Designing process involves many people working on different aspects of an artwork. The movement of artwork, changes, suggestions, and feedback, all of these are sometimes happening simultaneously. It makes mismanagement very easy to creep in. And the result is lost information and confused members. ‍

But how to make the design process smoother?
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Along with proper planning, a strong system and open communication, you need a strategy that can help you streamline all the parts of your design process. You need a software that can make collaboration, designing, suggestions and communication much easier and also take care of the compliances. Introducing a robust brand compliance software in your design process can significantly enhance organization and ensure regulatory adherence. 

In this article we discuss why you need an organized system in the form of a software and how you can simplify your design process.
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Let’s get started.

7 Ways To Simplify Design Process

You can manage the design process most efficiently only when you build a system that is simple yet robust.

Why?

• It strengthens team relations.
• Makes the approvals faster.
• Helps increase revenue.
• And handles the amount of data exchange.

But how to build a system like that?

Here are 7 ways that can make the design process super simple and durable. 

1. Create A SOP

The first step to simplify your design process is to introduce a standard operating procedure for the whole team. This procedure must be detailed and must include the responsibilities of all the members. It must include the method and steps in which any artwork will proceed and approval will take place.

A standard operating procedure ensures uniformity in the management of artworks and sets a tone for any project in the future. It also enhances the clarity among members, making the design management process seamless, and acts as a foundational element of your workflow system.

Source: helpjuice.com

2. Research In-Depth

Before starting the actual design process, it is important to familiarize yourself with the client’s needs and their perception of how their product packaging or labels must look. You must understand the brand’s values and voice, and the image that it wants to establish.

Collect all the information about the cost involved in the designing, time taken for the project and the people that will be involved. Then research about the designs that go best with the client’s requirement and reflect the brand in the best manner. Start the designing with all involved team members together to keep them aware of the progress.

Source: freepik.com

3. Analyze And Sketch

After you’ve collected all the data, analyze them and discuss in depth about the best designs with all your teammates. Make sure that all members are on the same page and then start the first sketching of the artwork.

Take insights from the creative team, designers, legal team and medical team (if any) about how the designing should be. Make sure that members give constructive feedback on designs and communicate their ideas with each other.

Source: freepik.com

4. Mockup And Review

After the basic sketching and designing of the artwork is done, the creative team must work together with the designers to create a mockup design, utilizing Creative Operations. It helps the team understand what elements of the designs must be added or removed. This designing process should also be used to decide on the color scheme, font size and style, and the textures.

The mockup must then be reviewed for any irregularities, spelling errors, inconsistency with brand’ssoftware image etc. The legal team must see that all the guidelines are followed and the label or packaging is compliant.

Source: freepik.com

5. Workflows And Checklists

Workflows and checklists give a systematic approach to the designing process and are great when you are looking at a number of regulatory guidelines to follow. They make the process faster and also increase accountability among members. The implementation of a robust workflow system, customized according to the brand and product, allows you to keep a check on the steps to be taken at each stage of designing.

Workflows allow you to keep a check on the steps to be taken at each stage of designing. These workflows can be reused for a design requiring similar steps to be followed.

Checklists ensure that you never miss out on any guideline and include all the necessary information on the labels and packaging. You must customize these checklists according to the brand and the product.

Source: freepik.com

6. Fast Track The Process

Reduce the time for which an artwork stays in the loop through faster feedback systems, collaborations and other proofing tools that an artwork management system provides. Because the longer the design stays in the process, the more chances of mistakes to creep in.

Fast tracking the process will help minimize the risk of data loss and mishandling. It can also help you take up more projects and hence, increase revenue.

Source: freepik.com

7. Get Artwork Approved

Getting your artwork approved by the client is the last step of your design process and to simplify it you must be able to present your designs to your customers in the most uncomplicated manner. Refrain from using technical words that can confuse your clients.

You must be able to communicate the exact thought process behind a design and how it reflects the vision of their brand. Your design must be compliant with all the regulatory guidelines and must also connect with your client’s ideas about their product.

Source: freepik.com

Choosing The Right Software for Your Design Process

While you might get all your processes right and strategize the best plan for your design management, the real challenge lies in the execution of those processes.‍

So, how will you supervise?‍

The best and the easiest way is to use a design management software which allows team collaborations. Using software is also the solution to all the long meetings, tiring video conferences, loops of emails and inefficient feedback systems that create friction in the approval process.

So here’s what a software must do as a functional collaborative design process manager.

1. Centralize Briefs

As the number of stakeholders increases in a project, it becomes more and more difficult to keep a track of the artwork’s progress. At any stage you might need to refer to a different version of the artwork. And its absence can take up a lot of time going through the long loops of feedback and making the changes all over again.

A software facilitates a centralized briefing system where you can record the progress of artwork at every step. You can bring all your designing process to a single platform so that management becomes more swift.

2. Collaborate Teams

When creative teams are working remotely, a major challenge can be the movement of artworks from one team to another. Using an artwork management software can provide the platform where teams can work together on a project and give feedback. 

This collaboration cuts down time taken for approval and increases responsiveness among members. Bringing all the teams together is necessary for regulatory compliance and tracking. It also facilitates communication among members of all teams.

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3. Give Feedbacks

To get the correct artwork in terms of creativity and regulatory compliance, a design must collect feedback from different teams. Traditionally, these feedbacks and suggestions were given through emails which were difficult to keep a log of. 

Giving feedback has become way easier through softwares that handles all the feedback and suggestions at one place and makes this exchange easier, faster and more manageable. Software makes the exchange of information among members hassle free.

4. Compare Versions

An artwork management software allows you to compare different versions of your design so that you stay consistent and your brand’s image comes out in unison. You can compare the font type and size and designs across all products.

From proofing spelling errors to pantone colors, a version comparison tool can help you stay aligned with the brand’s voice throughout the designing process. And you can save all these versions for future reference.

Your Ultimate Design Process Management Tool: Artwork Flow

When designing an artwork, you need tools that help you stay creative as well as compliant. The design process must be managed by a tool that takes all the management and compliance burden off your shoulders in simple and easy steps. So that you can focus more on creating impactful designs, rather than on the artwork’s management.‍

Artwork flow can be your ultimate tool to manage the design process from start to finish. Artwork flow is equipped with proofing tools and version control that help you design on point artworks. It has workflows and checklists that can be customized according to your needs and help you stay compliant with all the rules.

It allows you to collaborate teams, review artworks at every step and streamline all the design management in jiffy. It is useful for both, a creative team working from an office and one working remotely.

So get started with a free trial and simplify your design management process and make your design management process more powerful.