Graphic Design: Passion or Insanity?

Well, I have to say that graphic design is something I have been studying a lot lately. I started it because I thought I had no sense of structure when I did desktop publishing or web design. Now, I know that in some ways I was right. What I wanted to discuss today is what graphic design is and maybe how it has application in virtual assistance.

Briefly, graphic design is a ‘creative process’. It begins with a want/need for an idea to be put in physical form. After some consultation with client and designer, a plan of action comes into existence.  During the process stage, sketches are drawn up and another consultation about the final look for the project is agreed upon. The end result is a picture, sign, letterhead, business card or even a website.

Pretty involved process, right? What seems to be left out are the artistic content that goes with the process. There are always so many things to consider when doing a project. The actual putting the idea on paper deals with so much more.

Some of the artistic principles deal with shape, spacing, coloring, and even typography. Being able to see how something can be pleasing to the eye, it is a definite plus in graphic design. Keeping this in mind we begin to see how involved this is.

When a virtual assistant is fulfilling roles through different projects, being a graphic designer is one of the hats we wear. We have to have a process to accomplish the wishes of our client,

The following is a brief look at how graphic design is incorporated to a virtual assistants duties:

• Research and brainstorming—consultation with clients, who present their ideas and what they are expecting. We look at the history of business, market trends, and the product/service in question.
• Sketching—put some ideas of what the client presented. Here is where we apply the principles of design. Strong representations of the project begin to emerge.
• Rendering—transfer the sketches into actual end products. Using software like Adobe, Photoshop or Inkscape helps produce a presentable product.
• Presenting product and finishing—after meeting with the client, they will either like it as is, or have revisions.

The virtual assistant not only has to have some concepts of design, but be able to present a workable product. Just one of many hats that a virtual assistant can and does wear.