There is something about being a graphic designer. Maybe its

There is something about being a graphic designer. Maybe its the idea of creating something that everyone will see just from a simple idea. In my mind, nothing is nearly as compelling as managing the design of a how an idea can look for your organization, service or campaign and for those who truly love it is not difficult to see why it is easy to get swept away envisioning the impact it will have on an audience.

If you are an aspiring graphic designer and on the hunt for jobs then you need to know the five steps of working with clients. Sometimes, youll be working on these steps for years with ongoing projects, while other will take less than a day to complete. Each phase will require a different set of skills you will need to master other than design. Youll be a salesperson, manager, and even delivery at some point. Here are the five basic steps to completing a graphic design project.

Briefing - This phase is graphic design is the initial meeting between you and the client to hopefully establish project goals, budget and schedule. Youll want to collect as much needed information as you can about your clients products or services. This involves some research to create and work on a successful design. While it is nice to have the owner of the company at the meeting, make sure the person who will be making all decisions will be attendance at the initial meeting.

Design Development After you have collected all the necessary research and client information, go through it all with all or any designers who will be working on it. Additionally, it is beneficial to research your clients competition to research what types of design they are using in order to make yours unique. Start sketching out and exploring lots of visual concepts in order to come up with some ideas since all design possibilities are wide open.

Presentation This maybe the most important stage. This is where you will be selling all the work you have completed so far. If you are working on a small project, you can get away with emailing the client a PDF and a few follow up phone conversations. Make sure it accurately characterizes your concept. Always use the colors and materials of how the final product will look and that the design presentation is put together neatly and orderly.

The art of a good sell can make or break a project since a design rarely sells itself. Close the meeting with a concise finish and record the discussion. Afterwards, follow up with a summarization email going over the meeting and the plan of action. Once your design concept is approved, youre already halfway to finishing the project.

Artwork Even an experienced print designer can use one or two rounds of editing and color refinement within this particular phase. Keep a record of any and all changes until the client signs off on the completed project. All of the materials, colors and finishes should to be specified beforehand. Always create measured drawings and mock-ups to fully realize the designs. If this becomes to challenging, contact a few fabricators and printers.

Production This phase of the project will require you to work closely with the printer if you are working on a print graphic design. Everything that will be used to create your project such as the papers, colors, and finishes, are all reviewed and compared to the original design. Go to the printer to view and check on all the sheets as they come off the press. For projects involving signs, you should be at the site to oversee everything such from the pouring of a concrete base to the application of screen printed graphics. For a web design project, this stage involves HTML and Flash coding to build the site. Test, test, and test even more to troubleshoot any potential problems with the site functions before it goes live.

Follow Up While not always considered a step of the design process, it is still a significant piece of the designer/client relationship. Go over any issues over the project timeline the client may have had such as was the project delivered on time or was the client happy with the results? Ask them to keep you informed about any feedback, be it positive or negative, they receive on the project.