The Creative Process

A series of steps you repeat every time you work with a concept.

Why do we need a creative process?

•  This improves consistency. A certain level of quality will be maintained.
• Ability to plan and time your work. Time management skills can be developed.
• This will raise the quality of your work.
• Communication will be more effective and more professional.

Steps to the creative process:

1. Research client and competition to get inspiration. Look in magazines, get online, etc. to get inspiration.
2. Brainstorm; strive to be unique and innovative. This ensures a fresh and creative approach. Ask questions like: What kind of message? What audience am I targeting? What kind of color or style will work for this audience.
3. Sketching: Sketch to get thoughts out. Use thumbnails. Consider placement of elements. 
4. Execution: Implement your ideas. Combine type and imagery into a well-developed composition. Utilize design principles and visual organization guidelines to help. Try techniques, explore possible options, and analyze the outcome. If you get stuck, walk away and clear your head. If the piece doesn't look how you imagined, and it isn't working, try another idea. Forcing an idea won't result in a good design.
5. Critique & revise: Take a step back and look at your design with an objective eye. Make sure the design effectively conveys the message to the intended audience. If it doesn't, go back and tweak the composition until it does! Asking others for their opinion will help with this process.

Photo composition notes

Snapshot- a quick shot, often spontaneous, taken to record a moment in time.
Photograph- an image taken with care and thought.

Rules of composition
Rule of thirds- imaginary lines drawn dividing the frame of camera into thirds, both horizontally and vertically.

• Place subject/ important elements where these lines intersect. 
• Place horizon line at the top or bottom horizontal divider. 
• Fill up entire frame with subject for a closeup image.

Leading lines- Use the lines created within the foreground or background of the composition to lead the viewer's eye through the photo. 

• Lines can draw attention to one or more intended subjects or a single focal point.

Point of view- Change the way your subject is perceived by changing the camera position

• If you are photographing a subject that you want to seem very tall, compose the shot so that the camera is looking upwards.
• Doing vice versa can also make a photograph look interesting.

Simplicity- Keep your background simple and clear of clutter.

• The mood and effectiveness of a photo can be altered by what is in the background.
• A chaotic composition will cause the viewer to look away.