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!

Prototype Sample Game Box and packaging




“ 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.

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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.

Prototype Sample Game product sample

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.

Colour swatches

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.

Prototype Sample Game box bottom


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.

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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.

Beta testing game and playtest

Thank you for reading, here are some other links.




Prototype Sample Game – Other board game projects

Prototype game example - STEM
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Further details on my design services…

3rd Party Websites

Jimmsdesign.co.uk

Dragonbonegames.co.uk

What Is A Graphic Design Process? An Illustrated Explanation

What is a Graphic Design process?

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.

What is a graphic design process title graphic with steps



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.

Core Design Steps May Involve:-


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.

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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

What is a graphic design process Stage 1 )

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.

This can be trickier than it sounds and there is no harm in seeking tips and advice.

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Stage 2 ) Collecting Information & Research | An Important Stage In The Graphic Design Process

What is a graphic design process stage 2

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 :

kiosk design
Aardman
Part of design process for Aardman project




Stage 3 ) Initial Ideas | The Ideation Stage

What is a graphic design process Stage 3

“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.

Early project ideas


Each designer is different, and our tools and methods may differ. But as a generalisation, design ideation may be presented in the following formats :-

  • Rough sketches and drawings on paper
  • Digital drawings
  • Or rough digital mock-ups ( as proof of concept )
  • Loose thumbnails ( small drawings )
  • Doodles
  • A selection of ideas with labels
  • Annotated concepts showing reasoning

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.

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Stage 4 ) Development Stages | Graphic Design Process

What is a graphic design process stage 4


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?

What is a graphic design process idea selection - diagram
Range of ideas selection graphic design diagram

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.

development - graphic design process




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

What is a graphic design process Stage 5

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 ) :

  • Could I add an extra word?
  • Can I add a comma?
  • Let me show it to management again!
  • It looks lovely thank you!
  • … ( silence )
  • Can I just ask…
  • Could the thumb be moved 2 pixels
  • Let me know when you are ready for an invoice
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Stage 6 ) Core Design Step 6 – Deliverables & Sign Off

What is a graphic design process Stage 6

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.

You may also find this post interesting.

What is a graphic design process journey




Other topics around the graphic design process:




Or if you have a project and brief, feel free to get in touch via my portfolio website or read a bit more about me.

How to get into the board game design industry

This post has been written to answer how to get into the board game design industry and what you can do to potentially get through those elusive hidden board game industry doors.

Getting into the board game industry is both simple yet difficult. When you know how and where to look, it Is simple.

When you do not know where to begin, getting into the board game industry is difficult, or at least finding the hidden doors is hard.

Boardgame design is experiencing a creative renaissance and there is no better time to join this growing fun and creative business. Nobody could blame you for wanting to work for a board game company at this time.

Getting involved in the industry is fun, creative, and rewarding!

how to get into board game design industry - header

What does it really mean to be In the board game industry?

Many board game designers are individuals and small teams with board game design being their passion. Their companies and side projects may run secondary to another main source of income.

In other words, their board game companies are paid hobbies that may bring them additional income and fulfilment.

These are all people who have got into the industry and make up for a large portion of the creators behind board games and the creative board game development.

Many of these smaller independent games design companies might be friends, partners, husband and wife teams etc which make up the board game ‘in’ crowd.

To get into the board game design industry, these smaller teams started to create games for the love of making games and published their own.

The smaller studios and tabletop game developers often grow their companies from a side passion to something that can earn money and allow them to continue to make board games.

Of how to get into the board game design industry and get involved with the big publisher to sell your game – that’s a battle in itself and are 2 very different doors into the industry.

Details below, if you are looking at working in the tabletop gaming industry, want to work for a game publisher or sell your game, idea or product then this helpful post is for you.

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how to get into the board game design industry and work with smaller publishers and designers

If you are just starting out, looking to change career, or launch a passion project you can start creating your board game now.

There is no harm in starting small on a hobby project and working your way up to the bigger companies later if that is what you want to do.

There is also no shame in working with smaller companies and staying with little studios. By being part of a small team or going solo, you can get hands on experience with game design and development on many levels and in many “departments”.

As with various creative roles in the smaller outfits, it is a great way of being shown the ropes when you are part of a small unit.

But, even getting involved with smaller studios can be a challenge if you don’t want to go solo or you are just starting out.

Here are some tips on how to get into the board game industry and work with smaller developers and publishers.

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Steps on how to get involved with (smaller businesses) in the board games industry

1 ) Have an interest in board games! This should be a given, but if you want to create some games, great! If you just want to make quick money, consider other careers.

2 ) Start creating games. Make it all about the game and the enjoyment of creating games. If you are stuck for ideas consider making a personal game project with a pencil and paper. You can make a fan game to, like this website shows – how to create a HeroQuest style game.

3 ) Take an interest in other games that have been created. Ideas rarely come from nowhere! Show interest in what types of games you like to play.

4 ) Sign up to board game forums and become an active member

5 ) Hang around with board game creators! You can attend various meetups and casual board game events

6 ) Network work extensively

Network with games companies - into the board game design

That list of steps is a simplified way of what you can do to get into the tabletop gaming business and work with the smaller studios and independent makers.

There are many ways of accessing the industry and at varying levels.

And to be involved – is to be involved!

Enjoy games and meet people that also enjoy creating games, make connections In the gaming field.

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how to access the board game industry and sell your game (small scale)

If you want to get serious and commercialise your game, meeting the right people is both important to this goal and challenging.

But how do you make these all-important contacts?

It is a case of where to be and where to look.

The most simple first step to making some initial contact in the industry is by going onto forums, looking at board game directories, and seeing what companies you find on Google.

This is the most straightforward, but in my opinion – not the most effective solution for making contacts in the board game industry.

Meeting face-to-face and showing what you can do is better. You can build up a rapport and discuss board games there and then. Be it at a show or a networking event.

So ‘where’ to meet these contacts and get into the board game design industry.

Get involved with the board game industry by attending shows and conventions

One of the best ways of getting involved with the board game industry is by showing up to conventions and shows and saying “hi”. Go to the boardgame stands, say hello and talk about your passion and see where it may lead!

Going to conventions and shows will also broaden your view on the industry as a whole. You get to meet companies that focus on party games, board games for the family, adult games, card games, poker games, RPG’s, science fiction, fantasy, games for young children!

There are too many to list.

Going to shows is a big way to build those all-important contacts.

Another way of getting into the industry, is through self-proclamation!

how to get into board game design industry - publish your own!

Self-publish your board game! “I am a board game developer”

I am a board game designer! Therefore, I am part of the board game industry!.

Another way to get into the board game design industry is by creating your own games and products. You may have already created your own game or aspire to create a game. By actually creating a game or products around gaming you can say –

“You are part of the board game industry”

To what capacity? That can be left to interpretation.

Creating a game and building a board game design career

The main focus of this article is on how to get into the board game design industry and creating your own games is early access to this.

I do not wish to deviate too much into the intricacies of creating a board game in this article. Creating board games is a skill in itself that deserves more than just a few sentences.

You can read more on creating a retail-ready game here if you want to focus on board game creation and selling your own products.

If you would like help with creating your game, you may also wish to look at the board game design services page or get in touch via my contact form.

Creating your first game or board game product is a great way of getting into board game creation. You can learn a lot from even just making a prototype. You can either pitch your prototype to a company or look at selling it yourself.

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Getting involved with the big board game publishers (selling to and working with)

Getting into the board game design industry is challenge number 1. Eg create a game or fan game) and show what you can do. Set up a business.

But.

Working ‘with’ or ‘in’ the BIG board game companies is a separate challenge in itself, and tough inner circle to break into.

Because it is hard to get into, it certainly doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it. Especially from a financial or publicity standpoint.

Here are few listed benefits as to why getting your board game into a larger board game can help your and your board game development career.

The benefits of getting your game in with a big company (selling your game)

  • Larger market penetration and industry coverage. The larger board game companies – publishers and distributors are more likely to have the retail and business channels to sell more copies of your board game in higher volumes. They might be good to approach after you have also (potentially) created a Kickstarter, if crowdfunding is a path you take.
  • Great marketing for your board game. At first, getting your name out there can be a huge advantage for the future and for growing your board game design business.
  • More revenue – Having more revenue isn’t the same as having a higher margin (making more money per individual unit) The the big retailers are likely to shift larger volumes of your game than just you on your own.

More on the example below.

Selling your game through a larger board game company vs do it yourself – rough example

Although “do it yourself” is a great way of getting into the board game industry, you will have to out a lot of energy into multiple avenues of the business. As opposed to the bigger business may be able to sell your game in larger volumes.

Do it yourself method

You sell 100 units, throw all of your time and energy into distribution and logistics – earn £3 (profit) unit for example per game. You take away £300

Selling your game through a large publisher or distributor (getting involved with the companies)

As an example, you sell 10,000 units through a board game publisher or distribution company and earn £2 per unit. (rough example – NEVER a guarantee)

Per unit, that is less.

The publishers will take a larger cut – BUT – you earn £2 x 10,000 = £20,000. The bigger companies have access and possibly bigger selling power.

Not only will you be more likely to sell higher volumes through a board game distributor or publisher. It will allow you to focus more on board game development and design. If that is what you want to do.

To get involved with the large publishers can be difficult if you are starting out in your career. The next section focuses on how to get into the board game design industry and work with the big board game companies.

“The easier you make it for the businesses to sell your game and increase ‘their’ revenue. The easier you will make it for yourself.”

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How to get your board game into the big companies, publishers and retailers

If you are board game designer and developer or an aspiring creator! You may have ambitions to get your game into the big publishers and distributors.

As with any businesses, and contrary to popular belief, most companies and buyers are risk-averse. If working with you and your game proves to be a potential risk with weak financial returns, they won’t sell your game.

To get involved with the big companies in the board game industry, make your game retail-ready and full or promise.

The easier you make it for the businesses to sell your game and increase ‘their’ revenue. The easier you will make it for yourself.

In other words, earn more revenue for them and earn more revenue yourself.

Sell your game - into the board game design

Getting yourself and your board game ready for retail

In order to get into the board game industry, I have written a couple of design-focused entrepreneurial tips that will help you in creating a game for retail in mind.

Creating your game and playing it is one thing but creating game that gets the attention of the bigger businesses is another.

Ways you can pitch a retail-ready game.

* it should be noted that reading posts and saying “is that all” it takes is not the best mindset to start on. Creating games and creating games ready to be sold is a big time consuming effort and can be a labour of love many.

Tick boxing alone, will not guarantee the success of a game. Use your initiative, use critical thinking, and be prepared to try and try again to crack that industry!

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How to work for a board game company (in house, freelance)

To work for a board game company you need to prove that you can work in a relevant field in the board game industry and also work as part of a team!

There are various skills, roles and departments for budding games designers to consider :

  • Boardgame designer
  • – Graphic designer and artists
  • – Illustrator and artists
  • – Concept artist
  • – Writers and board game editors
  • – Story writing
  • – 3D modellers
  • – Sculptors (traditional and 3D)
  • – Moulders and casters
  • – 3D printing services
  • – Prototype makers
  • – Card designers and printers
  • – Logistics and warehouses
  • – E-tailers and retailers
  • – Play testers
  • – Sales
  • – Administrative positions!
  • – Translators

Also, being a creative director, producer or MD.

To answer “how to work for a board game company“, be it freelance, contract, or in-house, you should consider working on skills that will lend itself to the game company you wish to work for or with.

As with the list of skills and roles above, this is a glance at some or the roles and departments available that you can work in. If you wish to work in a more permanent position at a company or a board game publisher you should network and look on job boards to find the ideal position for you.

You may also need to be prepared to move location for most jobs if you wish to work in-house.

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What is the ‘best’ way of getting work in the board game industry?

There isn’t a single and clear cut path of how to get into the board game industry, each journey and career will be unique to the individual.

To choose which is the best way, as based on opinion, experience, and observations on how to get into the board games business. I would say the following are some of the best and most prominent ways of getting into the tabletop gaming industry.

1) Have a passion for tabletop games or/and creating games

2) Meet the right people for your game niche and share passion, knowledge, and skills with games and creating games.

3) Attend trade shows and make contacts. Network with other board game creators * ( personnel and favourite/ best method)

4) Look on jobs boards in the creative industries and dedicated board game communities. Facebook and Board game geek

5) ‘Niche’ on a certain skills and keep scouring the communities equipped with a portfolio or examples of what you can do!

6 ) And above all else – the best way on getting into the board games is to keep trying if you are passionate about board games!

We found these contacts mostly through trade shows and events.

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How to get into board game design industry | A firsthand account

I wanted to discuss my first-hand account of how I became involved in the board game industry and how you may find my story interesting or helpful in your creative journey!

Game example - into the board game design

I was involved In creating a party game at my previous job. It was created as part of “Product Development – innovation engine” which was a weekly process that was rolled out from 2016.

I and the team at the time realised that a game might be popular. It was inspired by something a colleague had seen on TV. I was sceptical initially but I was won around. (good job!)

We spent a few months designing and developing a party game.

The game was a commercial success and we went on to develop more products and expansion at the request of a large board game retailer. This opened a very wide door to more investment.

From there other retailers also requested the game. It grew in popularity in the UK.

We found these contacts mostly through trade shows and events. They were a mixture of board game distribution companies, smaller retailers, and high-street shops.

That was my first-hand experience in working commercially in board games and 1 first-hand example of how to get into the board games industry.

Off my own back.

I then started to find more contacts at conventions and shows. Many of the these people I networked with were a mixture of small independent game designers to larger-scale board game developers.

And to this day, I am always looking for ways of building new contacts and ways I can help independent board game developers create their game.

That was an (‘is’) part of my professional journey.

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An example of how to start early – get your children to start making games!

This is an example of somebody that has the will and drive to create something they love! This person was undeterred by pessimism, cynicism, and the knowledge of money!

Just the want and the like of creating their own game. I think there is a lesson us adults we can learn here.

* For confidentially, I cannot mention in detail about the parties involved.

I wanted to draw your attention to this prototype by a budding game designer. ( my part was in the visual and creative design + getting it ready to look at )

The client started first by drawing a rough game on post-it notes and mapping out the game.

Self-publish game - into the board game design

They had already playtested and worked out the mechanics before contacting me. They just wanted to figure out “how to make it”.

From the rough prototype. I came up with visuals, character vectors and ideas how it would look and what was going on.

I had the joy of designing the box art, the game cards, conceptualising and creating the dinosaurs, the caveman, tokens, and the board!

This is an example of what you can do if you decide to go down the self-publish route.

Create a pitch ready prototype!

how to get into board game design industry printed!

Having something physical to show looks both professional and that you are serious and passionate about the board game industry. This will be your early steps of how to get into the board game design industry

People are often tactile and like to look by touch also.

Design services

How to get into the board game design industry – The final answer

To consolidate and simplify the answer, there are a couple of main routes on how to work in the board games industry.

The main path is by making the right contacts at shows, conventions, and events – meeting the right people in senior positions at board game companies will put you at a strong advantage.

Another alternative way of getting into the board game industry is by creating and publishing your own game and making yourself part of the industry.

The final point for you to get into the industry is by looking at niche board game job boards or job boards in creative industries. Look on Facebook and Board Game Geek also

With many creative businesses – a big part of it is, who you know, what you can do.

Love (or like) what you do!

that is how you can get into the board game industry. Persistence, passion, and having a lot of good relevant business contacts in the business. And trial and error, luck and determination.

If you have found this post helpful, feel free to share. All the best in your board game creation career.

In your journey into getting into the Boardgame design business you may also find some of the following articles helpful.

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Other helpful topics to help you get into the industry

How to commercialise and sell your board game

Steps on creating a successful retail-ready party game

Getting to grips with drawing on a computer with a graphics tablet (creating digital artwork)

Product design – Stem cardboard products

Packaging projects for the high-street

How to create STEM or learning product you can sell

Creative board game services (Design website)
into the board game design

Freelance vector illustration and character design for your board game

– Table top, card and board game design services

External Website for getting into tabletop board game development

How to create your own private of fan type game for yourself (inspired by HeroQuest)

The games and images in this article are all copyrighted, please do not use or distribute. Handy tips – how to get into the board game design industry and how to work for a board game company.

“NETWORK!”

30 tips for creating a graphic design portfolio

Tips for creating a graphic design portfolio. Getting noticed can be difficult in the design field. Whether you are a freelancer, junior or somebody that is looking at changing their career. This post is a list of 30 portfolio ideas that will help you with your design journey. – tips for Graphic Design portfolio

tips graphic design portfolio

This will (hopefully) offer some ideas to create an interview-ready graphic design portfolio.

“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.”

– Milton Glaser

Tips for a graphic design portfolio that may get you noticed

I will answer quickly the question that I was asked recently before going into the detailed list of tips on making a compelling graphic design portfolio. But before going further into these tips for graduate graphic designers, I want to share some of my knowledge and experience when recruiting for graphic design internsships.

Please bear in mind that I am not a recruiter. I’m a designer with over 14 years of experience. I was also a Senior Designer and Head of Department when I used to recruit somebody to help me and the company.

I was a Senior Designer, who hired graduates for junior ‘traditional design roles’, 3 month internships, and freelance positions. And when I say traditional graphic design – mostly print.

Myself and my former colleague, looked through a range of portfolios when trying to find a good fit for the company. Sometimes a job posting would get 100’s of applications in less than a week.

Another interesting piece of information you may like to know – I used to look at portfolios before looking at CV’s. I could write a post about the process but that is something for another day.

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How can I make my Graphic Design portfolio stand out? tips

To get employers, agencies, and or anyone to hire you for a project or job. You need to have a portfolio that helps you shine, resonates with the employer and potentially be on brand with the person hiring. Look at who is hiring and ask yourself whether your portfolio is a match. What benefit can you and the portfolio bring to the role?

Take note, you, the designer will need to put your best foot forward if you want to win that job. You need to show that you can do what is asked of you and that you can offer value to the next role.

What you did yesterday is nice – what you are going to do tomorrow will be what gets you the job.

Not everyone will love you or your portfolio, but you want to give it your best shot until something eventually sticks.

Onwards for 30 tips for creating a graphic design portfolio – list of ideas

1 ) Have a portfolio

In short, yes you need a portfolio to get graphic design roles. Be it in digital or print form. People, designer managers, and recruiters need to see what you can do. This is the first tip. Without a design portfolio, there is no way of ‘showing’ what you can do. Without any examples of work, you are relying on an employer, agency or client to just take your word for it. I cannot emphasise this enough.

Yes, you need to show that you are a graphic designer and you at least have some idea of what you can do. Don’t tell them – show them.

2) Include your best, finished pieces

This is not as common as you might think. Graduates, in particular, tend to can put much process stages and fluff into their portfolios. Although this offers a good insight into how you work, too much can be counter-productive. This can be better shown in asked.

Many employers are in a hurry and want to see ‘results’ but not all.

And, I may burst a bubble here and go as far as to say that you may be working as a creative junior artwork / designer if this is your first role – even if the position is sold differently on the jobs board.

Hopefully, this won’t be forever. But be prepared to see a lot of this when applying for work – especially in the early stages.

Many artworking roles are dressed as creative design work when in fact a manager or client may be telling you what to do, and… you may be pushing pixels around to begin with as a junior designer.

When you also include you best pieces of work, consider making your portfolio like a sandwich. Really great stuff at the start. Less good stuff in the middle, great stuff again at the end.

3 ) Show your technical proficiency

If you have managed to find a job that is more ‘art and design’ or ‘illustrative’ then great! But if you are looking for more mainstream graphic design roles you will need to show that you can create the artwork in common industry standards. Programs such as, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign are common at the time of writing this.

I would no longer assume that all design graduates come out with these software skills as a standard – not after recruiting interns and junior graphic designers for creative positions. I was surprised some establishments were churning out graduates without any software skills mentioned above at all, and I felt truly sorry for the graduates who sold these design ‘courses’. If that is what you can call them.

4 ) Design notes & annotations in the portfolio

Believe it or not, whether you are going to a meeting as a freelancer, junior or senior designer. People will read your notes and they will want to understand more of what is going on in your project.

You may know what your project is about but others will not, it is often best to spell it out in short sentences. It doesn’t have to be an essay. Just a paragraph with some annotations saying what is going on in a few words.

5 ) Make it relevant and appealing

This is one of the most important points in this list so make sure to pay attention. Make sure whatever is in your portfolio – is as relevant to the job as possible if you want the position.

Employers will want to see what you have done and also what you will do for them should they hire you for the role.

For example, if you are going for a packaging role at gifting company, try to emulate that you can do packaging and that you have past experience in the relevant market. If you have no commercial experience in this and you want to work in packaging and print, create some of your own initiated projects and show what you can do!

6 ) Your portfolio says one thing, your CV says another

Saying that you have x y z is one thing. But if your portfolio tells a very different story to what comes out of your mouth or what is written on your CV it will be evident by the end of the meeting.

Don’t bluff too much as you will waste your time and hiring managers’ time. And managers and directors really don’t have a lot of time to waste.

7 ) Woefully terrible portfolio

Subjective but…

I recall reading a CV and thinking to myself how epic a candidate was. I jumped over to their portfolio and they had just 2 pieces of dubious graphic design work in their portfolio. There was a dinky little piece of advertorial tucked up into a corner of the page promoting a grave-digging business, the other I cannot recall. But it made an impression..!

It was pretty evident that this individual was not a trained graphic designer and that some people in the industry may have been outraged by what was trying to be passed off as a portfolio. In a word – they were bluffing it and their portfolio showed it.

Perhaps they wanted to change their career.

If you are looking at changing career then study design, or at the very least have a portfolio with work that shows you are capable.

Don’t tell hiring managers how good you are, show them!

Also, don’t get me wrong, I don’t claim to be the best designer in the universe but you know… come on. I was hiring! My reputation is on the line and anyone who would put even a basic new fresh out of university or course graduate next to this would probably giggle.

So what to do with your graphic design portfolio – Let other eyes see

So, make your portfolio as awesome as you can! Do your best, look at other designers, and ask yourself some frank and critical questions. This would be a strong tip on how to create a design portfolio. Make it as best as you can! even this will get some brutal remarks most likely. Trust me, I both seen it and felt it.

8 ) Varied but relevant

The closer you can keep your portfolio to the job match, the better. If you have any relevant or applicable pieces that you believe can help land you the desired position – include them.

You want to show projects that are transferable to the position and present you in a good light.

9 ) Not enough work

It can be frustrating even as a senior designer to hear, “Have you worked for anyone else?” or when I was a graduate “is that all?” from a recruiter. As a graduate, the chances are you may only have a few good pieces of work and a final major project that takes up a large portion of your portfolio.

Don’t be disheartened.

Create more work that will draw attention. Sounds easy, but the fact is, your portfolio shouldn’t stop once you leave university or college. If you can try to keep your work up to date and keep adding new and exciting pieces, this will carry you in good stead in the future.

tips graphic design portfolio - encouragement

tips Graphic Design portfolio

10 ) Personal projects

As long as they are good, polished, and relevant, include a couple of these projects in your portfolio. It shows that you are continuously trying to develop and some of these projects are on occasion, more interesting than your commercial projects.

11 ) ‘Discuss’ projects

With your printed portfolio, be ready to discuss not just what you did in the project, but for what purpose. For example, if your aim was to sell a product, mention this in notes and be prepared to elaborate if you are asked questions.

Keep the notes small and to the point but, try to write it in a way that will invite questions and open discussion.

12 ) Real-life examples

If you have created any real-life examples of your work be it packaging, stationery, or retail displays take photos of these and add them to your portfolio too.

Aside from breaking up your portfolio and keeping it interesting, having real-life examples adds a tangible authenticity to the project that a render of a flat image cannot replace.

tips graphic design portfolio - packaging example
tips graphic design portfolio - real life examples
More packaging this way

13 ) If you don’t have real examples

If you don’t have photos or real-life examples then create your own renders and visual mock-ups to show your work in action! And if you can’t create visualisations, you could always consider using a website such as Graphic Burger for freebie mockups.

Websites, such as Graphic Burger have a ton of free mockup kits.

tips graphic design portfolio way of displaying your website design work
UI design

14 ) Have real products and samples for your meeting

Another thing to accompany your graphic design portfolio is to have physical samples of what you have made. So, for example, if you have created a piece of packaging and you have the box – take it with you to the meeting.

People like to touch things – we are tactile creatures.

You can always show some of the work in progress in your portfolio too and then pull out a “Here is one I made earlier”. It can also help to shake up dull meetings.

15 ) A ‘bit’ of the design process

Showing some of how you work can offer a little extra insight into you as a designer, as mentioned before. For me, I will often keep completed visuals alongside some of the rough drawings and processes.

It holds true for both print and digital design.

I have a link here visualising my creative journey

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Tips for a graphic design portfolio – Section 2

This is a small break in the list! 30 Tips Graphic Design portfolio.

Hopefully, this has given you some ideas on how to create an interview-ready portfolio. As a designer, your portfolio is important at any stage of your career, whether you are a graduate or a senior designer.

If you are a graphic design graduate, I have written a post that may help you out.

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16 ) Type of physical portfolio

It should be noted right here and now, that a nice display book for your portfolio is never a replacement for good work and eye-catching design. It is just tidy a professional vessel to show your best pieces.

Since University, I have used a tidy A3 mapac portfolio to display my work.

Your portfolio needs to look professional. No stickers, No A-level ring binders with cloudy sleeves… slick and professional.

tips graphic design portfolio A3 portfolio book.
A3 Mapac

My personal favourite that is affordable is the A3 design book or if you have some cash for the sleeves too, archival cases.

Don’t use the cheaper-looking A2 ring binder portfolio that you probably went to a college interview with. You are a design professional now and you need to look the part, I would also like to remind you that you are in competition with other designers – with slick portfolios.

17 ) Art vs Design

I’m going to say something controversial to some – art & design, in most commercial settings, are not the same…

So, by all means, feel free to include some of your ‘artwork’ if it is relevant to the job.

But most agencies, unless you are an illustrator, are looking for a Graphic Designer – not an artist, and there is a difference, and more so in real commercial settings.

If you look too much like an artist as opposed to a design professional when you are applying for a professional graphic design role, this can work against you in a couple of ways:

  • Secretly, you want to be an artist and your portfolio shows this. Therefore do you have intentions to make this dream a reality? (leave the role in 5 minutes)
  • They are not hiring an artist (unless they are) they are looking for a graphic design professional for the position. You have sold yourself as more artist than a graphic designer
  • You will be frustrated as you probably won’t get to paint. (Who doesn’t love to paint!)

Make sure your skills and portfolio are in line with the job requirements. What you have in your portfolio will reveal more than you realise. Sell yourself to the position.

Then create all CVs and portfolio and reflect this.

tips graphic design portfolio

18 ) ‘Artwork’ in your graphic design portfolio

As lovely as some artwork can be, these more often than not offer an irrelevant distraction sadly. They may look beautiful, but unless relevant to a job or project it is best left out.

Or added to an alternative dedicated artwork portfolio.

If you have provided artwork for ad campaigns, an app, or something similar, include it if you feel it offers something to the job. But only if it offers something to the role. Make your portfolio about the job and what you can offer to the job that will be applicable.

19 ) How much work should I include in my design portfolio?

This question has been around for years and for as long as I have been designing – and in truth. I would struggle to say how much is too little for your printed design portfolio.

– For my printed portfolio, I try to hover around 14 pieces without it getting boring.

– I would say no more than 20 pieces in your portfolio. Recruiters would try to steer you toward around the 14 or 16 number.

Too much ‘okay’ work can dilute the great work. Be ruthless with what you include. it is a delicate balance of best foot forward and not selling yourself short. Or, if speaking to a recruiter for a role, ask them. Include work that will sing to the person hiring.

20 ) Stand out with your print portfolio

The tips and ideas listed in this post are elements of a much bigger goal – what can you do to make your portfolio stand out and get you a job?

Recruiters, HR, and businesses are busy and the chances are if you applied for a position at a company in a big city they will have received literally hundreds of applications. This is especially more likely if you are applying for work in the summer holidays.

How do I know this? Because I have been in the position of hiring for junior design roles.

So, this brings it back round to this point. What can you do to stand out in a roaring sea of busy inboxes?

Create real-world examples of how the project came out, If it is a piece of packaging then try to mock up the packaging. There are websites online that allow you to put together mock-ups if you can’t do this yourself.

If you have designed a kiosk, stand signage – take ‘in situ’ pictures that make a recruiter say “you actually made this”.

Other ‘wow’ factors for your graphic design portfolio

If it is digital design also, use web links to live websites if at all possible, however, it can be the case that website change – some make sure to take screen grabs.

If the website has changed and you only have a UI, create mock-ups of the design inside a computer screen or a Smartphone.

Assume that people will only spend around 60 seconds glancing at your portfolio. What can you do to hold their attention for longer? Also ‘show’ what something is as much as possible.

21 ) Make your design portfolio snappy

Did I mention that business owners are busy (or impatient)? Or both. I’m (and have been) guilty of this. I would advise making it so that your portfolio can be read easily and skimmed.

There may only be a couple of projects that actually catch the employers’ attention so make it easy for them to spot what they are looking for.

22 ) Compartmentalise and structure

Keep your portfolio in some sort of sensible order. Whether this is by project or by a medium such as print and then digital is down to you. Don’t jump between projects.

It will help any recruiter stay on track with what they are reading and make it look like you can apply some order to your projects. Being an organized designer is a huge plus too.

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Do I need a ‘digital’ portfolio?

Yes, in a very short answer. A quick step out here.

I have been asked “do I need a digital portfolio?” or specifically a PDF portfolio. 100% yes. You do need a digital portfolio saved as PDF. Get this sorted first as with the digital age, this will be your first port of call.

When I was recruiting for internships ( you can read tips here on getting an inhouse graphic design internship) and hiring for a junior role, I would also need to see a PDF of work along with a CV. And shall offer a little inside sub-tip right here, right now.

Subtip – After a time I stopped reading a design CV’s first

Think that is an odd thing to add?

It was not uncommon for me to read a great CV from top to bottom and say – “Wow this person sounds great! Let us hire them now.“

Then I would look a the portfolio…

I can recall looking at some of these portfolios and asking myself whether they were even Graphic Designers, it made me feel genuine pity for Graphic designers trying to struggle through and find work in the industry when these ‘have a goes’ were trying their luck.

Secondly. I had wasted 5 minutes of my time reading a CV of somebody who clearly wasn’t a Graphic Designer. From then on I took a portfolio-first approach.

Make both your CV and portfolio as good as it can be. It will help you secure the opportunity you want.

And to answer again – yes you will need a graphic design portfolio / PDF version. It is very important. Which leads to the next point.

23 ) Create PDF or online version of your portfolio

Moving on from physical hard copy of your print portfolio. I will now offer some ideas and insights on creating digital versions of your portfolio with this being the first digital tip.

Create a digital PDF version of your portfolio so that it can fit inside a recruiter’s inbox.

Make it eye-catching and don’t make the recruiter or the person having to hire need to work for it.

Make it as easy for them as humanly possible.

If you are struggling to know which program to use to create a digital PDF portfolio you can use Indesign and Adobe Acrobat and ‘save as’ or ‘export’ from there.

24 ) Keep the PDF small

Don’t send a MASSIVE portfolio to the recruiter’s inbox. This will either take too long to download or may even get caught in a firewall.

So with this I mind, and knowing that you should send a concise version of your PDF portfolio this will probably mean that you may have to trim the fat.

Cull the stuff that won’t help land you the job – next point!

25 ) Create A ‘light’ version of your PDF portfolio

One of the obvious ways of shrinking your portfolio is by losing some of the pages which makes it so bloated and heavy.

Lose projects and be brutal with what you want to include.

If needs be, strip it back to the bare essentials. And then decide what matters to you and what you should include. I can be worth doing this every year. We can call this maintenance.

26 ) Don’t bother sending Wetransfer links to download your WHOPPING great PDF

Please don’t.

Remember when I said ‘make it easy for them’ sending a link or a ‘Wetransfer’ isn’t making it easier for the recruiter to see your work. Don’t make ‘them’ (people hiring) have to wait to download your 2 GB portfolio as this takes time and invites more problems for you.

I tend to strive to try and keep my PDF portfolio under 3 / 4 MB tops so that I can attach it and get it inside an inbox.

From a recruitment standpoint making me have to download a PDF from 100 plus applications makes it time-consuming and more difficult than it needs to be.

So, don’t make a hiring manager download anything. Don’t waste their time.

It will be met with an inner groan. You don’t want to make the person hiring burst a blood vessel!

tips graphic design portfolio - dont do this...
Don’t cause this | tips graphic design portfolio

27 ) Make it easy for the hiring manager

Make it simple. Don’t send dozens of links to various locations. Have all of the big content in a single PDF or keep it all together as much as possible.

The more actions you ask the recruiter to take, the more likely they are to get bored or move on.

And you don’t want that. They are people behind the jobs, after all.

28 ) Links to online presence

In addition to your PDF portfolio, you should have some of your artwork online. And when I say online, I mean on platforms such as Behance, Creativepool, etc.

Putting additional work on websites such as Behance can be a great way of showing off additional work and sending follow-up links. The bits of the process you can’t fit into a portfolio or the bit of a project that didn’t quite make the final cut.

As a freelancer, it is especially important for you to have your work visible online but that is another topic for another day.

29 ) Deciding on ‘not’ having an online graphic design presence

Mixed opinions on this.

If this was for a job for a classic print house then I could let it go – maybe. But in this day and age with so much information, projects, and work being online I would have found it strange not to see any of your work online.

Even as a pure print designer. I would advise that you have your print work online also.

Here are a few reasons: It will most likely be the first thing people will look at when they want to see samples of your work – in particular as a freelancer.

Not having work online will age you – in a negative way (too much of a senior designer?). It may also be perceived that you may not have an interest in design trends etc.

I’m not mentioning that to be mean. Even a senior designer myself. I have found this to be an issue in the past.

30 ) Website Portfolio

You may not ‘need’ a dedicated online portfolio if you are just going to focus on print design. But, if you are gearing towards working in the digital fields then I would say yes – you should have some form of a website or at the very least an online presence as a bare minimum.

If you are thinking of creating a website I have written some tips here on how to start with some very affordable web creation options – keeping in mind, that the post mentioned is geared toward small business owners as opposed to how to create a killer graphic design portfolio.

A website allows you to sell yourself and sell yourself the way you want to.

Having online a Behance profile means that you are in a sea of designers and you have to structure portfolio according to their rules and format.

Don’t get me wrong, Behance is great. And I believe you should set up a profile today but not at the expense of a website – more true if you are a freelancer.

So… do you need a Website? Is it compulsory to have one?

No.

But having one may help you to stand out and possibly look more professional. You need to give yourself an edge.

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Summary | 30 tips for creating a graphic design portfolio

I hope these suggestions will help you in creating a graphic design portfolio that turns heads. If you also have tips for a graphic design portfolio feel free to share.

I have over 14+ years of commercial experience in graphic design – both digital design and print. I have also recruited quite a few graduate designers that I see falling at similar hurdles and I wanted to help you – as a graduate graphic designer (and maybe another professional designer) get to the design job you want.

Here are a couple of inspiring quotes:

“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” – Milton Glaser

“No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist.” – Salvador Dalí

Graduate tips | graphic design portfolio
Graduate design tips

If you are a graduate looking for some design tips read this.

Additional Resources | tips for a graphic design portfolio

Getting a job in graphic design as a graduate – help me!

Ways to create a website for free … or very cheap

I want to make a party game

Photoshop – how to get the black you want in print!

The graphic design journey – my process

External Resources

Behance – create an online portfolio

Creative Pool – Look for jobs and create an online portfolio

Design Quotes

Thank you for reading, if you felt that this article was helpful please share. All the best with your portfolio. tips graphic design portfolio

How to get your packaging printed in China | 9 insights for Designers, Entrepreneurs & Startups

How to get your packaging printed in China in simple steps. This topic covers how to get your packaging printed in China from the concept to sending your design to a Chinese factory and getting printed proofs!

This post has been written based on past experience, in working with factories from overseas. My packaging design and artwork has featured on boxes in the UK and across the globe. If you would like to see some more samples of my packaging feel free to have a look!

Getting your packaging made in China
Getting your idea made!

General information about this post :

– The pitfalls
– What to expect when working with the factories.
– The typical stages
– Other details experiences

This article discusses my professional experience in getting packaging artwork printed with Chinese suppliers – all experience told from a design perspective.

I hope that this post will help you make an informed decision and how to go about getting the results you want from your suppliers.

You can get your artwork printed in China from a reputable factory or supplier. The challenge is finding a reputable factory and supplier and when you can’t speak the language, it can be difficult.

1 ) How to get your packaging made for your product (Chinese Factory)

If you are a business, an entrepreneur or someone looking to get a product manufactured for the retail market you will need packaging for your product, unless you are intending to sell only online using brown boxes. If you would like to read or see some of my eCommerce design you can view it here.

To be taken seriously, you will need to have professional packaging made.

Working with Chinese suppliers can be a great cost saving measure but you will need make sure you select the right one.

Mass production packaging
Mass production packaging

2 ) Why do companies get packaging for their products manufactured in China?

There are many reasons for a why a company may want to get a product or a piece of the packaging made in China if you are from a western country such as the USA or United Kingdom.

By far most common reason for getting products manufactured in China is to save money on production, printing or manufacturing fees. From a business perspective, this is great news – but it isn’t always as ideal or as cheap as it actually sounds. If you pick the wrong supplier it can cost you time and money and can even lead to trouble further down the line.

3 ) How to supply your packaging design to a Chinese factory

This isn’t as tricky as it sounds from the designers’ perspective but be prepared to teach the factory how to suck eggs. DO NOT Assume they will understand what you want. And DO NOT assume that things will be created ‘as is’, on occasions factories may ‘help’ and tinker with your work without your consent.

Stay vigilant on the process

Very vigilant…

Frustrated Designer… Frustrated factory, Frustrated business… etc

When you create a design you will need to annotate and make it as clear to follow as possible, be it using spot UV or any extra features this will need to be told in FULL.

I would also strongly advise on sending rough mock ups or drawings to help communicate what it is you are setting out to achieve. Visuals often make one of the best lines of communication when having your sample made with a Chinese supplier or factory.

Getting angry at the factory won’t accomplish anything.

It won’t fix the problem.

And it wont make you wealthier and it wont speed up the process. The ball is in your court in the end and it just needs to be right.

Send them visuals and explain EVERYTHING.

4 ) How to find a Chinese packaging a supplier

There are hundreds, possibly 1000’s of businesses online that are looking to print your packaging in China alone. You could go onto a website such as Alibaba to find a supplier or through Linkedin.

I still hear from suppliers coming through my Linkedin account.

By the far, the most effective (not cheapest) way is by hiring or contracting someone to work as a middleman or woman to work between you and the suppliers.

Communication is key in getting your design correct otherwise you will get something you didn’t want from the factories.

I would argue that getting a good supplier from one of the factories should be a top priority. A bad supplier will result in bad results – funnily enough!

Here are some key points when finding a factory or supplier to work with:

– *Find someone you can trust*
– Work with a factory that offers a quality service
– Get as much written down in the beginning as possible
– *Try to get prototypes or samples from factory supplier before mass production.

5 ) What to expect when having your packaging or product made in China

It all comes down to your supplier, communication and how you supply the artwork. It’s best to have everything ‘exactly’ as is when supplying artwork to factory and also be prepared for a bit of randomness when it comes to how they may produce the work.

Be vigilant and make sure to get ‘proofs’ from the factory.

I have written a couple of quick steps for you to follow when producing your packing:

– Find a reputable supplier, if you have somebody that is fluent in Chinese this can help tremendously

– See if you can get proofs or past evidence of packaging and material samples. What they sometimes say you will get and what you actually get is not uncommon in my experience.

– Getting digital proofs of your artwork through photos, and flat-screen image is a must.

– Delays can happen due to miscommunication from either or both parties.

Don’t let the factories take the initiative.

– The factories are generally better at giving you want you want if you send a 3D mock up or illustration.

– They are often very good at the cardboard engineering stage but not so much on the creative side.

– The factories can improve as with any working relationship with the more work you send them.

Weather can affect how and when your packaging may arrive.

– The Chinese factories can damage the packaging during ‘packing’ if they are rushed. Try not to rush them if you can help it.

– When supplying artwork, leave nothing to the imagination.

6 ) How long will it take to see your design once it is printed and shipped from a Chinese factory?

When having packaging printed In China, I have often seen a sample come back within one month, they can be very quick! Occasionally 3 months, depending on the weather, suppliers workload and method of transportation.

Shipping from China!
Shipping from China!

7 ) How to get packaging printed in China | The realities

When it is good it’s great and you will generally save money. When it isn’t great, as with some things in life, it can be a complete nightmare!

Working with new suppliers can be the most problematic as neither of you are familiar with working with each other, you don’t know each others strengths, habits, communication etc.

One of my mistakes when working with a new Chinese supplier is ‘assuming’ – assume NOTHING. Below are some assumptions to avoid based on past experience.

– Point 1 – Don’t assume that they know what is in your head.
– Neither should you assume that a single colour should go all the way around the packaging eg – if you leave white bits on the fold … they will print it as is.
– Don’t assume that they will offer the same level of service twice, they may be busy or rushed – or just – won’t offer it for some unknown reason.
– And don’t assume that the factory understands what is to be made when you supply the artwork. You need to make sure what you want is as clear and as transparent as possible – in the end, if you are the designer, or manufacturer, the buck ends with you.

Make it easy and clear, and talk about everything you can. Don’t assume their knowledge.

Get it right you will have a great piece of packaging. Get the communications wrong and you will be in for a whole load of pain.

8) Great reasons for having your work made In China

I feel that I have covered many of the perks scattered through the post but it may be easier to bullet point why it is a good idea to have your packaging and product created in China in a quick to scan list.

– Getting work printed In China or overseas is often cheaper than getting work printed in western countries such as the UK or United States
– There is an abundance of suppliers of products and packaging manufactures on websites such as Alibaba
– It’s easy and quick to get wholesale and bulk quotes for your product
– Using a factory in China will help you save money if you are looking to reduce overheads.

9 ) The ‘challenges’ with getting things printed in China

For its many perks and plus points for getting packaging and products printed in China it also comes with its shortcomings and challenges. I have listed a couple of points below based on first-hand experience and industry observations.

Copyright theft: the factories are notorious for stealing and selling your product ideas as their own. Not every factory is like this, but it is not uncommon. I have witnessed Chinese factories use my previous employer’s artwork and pass onto a competitor. There are other random knock off’s I have stumbled upon ranging from copies of renown books, bad copies of Hollywood films etc.

Stealing Kickstarter’s: I have seen factories steal Kickstarter campaigns and undercut the creators. Worse, the factories release their copy to the retail market before true creators have made it themselves. Sad stories really.

The decrease in quality: This isn’t something that always happens but on occasions, the suppliers I have worked with would do little things like: use less glue, ship scuffed or damaged work, rush on the packaging if you have blisters inside your box etc.

I also think this was a case of reducing expenses and overheads, but that is only my opinion.

As with anything, there are always challenges that can come when producing products. I have also worked with printers in the UK which have ignored specifics such as bleed and just printed it as is. Although one bonus as with most things online, is that you can check reviews

Getting packaging and artwork printed in China

Thank you for reading this post on how to get packaging and artwork printed in China. If you would like to know more about getting your work printed feel free to get in touch or view this post about packaging design

I have over 10 years commercial design experience and over 8.4/5 years working with retail design and producing packing through the Chinese factories.

You may wish to read more on :

How I designed a novelty flash drive product
Packaging Design
Creating a Killer Kickstarter Page
How to have your brand tell a story