“I describe the design process as like the tip of the iceberg. What you don’t see is the long haul: all the endless auditing and things like that.” —Norman Foster
Foster speaks as an architect. However, I venture to say designers of every discipline would agree. I know I do. I recently approved a project for print, which was the final heave-ho in a very long haul. Signing off was a nail-biting, pensive-nodding, sigh of relief.
Every project is different, which means we can’t generalize the process. Even so, designers often run their ideas through the gamut of design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. We do this because it provides “a solution-based approach to solving problems.” Simply said, there’s a method to our madness!
For Example: My Latest Project
I’m super excited to premier my new Wisconsin State Park poster! It’s on the press and will be available any day. In the meantime, indulge me as I share the process it took to get to this point.
Empathize
Wisconsinites love our outdoors! Families, solo adventurers, young, old—we all love exploring our state parks, forests and recreation areas.
Define
What’s more fun than checking off the places you visit? An artistic poster with a complete listing of the Wisconsin State Park System is a necessity.
Ideate
Wisconsin has a long heritage of land preservation and appreciation. My poster needs to convey this history. It must be beautiful enough to grace your walls. It must be user-friendly, hands-on fun. Form and function, as they say.
Prototype
Drafts, mockups and pre-press runs are all part of the production process. Sometimes a designer gets away with a few of each. Sometimes more than a few.
Test
OG+S previously verified my maps were within copyrights. Professional proofreader Amanda Swiontek caught my typos. Friends and family were my guinea pigs. Thysse ran pre-press proofs and I made color adjustments. It takes a village!
Presenting My Poster!
And here it is, my Wisconsin State Park poster! Color in the pine trees as you visit each park. Check off or date the listing. Most of all, get out and enjoy Wisconsin’s amazing natural outdoors.
