Questions About Web & Logo Design Process..

[Yamcha]

Hi Guys,

I'm a self taught designer, and I want to learn more about the process of design, because I have the bad habit of jumping into photoshop instead of planning anything out.

My Questions Are:
- Where can I learn about the design process?
- Do you guys as professional designers sketch your iconic logo's? or do you rely on resources on the net?
- Should I learn to draw if I want to create iconic logos??

I was thinking about going to college, but I'm not a fan of school , and was wondering if anyone can also tell me what books you used to study web/graphic design and where I might be able to find them?

Just asking because I'd really like to be a much better designer, I don't have any professional experience...

Appreciate your feedback :]

 

[citizenzen]

My question is, where can I learn about the design process, and also do you guys as professional designers sketch your own logo's?

Sketching is the best way to start, though I have to admit that sometimes I just dive in on the the computer.

I also like to survey what's out there... get ideas about what works... and what doesn't.

There are so many resources on the web. Here's one... How

 

[ezekielrage_99]

No to requote.. But I would really check out LogoLounge, Brand Channel, BrandNew or Smashing Magazine they seem to do a lot with regards to process rather than application

 

[definitive]

i usually sketch something out on paper, or in adobe illustrator. i hardly ever use photoshop now. if anything, i use it for photo retouching.

same for websites. i first sketch out a layout in illustrator, and then start coding everything by hand in textwrangler.

if the two sites you posted were made by you, then you're already better off than most students in art schools. as a matter of fact, i would recommend against going to an art school (especially these days). they cost too much and you usually won't learn enough beyond the basics which will require you to learn on your own time. most of this stuff can be self-taught. only down side is that you won't be able network with new people. employers check for a degree when they hire someone, but they also look at the experience a person has. usually a person with more experience and better quality work (portfolio) will get picked over someone who has hardly any experience even if they have a degree from a good school. the thing about designers is that they have to sell themselves and their ideas, so if you want to get a job, you have to be able to sell yourself to your client despite not having a degree.

i suggest you pick up some typography, logo and color theory books (amazon has many of them). if you don't feel like spending money on those, then there are many alternative ways to learn all of this through google. just remember that you are designing for someone else, not the other way around. because of this you'll have to accept the fact that your work will sometimes not look as good as you may want it to. many times i see work that looks really nice, but there's no point to it, because the designer got too much creative freedom, and wandered off too far from the original idea.

also learn about post-production/printing process so you know how to prepare files for professional printers if you haven't done so already.

 

[Blue Velvet]

- Do you guys as professional designers sketch your iconic logo's?

Yes, hours on little scamps with nothing other than a 2B pencil and some blank paper, before even touching the Mac. You can get a feel for what works far more quickly than going straight to Illustrator, and even better, you can do it anywhere: the kitchen, bed, on the train... in the bath.

 

[Hermes Monster]

are you just here to make me feel yourself feel better, because those sites are very good in my opinion.

I really like your 'social fresh' logo, it's clean and conveys what you're trying to say

Sorry, I have nothing of value to add

 

[Yamcha]

Thanks for all the responses guys :]. The links and sites you mentioned were helpful

are you just here to make me feel yourself feel better, because those sites are very good in my opinion.

I really like your 'social fresh' logo, it's clean and conveys what you're trying to say

Sorry, I have nothing of value to add

I'm glad you like the sites, but actually the logo's were provided by clients.. I did everything else, not that I can't make decent logo's but I always rely on tracing images and making font adjustments on illustrator..

Another Question I had was
Did you guys learn to draw? Because I've tried making logo sketches on paper, and I have to say I really suck when it comes to drawing..

 

[Blue Velvet]

Did you guys learn to draw?

Yep. Three years at design school of general drawing, life drawing and illustration taught in one instance by someone who had been taught by a teacher from the Bauhaus. Scary serious levels of drawing standards that I wasn't able to fully meet all the time. We also did technical drawing in conjunction with designing typefaces.

Drawing is first and foremost about seeing, the marks on the paper come last.

 

[Yamcha]

Thanks, the links were very helpful, will also be taking an online course on drawing..

 

[JDNGuru]

For web part, everything you need to know:
http://www.w3schools.com/

 

[joshuwack]

There were plenty of kids that I went to school with that should never have been in the graphic design program. I imagine they thought that there was some appeal in learning "to photoshop" and other pop culture phrases or who thought it was going to be easy. Sadly, none of them had done a lick of creative thinking in their days. Learn this now: to design something that is simple is not easy.

Unless you already possess some sort of creative or artistic talent, there's only so much formal education and training can teach you. You have to be the one to take that knowledge and couple that with your innate artistic ability. Any resources provided here serve only to expand on that knowledge; you have to be the one to use that inspiration and make something magical.

To answer some of the OP's original questions:

• Someone mentioned amazon.com for books regarding the design process. That's a great start. You're sure to find some good deals on used books.

• I almost always start off my logos, t-shirt designs, and brochure layouts with thumbnail sketches. It doesn't matter if you can't draw well; what's important is that you get the basic shapes and idea down on paper. How do you expect to convey your ideas to a client in a face-to-face meeting without at least some kind of drawing skills?

• I always use Illustrator for logos. Photoshop does not export in a true vector format. So unless you know the maximum size a client will ever want to use the logo in (you won't), stick with Illustrator since the EPS format is truly and 100% scalable.