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.
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.”
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.
Prototype Sample Game | Cover artwork
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!
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
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.
As in the creative process used by professional Graphic Designers.
This is a common question I hear from both new and old clients. I have illustrated this article to educate and explain the basics of the ( a ) graphic design process.
Before providing a generalised overview of ‘what a graphic design process’ is, and how it works, I wanted to dispel some common misconceptions about the graphic design process and discipline as a whole.
Conceptual graphic design does, or should have a process.
Graphic design isn’t just about making things look pretty. It needs style and substance. It should have an objective.
Good or relevant graphic design does not manifest from thin air.
Commercial graphic design is different from just ‘pure art’ and expression.
Graphic design existed long before the Adobe Creative Suite.
Those are some points I wanted to raise and resolve before going into the details of how a Graphic Design process works for many designers in a commercial setting.
So…
What is a Graphic Design Process? ( Short Answer )
A graphic design process is a series of steps Graphic Designers use to create visual content. This content can come in the form of logos, advertorial, online media, and print collateral. The design process will typically run in stages, often starting with the project brief and objective, the creation of ideas, through to development of the final artwork.
The design process is not only great for managing the workflow and adhering to a design brief in an efficient manner. It is also a great way for both the client and designer to explore the possibilities and potential outcomes of the design journey.
As part of the process, It is common for experienced Graphic Designers to assess a brief, plan a course of action for the design, and execute what needs to be created. While also keeping an open line of communication.
It is common for some Senior Designers ( and some Junior designers ) to openly discuss their design aims so that objectives set by a client, team lead, or managers.
As a breakdown, these steps may resemble the following – depending from designer to designer.
That is, of course, a simplification of how a graphic design process works as a commutative approach across the industry. Each company is different, as is each designer and sub-discipline with ‘design’. As well as Graphic Design.
My bias and perspective on the design process
Before going into the details of my design process in steps, I felt it responsible to mention to you as a reader, I work and have worked in graphic design.
Before becoming a ‘Freelance Designer’, I worked in-house at a company for over 8 ¾ years. During this time I had the opportunity to work on a broad variety of graphic design projects both online and offline. I learned a lot. I could have cried sometimes too!
My skills, my processes, and my steps had a significant influence on my previous employers. Not only just on creating the final design but in the processes that lead to that final design. This post is not about my skills and experiences, that is what CVs and about pages can be used for.
What is a Graphic Design Process? | The Caveats
1 ) Not all graphic designers work in the same way.
2 ) Some designers are at different points in their careers.
3 ) Some Graphic designers have worked in different sectors and industries.
4 ) It is quite likely that you will meet multi-discipline designers who may have a mish-mash of the process illustrated in this post.
All and more of the factors above can influence how a designer works. Please keep this in mind.
Graphic Design Process Diagram | Illustrated Explanation
Below is a simplified diagram of the graphic design process used by many Graphic Designers, including myself. Although this is a simplified version of the core workflow and processes, it does offer a simple overview of the whole design process employed by many graphic designers.
Graphic Design Process Steps – Overview
This is a breakdown of the design process and core stages. Each paragraph explains each step in detail and allows you to read and re-read certain stages at your leisure.
Stage 1 ) The Graphic Design Brief
The ‘brief’ is a crucial part of a design project, be it in Graphic Design or any similar field. The design brief is an opportunity to establish core goals and objectives for a project – normally set out by a client or business owner.
You can also imagine the ‘brief’ as setting a mission. This mission is given to a designer so they know what the aim of the project is. Without one, the end objective of what a design needs to achieve is left to costly guessing and piecemeal assembly of what needs to happen.
A design brief is very important. You shouldn’t work without one.
How can you or a designer find a solution when neither party can establish what the problem is?
Or… what the aim of the project is?
It is also harder to plan a budget for a project without one.
It is best to establish a clear brief as early as possible. This will save time, headache, and money for both designers and those setting a project.
What happens if you work without a design brief?
Without a brief – especially a written and mutually agreed one, proper communication between the designer and the person setting the brief is more likely to fail. This lack of clarity can also lead to the disintegration of a working relationship, poor budget control, and potential and unnecessary resentment between both parties.
Make sure to create a brief.
A brief can act as a mutual ‘project map’ to establish what, when, and how a design project needs to be fulfilled.
As for myself, I will often refer back to a brief or a “specification and agreement” to see what I’m working towards with the client. It could be regarded as a loose recipe to follow also for want of a better analogy.
1.1 Quickfire Tips For Constructing a Basic Design Brief
When creating a design brief for a graphic design project, try to consider some of the following :
Who?
What?
Why?
These are all things I consider when working on a design project.
When creating a brief you may wish to consider formats, mediums, and any restrictions or limitations that may impact the project. It is better to give detailed thought at the beginning, rather than part way through.
The “Who, What, and Why” can act as a great starting point and framework for creating a brief. If you can establish the who, what and why. Designers such as myself can establish the how and the details – it can help us better solve problems or avoid them altogether.
However, it is not also uncommon for me to collaborate and consult a client and the, who, what and why. It can be this that helps to craft a brief and point the client in the right direction.
Graphic designers don’t know your business!
The majority of designers, most likely, won’t understand your business as much as you do, especially if working on short-term freelance project.
When constructing your brief, it is better to assume that a new designer, or a designer you haven’t worked with previously, knows absolutely nothing about your business. From here, write all that is relevant to share with the designer in translating your initial thoughts into a well-rounded, well-described brief, with a clear direction.
Stage 2 ) Collecting Information & Research | An Important Stage In The Graphic Design Process
When looking at the stages and steps to a graphic design process, collecting together information, data, files, images, and text are all important aspects of the creative process. Especially when exploring new ideas.
The degree to which research is carried out for a graphic design can vary from project to project, but there are common patterns that are adhered to by many designers.
The preliminary research can be carried out by the client, designer, or both parties. In this stage, it can be a case of collating together: photos, data, logos, or anything that is useful in aiding the designer to create a compelling piece of visual design.
*Designers: When working with clients, encourage them to share research or at least mention that time will need to be set aside for research projects, this is something I do. I have listed some examples of what may be collected together for graphic design research.
2.1 ) Collecting Information
Collecting information together for a design project may consist of the following:-
Data
Photography
Fonts
Logos
Things can inspire
Plans
Initial copy or ‘text’ is a common requirement for design projects. As a designer, I tend to request this as early as possible so I can plan the space around and accommodate the word volume. This can apply to books, webpages, and many other mediums that require written words for the project.
It is quite common for a designer to also be aware that a certain amount of editorial changes are likely to arise later in the project and allow for wriggle room. It is still best practice to have as much of the word count calculated sooner rather than later.
Images and photography may also be sourced or collected together in the early stages of the design process, along with logos and brand guidelines.
2.2 ) Graphic Design Research
Research, or ‘design research’ is an important stage when it comes to the design process. Research can help form, inspire and guide the overall direction of a project.
For large or medium-sized projects, research is a vital tool in not only greasing the design wheels of your project but in helping to form a better more polished product. I am a big advocate for good research across various mediums, design being a key one.
Here are some examples of what the design research stage may consist of, noting that the criteria can vary from project to project and designer to designer.
What design research may consist of :
Studying competition.
Searching areas such as Pinterest, magazines of similar platforms for certain ideas.
Checking what types of design will appeal to your target market.
Looking for any relevant or inspirational criteria that can impact your final design.
Avoiding accidental copyright infringement.
Considering what courses of action will serve the project.
These are just some examples of what the design research phase may include.
Some freelance designers may prefer that the client does the majority of the research before contact. This can leave the designer to focus solely on the creative aspects of a project. I am of split opinions.
On one hand, I like to know that the client has at least carried out some basic research for their own product and business before speaking to me.
On the other hand, I also like to add to the research and build upon what the client has already found the further steer the course of a project, I tend to tweak and steer this from brief to brief.
Research Examples | Core Design Process
With the links below, I have pointed to where you can read more on case studies and research I used for some projects.
Here are a couple of links that may be of interest :
“On the other hand, designers have to be realistic. People change their minds.”
It is common practice for graphic designers, especially those of a more conceptual vein, to come up with an idea or a selection of ideas early in a project. However, strictly speaking, this is not a default practice for all designers.
Some designers may only work with one idea and revise this single idea as opposed to working with a variety of ideas and short-listing the strongest.
Depending on fees, time, and requirements, design ideas (ideation), can vary drastically in quality and finish. Each designer may only create a short selection of ideas and others may create a broader selection of ideas to illustrate intent and potential avenues a project can take.
In the earliest stages of ideas creation or ‘ideation’, what is presented may be little more than a rough drawing or digital sketch to illustrate what will be created.
Speaking for myself, I will often use this stage to discuss what has been created and why I have made the choices I have made. Here is an example idea.
Each designer is different, and our tools and methods may differ. But as a generalisation, design ideation may be presented in the following formats :-
The idea and the idea development stage can blur when it comes to developing a design.
To illustrate this flow – here is an image from another blog post – Design Journey.
For many conceptual-based graphic designers, the idea stage is a core stage in the design process. As a conceptual design. Here are to projects and case studies that may further illustrate how a project may go.
( Important ) The Ideation Stage May Need To Be Revisited
*There is no guarantee that the original ‘proof of concept’ from the selection of ideas will become the final product. Although costly, time-consuming and frustrating, it is not uncommon that a designer will need to backtrack to this pivotal stage once a project is near completion. I have on occasion had to do this on graphic design projects.
List of reasons as to why a graphic designer may need to revisit the ideas stage:
Executive discussion outside of design influences has come into play
Senior management wants to revisit or change course
An idea isn’t as good as originally hoped
New criteria and information have come into play that weren’t known before
Fussy clients
Too many people have differing opinions on a project
Weak project planning or thought given to the brief in the first place
A better idea came along
These are just some of the reasons why a designer may need to return to the proverbial drawing board.
Whoever said design was easy needs to actually work in design, or at least share their secrets to make it easier for them.
Revisiting or needing to backtrack to the ideas stage of a design project is sometimes required – there is no way to avoid it. However, it is best avoided for the sake of the client and the designer. Budget restrictions and time constraints can lead to rows between both parties if, for example, the culprit is a poorly written brief or the disregard for the sign-off stages.
On the other hand, designers have to be realistic. People change their minds.
If the design journey was a straight line, both the designer’s and the client’s lives would be a lot easier. Many internal and external forces will require a designer to revisit other ideas, even if the first choice was put into play.
Do all graphic designers create a range of ideas? ( Ideation )
No, not all graphic designers will create a range of ideas for your brief. As mentioned above, it will vary from designer to designer and from skill level to skill level. Not all graphic designers are conceptual designers. Some graphic designers will have certain leanings towards ‘creative artworking’ , marketing, etc.
It is beneficial to discuss with a graphic designer before embarking on a project. Ask about their process and methods. Make sure there is a clear brief between the designer and the client.
Stage 4 ) Development Stages | Graphic Design Process
How this stage translates in reality will vary from designer to designer. But as a general rule – it will work accordingly.
Once both the designer and client ( or clients ) have shortlisted the preferred design idea or ideas, this will then lead to that idea being developed. Being ‘developed’, or ‘developed further’ may consist of the following actions:-
Polishing the aspects of the design
Building upon the visuals to establish the viability of a concept
Moving the design to a delivery-ready stage
In layman’s terms, the development stages translate to the spit and polish applied to the shortlisted idea. The development stage can also be further proof of concept, in which an idea is built further.
Speaking for myself, this is the stage where I straighten up text, remove burs, tweak compositions, and add the final ingredients to get a design over that proverbial line.
The later development stages are when a design moves towards completion. Be it a piece of print media or as a digital project.
Common Situations That Arise In The ‘Development’ Stages
From my own experience, the development stage is the part of the process in which an idea is stress-tested against the brief.
It not uncommon for senior managers, CEOs, business owners and anybody else in between to have additional opinions on overall design direction – some relevant, some not. This is the reality of working with humans on a design brief.
Project requirements change. What was initially established as the winning idea, does not strictly translate to what was hoped when it comes to Graphic Design. Project scope can change, and external influences can derail the path of your project – there are many various factors when it comes to design.
Even in the development stages, I have had situations in which 2 of the same idea ( colour change for example ) have been created side by side.
Imagine A Development Tree ( illustration )
Design development can be one of the heftiest stages of design. I wanted to illustrate the development flow for the mid-to-late stages of a graphic design project.
This is a scenario.
A favourite idea has been selected. This idea has been polished and presented before the ultimate decision-makers. They like the design, however, somebody wants to see the same layout but on a different background. You have run with the same idea and made some minor changes. A sub-version of a main version – sound complicated?
A single idea has been selected. This idea will make up the trunk of the flow and energy to design.
From this single idea – the trunk of a tree – a single branch or node will stem.
On some projects, as is the case with experimenting with some minor variation of core ideas. 1 or 2 twigs will stem.
These ‘Twigs’ may be little more than a colour variation, or position change. Or some minor experimentation alignment.
Development Versions
Or to further illustrate, as a tested method I have used in the past. It makes look like so:
Version 3.1
Version 3.2
Version 3.3
Or it could also look like this.
The number 3 could represent ‘Idea 3’ and the variant or version ‘1’ and 2, and 3. And so on. It is similar to version releases.
3.0 = The main version
3.1 = May equate to almost the exact same look, perhaps a text change
3.2 = Still much the same as 3, only that the text and, text colour were changed to a lesser degree
4.1 ) How to communicate with designers regarding project development
Communication is an integral part of graphic design.
The very nature of graphic design is visual ‘communication’ and open dialogue is a must to ensure that the project is the best that it can be.
Communication should not stop with the end visuals.
Not being able to keep an open and frequent line of communication between the designer and client ( or manager ) allows more room for errors, misunderstanding, and needless time wasting which could have been easily averted with conversation. I am a big advocate for working as close with a client as possible as emails alone can miss those ‘water cooler’ moments.
Communication is important from start to finish, not only in the development stages but throughout.
Typically, communication in the development stages of a project will take the form of feedback on what has already been created by the graphic designer. A client will offer a point of view as will a designer. ( hopefully ).
Communication and feedback may come in this form :
Exchanges between emails
Phone calls
Video meetings
In-person meetings
Platforms in which you can message your team
And SMS – And Whatsapp ( both of which are my least favourite lines of communication when it comes to design )
4.2 ) Design Feedback
“ Can I just ask…”
“ This is will be quick…”
When an idea has been chosen and developed, it is at this latter stage that a client, client or team member will offer further feedback with regard to a design. And, if you are a designer reading this, it is a stage in which you brace yourself.
Once the feedback has been communicated to a graphic designer, they will then respond and act accordingly to that feedback.
This feedback to the designer may resemble the following :
Make some minor tweaks and adjustments
Listening the what the client has to say and offer polite help and advice in return
Refining the design
Preparing for completion
Or potentially going back to the conceptual stages
( Or crying )
Stage 5 ) Core Design Steps – Refine Design
Refining the design typically entails polishing ‘the developed’ artwork to completion. A project will be at a level of final draft in which the artwork is ‘near ready’ to be sent to the client, production or print. This is the latter stage of a project.
Refining a design can involve minor tweaks, minor changes, or the very last touches to the design and a once-over from the person giving a sign-off.
It is common for me to hear some of the following types of phrases at this stage ( paraphrased ) :
The final stage of the process – the Sign off. This phase may seem self-explanatory, but for the sake of completeness, I will elaborate.
The ‘Sign Off’ can refer to the stage in which a head of a team ‘signs off’ a final design or interim stage of a project. This may be a verbal or written formal declaration that what is being presented, is the artwork to be passed to the next stage.
In this instance, the ‘sign off’ on the final artwork – completion.
The ‘Sign off’ in the design process may take the form of the client saying that they are happy with what they have seen and wish to sign off the whole, or part of the project.
When at this stage, It is also wise for the client to assess their artwork closely before agreeing to sign off any design work. When artwork has already been sent to print as a PDF, it can be costly or sometimes impossible to remedy any mistakes once a project has been printed. Any mistakes need to be remedied with hacks and workarounds.
This is not strictly speaking as rigid as digital design, as projects tend to be easier to remedy and amend but this is still not a guarantee.
The Graphic Design Process | What Are ‘Deliverables’?
What are deliverables in design?
Speaking in terms of graphic design, the deliverables are the complete assets and artwork made by the designer. All completed artwork, files, and supporting documents are often referred to as ‘deliverables’ or final artwork. The completed artwork and supporting items are often handed to the client or owner when a project has been marked as complete or signed off.
This is how the deliverables may come into play at the end of the graphic design process.
Once a graphic design project has been signed off or marked as complete, it is common for the graphic designers to send the final print-ready artwork to other the new owners of the artwork.
Or if working internally the designer may package the artwork into a PDF and this is passed to another department for validation and QC for being shipped or sent to print.
* It should be noted however that companies do have their own ways of validating and signing off projects, do keep this in mind.
6 .1) Scenario 1 | Design Process | What Is a Freelance Design Project Sign-Off?
‘Sign off, marked as complete, green-lighted’ or any other similar terminology can all be markers to signal the end of a project. When working with a client on a design project, I will ask the client to sign off on the final artwork before sending the final versions across.
This is a rough example of how a Freelance project process may flow towards the later stages of a project :
Client sees work
Requires small changes
These changes are then sent to a client
The client then sends across their approval, assuming that they do approve of what they see
Project is either sent to print or packaged up and passed to a client or both
6.2 ) Scenario 2 | Design Process | Internal Design Team Sign-off
As above, ‘Sign off’, ‘marked has complete’, ‘green-lighted’ or any other similar terminology can all be markers to signal the completion of a graphic design project.
A key difference based on my experience from working in-house design positions, ‘a sign-off sheet’ or an Excel spreadsheet may be used to mark off the stages or parts of a project that have been completed.
There are often more people with internal teams when it comes to the sign-off in-house who will want to see or understand the status of a project.
What is a Graphic Design Process – Conclusion
A graphic design process or workflow is a process or system in which a piece of graphic design or visual communication is created following a sequence of important steps. These steps will often include research, collection of data and information, ideation, development of an idea, and the delivery of that idea in print or digital form.
This process is what follows as the end result of what was assigned in a brief.
Here are some of my example animated gifs created using Adobe Animate – the successor to Flash.
Whether you pronounce it ‘JIF’ or ‘GIF’ ( I’m in camp GIF, with a ‘G’ by the way!) the humble .gif format has been around for decades. It’s simple, fun and universal. Gifs are great, and you can use Adobe Animate to create them.
For the sake of show and tell, I wanted to share some of my smaller animated projects. A batch of animated Gifs I made using Adobe Animate CC and its predecessor Adobe Flash.
I have already shared other types of example projects created using Adobe Animate. Such as what you can make using Adobe Animate ( formerly Flash ).
Adobe Animate, or when it was called ‘Flash’, was the 2D animation software of choice in its heyday. I’ve used Adobe Animate for making web components, animations, small games, and various other forms of multimedia before it lost its popularity. Adobe Animate still has plenty to offer in my professional opinion. From creating 2D animations to very simple games, videos, and general multi-media in the form of HTML5.
Another benefit of Adobe Animate – it comes as part of the Adobe Creative Suite ( Creative Cloud ). So if you are already a license holder, this is another tool in your arsenal.
A distinction that I like in the way Adobe Animates works for motion graphics, is its granular approach to frame-by-frame animation.
It adheres more closely to traditional methods of frame-by-frame animation.
Example Gifs created in Adobe Animate – My Animations
My example animated gifs created in Adobe Animate.
My history with Adobe Animate
After studying for an HND in Graphic Design, I decided to embark on another course that built upon my knowledge of working with Adobe Animate – Multi-media design and digital animation.
I still use Adobe Animate for ‘small-scale’ animation projects from time to time, as it is well-suited to creating frame-by-frame animations and small-scale projects.
But, it is no longer my default motion tool for making multi-media applications and animations.
Example GIFS created in Adobe Animate – Shorthand overview of the process
To create the example animated GIFs (or gif) as shown in this post, I did the following:
Mocked up some very rough ideas on paper to help brainstorm and visualise my ideas.
Created the vector illustrations in Adobe Illustrator.
Imported the Illustrator artwork into Adobe Animate.
Created the animations through a mix of frame-by-frame animation and ‘tweens’.
Exported the GIFs from Adobe Animate – ready to be distributed.
In the paragraphs below, I go to more exact detail of what of what I did in each paragraph.
Drawing the artwork in Adobe Illustrator
I didn’t illustrate the artwork in Adobe Animate. These examples shown in this post were created in Adobe Illustrator first and then imported into the project library in Adobe Animate.
In the early stages, I created the drawings the way I wanted. I then drew them in such a way that parts of the illustrations could be pieced together and broken apart according to how I wanted the animations to work.
I can do some basic drawing in Animate, but Illustrator is a lot more capable as far as I’m concerned for drawing, and fortunately, these 2 applications are good bedfellows now they are part of the Adobe Creative Suite. This has not always been the case.
Example GIFs created in Adobe Animated | The ‘importing’ stage
Adobe Illustrator enabled me to have greater control of how I wanted the artwork to look. Gradient shading on the artwork, bold highlights, crisp lines etc.
Once I had created the initial illustrations, I then exported these from Adobe Illustrator – some pieces of artwork were direct imports from either single or multiple artboards.
I then got animating the artwork.
Creating the animations on the main root timeline
Importing complete, assets ready.
This is a similar process I have been using since I was taught how to use Adobe Flash ( Now Animate ) back in 2007. Although the process has changed to some degree and I have streamlined it substantially, the essence of this is more or less the same.
Before using Adobe Animate, I used it to draw it all in Animate – Formerly Flash.
Working on one animation at a time, I pull the components of individual drawings onto the main stage. The white background. I then commence the process of creating animations via a combination of tweens, keyframes, and incorporating simple effects.
When creating the . GIF animations, I try to stay conscious of their intents and purposes. To be used on websites as loops and to be multi-purpose.
I then ‘Exported’ the gifs from Adobe Animate, doing a certain amount of testing and measuring, and tweaking as and when needed.
Caveats – don’t bury in sub animations
Note to self and a lesson to the reader.
Don’t insert the animations into animations. Eg, from the main timeline. And don’t create an animated clip inside another animated Movie Clip.
These don’t tend to work correctly when exporting from Adobe Animate in most cases.
A strong USP ( Unique Selling Point ) for Adobe Animate
The ability to create frame-by-frame animation is one of the best and most unique selling points when it comes to using Adobe Animate. For me, this is also incidental, as Animate, which was formerly “Flash”, comes as part of the Abobe Creative Suite. No need for extra or new licenses for 2D animation.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post on example gifs created in Adobe Animate and taking the time to watch my animations. Animate, in my opinion, was and still is a great little program for creating animated gifs or 2D animation in general. If you know how to use it.
If you would like any help in creating animated gifs be it for a website or something else, then please do get in touch.
Other topics around example animated gifs created using Adobe Animate
You may also find these subjects interesting around using Adobe Animate.
Creating a board game prototype. It was past time I shared a new project on my blog, and in this post, I wanted to share my efforts in making a board game prototype.
These are some of the processes used for creating a board game prototype for a past client – ( Conway Council ).
I would like to say that the initial brief was simple, and in truth, it was simple, on paper at least. But it was also simple to point out vague.
Nuances came up that I had never experienced in my career so far. I could tell that the people commissioning the project, were not familiar with working with board game designers, and that was fine.
I was also there to help and guide them.
From the outset, I knew I would need to roll my sleeves up to make a playable game. Like the image shows.
What I gleaned from the initial brief:
The board game needed to be educational
Palatable for teenagers
And teaches teens about the hard knocks of life ( and youth homelessness )
Conwy Council was going to use this game with charity organisations such as Shelter and other companies based in Wales.
“teach children about youth homelessness”
Core steps and processes used in making this prototype
Discussed the initial brief. After a basic telephone call.
Create the first brief ( the entirety of the project was actually several smaller projects ).
Created very rough rules
Creating the initial game mechanics based on the rules
Visual design, characters, rules, packaging, and general graphic design art direction
Create a design-ready prototype for photography and further development
Worked as the middleman, project manager, and between client and ad prototype manufacturer
Creating a board game prototype ( overview )
The aim of the game was to create something that teaches children and teenagers the dangers of youth homelessness. It is the ‘gamification’ of how to better manage personal finances, and work with general property pitfalls and debt. All these situations can lead to you losing your house and home.
For the brief, I was initially given a spreadsheet of depressing phrases that were more akin to a sad flashcard game than a board game. I used these phrases and situations as inspiration for the game mechanics. These phrases acted as a springboard.
After all, the main purpose was to create an educational game with a root meaning: try to look after yourself and not end up homeless.That, would be my hook for how you lose the game.
“I didn’t want to make the game so hard and depressing that it completely crushed the players’ souls. The game ‘could’ be beaten.”
But even with the best-laid plans, and being careful with money, things can occur. That is another core mechanic built into the rules. It was another lesson subliminally buried in the core game play.
1 ) Crafting the basic rules
When creating a board game prototype, a viable game mechanic and rules are essential to a game that is both playable and fun.
I hate it when you buy a board game and realise that gameplay is not only flawed but utterly broken. I feel cheated.
When making the rules, I didn’t want to make the game so hard and depressing that it completely crushed the players’ souls. The game ‘could’ be beaten.
Notes were taken, the game was enhanced, and artwork was then ( Note then, after making a playable mock-up) created.
Here is more on creating a mock-up for creating a board game prototype.
2 )The first iteration of the game
In the very early form of the game, I constructed it from bits and pieces from my studio and my partner’s office. Nothing fancy.
Photo taken from the earliest iteration of the game.
When creating the early form of the board game prototype, here is an example of those bits and pieces.
Creating a board game prototype – Alpha Scrap Components
Post-it notes
Bits of bric-a-brac as game pieces
A sheet of white A3 paper
Note paper
Scraps of paper as currency
As I said, nothing fancy at all when developing the game mechanics.
It was whatever I could fashion together to make a playable game. For this project, this was all that was required, but you can buy prototype kits also.
Once I had established some very basic rules and core game mechanics. I then set about testing what some of the different cards might work and play like.
Seeing what components you need earlier in the development process rather than later, will save time, money, and headaches. You can then move on to the graphic design stages and artwork. Which brings me to the next part.
3 ) Characters & the visual design for creating a board game prototype
Once the first iteration of a playable game was created, I stress-tested the rules. I then set about creating some initial visual design for the game – the graphic design.
I sketched out some characters, titles, the general look and feel of the game, and the cover of the box of which there were several iterations. And a segment for the game board for the client to see. I will often refer to this stage as ‘Early design, design roughs, early development or first phase of development’.
There is no use in creating an entire project only to show the client at the end something they don’t like. Make life easier on yourself, and create a sample. Speaking of which, here is a sample from this projects of some of my process and journey.
Initial artwork for a board game ( design ideas )
in this part, you can see me experimenting with different card designs to present to the client. The preferred cards would be funneled and developed further in later stages.
Creating a general look and feel for the cover and some of the typographic experimentation. This is in essence part of the cover and box packaging ( including the cover art )
4 ) Graphic Design & Core Components ( Development )
Below are some of the components I designed and illustrated for the prototype. After the first stages of the visual design which was a large part of the project, the ideas that were short-listed were developed further.
These designs were readied in Adobe Illustrator before being imported into a cutter guide. These cutter guide templates and PDF’s were then sent off to a factory for a batch print. ( although I made a more basic version for further playtesting )
The same premise was similar to the cards, rules and the first designs, only polished and developed further.
“Then playtest it again. And then… when you have had enough. Playtest it once or twice more. “
5 ) Playtesting
When creating a whole game, I always advise my clients to play test their games, and this project was no different.
Being the one at the helm of making a fully working game, I wanted to practice what I preach. And if money would have allowed, I would have carried out more player testing on a wider audience.
Then playtest it again. And then… when you have had enough. Playtest it once or twice more.
I have a post here ( the play test of a client project ) that goes into greater detail. This is another important stage when creating a board game prototype.
6 ) Take notes from the playtest, and adjust accordingly
After watching real players play the game on 3 separate occasions, I took notes on people’s play styles.
People playing board games try to break the rules. Many players I have witnessed when creating a game will try and break or circumnavigate ( cheat ) the core rules or ‘interpret’ the rules differently. There is no right or wrong here, you need to observe and shut up as a board gamer developer and see how people may realistically play your game.
Remember this when making a board game.
For this project, I had to tweak some of the rules, re-jig the board, and amend the artwork after running the latter playtests.
Although I was by and large relieved, not much needed to be amended. Mostly re-working and some graphical aspects of the board, and rewording. This comes under “development”.
7 ) Final Stage – helping the client get a prototype made
In addition to coming up with the core design, the rules, making a playable prototype, play testing, and everything else in-between, that is involved with making this game. I was commissioned to liaise and organise a prototype production of the game.
Basically, I helped to guide the client through the first iterations of making a viable, polished prototype. ( and the batch production ) I amended or prepared the artwork as was necessary for prototype makers.
Here are some photos of the board which I took on my bridge camera, and isolated on white in Photoshop.
Creating a board game prototype | The Unique Challenges
This project came with a range of different and unique challenges that I’ve never encountered before.
Initially, I wasn’t given an exact brief outside of “make a game”. The initial brief that was given to me amounted to little more than a set of unfortunate key phrases listed inside an Excel spreadsheet.
This did not amount to a full brief. I had to convert these statements listed in Excel, from a long list of misery into a playable game to educate children and teenagers about youth homelessness.
Here are some details about the projects, and lessons I may have learned!
Wordy
Fundamentally this is an educational game and not a game for fun sake.
Instead of creating 2 different languages for the game, 2 languages were usually next to or near to each other which did offer some unique challenges for the graphic design. This was carried through not only on the cards but all visual and written components of the game. I feel I managed to make it work though – just. Please observe this card again with the double language on a single face.
Unable to read Welsh
I have nothing against the Welsh language, I just don’t know how to read or write it.
With this in mind, this is potentially one of the most unusual challenges I’ve had to work with on a project. Not being able to read or write the copy whatsoever, even at a superficial level posed a significant challenge for this project.
By and large, I technically didn’t need to know how to speak, read or write in Welsh. But, when copying and pasting the Welsh language onto the cards, even by happenstance, I couldn’t flag any issues.
You may be correct in assuming as I am not the copywriter, that I don’t need to worry about it. But in the same breath, I needed my client to complete and finish this project. I needed to be paid. And generally the more eyes on a project, the more likely you are to pick things up and share your concerns. I was unable to do this here.
Waiting and relying on their team to spot or change their mind with the wording on an already very wordy game, made this very challenging to work on in the latter stages.
A member of their team could amend the text on their side, For me to spot these edits was near impossible and impractical in both capability, time, and budget.
As a designer, I was sympathetic to the product and helping a business make a sale, not all designers think like this, especially junior designers or design generalists. Not all graphic designers, think and operate in the same way. I was taught how to design for retail, build a brand, etc.
I understood that the packaging needed areas for barcodes, addresses, strap lines, age badges, warnings etc. In addition to all of this, making games appealing to the masses and shelf-ready.
For this project, the above didn’t necessarily apply, as it was for demonstration purposes mostly in an educational setting such as a school or town hall.
I hope that Conwy Council took care of this game and that children are enjoying it, and playing today… and perhaps better off than some of the characters I created for the project as part of the vector art.
Project Post | Creating a board game prototype, Testimonial
“Jimmdesigns is the perfect partner for anyone interested in creating a board game. Jimm supports with all aspects of creation from the initial concept, design process, development, play test sessions, through to the production of the prototype and manufacture. Jimm is able to break down the complex processes into easy to follow step-by-step actions for individuals who are new to the game making process.
Jimm has essential contacts in the industry and is able to manage all stages of the process. We highly recommend Jimm’s services, he is extremely patient and flexible with timescales and concepts” 5****
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