Our graphic design process
Our graphic design process helps you clarify your scope of work, set the rules for your images and get the concept right
Our graphic design process
The best layouts are functional to make your key messaging stand out. As technical content providers, we write with a visual mind and can conceptualise where key facts and figures could be shown as design elements. As graphic designers, we turn these concepts into strong engaging visuals.
See our five-step process below.
How our graphic design process works
1. Clarifying the scope of work
There is no such thing as too much clarity. We discuss your requirements with you in detail and ask questions to make expectations mutually clear.
This starts with agreeing the scope of work. We discuss and agree how the end result will look – including any specific infographics, graphs or tables you may need. All these factors help us establish realistic timelines.
At this stage, we establish whether you already have brand guidelines/style guides you would like us to work to, or if we will be creating some new concept designs for you to select and then for us to develop. We also discuss and agree on how the review process will work – how many drafts are included and how we will send through the document section-wise for review.
2. Setting the rules for images
This is a crucial part of the process. It is important to establish whether you are providing images – and if so, how many images will be needed and to what resolution. Or, whether we are providing images and the image style you need.
Through our discussions, we can decide on the best-fit look-and-feel image style and concept. This may be guided by any existing brand guidelines you have – or our discussions could form your image style to incorporate into a set of brand guidelines moving forward.
3. Getting the concept right
If we are starting from a ‘blank slate’ we provide 2-3 concepts for your review. In discussions with you, we then develop and perfect your chosen concept. Once the project is complete, you now have a look-and-feel template to develop a set of brand guidelines and bring consistency to all your future communications. We are happy to help you develop your brand guidelines should you wish to take that route.
If you have a set of brand guidelines, this will be our immediate point of reference in how we treat your logo, brand colours, fonts, tone of voice and other aspects. We will still provide 2-3 concepts for you to choose from, in strict adherence with your brand guidelines.
Our concept choices include different page layouts depending on the project – as an example, a cover page, text and images page and graphics page.
4. Finalising the copy first
We emphasise that any copy elements should be finalised and signed off before we place them into the design layout. This is because we place the content into the design layout page-by-page, making the necessary adjustments to ensure it sits perfectly in the most readable and aesthetic way.
Further copy editing impacts the design layout and duplicates work, so we recommend all adjustments to copy be finalised first.
5. Review and delivery
This is the point to establish how the review process will work. For larger documents, a ‘circular’ process works well, where you review sections already completed while we work on further sections. It means you can review the copy in smaller batches and we both stay aligned. The upfront concept you approve acts as a ‘blueprint’ as the project develops.
Depending on the application, we can deliver the final product in both ‘print-ready’ and ‘digital’ PDF formats.
"With proper use of white space, our designs allow the page to breath. They are never crowded.”
To discuss any graphic design requirements, or for a review of any existing content you may have, please contact us for a no-obligation call:
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What we do
Bids and
pre-qualifications copywriting services
Consistent, clear and benefits-driven tender submissions, showing how you will deliver the project competently and successfully.
Annual, sustainability and ESG report writing
Clearly communicating to your stakeholders who you are as a company, your current achievements, future objectives and business targets.
Technical report writing services
Educational, informative, straightforward in language, accessible in style and positioning you as a knowledge leader within your industry.
