How do you approach graphic design projects for different industries or sectors?

Client interviews and consultations are a different skill set than making good designs or knowing the tools. You have to ask good clarifying questions and take detailed notes to really understand what the client needs. Sometimes that means you have insights into their proposed marketing targets that they don't, and communicating suggestions tactfully is yet another kind of skill. In my experience the most satisfied clients are both active in the process and respectful of the designer's time. Professional clients budget in for changes and updates and don't expect unpaid support for the product. It also falls onto the designer or agency to communicate how the process works and plan for updates in bids. Honest, direct communication works.

One thing that is helpful is to also understand the potential demographics of the potential consumers. Place yourself as a potential customer and try to pretend that you are seeing the brand for the first time? Choosing the right font is absolutely necessary to relate the mood and temperament of the visual reaction.

Different industries will have different design needs, so you may find yourself working more in certain types of media. For instance, in retail, you might work more in ecommerce web design, print catalog design, or product ads. In publishing, you might work more in book design, magazine design, or newspaper layout. In marketing, you might design more for social media, or as part of large teams creating ads for TV, print, and the internet. In corporations and governments, you might find yourself designing more annual reports and PowerPoint presentations. Really get to know the media you'll be working in when choosing your industry or sector.

Have a clear idea if your approach to the design will be to "Meet The Market" or "Push the Envelope" Try to understand the essential emotional experience each sector looks to imbue onto their targets markets. IE: Safety versus Satisfying, Taking Action versus Taking a Vacation. Afterward research what are the common / typical ways to answer / display those experiences through design. Then experiment with creating design some innovative, updated, avant-garde solutions. Doing this will help creating some extremes where you and your client can meet in the middle.

Para abordar proyecto de distintas industrias o sectores primero hay que conocer al cliente y sus necesidades, para poder satisfacer objetivos, adaptandando nuestro enfoque creativo a las necesidades y valores del cliente. Podemos hacerlo a través de una reunión personalizada y con preguntas específicas para saber que es lo que quieren transmitir y cual es el valor agregado de su empresa. Luego investigar sobre la industria, para comprender el contexto, investigar su compentencia, para identificar tendencias y diferenciadores y sus potenciales clientes, es importante saber sus comportamientos y preferencias.

Before diving into any design work, you should have a creative brief that contains all the information about the project like company background, audience, goals, and deliverables. The creative brief can come from the client, but I find that clients that haven't done one before normally don't write the best brief. I personally like to have an initial meeting with a client where I ask questions to probe for these answers and then I will put together a brief and have them review it for accuracy. I recently started using Milanote (#notsponsored) for handling creative briefs and projects in general, but there are plenty of other tools and templates out there to help get you started.

Even a crayon sketch on a napkin is better than just words when it comes to planning and confirming visual communication. Don't spend hours making a 'perfect' logo when it isn't even what the client asked for. Of course you can use more sophisticated means to wireframe or make prototypes. But even a simple pen and paper sketch can save time just to clarify and confirm. Sometimes the client has not actually seen how their idea would look at all, and can't visualize it the way an experienced artist can. Just like in programming, iterate and show progressive stages when it makes sense to.

I love mind mapping and mood boards. I used to skip them and just jumped straight into sketching ideas, but I recently started experimenting with them and have found that they make the ideation process so much easier as they help make connections that might have gone overlooked. Once you feel like you have some good options to explore, bust out your sketch book and start exploring! James Martin (from themadebyjames.com) has some really great content on his website and some freebies on how he approaches mind mapping that I recommend checking out.

Some of the best design advice I've received is that your design is only successful if it delivers the information you need it to - i.e. you might have the coolest design (form), but if no one can read it or if it doesn't accurately portray the brand (function), it's a failure. The compromise of form and function is a balance that will separate good and great designers.

I think these are very basic/broad ways to approach a project. When you are qorking with a client it is necessary to know whqt their vision was when they began the said project and then you go from there. The "trends" aren't long-lasting, the goals and mission of a person, people or company is what is eternal.