A holistic approach.

This phase is concerned with gathering information and establishing design criteria. It often requires spending a great deal of time with the client to define the needs, objectives, and problems to be solved.

After the designer and client have reached an agreement concerning the basic project, visual solutions are pursued that meet the stated objectives. 

At this stage, the design team refines the accepted design, which may include general format, typography, color, other elements, and the assignment of illustration and/or photography. Any changes in budget and/or schedule are agreed upon at this point.

Supervision is the key to this phase, since achieving the client’s vision depends on the precision and quality attained in this final step. It may be a matter of going on press, supervising the fabrication or manufacturing of products, or launching a web site.