Lowfi Design

Hello! I am a newbie freelance graphic designer and this is my first post! Woop woop!! When I first started, I thought people would just pick up a paintbrush or a tablet and create a masterpiece. Most of the time, though, there’s a lot more to it than that. 

No matter what you create, most of us follow some process for getting to a result. We think it through, figure it out, what’s its purpose or intent? And then we (or at least me) sketch out some plans.

In a creative process, something amazing happens when you overcome a “bottleneck”. And I usually do this by using some best practices I have learned throughout my short career. These have helped me be more proactive and let me focus more on the fun part of the job!

1. Change your environment – when I hit a creative wall, I usually take a break and go for a walk. Walking around the city or being in nature helps me acquire a fresh perspective and “break the drought”. I find that rearranging my workspace or working from somewhere like a cafe or a co-working space also helps. Drinks with friends (or strangers) do too!
2. Doodle – I find that mindless doodles get my creativity flowing. If I see something in front of me I can visualize what I like or don’t like for a project. As someone once said “as you start to walk on the way, the way appears”. I also find that drawing with my non-dominant hand helps.
3. Use creative prompts – I sometimes ask Chat GPT to give me some random word pairings – e.g. futuristic banana, vintage robot, etc. – and I try to challenge myself to come up with a design for it. It happens a lot that prompts I did in the past for fun become inspiration for my actual projects.
4. Look at other art forms – I get inspired by fashion shows, movies, magazines, culinary dishes or even music. Jamie Oliver and the Beatles are a personal favorite for me – they have the most random recipes and lyrics. These lyrics always get me in the mood to create – e.g. Lucy in the sky with Diamonds, I am the Walrus, Norwegian Wood, Taxman and about 300 more…
5. Limit yourself – once I have a main design idea, I try to set constraints on my imagination – e.g. using only 2 or 3 colors and font types. This helps me cut through the noise and ensures my designs stay classy and minimalist. The project you deliver to the client should be polished and clear.

If you have a project, there is an usual order of works you should follow. Here is my best take on it.

1. Pitch – The first step is to get yourself a project – start with volunteering jobs to get the word out on your work. If someone likes your work and personality, they will recommend you – word of mouth is the best underrated tool!
2. Kickoff – Once the client part is settled, I normally start with a client kickoff meeting. This is a time to meet the client and get specific on what the project entails, its scope, budget (if applicable), etc.
3. Discovery – The discovery phase is where research comes in. You’re going to find out about the client’s industry, their main audience, their competitors, etc. 
4. Brainstorm and draft– The fun part! This is where you can “get your hands dirty”. You can develop new concepts, iterate on ideas and get the creativity flowing. You can use a mood board to gather and organize inspiration in one place to help you visualize ideas in less abstract ways to help actually define and hone your creative concept. 
5. Client review – Here you will show a few different approaches. You will usually do this through rough sketches, just to align on the direction. You then develop and show a few ideas to the client. You create a final product after client review and approval. 
6. Delivery – This is where you hand off the project in different sizes and formats.

It’s also important to note that with every kind of thing you create, there is bound to be outliers. There’s going to be projects that may not include all of these steps or may include more steps. It really depends on the project. 

I hope that by reading my posts, you’ll have a better understanding of the creative process. And with it, the ability to confidently and intentionally create your best work for clients. Stick around! 🙂