Danielle Bonanni - Product Design and UX

MAKE IT POP I came across a collection of posters designed to illustrate a few of the key things that we tend to hear in the industry, and was elated to not only enjoy an inspiring visual project, but to know that I'm not alone. Created by Mark and Paddy  of markandpaddy.com , this brightly colored, and inspiring collection of designs add visuals to the hilarious requests that some less-than-informed clients tend to ask. In an earlier post, I raved about the truth and genius of the comic  How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell by the Oatmeal. In said comic, the point is clearly made that sometimes the client is not always right, and essentially needs a little direction in order to help you give them exactly what they need (and want). My very favorite phrase to hear from a client while in a working session, or after presenting them a visual draft of their original request is the infamous, "Make It Pop." This is by far, one of the most frequent requests that most o...

I was contacted last year by Patrick Ormsby, a visual communications student at Cazenovia College, to answer a few questions regarding what it's like to be a graphic designer in the working world. The following questions and answers were the result of the inquiry: What is your proudest moment as a designer? As a designer who takes pride in their work, the most fulfilling thing you can do is to overcome a challenge and be truly pleased with what you've created. In turn, when you are happy with what you've made, your client will see the pride you have in your work, and take that as reassurance in your skills and ability. Learning a new technique, or building a better workflow to expedite your design process can also be incredibly rewarding, and a long-term benefits.

As I've focused on in several posts already, the importance that communication plays on everything we do cannot be understated. Specifically for designers, the graphic representation of abstract, and personified qualities associated with causes, corporations, business entities, and mission statements is becoming more of an art in story telling than just being able to come up with a creative idea and draw it. During the 50's and 60's when advertising agencies and marketing started to burst through the seams of emerging technologies, the messages were often tailored to a very specific demographics, portraying very narrow minded applications, and told one specific story. This story became so much more complex with the introduction of television, as well as larger circulations in printed magazines and newspapers. More and more reliance on the graphics being portrayed gave way to heavy gaps in the communication through these designs. It became the communication of com...

In design, there is such a great emphasis put on having excellent communication that some may overlook. To be even more specific, communication between client and designer during production is obviously critical, but when you include elements of diplomacy into every meeting, it can significantly ease the flow of thoughts, ideas, and new direction based on facts. Diplomacy and open communication can prevent the designer from merely being utilized as an interface to software, and  instead cultivates trust and a strong working relationship. This will ultimately guide the client towards a final product that will benefit them in the long run due to proper use of an experienced designer. Preventing oneself from becoming this "tool," became an investigation into design diplomacy. More often than I'd like to admit, a design project would go downhill fast due to lack of this communication in the early stages. This has actually been illustrated (within a disturbing degree of accu...

One of the most important lessons that I have learned as a designer is the very crucial emphasis on how you present your work to clients. At first, I was completely aghast at client feedback and reactions to what I gave them (which was exactly what they asked for), and how there were often huge gaps in communication that resulted in them trying to initiate a design by committee scenario. If you don't create a firm base of trust and clear communication early in the design process, your client will have a difficult time accepting ideas and designs that you present, regardless of the logic and industry standards that back up those reasons for why  you did a certain thing instead of something else.