- During the design process,
possibly one of the most significant steps you can take
is the brainstorming step.
It's this step where we will look to discover
and generate our ideas
which will ultimately define
what we design later in the process.
As I've said, previously, young and new designers
may be inclined to jump straight into the creative part
of the design process and think about the end solution
as soon as they receive a brief.
Now that's not necessarily a bad thing,
but it can lead to fast, obvious, and cliche ideas.
I always find taking some time
to think about the project first
will enable me to discover far more sophisticated
and unique ideas,
which I can base my visual design around
later in the process, which will be far more impressive.
Up to this point, we have been taking a little time
to understand, learn and discover as much as we can
about the subject we are designing for.
Now, this was important because this gives us
all the insight and ammunition
we need to move into the brainstorming step.
In this video, we are going to undertake
one of the most important steps of the design process,
where I will be sharing with you a technique I use
to brainstorm and come up with ideas for my design.
So let's get into it.
(upbeat techno music)
So here I am with my design process checklist.
Once adequate time has been spent on project research,
we are confident we have covered enough ground
and are enlightened to the project subject matter,
we can now move into step three in phase one.
So the third step in the discovery phase is brainstorming.
Now at this early stage in the design process,
we want to keep an open mind to any possible ideas.
Here, we will strive to push the limits
of what can be discovered and possibly explored.
This is an exercise to think outwards,
conceptually and creatively
which helps us broaden our thinking
and discover ideas that are less common.
During the brainstorming session,
we will be looking to unpack everything
and see what connections we can make.
So to undertake brainstorming for my logo design
involves four tasks.
One, identify qualities from brief and project research,
two, make creative interpretations,
three, identify initial themes
and four, identify design traits.
So during my brainstorming session,
I like to unpack all the key criteria
into a simple visual document
so I can see at a glance everything I need to take
into consideration and work with on the project.
To do this, I use a pre-designed illustrator document
with multiple art boards,
which I can focus on and consolidate information
from the brief into specific sections.
If you want to follow along,
you can get the brainstorming document
from the project folder.
The course folder comes with my complete
logo design solution I will be demonstrating on this course,
including all my design example files
and documents at each step to aid your learning experience.
The folder also comes with design resources,
such as a logo design process checklist,
process documents and templates,
a project folder structure, color sample charts,
and a logo proposal document example,
all of which you can not only learn from,
but use in your own design process.
To get the full learning experience
and use the resources to help develop your own logo project,
I recommend you get the course folder.
Download link with instructions is in the description.
So with your project folder open,
click into folder one, learn and discovery,
into the brainstorming folder
and click on the illustrator doc labeled brainstorming
and you will have the same document I have opened here.
So here you see a blank document
ready for me to fill in the spaces.
Now, instead of just trying to pull ideas out of my head,
I'd like to undertake a process of escalation.
I like to find some initial sparks
that will lead to an explosion of ideas,
a fireworks display of ideas.
This is a really cool process of discovery I use
because it typically yields good results for me.
So this is like the traditional word map exercise
that is common in the design process.
But here, I have put my own twist on this,
which I feel helps push it a little further.
So before we begin,
it may help to see what we are going to lead up to.
So you can get a better understanding of this process.
So with the course folder open,
click into the design process example folder,
click into folder one, learn and discovery,
into the brainstorming folder
and click on the illustrator document labeled
example brainstorming,
and you will have the same document I have open here.
So this is a document I have prepared earlier
and you can see the brainstorming I have undertaken.
For my initial project thinking, I start with qualities.
This is where I will reflect back on the brief
and the project research and start to list out
all the qualities that come to mind
as well as including the key descriptive words
that were highlighted in the brief,
I can also continue to research further
and think of additional relevant qualities.
With identified qualities,
I then like to think about creative interpretations.
This encourages me to unpack and think more broadly.
With my qualities and interpretations,
I can then see if there are any connections
that can be made.
Here I'll see if any interesting themes emerge
that I could base a logo design around.
With qualities, interpretations, and themes,
I then like to think about what the design traits could be
for some of the theme ideas.
Once complete, this should give me some interesting sparks
and ideas which I could base a visual design around.
So with that overview,
I'll just quickly take you through my thinking
so you can understand how you too can do this yourself.
So here I am back with my blank document.
If you want to open your blank documents,
you can follow along with me,
or you can do this on paper.
With your project folder open, click into folder one,
learn and discovery into the brainstorming folder
and click on the illustrator document labeled brainstorming.
And you will have the same document I have open here.
So right now, I'm looking to design a logo
for a music festival called Euphoria.
And I want to come up with some ideas
that could inspire what my logo may look like
and how it could be relevant to the product
or business it needs to represent.
So let's begin with the first task.
One, identify qualities from the brief and project research.
So starting with qualities,
I'm going to reflect back on the brief
and the project research and list out all the qualities
that come to mind.
As well as including the key descriptive words
that were highlighted in the brief.
Here, I will be thinking,
what is the product or company about?
What does it stand for?
How does it feel, sound, or look?
What is its nature, essence or context?
Where does it belong?
What is its personality?
Is it serious or funny, modest or iconic,
progressive or conservative, fast or slow,
solo or together, up or down, and what makes it unique?
What will result is a page full of broad,
yet relevant qualities laid bare,
like ingredients which can start to spark ideas.
So here are some of the words that I included for qualities.
Here, I have words like euphoric, excitement,
joy, high, vibrant, electronic,
elevation, four continents, and 4/4 time signature,
dreamland, and so on.
So here we have good starting points
with some really good qualities.
I feel confident I can work with this.
I'm starting to see some sparks here.
Once I'm happy with my qualities,
I'll move on to the next task,
two, make creative interpretations.
So once I have a page of qualities,
I'll start thinking about creative interpretations.
This is a process of thinking creatively,
connecting the dots and generating some alternative,
fresh, or even new ideas.
Think one plus one equals three.
Here, I'll seek to make clever connections
with the qualities identified in the previous exercise
and interpret them in an imaginative way
looking for possible visual connotations.
This is where you will be thinking more outside the box
and aim to push the boundaries.
Can you combine these qualities
and make a link to form something alternative and fresh?
What can represent the qualities
in an interesting and creative way?
Can you find a different perspective
and can you generate something new and interesting?
So here are some ideas that I included
for creative interpretation,
reflecting on the qualities.
Here, I have ideas like elevated emotions, pulse, beat,
escapism, synchronization, positive energy,
lifting spirits, love, natural high,
tribal gatherings and so on.
So now it's getting a little more interesting
where we are starting to come up with less obvious ideas.
I'm starting to see more sparks here.
Once I'm happy with my interpretations,
I'll move onto the next task.
Three, identify initial themes.
So once I have a page of creative interpretations,
I'll start thinking about initial themes.
The purpose of this is to consider the qualities
and the interpretations
and start to identify possible themes
I could base a logo design around.
Here, you were thinking of visual design or subject themes.
What I always aim to have here are lots of interesting
and potential ideas that get me excited and motivated.
So here are some ideas that I have included for themes.
Here, I have ideas like heart of dance, escape to dance,
dance nation, dance heaven, soul sync,
spiritual high, pulse vibration, dance epicenter,
one love and so on.
So now this is pretty cool.
I have quite a few ideas here,
any one of which I could possibly base a logo design around.
I'm starting to see even more sparks here.
So once I'm happy with my initial themes,
I'll move onto the last task,
four, identify design traits.
So once I have a page of initial themes,
I'll start thinking about design traits.
At this point, you should have lots of potential ideas
and insights to work with.
Here, I give some thought as to what kind of design
would adequately and appropriately justify
and bring to life the themes generated previously.
Here, I'm looking to identify possible design styles,
design principles, and traits
that would communicate the right message,
invoke the right emotions and tone of voice.
Here, you will be thinking, is it abstract or literal,
conservative or vibrant, light or dark,
simple or complex, modern or classical,
smooth or textured, symmetrical or asymmetrical,
flowing or stagnant, aligned or scattered and so on.
Here, you should avoid design trends at all costs.
Whatever ideas, references and styles
you conceive and envisage should be inspired
from the qualities and themes specifically,
and not some arbitrary design trend.
This will give your design meaning and substance
with a pursuit for originality.
This can really help focus on potential ideas
for a visual solution.
So here are some ideas that I included for design traits,
reflecting on the qualities.
Here, I have ideas like rhythmic, abstract,
spectrum, pulsating, iconic, bold,
layered, high contrast, tribal, psychedelic, synchronized,
ethereal twist and '90s graphic style.
So with just a little bit of work,
I have an amazing spread of ideas before me.
I find listing qualities first
and then considering creative interpretations
and identifying initial themes
is a good method to generate interesting ideas.
This process usually yields great results
and prevents creative block.
At this point in the process,
I start to get really excited
because now I have some really cool ideas
I feel I can start to base and develop my design around.
(upbeat techno music)
Now in this video,
I demonstrated my thinking and my approach
for this design project.
Now you are welcome to follow along with my example,
but if you're following along with this course
and looking to undertake your own process as an exercise,
I would recommend you undertake
your own brainstorming session for your project.
So if you're following along with your own design idea,
take a pause and carry out your process.
Before moving on, undertake the same process
I have just demonstrated,
but come up with your own ideas.
Don't forget, you can use my templates,
which you can find in the project folder.
And remember, you will be able to use this
as we progress into the next steps
when you come to design your own logo
later in the design process.
Once you have undertaken your own brainstorming session,
let's continue.
So with my initial brainstorming complete,
I can either keep it on my computer to come back to later,
or I can print it out to place onto my project wall.
With my illustrator document complete,
I'll come up to file, save as,
I'll change the format to PDF,
then I'll navigate into my project folder
and into the top folder project wall,
I'll click into one, learning discovery
and save the file as brainstorming.
This will create an easy document,
which I can easily print out or refer back to later.
Now I love printing out my brainstorming session
and placing it onto my project wall.
I find it makes it much easier to glance at
during my design process to keep me focused, perfect.
So this is why the brainstorming process is so important.
If I had not done my research
and undertaken the brainstorming session,
would I have come up with these ideas?
Maybe, but more than likely not.
When I undertake design,
I really like to come up with exciting and inspired ideas.
This is one of the reasons I have been successful
as a designer because my design is not just well-made,
but there are always good ideas behind it.
Design is not just about aesthetics.
It's also about a strong idea
that can help a company or product really stand out
from the competition.
And a good idea can do this just as much as a good visual.
This adds an extra quality to the work
that makes it stand out.
Now, in this video, I discovered a lot of ideas.
At this crucial stage in the design process.
Some of you may be wondering,
how many logo routes should I create.
And this is a really good question
as there are a lot of mixed opinions on this,
which can often come down to your circumstance.
Before we move on to the next step
and undertake visual research,
I think it would be a really good time
to discuss this question.
So in the next video,
I'm going to discuss how many logo routes
you should create for your logo design project.
See you in the next video.
(upbeat techno music)