For the purpose of easier understanding of the evolution
of a design project we present a short visual
interpretation of visual communication design process.
Designing a visual message is a more complex

process than it appears on the surface. The reason
for this lies in the fact that the process is obscured to
the public (with the exception of the client) and only
its results are plainly visible.

The process of developing a visual message is based
on a circular sequence of phases (1—4) which enables
constant quality control up to the point at which the
message is ready for realisation (5). This ensures

high quality as all possible errors are eliminated before
the final realisation.

Brief is a text with which the client communicates
information about the project. It provides description
of the content, the goals and the needs. It does not
define the type of articulation — the way in which

verbal is translated to visual. It couples the project's
definition with a financial plan for technical execution,
the limits of which largely influence the form of the
visual message.

In accordance with the guidelines given in the brief,
research is focused on the project's information
resources. It is based on understanding how the project's
field functions and what its characteristics are.

Two important parts are a reference to examples of good
communication practice and the description of common
features. The goal is an objective summary of the facts
and common features of communication practices.

Concept is an idea for communicating the content.
It is based on merging the brief's guidelines and the
results of the research. The outcome is a definition
of the idea of communication. This is a creative phase

since it merges objective facts with the creative thinking
which transforms them into a communication approach.
In majority of the cases the concept is presented in the
form of a sketch, but it can also be verbal.

Reflection is a phase in which the attention is diverted to
the basic definition of the project which is then compared
to the concept of communication. Its purpose is to verify
the quality of the articulation (translation) of the message

from verbal to visual and its clarity. In the case of
discrepancies it points out the mistakes and enables
their correction.

Realisation is the transfer of concept to the final
sophisticated visual message. It comprises the exact
definition of the form and its adaptation to the media
of execution. The secondary task is to define and control

the technical execution in traditional or new age media,
i.e. to control the print or the transfer of digital content
to a working form (e.g. website).