There’s no right or wrong way to go through the design process. Sometimes it’s easy to identify the style or mood you’re looking for in a design and sometimes the iteration phase of the design process is the key to unlocking your vision. We listen close when we work with our clients on design projects, whether it’s a new logo or an floor-to-ceiling website re-design, so we can create options that speak to you. Choosing the right design for your business is a big deal. A great way to feel out if your design will go the distance is to test it out in the real world. Once you start to narrow down your final design, we'd encourage you to design test your project. Here are our suggestions.
Show-and-tell.
Ask the people who know you well and more importantly, those who know your business. What does your team say? Are they excited to show it to the world? Ask your family what their intuition is when they see the design. Sent it to your loyalest customers or oldest clients. Does the design align with how your clients see you? Or how you want your clients to see you?
Print it out!
Fire it up and print your new letterhead on your company printer. How does it look with your paper? Do you like the ink color? Some files might be great for digital letterhead or could work great to be emailed, but don’t thrill you on paper in hand.
Look through different windows.
If your design is something digital like a new landing page or a title card for a video, try it on different screens. Maybe it looks great on your phone but you’re not into the color on your retina display. Try your website on different screen shapes and sizes. Maybe you like the full-width background on a wide-screen but it’s not dramatic enough at standard resolution.
Go back to square one.
Look back at to your original plan, inspiration, or Q&A session if you’re an Out & About client. Make sure images and content match you and your target market. Does the outcome align with your vision? Does the design accomplish the goal you set out to achieve? For instance, if you considering different newsletter designs, does the design make you want to keep reading? Does your new landing page design make the next step POP?
Looking to spiff up your marketing collateral or website? Don’t hesitate to give us a ring. At the end of the day, your design should get people talking and help you cut through the clutter.
