Trust the process.

Trust the process. I have to remind myself of this every single time I start a new project. 

Good design is more than making things look good. It’s communicating an idea. It’s preserving a brand. And mostly, it’s problem solving. 

At the beginning of most projects, half of my brain generally says, “I’m a creative. I can do this!” while the other half is going, “Holy hell, I have NO IDEA how to make this work.”

And so I sit. I stare. I pick up a pencil and paper. And I sketch. 

Most of what I draw is bad. Like, terribly bad. But the idea is to get every idea out of my brain and onto paper. And from that, pieces start coming together. And from those pieces, I can start creating digitally. When those ideas don’t go as planned? When I draw something I think will work, but just doesn’t? Back to the paper and pencil. Over and over again. 

Eventually, I end up with a handful of options for my client. Some are better than others. Some are included just to see if what they think they want is actually what they want. Some make me sit back and, “Huh.” (tilts head) “Well, that’s not terrible.” (tilts head back, pursing lips) “Hmm.” 

Sometimes one is absolutely, 100%, the obvious choice. Sometimes I know exactly which one my client will pick. And sometimes I am very surprised and they absolutely love the one I -and they- expected they’d like least.

Sometimes, many times, the client comes back with, “These are perfect…can we just change X, Y, and Z?” 

Of course we can. 

And so the process continues. 

It’s taken years and years, but I don’t get attached to my work anymore. Do I have preferences? Always. Am I mad when the client wants something I don’t like? No. My job is to give them options that will solve their need. My job is to also gently suggest they reconsider when I think they’re making a choice they may regret. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “Sure, I can show you that, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea, and here is why…what if we also try this compromise, too?” 

But the final decision is theirs. Always. It may be my work, but it’s the client’s brand. It’s the client’s company. And part of the process is trusting their decision. 

I’d love to be part of your next design project. Contact me here and let’s chat!