What Goes into a Design (Hint: It’s Way More Than “Clicking Buttons”)

Design might look effortless when it's done — but behind every clean, balanced layout is a whole lot of thinking, tinkering, and coffee. Lots of coffee. So no, I’m not “just playing with fonts.” Here’s a peek behind the curtain:

Step One: Understand the Brand

Before anything hits the screen, I start with a bit of detective work. I:

• Dig through your current stuff (business cards, website, possibly that logo from 2008… 👀)
• Learn who your audience is and what you actually want to say.
• Figure out where the design will live — is it wrapping a van or living on Instagram?

Because designing a billboard the same way you'd design a business card? That’s a no from me.

Step Two: The Actual “Designing” Bit

This is where the magic (and the muttering at my screen) begins:

• Sketching layouts, testing concepts, and throwing out the first five ideas
• Picking fonts, colours, and spacing that don’t just look good — they work at all sizes.
• Making sure everything matches your brand and doesn’t scream “made in Canva free trial”.

Oh, and yes — one colour change often means I have to rebalance everything else. It’s like changing one tire and finding out the whole car is leaning.

Step Three: Refine & Prep

Once we’ve got a solid direction:

• I zoom out (literally) to test how it looks at full scale — like on a van, a building, or your dog’s sweater (kidding… unless?)
• Revisions happen, feedback gets applied, and everything starts to click.
• Then I prep the files in the right formats, so your printer doesn’t cry.

No fuzzy screenshots. No wrong file types. Just clean, usable design.

Why It Takes Time (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

Design isn’t just about making something look nice. It’s about:

• Telling your brand story visually
• Making it work across platforms and formats.
• Creating something you’re proud to show off.

Rushing leads to design that looks... like it was rushed.

What You Actually Get

• A design that’s custom, polished, and built with your goals in mind — not a template with your name slapped on
• A creative partner who thinks beyond one project
• A smoother, faster process down the road (especially if we create a brand guide together — future-you will thank us)

Ready for design that does more than “look good”?

Let’s talk. Whether you’re rebranding or just need one solid piece done right, DG is here to help.

Get in touch and let’s make something great.

Know someone who thinks design is just picking fonts? Send this their way. (Gently. With love.)