My process
Form. Function. Story.
To truly bring life to projects they can’t “just look good” they need to tell a compelling story and accomplish what they were created for. Their story truly comes through when both the beauty of form and the purpose of function are full in effect. Below are a few notes on my personal process and how they worked in real life with the Greater Tacoma Convention Center (GTCC) brand.
STEP 1
Questions and story-building
Meetings with clients can be pretty fun if you know what questions to ask, and to be honest, I still have a pile of journals with notes and sketches from client meetings.
FOR GTCC: We made copious notes as to their history, goals, key stakeholders, and ways the brand would be used. It was a rewarding process in many ways, but especially since they are such a big part of the Tacoma community. From these notes, we formed a baseline story and foundation to build upon.
STEP 2
Sketches and concepts
This may be my favorite part of my process. It’s where people’s stories come together with something you can see and feel…which is pretty cool.
FOR GTCC: After team discussions and conversations about tagline options (which were part of the package), I got moving with sketches and concepts. I normally like to come up with at least three solid concepts to build upon and refine. For GTCC I focused on their unique architecture, the word “greater”, and the idea of gathering together.
STEP 3
Finalization and presentation
It’s always a bit vulnerable to put your hard work out there for others to see, but it’s quite rewarding when the person loves what they see. Truth be told, I’ve gotten pretty thick skin over the years!
FOR GTCC: The number of revisions depends upon a client’s needs and the time and dollar budget. For GTCC we went through a number of revisions and in the end, we were all excited about the final result. It is an amalgamation of concepts that give a nod to their architecture, forward movement, and complex pieces coming together as one.