OUGD504 - Studio Brief 1 - The Design Process

After the initial briefing I decided the best form of research on general design processes would be a book on the matter. So I found "Managing the Design Process - Implementing Design".

It goes into great depth about the design process as well as detail into each stage of the process. In the introduction there is a quote which I think resonates for all designers.

"Great graphic design doesn't happen by magic or in a vacuum. It is the result of intricately orchestrated collaboration between a designer and his or her client."

This is the detailed overview of a typical design process. Going from project creation to project completion. I found this really helpful because it uses both the client's and the designer's perspectives outlining what each of them do in each stage. 

It also outlines the constraints of a design process in the book, which are as follows:

- Communication:

Timely and effective communication and sharing knowledge throughout the process is necessary for a good design project. Otherwise any miscommunication can sabotage the design.

- Scope of work:

Larger projects may require repetition of certain phases, while smaller projects with less complexity can combine steps. 

- Timing:

Compressed schedules mean shortened phases and skipped details. Longer time frames allow for more detailed and extensive work in each of the phases.

- Budget:

Less money means less work. Large budgets accommodate more work through more lengthy and involved procedures.

- Delivery media

The choice of delivery media can mean more (or less) extensive collaboration with other types of collaborators and therefore can affect the process

Taking all this into consideration I realised how simplistic my own design process is (see below) and how many steps I could potentially be missing out on. Especially on the professional side of things. My own idea of a design process is very narrow and specific to the way how I have learnt to design within college. 

Our next task was to collaborate with the rest of the table to create a more comprehensive design process as well as creating a more visual representation. 

We combined all the stages and key words that we thought were most important for the design process. Evaluation, questions, communication and concept were the most important factors for a successful design process as these are all ongoing within a design. Things like research, context and mind maps only need to really been done once or twice throughout the process. 

Upon finding all the stages of a successful design process we wanted to come up with a very simplified visual representation that anyone, not just in the design industry, could understand and follow. So we came up with the idea that a design process is a bit like baking a good cake. You've got to test it over and over to get things right as well as experimenting with different ingredients and recipes until you find the right one that pleases the client. 

So, we set up the process into different stages and figured out what stages of baking would correspond with each process stage.

Finally, we each illustrated the stages to make an engaging yet fun design process. I was very pleased with the outcome however I feel the only thing that it was lacking was a bit of finesse and more detail on what goes on during each stage of the process. For example we could have expanded a lot more on things like development and refinement where we could have talked about discussions with the client or feedback from peers. Also I think we missed out a stage where you sketch ideas and create mind maps.

Book Reference:
Stone, Terry Lee. Managing The Design Process. Beverly, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, 2010. Print.