Saturday, November 17, 2007

Graphic Design Hits… and misses (ver. 1)

Like in any endeavor, rejection is an integral part in my line of work. For every design study approved by a client, about two or three others are rejected. And it does not end there. For the chosen design, a long process of revisions and amendments is to be expected. So an instant hit for me is like being sun-kissed on a clear day framed by a vivid cerulean sky with the crisp, cool morning breeze on my face.

Suffice it to say that instant hits for me are few and too far in between. This however has greatly helped me to hone skills in my chosen craft. In my thinking, if I only turned out hits, then I would have nothing else to learn and I would have deluded myself to stagnation. So as it stands and as the course of life goes, from design conceptualization to rendition, the work is long and the details are varied and many and I love it. I believe that extensive progression is a fact of the creative process. After all, our universe was created by countless forces and a confluence of innumerable factors in the span of billions of years to what it is now, and it is still a work in progress.

Moving on, I have been doing graphic design and lay out jobs for Cathay Pacific – Philippines since 2000. I regularly do their Marco Polo Club country update, a newsletter leaf included in the quarterly magazine. I have my share of hits and misses with them but overall, what I appreciate most is the process.

A hit. They loved the road signs. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

My most recent instant hit came from a logo design I did for SMART Communications and IMG (International Management Group) Philippines. This one is for the 2007-2008 SMART - PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) Philippine Cup.

An instant hit. The design notes help convey the process of conceptualization to the client. This highlights the fact that all elements in a graphic design are consciously and conscientiously created and placed, and not just done by accident. A word on writing design notes: concise. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

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