all tools and approaches required and used on a case-by-case basis for a client when working on a design project.

4 ) Developing the Initial Idea Towards A Final Design | Development

This phase is not unlike the 3^rd phase on first appearances. There are, however, some key differences in this stage which ought to be mentioned.

1 idea is usually selected and developed ( built upon ). This is not the stage to be hashing out new ideas or rough ideas. If I do find myself or the client trying to create new ideas in this stage, I will inform them that I will need to roll back a step to do this.

I try to steer my clients into making idea decisions early!

As mentioned in stage 3. This is both for my own sanity and the clients, to control the flow and time frame of a project.

This is the stage of building upon the best idea and honing in on that particular idea, not to experiment with new ones. But in reality, eureka moments can come along! That is the nature of the creative journey.

2. simplify the differences between stages 3 and 4 :

Ideas generation = to create a range of rough ‘ideas’
Develop that idea = to improve one of the short-listed ideas

The Creative Graphic Design Process – Developing The Winning Idea!

1 idea was selected! That awesome idea for a cover, board game design, box, or something else. Now the sole focus is all in on that single idea. An idea in which all energy and concentration are now focused. The idea that is to be ‘developed’ – made good, in other words.

( Typically ) 1 idea has been short-listed and selected. This is based on client feedback and whether this idea adheres to the brief.

From here, I will take the rough design, either polish it and make good of the artwork for the final stages of the process.

Or

I will amend that design based on the feedback from the ideas stage. I will then present this to the client for approval.

Creative Graphic Design Process Scenario… Based On Past Experiences

I wanted to share a real scenario when explaining my creative graphic design process and spilling the proverbial beans. This is not an exact re-enactment. This fictionalised scenario.

Imagine the following :

Client: “ I really like A, not B. I like elements of idea C… is it possible to combine elements of both A, C and see where this leads?”

Designer ( Me ): “I don’t see why not, I’m happy to send this version across, but it may take a bit of time to mend, and there is no saying if that will work. ”

As a side note, if I think something will look utterly terrible before doing it, I will often voice this – if they are willing to listen.

Client: “ Okay, let’s see what that leads!”

Designer: “Keep in mind that this may add to the cost. if you have more feedback as to why you feel that a mixture of the above applies, let me know.”

Client “Okay… see where it goes. I feel that X and Y work because they are closer to business intentions and, I plan to do X in 6 months.”

In this scenario, I will create another rough version to be sent to the client. Based on client feedback, I proceed from there. If the artwork is given a green light or some seal of approval. I will then take this to what is essentially the final creative stage.

5 ) Refine, Polish, Tweak ( Fine Tuning )

From the previous step, if the core of the work is ‘nearly there,’ I will then progress the design to completion.

This refining or fine-tuning stage may involve the following:-

Slight adjustments to the alignment of objects
Checking colours are as they should be
Minor tweaks to the visuals
Checking that images, etc, are embedded
The artwork is moving towards the steps for delivery
Morning towards file preparation

* Warning – THIS is not the stage for significant changes! *

The latter stages of a design project are not the time for last-minute changes, complete revisions, whims, or overhauls!

Doing so would require me or other designers with a similar design process to go back to stage 2 or 3 and restart from there.

This costs time and money, and big changes are best made at the start and middle, not the end.

So, don’t rewrite the brief at the end or partway through unless absolutely essential! This can be costly and can cause headaches for all concerned!

This is why I request written signs of approval for EACH stage of the creative journey. This is to mitigate and discourage knee-jerk decisions and changes at the 11th hour.

Any significant changes to the design, be it a concept, is in essence a roll-back… and will delay the project and incur costs.

Last-minute design changes happen but are best avoided for those who are conscious of cost.

Here are some reasons why, on rare occasions, this ‘does’ happen.

The client has had a change of heart
The client has new ideas they want to explore (late)
Another person of control has manifested late in the project
The client is listening to another person’s opinion ( or too many opinions )
Something has been realised later in the project, whereby it requires changes

This is the reality of professional design. Setbacks can also arise from various external factors outside both the client’s and designer’s control.

6 ) Final Draft For Approval ( What Is The Final Draft In Design? )

When referring to graphic design, the final draft will represent the final form and iteration of that particular design. The final green light!

A written sign of approval, such as ‘greenlit’, ‘complete’ ‘finalised’, or anything in written form to say they are explicit in their satisfaction with the work. Then it is the next step of packaging the design project for handover.

*For myself and as part of my professional service. I will require a client to give a sign of explicit written approval.

7 ) Package Deliverables – Give it to the client – Handover

The very last step in my creative graphic design process, and something that should be included if the process is to be told in full.

Packaging up your project and handover.

Handover will take place once I have been given the very last sign of approval, and my final invoice has been paid. Once this has all taken place, generally, I will ‘Zip’ the project assets that the client needs and transfer the final artwork to the client.

To further illustrate what this package may contain, it may resemble the following :

JPGs, PNGs, PDFs, Illustrator (AI ) Files, and Photoshop files (PSDs) to name a few. It will depend on what is written in the brief and what the client requires.
This should be stipulated in the ‘specification and agreement’ at the start.

Question | Are there factors that can impact the design process?

My creative graphic design process, like other design processes, can have factors that impact it, as mentioned throughout this post. For example, if there are multiple parties involved in the approval, this can extend the budget required.

Change in project scope partway through a project can impact it, and very human factors can impact it. Such as a client being unable to pay, sickness, or general personal reasons from either party.

Final thoughts about my graphic design process

Avoiding misunderstandings is a priority. Both for my benefit and for the clients. As this post is to highlight and illustrate how my creative process works – I should also draw your attention to how the actual journey and design process can manifest in the real world.

The path is not a straight line…

It is more of a meandering path of process of elimination, whittling down the design ideas so only the strongest are left for selection.

You could also say it is reminiscent of a carving. You may begin with building up the materials and layers for the base form. Once this is set, it can be a case of reducing the form until the final artwork emerges.

For those who are interested, you may be interested in reading this article on a design journey or reading a bit more about the design process as a general overview.

Now let’s design something!

Creative Graphic Design Process – Other Useful Links

Creative Process 3rd Party Links and Sources

External Design Website – Jimmsdesign.co.uk

Credits & Education
Education Source – https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/
College – https://www.aup.ac.uk/

December 4, 2024December 4, 2024

Example Logo Design Projects | A Showcase Of Logo Projects

Example logo design projects. From tech to healthcare, to British design, to small businesses, this list shows a handful of my identity design projects I have worked on over the years.

This list of logo projects has been compiled together to showcase a variety of logos in the hopes of inspiring any would-be logo designers or for those looking to hire a logo designer. The majority of these logos have been created on behalf of my clients, both freelance and while at my former place of full-time employment.

All the logos in this post were designed by me but are copyrighted to their respective owners, no stealing or lifting these logos from this post please!

When I embark on a project, I’m rooting for my client to succeed!

Example Logo Design Projects – About This List

Each logo represents a unique story. From healthcare to technology to gifting, to retail. When assigned to work on this specific faucet of branding, I try my best to both adhere to a brief and offer something unique and creative to my clients. A logo needs to not only be memorable for all the right reasons, but it also needs to function across various applications.

Here are some questions I will ask myself or my client when I create a logo – ( As a rough example. )

What service can I offer that a robot can’t?
Have I tried to grasp what the client is really working towards?
What part of a narrative will this logo form?
Will what I have produced work in multiple cases and scenarios?
Can the logo work in Print and Web? Does it need to?

When designing a logo, I try to be empathetic towards my clients’ business intentions and needs. One of the biggest challenges is both consulting a client and trying to prevent the client from using their personal tastes in clouding their professional judgment. A logo is not an ‘art’ project for most, it is the visual spearhead of their brand. It needs to be professional and say the right words.

When I embark on a project, I’m rooting for my client to succeed!

When I Create Logos…

I try to avoid the tickbox solution that barely serves its intended purpose. A cheap solution is fine in the beginning, I get it! I would probably do the same if I were to try and save money. But this approach can only go so far with creating a strong logo.

A cheap price can mean cheap standards and that money that you thought you saved may end up being spent again on a revamp of your logo 2 months later! Remember that!

I would also like to add that when creating logos, I try to avoid turning brands into an innuendo, even if somewhat funny.

As they say, there is no bad publicity – apparently!

Example Logo Design Projects | Primary Industries

The examples in this logo showcase reflect a range of industries in which I have been involved as a brand and logo designer.

Here are some of those industries:-

Web Developers/Tech
NHS
Mental Health and well-being
Innovation
Retail: audio products
Technology & Gifting
Transport

From healthcare initiatives to celebrating British design and innovation, I have worked on a variety of logos in technology, retail, and gifting markets. More on this below!

A Logo For A Developer – Acrobyte

Branding must reflect the personality and service offered by that company, individual, or charity. The same goes to those who work in IT, Tech, or Software Development.

A logo needs to be indicative that the person or company is part of a certain industry. In this particular instance – development ( coding ).

For this logo, I went for a clean, smart, and playful vibe that was reflective of the client and his service. To achieve this ‘vibe’ I used geometric shapes, sharp lines, and parts of ‘code’ to construct the image – a simplified robot face.

This was not the first intention, as the brief was quite open-ended, it came about after developing these ideas.

I used brackets ‘< >’ to represent the contours of friendly robotic expression. < – ? – >

The final design was a comfortable balance between sharpness, simplicity, and playfulness. Reflecting both the technical expertise, professionalism, and problem-solving capabilities of Acrobyte.

Here are some more examples of the journey.

Designing For The NHS: A Logo For A Dietitian

One particularly meaningful project involved myself creating a logo for a dietitian in the NHS ( my specifics of their role could be off).

Given the sensitive and essential role that our healthcare plays, this design called for a touch that was both professional and approachable.

I wanted the logo to convey health, trust, and approachability.

As with the other example logo design projects in this post, I have tried to include some of the design process.

Logo Celebrating British Design & Innovation

This British design logo was created as a hallmark to celebrate British design. This badge was used on packaging as a point of pride and to highlight that the product was ‘designed’ in Britain.

The logo needed to capture the essence of something quintessential British while offering a modern and contemporary look. To achieve this, I playfully adopted the path of using ye-olde British stereotypes, or at least how we perceived by other cultures in 1900’s Britain.

Bowler hats, Big moustache, you may think I am describing a Shoreditch hipster! This is actually fine also, but when creating this I was tickling heritage aspects of British innovation.

My logo design was but a few pen strokes away from having a monocle, of which I’m sure I experimented with – or perhaps my colleague designer did – it was a while ago!

Designing Brand Identities For Businesses

Beyond industry-specific projects, I’ve enjoyed working with small to medium-sized brands that need their stories to be told through their logo.

I’ve tried to capture; character, charm, memorability, and versatility. When creating a logo as an example, I aim to create a logo that works for a client across a variety of layers and mediums.

People will judge your business on the logo more than they realise or care to consider.

Example Logo Design Projects | MADKATZ

To round off my list of example logo design projects, I have decided to add this somewhat wacky and quirky piece, a design that I felt was unique to this day.

This project was used across a range of small-scale merchandise I used to sell after attending the Cumbria Institute of the Arts. Some of these drawings were created by hand! Scanned and then adjusted in a graphics program!

In hindsight, I feel it still has a non-clean human feel to it. Suitable for some businesses and sectors.

My Example Logo Design Projects – Process Snapshot

When working with a client both old and new, my creative design process is typically the same.

With logo design, it starts with me trying to gain an understanding of what the client’s brand values are – the message they are trying to convey, and where they want to be. A logo alone won’t necessarily guarantee the success of a business, but the logo is important when you are trying to build a recognisable brand. People will judge your business on the logo more than they realise or care to consider.

A logo, when applied to a business, is in part about capturing a certain distinct narrative in a concise mark – a representation of that brand and what it stands for. These marks can be representational of; origin stories, ideals, goods and services, sectors, private of public, or what that company stands for

The logo can be the forefront of their brand – the tip of the spearhead but the ‘brand’ isn’t strictly speaking just the logo.

This is an overview of how I will approach a logo design project for a client.

Example | My At Glance Logo Design Process

Given a detailed brief
Research + study of competition
Ideation
Develop the best idea or ideas
Finalise
Deploy or send across

Payments can also be made in milestones or in a large lump sum.

You may also be interested in reading more about the Graphic Design Process in this post.

Summary ~ Crafting Unique Identities For Every Client

Whether it’s healthcare, tech, heritage, or small business branding, every project is unique. My goal as a designer is to create logos that aren’t just visually appealing but also meaningful and relevant to the business to which they belong.

Each logo tells a story, reflecting the essence of the brand while offering something fresh and engaging to the audience.

Over the years, I’ve found that the key to effective logo design lies in the balance of creativity, functionality and making it adaptable across different media and platforms.

The example logo design projects displayed in this post are copyright property of their respective owners and businesses. Please do not share or copy any of the content on this page for commercial purposes or without prior consent from myself or the respective owners.

If you feel that this post was interesting please do share a link on social media, or – read more on building a brand story.

Testimonial:-

“Jimm created the logo for my web agency, (Acrobyte Ltd) from a very abstract idea. The process for the final logo – which I love – was smooth and timely.
He is creative, friendly and excellent at communicating the pros and cons of early designs through to a polished logo for my website.”
Alessandro – Acrobyte Ltd

Interesting Links

Board game project — You may also find this project interesting! Designing a dice game

Design Bytes

Jimmsdesign

October 15, 2024October 15, 2024

Example Dice Game Mock Up | Prototype Sample Game | The Eager Elephants Case Study

Creating a prototype sample game is a challenging task.

During lockdown, a client commissioned me to create the visual design and hard copy prototype of their dice game. This post shares all of my processes and stages used to help create the packaging mockup, as well as some of the details involved in creating a prototype physical game.

To share the journey, let us begin with what the game was supposed to be!

“ I wanted the would be buyer to feel excited by what they see. Enough so that they may even take the game to the till to buy!”

What is ‘Eager Elephants’?

Based on the initial instructions that were supplied to me by the client, ‘Eager Elephants’ was a dice game directed toward children and families. Although only in its earliest stages, the game was to be a reasonable size for a shelf, educational, and fun.

The hard copy prototype was to take that idea closer to reality.

It was a dice game that encouraged children to think creatively and problem-solve. But I must confess, I was not involved in creating the game mechanics – the rules are now hazy.

What Is a Prototype Sample Game? ( Alpha Prototype )

In this case, the ‘prototype sample game’ was the first draft sample to stress test how the game played and looked in real life.

This copy also offered a detailed look into what the final packaging may appear. This was not the beta sample or pre-release sample.

This alpha prototype was an early production copy. Below is a photograph of the sample product.

Here is more on my part in the project.

Creating the Box Lid & Cover Design – Graphic Design

One of my main roles in this project was to create the cover artwork for the box lid.

The cover artwork needed to set the tone for a game and excite those who picked the game up.

The design needed to appeal to an audience: Young Children, Mums, Dads and Families.

With that in mind, I tried to imagine the would-be customer handling the game on the shelf.

Cover art - Prototype Sample Game box lid — Prototype Sample Game | Cover artwork

Prototype Sample Game example inside cutter guide

What was the game about?
Who is this game for?
Would my children, grandkids, or whomever be excited by this game?

With some of those base questions, I then considered ‘the how’.

Although this was only an early sample, I still had the idea in my mind that this would become a real game. When handling the game, I wanted the potential buyer to feel excited by the game and potentially purchase this from my client. This is exactly how I would want to think about this game.

When designing a piece of packaging or cover artwork, I try to put myself in the shoes of the client. When working on a design project, I try to avoid pressing my tastes onto a piece of design, this can cloud a customer’s first approach to a project. Ultimately, it will be the end customer and purchaser that will be the product.

Not me, not the client, the customer.

I wanted the would-be buyers to feel excited by what they saw. Enough so that they may even take the game to the till to buy!

*I was not involved in creating elephant illustrations FYI.

Creating the Box Bottom / Back For the Prototype

Purely aesthetic, I wanted to create a contrast in colour that complemented the already bright yellow on the box. In this example, I used a blue.

Soft on the eyes and a great background colour, it still made it easy for any customer to pick up the box and scan the content that was written on the back.

The contents, bar code, and conformity were designed by me in such a way as to make it the box easier to navigate and find useful information.

As with the top. I worked with pre-existing cutter guides.

Graphic Design For The Rules & Scoresheet

If truth be told, my part in creating a scoresheet was considerably lighter than the rest of the project. Much of the score sheet had already been considered, I just added the finishing touches helped in getting it printed, and added that final sugar coating.

Helping The Client To Get The Prototype Sample Manufactured

Another key stage for this assignment was for me act as both the guide and intermediary for getting the prototype manufactured. A daunting process, even for those with experience!

Getting a physical hard copy sample can be one of the most exciting stages of a project both for me and the client. It can be this stage you can test and measure a game as well as get an idea of the final impression of the game if it were to be manufactured.

After I had run through the stages and processes with the client, I set about getting the artwork print-ready.

Once the core aesthetic was complete, this is what followed:-

Getting Prototype Sample Game Ready For Print

Finalising artwork
Colour-proofing and checking artwork
Working closely with the manufacturer and adhering to their rules and guides
Making sure the artwork is positioned correctly within the dielines and templates
Packaging design assets and sending this to print

After the prototype was manufactured the sample was sent directly to me to quality check the product before passing it across to the client. After this sample is checked by myself and notes taken, I will then send the product to the client. I also retained a sample for future reference

I own an external website that goes into elaborate detail on how to get a prototype product made. If interested, do feel free to read.

What I didn’t do in this project

For clarity, I want to be clear on what stages and processes I wasn’t involved in this project. Please read below.

I didn’t work on the elephant drawings

Although I am an illustrator, as well as a designer. I did not create the elephant illustrations. These were supplied before I got to work on the graphic design. The credits are mentioned on the packaging box.

Game mechanics

I have been commissioned to come up with game mechanics on previous projects, but this was not the case for this project. I was commissioned to create the visual design, packaging, and sample of this project.

If you are interested in seeing how I have been involved in working in-game mechanics in the past, this post may be of interest. Testing game mechanics.

Thank you for reading, here are some other links.

Prototype Sample Game – Other board game projects

Button — Further details on my design services…

3rd Party Websites

Jimmsdesign.co.uk

Dragonbonegames.co.uk