- [Instructor] Whether a client is local
or you're working with the client remotely,
presenting your design directions
needs to be done in such a way that the method you use
doesn't overpower the message of your designs.
In this movie,
I'm going to show you how I format my design directions
and present them to my clients
in what I call a close to final comp.
This will allow them to review, compare
and choose a logo design direction to move forward with.
So let's jump into this.
First, I want to show you the design directions
I presented to Cascade Lakes Soda Company.
And usually when I use this format,
it's almost always in a horizontal,
every now and then based off of the design and the client,
I might do it in a vertical format,
but either way, the size of the document
in this case, a PDF, for each of these directions,
is eight and a half by 11.
So a client can easily print it out on their end.
You should also make sure
when you create a PDF from Illustrator that it's in RGB mode
'cause you never know on their end,
what type of printer they have,
and if you send them a CMYK file,
sometimes that color will come out completely different
because they don't work in that world.
Everything they're printing out is probably RGB based.
So keep that in mind when you set up your design directions
to send to the client.
So once again, the final format will be PDFs
and I provide links so they can view it online
through a browser, and then be able to download it as well.
So this was the first design direction,
I like to show 'em the brand mark itself in its final format
or what I call close to final,
'cause I might make some tweaks
after they selected direction.
And then on the right, I'd like to simplify it down
to show 'em how it would work in context
on a dark background specifically and how it breaks down
and yet still holds up and is good in terms of readability.
So this was the first design direction we created,
here was the second one,
this encapsulates more the theme of the area with mountains,
but this looks really great in a one color format as well.
I like to choose different colors on different formats
and I just tell my client when I send the design directions
is don't get hyper-focused on color.
If you like design but not necessarily the color,
that's the easiest of all things that can be changed.
So just focus on the design
and if you want to alter the color,
we can easily do some color explorations
to land on the colors you would prefer instead.
Here's the third direction,
once again, more of a mountain theme and water going on.
Let's take a look at the fourth one.
This one I really like, it was my personal favorite.
I think it works well in a seal type of format
and it would work well on their packaging
and everything else.
Let's take a look at the next one.
This one, I want it to be a little more bold,
little more strong, really play up the water part
because let's face it, it's a beverage company
and water from the Cascade Mountains
is being used within their product.
So I thought this fit and aligned with that thinking.
Here's another one, clean, bold, simple,
but still reflects the quality of that area.
And the last one we provided seven directions,
was the one you saw previously
where I built the texter into it.
But once again, broken down into one color image
holds up really well
and would work well on the packaging also.
I also, along with comps like this
for design directions they can consider,
I also cherry pick a few usually my favorite one
and I'll mock up different images
just to show them how this could exist in a real world.
I don't expect them to be able to envision things.
They're not creative people,
they don't do that on a daily basis.
So I want to assist that and show them the vision
of where this could go, how it could be used.
And one of the ways I do that
is I might mock up a vehicle graphic like this.
This is what one of their vehicle graphics could look like
if they go with this potential direction,
or maybe in this case, since it's a beverage company,
I mock up maybe what one of their cans
could be utilizing this graphic in context
to represent their overall brand.
So this is how I presented to Cascade Lakes,
let's jump over and take a look at Elevated Culture.
On this one ultimately, I'm showing them a couple options
for each direction
because what I have in mind, this is a lifestyle brand,
I don't want just one format of logo that they could use.
So I give them one that's more structured
as you would anticipate with the logo.
But in this case,
I also want to create a seal type of format
that would reflect some of those attributes
in the brand DNA that was covered
such as wisdom, strength, perseverance.
I wanted all of that to be encapsulated
into a nice design motif.
So I showed them the primary logo, the secondary logo here,
how it works on a light-colored background,
how it works on a dark-colored background,
and I reinforce the whole concept
I'm using here of a panther,
by using a background image here that's of a panther
that works really well,
and kind of gets them into that vision
I want them to be thinking about.
They're moving forward, trying to develop their brand
and thinking what's going to best represent it,
so I want to show them and showcase to them
what will best represent it as well
and I do that by kind of locking them into that mindset
by showcasing a panther in the background.
Here's the next design direction,
this is the one where I played off
that kind of beefiness that I called out
in the mood boards that he had referenced
that kind of aligned with what I was thinking all along.
I love this design, I think it looks cool,
it's powerful, it's bold, it's simple.
And once again I locked it up in a primary way
and a secondary way here
and showcase it on both types of backgrounds.
Here's the third one,
actually my daughter, Savannah, designed this one
and I thought this one was elegant and sophisticated.
And so I wanted to include this as well.
It's still that same thinking of a bold line work
but done in a very unique way.
So this one turned out good as well.
Let's take a look at the fourth one.
Here's another one where I'm thinking like the panther head,
I'm thinking this styling would go along with it.
And as you're going to see in the email I sent,
I also call out to the client
that if they pick this one direction,
then I would include another direction with it
because I thought they were compatible.
And so this would be one of those designs
that would go with another design I'm presenting
and I would give it to them as an entire brand family.
And so I really love how the seal design on this one works.
This would look beautiful on a t-shirt.
So I think this is really strong direction.
Here's another one, five.
This one I like, it's a different take.
It's a little more realistic, not so stylized.
It's more of a silhouette-type format in design,
but it holds up well.
It's proud, it's strong, it's powerful,
he's moving forward is the thinking behind this one.
Let's take a look at the sixth
and this one is probably my favorite.
I love how the panther came out.
The wings just kind of bring forth that mindset of elevate.
And this was the example, if they like this one here,
then I would go ahead and throw in the other one as well.
So if they like six, then they would also get four as well,
or likewise, if they picked four,
then I would include six with it as well.
So that's what I'm talking about as a brand family.
Sometimes I encourage them
to go in a direction I think is the strongest by doing that.
And so that might be a tactic you can use at some point.
Let's take a look at the seventh one,
this is the one you saw me build.
I really liked this one.
I think once again, it's elegant, it's strong,
it's very classy and it has this nice flair
of kind of mythology to it of sorts.
That you might see this
on the wall of petroglyphs in Egypt or whatever.
So I really liked this design,
I think this one has potential as well.
And then the last one was this one.
And as I was putting my design directions together,
I was looking at this one I go, I don't hate it
but I don't think I captured that proud aspect,
the strength.
He kind of looks like he got turned down
by a female panther
when he asked her out on a date of sorts,
'cause he's kind of downtrodden.
So it was at this point when I was thinking through these
and getting ready to send them off to the client,
I decided, this one I'm not going to send off.
In which case, I'm just not going to provide that direction.
We'll just send one through seven instead.
So you might make that call, that's art-directing yourself.
You never want to show a direction
that if you're not convinced about,
then don't show it to the client.
That's a good indication, it shouldn't see prime time
and that's why I always try to do seven to eight designs
because I'm only going to show the strongest ones
from that batch.
So I might only do six strong ones
and two of them, they're okay,
they're just not as strong as the others,
then I don't show those.
I also like I showed you in Cascade Lakes,
we'll mock up how a potential image can be used.
This is my favorite design directions
so I use this to mock up this t-shirt.
This is a lifestyle brand so they will be doing merchandise,
so it's appropriate as well.
And this will help capture the vision of where they can do
and how they can use it.
Now, when I send my close to final comps off,
once again, all of these are PDF files.
So each of these design directions
will be a PDF file that I'll send a link to,
they can view it through the browser, they can download it
and print it out and consider it and compare.
When I send the email off,
this is what my emails looks like.
I address it in this case to Omar,
who's the one starting this lifestyle brand.
Each of the design direction shown below,
here's all seven of them, has the link to download the comp.
In the red is where I called out
that if you go with E2 or E6,
I'll include this brand mark is the secondary brand graphic.
So that's where I'm kind of encouraging them in a direction
because I personally think those were the strongest designs,
but ultimately he's going to pick and choose.
This is how I format the email and send it off.
Once again, it's important to never show a design direction
you wouldn't be okay with a client choosing.
If you think something isn't as strong as it could be,
then it's simple, don't present it to your client.
You want to make it as easy as possible
for a client to review your designs.
I rarely do this in person
since most of my clients tend to be out of state.
I do make myself available for a conference call
if they'd like to talk through designs,
that's perfectly fine,
and I use those opportunities to sell a vision
of where they could go
with any of the design directions presented.