Chapter 3
Planning
Design Planning 101
Planning is the intellectual, psychological, and tactical process of thinking about each task that needs to be accomplished to meet a goal. For most designers, broadly speaking, the goal or plan is completion of a great design on time and on budget that meets or exceeds the client’s expectations.
The creative brief and the designer–client agreement are useful and practical planning frameworks for design. Both include an initial look at the scope of work (SOW) and examine work process methodology. Both could suffice as planning for most designers.
This chapter will discuss design planning in more detail. We’ll see how a designer executes on the creative brief and meets the obligations outlined in the designer–client agreement. We’ll also discuss how to look ahead to the planning horizon and how, with practice and dedication, a design manager can forecast and plan fairly accurately.
Work Breakdown Structures
Okay, you’ve won the client’s business, been awarded a project, and completed some basic documentation. Now it’s time to break down all aspects of the work required and put them into a work breakdown structure (WBS).
A WBS is a dynamic tool used to describe and define a group’s work elements or tasks on a project. The U.S. Department of Defense developed the concept in the 1950s, along with the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), to create military weaponry, and it has greatly influenced all business and project management theory. The WBS is typically visualized as a branching or tree root diagram that shows a structure’s hierarchy—with a top item that branches down into subitems, and into further detailed sub-subitems below it. The diagram shows how things are connected to each other.
Here’s how to plan a WBS for a design project: Level 1: State the end goal (typically the project name).
Level 2: List the project’s manageable components or tasks. Further identify the subcomponents or tasks (called a work package by professional project managers) that fall under each level 2 item. Level 3: Show the detailed steps by which each component or task will be created or achieved.
In the WBS list, add only the things that are in the SOW contracted by the client. This is sometimes referred to as the 100% rule: The WBS includes 100 percent of the work defined by the project scope.
WBS: List
In list form, work could look like this. If lists suffice for the team, stop there. You have a useful tool that fully describes the work to be done. However, designers are visual people, and perhaps it makes sense to create a traditional WBS diagram.
WBS for a Logo Design
This is a WBS diagram for a simple logo project. The WBS could also contain a level 4 that identifies the tasks required to accomplish the major milestones listed in level 3. A WBS can break down the work to the finest detail, or it can provide more of an overview as this chart does. A further refinement would be to add due dates and even assign a person responsible for doing the work. Each person on the project may then wish to create his or her own work breakdown either as a diagram or as a simple to-do list.
Scheduling Design
After everyone understands the work to be done, the next aspect of planning to address is scheduling. Sometimes in design, the only two clear dates are the day the client gives approval to start the job and the day they want the work delivered. Some clients might also specify a few key dates in between, but typically the onus is on the designer to develop due dates and milestones for each phase of the project.
Creating a Flexible Framework
Design project managers must understand that scheduling is an ongoing, dynamic activity. It is rare for a design project to follow the initial schedule exactly. Dates slip and slide for several reasons, mostly related to the client (e.g., the client doesn’t provide a vital piece of information required to proceed, fails to sign off on some work, or makes additional changes). If a manager thinks of scheduling as a flexible framework, but is very clear on which deadlines must not be missed, he or she will run a saner project.
To facilitate scheduling, communication between the design team and the client must clearly spell out responsibilities and critical requirements. The client also must understand that any missed deadlines on their part will affect all subsequent due dates and deadlines. It’s pretty much a cardinal rule for a graphic design firm not to miss any deadlines; clients can miss deadlines, but designers cannot. If a deadline issue arises, it is best to alert the client as early as possible that there is a problem and the work will be late. It’s all about managing client expectations and satisfaction.
The diagram below provides an overview of the design scheduling process. It is helpful for a project manager to clearly understand what is required for each phase of work. A big mistake is to tell the design team to begin work without all the elements they need to do the work. This problem is compounded when promises to the client are made regarding due dates, based on that misinformation. A formal scheduling and planning process improves logistics, avoids wasted time, and helps the team stay on track.
Design Project Scheduling Process
Creating Gantt Charts for Design Projects
Scheduling is challenging due to the ever-changing nature of design. In scheduling projects, consider which tasks and activities must be performed sequentially and which are discrete activities, meaning they do not depend on prior tasks being completed. To help visualize the interdependencies of all the components and tasks in a design project, as well as to map them to a time schedule, designers can create a Gantt chart.
A Gantt chart (see diagram below) is a classic project management tool that shows multiple tasks and timelines in a single document. Typically, time is noted in weeks or days and is placed on the horizontal axis. A list of tasks is placed as the vertical axis. Solid bars indicate where each task falls in the timeline, and its duration.
It is not essential to create a Gantt chart for every design project; a simple list of due dates, followed by an email reminder, may work perfectly for some teams. For others, especially if they are using project management or spreadsheet software, diagrams are easy to make and very useful because they are clear, visual, and efficient.
Gantt Chart for Phase 1 of a Logo Design
This Gantt chart maps out phase 1 of a logo design project. It is an at-a-glance look at the schedule for the major work activities which must be performed in the initial stages of this project. For a look at the WBS diagram for this type of project, turn to page 66.
Haus Design Communications / Los Angeles, California USA
Haus Design Communications serves the network society by creating exciting branding for the Internet, mobile phones, social media, and print and broadcast media. “We walk the interconnected paths of this new world,” says creative director Rasmus Blaesbjerg. “We can’t help it; it’s something we were born into.” Blaesbjerg, together with partners Jared Plummer and Morten Bay, are interested in producing work that is authentic, multicultural, and emotional. They provide brand strategy and stewardship, media consultation, animation, publishing concepts, design, live action and motion graphics, and business development for a variety of client categories. All of their work requires meticulous planning and attention to detail due to the complex nature of their projects.
LA Magazine Circle
Los Angeles, an affluent-lifestyle magazine, wanted to represent the same concept in the online world. Its readers, especially the younger ones, were migrating to online content, and the magazine’s goal was to extend its reach and connect with readers there as well. Haus redesigned lamag.com, capturing the sensibility of the print version of the publication but strategically optimizing the website in ways that would also make money—from placing nonintrusive sponsored ad space to creating the Circles club concept.
ABOVE
Los Angeles Circles is a social club that offers members discounts on great experiences, and unique deals for free. Having one of the most affluent and attractive readerships in the United States allows the magazine to give Circles members access to restaurants, businesses, movie theaters, spas, museums, and resorts.
ABOVE
It’s no small task to design websites to accommodate information-heavy content, but Haus created an inviting and highly visual design for Los Angeles magazine’s Circles club. On this project, the designers were business consultants as well as designers. In fact, it was Haus who recommended development of the Circles concept.
Paige Black Label is a division of Paige Premium Denim LLC, a clothing company founded in 2004 by fit model Paige Adams-Geller on the principle that women don’t have to be a tiny size to look and feel great in clothes. Haus worked with Geller to create a distinctive presence for this sophisticated line of women’s pants, tops, dresses, skirts, and outerwear.
BELOW
Dominated by black, the Paige Black Label website’s home page features a dreamy animation. A beautiful shell opens, exploding into fragments of subtle color and texture that seem to float like a dream across the screen, resolving into a catalog navigation strip at the bottom. From there, Haus’s design directs viewers to simple, elegant product pages.
“We’ll admit it: We’re geeks. Rather than being smart ad men in dark designer suits, we are nerds who have found a way to use our love of gadgets, computers, and the online world to help others obtain commercial success. Basically, we just love to play around anything that has a screen and is connected.”
—Rasmus Blaesbjerg, creative director, Haus
Haus Design Communications / Los Angeles, California USA
Isaora
Isaora is a line of snowboard-inspired advanced sportswear that proves that technical performance and progressive style are not mutually exclusive. Haus worked with Isaora to develop its branding, website, and Look Book, which previews the products to the press and to retailers. Both Isaora and Haus are obsessed by design, and carefully crafted a variety of materials and images to attract adventure seekers who also happen to be fashionistas.
BELOW
Isaora products provide real style, performance, and protection for the people who wear them, and Haus’s graphics convey these truths. “In this densely connected media world, and on the globalized infinite store shelf of the Web, there is always something more believable within reach,” notes Haus executive producer Jared Plummer. “That’s why, at Haus, we focus on distilling the essence of a product or brand so that the authenticity stands out. Impenetrable. Anytime, anywhere.”
PBS / Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis, and the West
Los Angeles PBS television affiliate KCET engaged Haus to create a Web presence for its PBS documentary miniseries Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis, and the West. The website presents never-before-seen facts and material, which had been under lock and key in Russian archives since World War II. Haus incorporated a plethora of images and text in an educational, appealing, and entertaining manner.
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE
“The big challenge here was creating an architecture that would make it easy to understand and navigate an information-heavy website,” explains Blaesbjerg. “Our solution was to focus on the three leaders in question: Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt.” Maps, coupled with videos and witness stories throughout the site, create a lively presentation. “Our design lets the rich imagery speak for itself,” Blaesbjerg says. “The whole site looks transported from another time.”
Haus Design Communications / Los Angeles, California USA
Chad Allen Magic
Working with magician Chad Allen was Haus’s first personality branding assignment. “Allen is a blind magician, which in itself sounds like something out of a freak show,” explains Blaesbjerg. “When you meet the man, feel his charisma, and enjoy the incredible magic he performs, you realize how he embodies perseverance and will power that is quite inspiring.” The branding and website Haus created for Allen immediately give viewers a strong sense of who this magician really is.
“We took magic’s classic symbols—the club, the rabbit, the hat, the playing card—and placed them in a different environment: nature,” explains Blaesbjerg. “By connecting the emotions of nature’s wonders to the wonders of magic, we created the notion that real magic is not what happens on stage—but within us.”
“Haus focuses on creating emotional experiences in communication. With our human branding efforts, we’re working to revolutionize how truly charismatic people can connect emotionally with consumers.”
—Jared Plummer, executive producer, Haus
OPPOSITE
The website works to embody the concept of inspiration and charisma which Chad Allen possesses. Haus’s branding for the magician has worked wonders for his career. It has also helped make him an influential spokesperson for disabled people on Capitol Hill and in the White House—powerful U.S. government entities. In addition, it has supported Allen in his work as an inspirational speaker and performer.
BELOW
Allen’s website emphasizes fun and an educational twist on magic. He’s an expert performer in magic and illusion, even though he is blind. The site graphics are mysterious and intriguing, pulling the viewer into Allen’s unique world. His completely different take on classic magician repertoires is conveyed through imagery that is slightly askew.
FreedomWig 2 designed by Martha Rich
FreedomWig 2
Illustrator Martha Rich decided to create a regularly scheduled self-promotional website called FreedomWig. The site presents one painting per day, which can be purchased directly from the website. “I needed something to keep me busy during down times,” explains Rich. “I tend to be lazy and do better when I have to be accountable to something. Originally, I made a pact with myself to post one painting a day for a year, and then I kept going.” Her paintings feature her own wacky vocabulary of images inspired by everything from vintage women’s magazines to restaurant menus.
OPPOSITE
FreedomWig has a simple interface that allows viewers to see and enjoy Rich’s paintings. Her work exhibits a kind of charming naiveté coupled with sassy social commentary on the lives of women in general, and Rich’s own personal experience. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines, including McSweeney’s and Nylon, as well as in gallery shows and exhibitions.
Rich came to illustration after holding various jobs, including fast-food worker and corporate cubicle slave. She took night classes, eventually enrolling in art school, and most recently pursuing her master’s degree in grad school. Her distinctive voice, with its well-earned raw edges, stands out in a world dominated by pleasantly suitable illustration styles.
RIGHT
“The strength of Rich’s visual language results in raw, edgy, and sometimes disturbing images,” says design journalist Matthew Porter. “She communicates a heightened sense of irony, a byproduct of her amusement with life, for better or for worse. In short, Rich’s work is informed by her experiences, but unlike some, she never really imagined her story would inform any art, much less her own.”
Time Management
Strictly speaking, time management is an ongoing activity that all team members must engage in throughout a design project. However, it is an issue to address upfront in the planning of a design project as well. When scoping the work (see page 40) and then creating a thorough WBS (page 66), the project manager knows exactly what will be done and the hierarchical nature of the tasks (if relevant). He or she has also determined approximately how much time it will take to complete the tasks and has committed all of this information into a schedule. This is great in theory, but will it work in reality? This is where time management checks and balances are helpful in staging a job and staying on track with the projected work flow.
Designers Need Time Sheets
The best tool to aid in time management is time sheets, which record in fifteen-minute intervals what a designer is doing during his or her workday. Many designers resist this practice—mostly because it is tedious. Some also believe time sheets are irrelevant if a project has a fixed fee, instead of being billed hourly. That is a short-sighted notion. Time sheets are extremely valuable because they are an essential tool for ensuring profitability and estimating future work.
Time sheets allow design managers to track the team’s progress. By reviewing time sheets on an ongoing basis (daily or at least weekly is most useful), a manager can understand if the amount of time he or she planned for the work is going forward as envisioned. Knowing this earlier rather than later means the manager can
• Uncover performance flaws in the team and hopefully rectify the situation
• Question why the work isn’t being done as planned, often uncovering the need for a change order to the client
• Reduce the time allotted in later phases of work if possible, to make up for increased time consumption in earlier phases
• Request additional time from the client
Involve the Client
Because any schedule is bound to change, a project manager should notify the client that the schedule may need to undergo alterations. If the client knows this upfront, designers have a much better chance of managing the client’s expectations and heading off trouble and misunderstandings.
Planning and scheduling design is about forecasting. It’s about making educated guesses and watching how these guesses play out in reality. Time management analysis—at the onset and throughout the project—is critical. A great project manager will look at the facts, such as time sheets and the completed work, and extrapolate out toward the final goal. Close observation of how the team is spending their time will allow the project manager to make better scheduling decisions in the future. Plus, a manager may be able to adjust the schedule for the current project by renegotiating with the client.
Scheduling Software
Project management software usually contains a scheduling component. These are often robust, and sometimes too labor intensive for the needs of many design projects. One great aspect of using this software is that it typically is linked to email. This is useful for alerting the manager or team members with built-in warnings about how much time has been used to date. Some designers simply use a web-based shared calendar as their project scheduling device. Others like project status reports that are essentially daily to-do lists emailed to the team. Still others have quick daily face-to-face team meetings to review the previous day’s work and chart the course for that day’s activities. Use whatever level of complexity and detail your team prefers.
Software Shows What Takes Precedence
Nearly every design firm will benefit from someone looking at the firm’s overall work flow and capacity. A manager needs to look at any potentially conflicting due dates and client demands. One of the best ways to facilitate this is to use scheduling software.
The relationship between and among the different activities required to complete a project that must be done in a particular sequence is called a precedence relationship. Software is a good means for tracking and managing these relationships. A map of the tasks that must be completed before the next step is begun can easily be visualized in a Gantt chart (see page 69), which many scheduling software programs create.
Software Helps Contingency Planning
Design managers may wish to build in some extra time to complete a task or phase of work, by indicating on the schedule that the work will take longer than they know it will. This is called contingency planning. Building in time contingency, and then managing to that time frame, will help the team stay on schedule. For example, if an activity is slated to be done on Thursday, ask for the work at the end of the day Wednesday to ensure that the work is completed for Thursday. Allowing some slack in a schedule means a manager has a little bit of a buffer, and understands precisely how much a schedule can slip before it causes real delays and problems for the project.
One caveat: Giving false due dates and then sitting on the work or making arbitrary additional changes to it because you have the time will annoy the design team and undermine your credibility.
Lorenc + Yoo Design / Atlanta, Georgia USA
Lorenc + Yoo Design’s reputation is built around versatility, rather than a signature style. Partners Jan Lorenc and Chung Youl Yoo lead their environmental communication design firm from the perspective of telling brand stories in physical surroundings. Their work includes signage, sculpture, retail space, furniture, and exhibition design for an international client base. The planning involved in work of this complexity and scale is apparent in viewing it. “My role is to serve primarily as the design director, setting the tone and handling the upfront research and spirit of the project,” explains Lorenc. “Chung primarily handles the evolution of bringing the design idea into reality, negotiating with the manufacturers, detailing the individual pieces of the project, and selecting the final finishes and materials.” With their staff, they sometimes work for years to bring concepts to reality.
UPS
Calm, sophisticated, and with an understated Chinese feel, the 4,000 square foot (372 m2) space for UPS’s presence at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games features four distinct areas: two dining rooms, a lounge area, and a bar. It became a home away from home for UPS guests, a place of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the games. Tipping a hat to UPS’s brand message and slogan, “What can brown do for you?” the space’s dominant color is brown. However, the design firm accented each area with yellows, gold, and greens to communicate modernity and a blending of aesthetics from the East and the West.
Briefing documents summarized the design rationale and explain Lorenc + Yoo Design’s strategy and themes. Because this was a hospitality suite at the Olympics, the environment needed to capture a sense of place and the excitement of the games, and celebrate achievement while being a refuge of quiet comfort in Beijing. Design motifs juxtapose both ancient and modern Chinese cultural icons.
Echoing the message of openness and global opportunity delivered by UPS, there is no place where guests feel closed off from the other areas. The design team achieved this by designing “moon gates” (below, middle) that acted as windows throughout the space. Inspired by Asian garden elements in which gates are used to frame a particular plant or vista with a round opening.
The ideas revolved around a celebration of Chinese ethos and mystery, while playing off the vibrancy, hustle, and energy of modern China. “We wanted to create a sense of a journey,” says Lorenc, “that invites guests of the games to enjoy a sense of international travel and adventure, and leaves them with memories that will last a lifetime.”
As seen in these images, abundant narrative possibilities are evident in the exhibit’s 3-D applications and the companion collateral used throughout the UPS suite. Design and written communications draw from metaphors and allegories in Western–Far Asian history, including ancient seafarers, traders, and epic historic events and cultural icons. Elements and inspiration came from many sources, including the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and even modern Beijing.
“Lorenc +Yoo Design has a holistic approach, an integrated, seamless design philosophy, and is driven by a mission to tell clients’ stories, not its own. This is visible in our work for UPS at the 2008 Olympics.”
—Jan Lorenc, partner, Lorenc+Yoo Design
Lorenc + Yoo Design / Atlanta, Georgia USA
Il Milano
Lorenc + Yoo was hired to design canopies for a fifteen-year-old building designed by Philip Johnson in downtown Atlanta. The 191 Tower is a fifty-five-story corporate office building that houses the regional headquarters for Deloitte. The building has a cathedral-like appearance, and at the time bore little or no identification of the tenants inside. The firm designed a series of canopies that allows for building identification as well as that of its major anchors, including the restaurant Il Mulino. Lorenc + Yoo studied the context of the building—its scale, color, and classical design—for inspiration.
BELOW
There are three canopies: one central hanging canopy that measures 33 × 12 × 5 ft. (10.1 × 3.7 × 1.5 m); one restaurant canopy on the left side for Il Mulino restaurant that measures 17 × 8 × 4 ft. (5.2 × 2.4 × 1.2 m); and one amenity directory sign on the left that measures 17 × 4 × 9 ft. (5.2 × 1.2 × 2.7 m). The canopies are constructed of green frosted glass with gold accents. The central canopy bears a golden emblem of the 191 Building, while the others feature Art Deco-era typography.
When Greektown Casino decided to expand and build a new hotel tower, its architects, Hnedak Bobo Group, recommended that it hire Lorenc + Yoo to design the signage. The new wayfinding system is both functional and aesthetically tied in with the architecture.
BELOW, LEFT
The exterior signage reflects the original signs, some of which are still in place, but with a modern twist. Whereas the old signs used individual bulbs (think Broadway marquis signs), the new ones use LEDs. The overall feel of the signs is the same, and they use the full five-color palette of the Greektown logo in both paint and neon.
BELOW
The interior casino signs relied heavily on Greek themes, using patterns and colors found in the casino. In the hotel, however, the treatment is more refined, paying homage to the wonderful interior designed by the architecture firm Rossetti. Prismatic gold letters mounted directly to dark wood walls lend an air of distinction.
Lorenc + Yoo Design / Atlanta, Georgia USA
Samsung
Samsung Electronics, a global leader in mobile phones, decided to step away from traditional billboards in favor of a more artistic approach to advertising. In January 2010, Samsung unveiled its newest mobile phone model atop a Lorenc + Yoo-designed, aluminum sculpture of a hand at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. Similar structures were unveiled at airports in the Ukraine, Toronto, and other global locations.
Called Rising Hand, the polished-aluminum sculpture with baked-on red acrylic rises 50 feet (15.2 m). It features a hand holding a Samsung mobile phone. The sculpture has a powerful upward thrust that is futuristic and dynamic.
Curving toward the sky to symbolize the limitless possibilities in the future of communication, the sculpture embodies Samsung’s philosophy of “The World in Your Hand.” Lorenc + Yoo based the hand on a traditional Greek column but reduced it to its basic anatomical elements: narrowing as it rises, and culminating with a grasping hand holding a mobile phone that is a sort of key to the world.
Sketches below show the project’s evolution. “We like to show scrawls, notes, study models, computer models, spatial videos, and computer interactives,” says Lorenc. The firm uses these items in each phase of project planning and execution. They tell the story of the team members’ interaction with each other and their client. Rather than creating a realistic hand, Lorenc + Yoo created a modern abstract form that suggests energy, triumph, and the power of global communications. The silver color of the sculpture echoes its technological roots, while red accents convey the energy and human spirit of the hand.
“The key to effective exhibition design lies not only in an ability to balance utility and aesthetics but also in an awareness of contextual and historical relevance. This process requires a keen awareness of the client’s objective: Our passion is to express the client’s passion. Colors, materials, typography, lighting, and other details must all work together so that the environment is seamless... We use environments to send messages in useful and beautiful ways.”
—Jan Lorenc, design director, Lorenc + Yoo
Ten Reasons Design Project Schedules Fail
Every design project brings its own unique challenges.
Here are some common reasons why design projects to go off track:
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Creativity means uncertain durations—it doesn’t always happen exactly within a specific time allotment |
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Problems on another project demand the team’s attention and everyone must focus on addressing that and not the current project |
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Client delays in approval or providing information |
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A poorly forecasted or overly optimistic schedule was created by the project manager |
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Technological troubles—software conflicts, IT issues, bad file management |
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Steeper learning curve than anticipated |
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More client and/or designer revisions were required, causing more work and expanding time requirements as well |
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Bad creative brief, meaning poorly defined scope of work, incorrect Work Breakdown Structure, resourcing, and scheduling. Essentially, working on the wrong problem in the wrong way and wasting time. |
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Unforeseen complexity and degree of difficulty |
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Poor communication and team interaction |
Details, Details, Details: Asset Management
Planning is a multitiered exercise. Trying to conceive of every possible contingency in a design project is an exercise in futility. It’s best to just review the major issues, forecast as much as possible, and adapt as the project moves from point A to point Z. So many things can go wrong in a design project, and most of them concern missed details—those hundreds of little things that must be factored in, remembered, and utilized to develop great design. Doing the job right means getting those details right.
From the beginning, you must set up a means of communication and sharing creative assets. An asset is any file, physical object, element, or artifact that is created or utilized for a design project. Asset management is not strictly a planning issue, but you must plan a work flow method among designers that supports good collaboration. If you’ve ever seen a design team’s work stopped or delayed because they printed out the wrong version of a file or they must revise finished art because they used the wrong version of the client’s logo, you’ve seen the problems inherent in not managing the details and assets of a job properly. These issues can cost significant time and money.
Good File Hygiene
Because nearly all of the designers’ work product—whether in progress or finished—is digital, creating a basic digital asset management system is fast and relatively easy. However, it takes some time and a lot of commitment to maintain the system on an ongoing basis. Here are the rules for using a bare-bones digital asset management system:
• Use unique job numbers for each project (see page 51).
• Set up a folder for each client.
• Within the client folder, place folders for each unique job number.
• Within each numbered job folder, create a subfolder called:
• RESEARCH (all background information)
• IMAGES (all illustrations, photography, and logos to be used in the work)
• STUDIES (all work in progress)
• PRESENTATIONS (all client presentations and PDFs)
• FINALS (all finished art)
• COPY (all copy and text to be used in the job)
• Name each document in all of these files consistently with a date and job number code; for example, 01_02_10_ABC101
If everyone on the design team understands the naming and filing conventions—whether it is the system suggested here or something else—and complies with it, the project’s assets will be easy to find and use. The result is a consistently and properly managed scheme for good file hygiene that will reduce time consumption, improve work flow, cut down on errors, help avoid duplication of effort especially because of lost items, boost collaborative sharing, and promote efficiency, all of which will improve responsiveness, speed up the work, and reduce costs.
A variety of software solutions—web-based and internal network—aid in digital asset management. They involve tagging the files with metadata (e.g., client information, file type, categories, graphic elements, classification, media, designer name, version codes, etc.) and can be expensive and time-consuming to administer. But in large organizations with many users, multiple projects, and, especially, various branches, it is worth the time and effort to implement one of these systems.
Garaz designed by Siedemzero / Warsaw, Poland
Garaz
Garaz #3 features skateboard culture–inspired music and video. Siedemzero designed the DVD packaging and promotional collateral, including the movie’s one sheet poster. The graphics are witty, bold, and rough around the edges.
“The fact that I live in Poland obviously has a significant effect on my work. It may seem odd, but I come from a generation that was raised during the time when Poland was a very empty place. All the things people dreamed about practically did not exist. The only thing left was self-initiative.”
—Pawel Piotr Przybl, creative director, Siedemzero
Benchmarking
Because graphic design is an iterative and collaborative process, logical points, benchmarks, or milestones occur during the course of work and present themselves at the end of phases (see the process chart on pages 10–11 for more information about phases of work).
In business, the word benchmark suggests certain standards being met. In design, it typically is used to mean a phase deadline for completion of a certain amount of work. If we merge the two meanings and look at benchmarking in planning as finishing the work to a particular standard of expectation, benchmarking becomes a holistic tool for monitoring the design process.
Graphic Design Benchmarks
Here are some common design project benchmarks:
• Kickoff meeting
• Creative brief
• Design criteria
• Design strategy
• First presentation of design
• Design refinements
• Approval of final design
• Release of finished artwork files
What Impacts Benchmarks?
When looking at how well the design team is meeting their goals and benchmarks, review the following items, as they impact the success of benchmarks:
• Creative Leadership
Having a clear vision, understanding and providing feedback based on a creative brief, and coaching and mentoring the design team to get the best creative out of them. Typically, this is the creative director’s job, but it also is heavily affected by the client.
• Rigorous Culture
Having an environment where deadlines are respected, work flow is orderly, and yet creative excellence is also revered. For both business and design, creative excellence is a result of a vigorous culture.
• Skilled Personnel
Not just having enough people, but the right people, working together on the project. Each person has definite roles and responsibilities. These people must possess creative muscle and know how to use it.
• Proper Motivation
Having a love for the challenge of solving problems and utilizing talent. There probably are lazy designers in the world, but most designers are intensely motivated to do great work, and they genuinely enjoy the design process. Designers who don’t feel this way probably are in the wrong profession.