I was assigned to work on a letterhead for PR pubs today. It was soo much easier than the business card because most of my research was already done on brand identity. Plus, I already had a good understanding of what I wanted my letterhead to look like.
I believe my progress on it so far is going well. Nevertheless, I am still questioning myself. Is it the best design for the brand or not? Will the majority of people like it? Will it cause confusion to the color blind (due to the vibrantly color lines)? Am I using too much ink?
The design process requires a lot of “What if…” questions. I did not consider it as much when I was making the business card because the better looking the better. However, when it comes to letterheads, it is about aesthetics AND functionality of the design. I realize there is a leap between the business card assignment and letterhead. Even though this assignment FEELS easier, there is an entirely different thought process going into it.
On a different note, I did doubt myself on whether or not to keep the two large horizontal lines running across the paper. It looks good too me but it feels as if it is missing something. Or, maybe those lines should be deleted. Maybe, the I just need to edit one of them. The ordeal is mind boggling.
In any case, I like to refer to /r/graphic_design/ to garner ideas on how to approach projects like the letterhead. It has helped a lot in my creative process. I’d also like to refer to a certain post about how I am starting to feel when designing found here. This professional designer explains a lot about how he feels his designs are inadequate and are taking a step back. I sympathize with his feelings because I know designs can always be improved.
