During my studies at Spokane Falls Community College, something my professors stressed the importance of was having a process when designing. Having a process and a work flow keeps you on track and while at times it feels tedious it fosters an organized mindset and inspires creative thinking.
Research
I start by looking for inspiration from well designed pieces, for covers, feature spreads and main article formats. File management is key as well to create a work flow that is organized and easy to maintain.
Thumbnails
Using the inspiration gained from my research, I sketch out my ideas for layout and imagery. Trying to get as much variation as possible during this phase.
Moodboards
Once my general layouts are chosen, I nail down visuals, imagery, type, and color choices.
Roughs
Using my mood boards as guidelines I design out rough drafts.
Cover design for spread one
Feature spread design for spread one
Main article spread for spread one
Cover design for spread two
Feature spread for spread two
Main article spread for spread two
Cover design for spread three
Feature spread for spread three
Main article spread for spread three
Final
We all know all ideas are not good ideas, and sometimes there are aspects from each idea that are good and can be utilized. I often find myself "frankestein-ing" aspects from my roughs together. The end result is a solid cohesive design with all of my best ideas.
