How Do You Design?

[Antwawn]

First I open up Photoshop to start a graphic. Then, I can't think of a cool idea, and my ass hurts from sitting, so I walk around. Then, an idea pops in because my subconscious is working on it, and then I start making it in Photoshop until it looks cool. Usually while I'm making the digital design I just make more cool stuff to stick in.

[uniquestreak]

I just design, no preplanning just design till its done. Usually do it in photoshop, then if its a flash project recreate it there.

[PhilJ]

I usually open up illustrator first and start sketching with the pen tool. From there I open up Photoshop, and start putting it all together. I usually don't do full logos in Illustrator, I just jump back and forth between IL and PS.

[loco]

Hello all, I'm new here

I start by gathering as much information from the customer as possiable. Trying to get a feel of what idea's they have, if any. Sometimes I sketch with a pencil and scan it, then clean it up. Most of my design work is done in illustrator playing with layout and color scheme. Show the customer some simple layouts to see what direction gels with them.

-loco

[guetizo]

well, for me it happens in several ways.
Pencil and a paper, and sometimes i sneak the 12 colors baby crayons of my daughter and play around with colours to spice it up.
In some ocassions I jump on to illustrator and begin to draw my idea(s) and go with the flow.
But, I don't know if this happens to you, sometimes a "word" that cross my mind or ear, a picture, and even some "picture" (I dont know if it's the right word - sorry.) that we saw when we're driving along the road, can start up - at least for me - some great ideas with happy endings.

guetizo

[red]

As for me I make some preliminary sketches on paper with my pencil. Then once I like what i see, I scan it and color it.

[sashquach]

my illustrating skill is really bad...
can anyone teach me where to start learning it???

[Mr. Plague]

When I have to design something I just sit if front of my computer and try to think of the objective of the site, after I figure the objective, I mentaly try to picture the layout what needs to be included. Then I look around the web for ideas that could make the design better. I open photoshop and create a sketch. Finaly make the whole thing in photoshop, edit in ImageReady image slice it and save as HTML. I go with dreamweaver from there.

[apresico]

i sometimes sketch out on paper what I am going to do, but very rarely, oppose to what i was always instructed to do in college. if i am in front of the computer, i use illustrator usually because its my favorite program of all. photoshop I use for web design mostly. if i make something nice on paper, it gets inked, scanned and then I use streamline to vector it.

[goldmari]

ALtough the first impulse is to draw some crazy creative ideas, an pass them on to the computer I usually feel that te real creative process starts after that, whem I leas expect, like on the way back home.

I guess I´d have to say that I design the best when I´m relaxed instead of tense and extreamlt focused...

[Inxi]

For me:

1. I get an idea
2. I do some brainstorming about the idea
3. I draw something
4. I open photoshop, and start making it
5. Show it at a forum, get comments
6. Improve it
7. Finished
8. Trying to sell

[force]

I alost always start with paper and pencil. Usually, I'll do a word brainstorming list. This gets my mind thinking associatively. You'd be surprised where a 10 min. brainstorming session wil llead you. Then, thumbnails. Plenty of them, if time permits. I heard of a designer once who got tapped by VISA to do some visual concepts. he completed some 200 thumbnails and made a host of digital designs from there.

Now, this is EXTREME, but tghe idea is to search out several design aspects of a given project before channeling your creative efforts into one specific direction.

Again, though, time restarints are often prohibitive. So, the short list goes like this (when I'm on a time crunch) :
1. two minute brainstorm
2. a few thumbnails
3. DiGital design process (usually in illustrator)
4. final "tweaks"

Previously, someone asked for how to get started with illustrating... if you can draw, jump right into community college design courses, to learn the ins and outs of digital design software (always explore on your own, too!). If you can't draw, take several years to develop your draftmanship skills. -Draw EVERY day.

Start there. Come back, later.

[gopher's]

I also begin the design process wit pen and paper. I make some ideas for the font(if i'm making logo design), I search the internet or I ask for everything important about the firm. And after that I open the corel draw and I'm starting