I was immediately brought back to my semester in Words and Images. TJ had us working on Process Books for each project as our ideas came into fruition throughout the semester. It was really eye opening seeing the process from beginning to end, showing how unique each person's design process really was. It wasn't until that class that I realized how every designer goes through a different process when creating final ideas and deliverables.
Like Jen, I tend to be a perfectionist, and rather than having one amazing first draft that doesn't need much fixing, it takes me at least 5 or 6 executed ideas until I can be proud of what I created. I have learned about myself that I refuse to deem a design complete until I feel it has been created into a masterpiece that I love, even if it takes days, weeks, or months (speaking on personal design work; as school work has its due dates--it is a more expedited process of creating a masterpiece). I have to completely love what I have created in order to show it off to a "client", "teacher" or "professional".
It is definitely obvious that everyone has a different process, as everyone's brains work in unique ways, whether the first try comes out picture perfect or if it takes 6, 7 or 8 designs before you feel it is just right.
I researched the phases of a "design process" and came across this gem:
I think this is a great portrayal of the design process--with each phase just as important as the next. Like a snowball effect, it takes a beginning design strategy, a creative concept (majority of the time more than one), and the actual design and ideas, to come up with a beautifully executed end result.
