The LSS Design Process - Explained!
We are the FIRST ones to shout this from the rooftops. Creating a gorgeous, impactful brand identity - logos, labels, business cards, websites and more - is one of THE MOST FUN parts of running a business. In fact, we love it so much that we’ve created an actual business out of it! 🤩
At Long Story Short Design and Print, our Number One Priority is to give you a brand design experience that is smooth, efficient and enjoyable for you. After many years in the industry, we know a thing or two about what makes a design process easy - and what can make it difficult, too.
With any service, there are certain steps to take in order to keep everything flowing nicely. We have spent a lot of time and effort curating the LSS Design Journey, so that there are as few steps as possible!
Now, we want to share some of the most frequently asked questions about our Design Process:
Why do you ask for all my information before you start designing?
We are all about keeping things simple 😎. It saves time and keeps things stress-free for you, and for our team! By gathering all of your information upfront - through a simple questionnaire and forms - it avoids the hassles of dealing with missing information. This means less frustrating back-and-forth emails for you, and it keeps unnecessary delays at bay. Granted, we may need to pop through a quick question to double-check a detail from time to time. Yet by collating all of your brief specifics in one go - before we start designing - it guarantees an easier, calmer and quicker process all around.
What are “Inspo Examples”? And why are they important?
Everyone has a different idea of what is edgy, beautiful, bold, elegant or eye-catching - including us designers. This is what makes us all unique! Our mission is to bring YOUR personal, beautiful, special creative visions to life, and ensure YOU are happy with what we create for you and your brand.
We would love to be able to read minds! 🔮 But the closest we can get to achieving this is by asking you to send visual examples of other brand logos, labels and marketing materials you like (and don’t like, for that matter!).
When you brief us on your ideal designs, please send us as many inspiration (or ‘Inspo’, for short!) examples as your heart desires. That way, we have a clear idea of the creative direction you are after.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: We will NOT copy these examples. Rather, we take inspiration from elements like the font style, layout, and illustrations to use as guidance to create a brand sparkling-new, unique design for you!
Can I send you my own mock-up or sketch?
We love it when you send us a mock-up! It is fantastic to see how your creative juices are flowing and get a sense of your ideal design visions. Yet we don’t always know if you are wanting your sketch or mock-up to be recreated exactly, or used as inspo guidance for a new design. When you send us a mock-up, please tell us if you want us to match it, or simply use it as a reference.
Why do I need to check grammar and spelling?
We totally get it - this is the somewhat less glamorous (ok, BORING!) part of the design process. It is easy to get caught up in the fun, creative decisions that remembering to check the basics like the spelling of your descriptions or wording can be neglected.
These small details do count. You want your labels, business cards and flyers to look polished and impressive, and it would be a BIG shame for there to be a spelling mistake to undermine them.
Fortunately - thanks to the wonders of technology - there are lots of proofreading programs out there that can do the hard work for you! Even copying and pasting your label text into Word will help you pick up on grammar and spelling errors.
It is crucial that this is conducted BEFORE the design stage. Even small tweaks in wording during draft reviews can change the layout and slow up the process. This is why we need you to check your text first, and only send it to us once it is finalised.
How come I need to review my draft carefully?
This is your perfect opportunity to review your design thoroughly, and make sure everything is looking fabulous and aligned with your creative vision!
Yet it is also an extra, crucial quality control step. Our designers are human too, and sometimes little details can be missed. This is a chance for you to verify that all the specs are correct: the quantities, the vinyl type, the text, and even the shape of your printed item. If you notice anything that is not right, email us immediately and we can fix it before it goes to print.
Remember: these steps are in place to make the design journey as smooth, seamless and enjoyable as possible. We want you to have the best designs ever! And we are all about having FUN with you, as we bring your brand design visions to life! 🥰 Ready to get started? Email us for a quote.