Strategy
Although I create a unique strategy with every new situation, the process I take towards accomplishing the end result stays similar. The following example displays the strategic steps I took when given the task to design and advertising gloves for the outdoor company Dakine. I pride myself on my attention to detail and efficiency. I am constantly challenging myself to make each piece stronger than the last, which has driven my skill set farther than I ever could have imagined. I often take a more collaborative approach, keeping the client in the loop every step of the way. With this approach, I am able to take the client's vision above and beyond to create something truly eye catching and inspiring.
Inspiration
First, I gather as much as I can about the client and/or audience. I want to know what they do, what they specialize in, the type of clients the company attracts, and the messages they want to portray with their material, etc. This in turn gives me an excellent idea of what I want to do and where I want to go with the design and advertisement. I then use backwards planning in order to stay on task and accomplish the project within the given deadline.
Sketching & Ideas
I continue by brainstorming and sketching out ideas using the information I previously gathered from the company. This is my time to explore and experiment with a variety of different ideas. I try to put as much detail as I can in the sketches and write down any worlds that pop into my head during the process.
Digital Design and Technicalities
In this phase I take on my favorite sketch and make it digital. It is here where I also input any technical details such as: the materials, the dimensions, and placement I want to use.
Color Scheme
Although picking out colors for a product may seem fairly simple, it is actually one of the more tedious tasks. It is important to pick out colors that will not only appeal to the client, but also the company as a whole. When I decided on a color scheme for my product, I used the setting where my product would be used and sampled colors from the image.
Images and Patterns
This particular product asked for a repetitive pattern and sole image to be implemented in the overall design of the glove. I came up with an abstract shape and repeated it. The colors from the previous step were used here as well.
Realistic Render
This step is where it all comes together. I create a realistic representation of the gloves that incorporates the various features I came up with and the color scheme I picked out.
CREATIVITY
Advertisement
The final step of this project was to create an ad for the product. Using what I learned about the company I attempted to create something that ideally represents the company and has a similar look to what the company does for their own advertisements.