How can you ideate and brainstorm with your team for the best layout design concepts?

Let's get the basics down. Ask yourself: What's the goal of this layout? Who are we designing for? What's the key message and content we need to deliver? And how will we know we've nailed it? It's crucial to hash these details out with your team and client. Think of it as setting up your GPS before a road trip – you need to know where you're going and why. A solid, well-understood brief and a shared vision keep everyone on the same path, focusing energy on layout concepts that hit the mark regarding relevance and feasibility. Get this foundation right, and you're set for a smooth design journey!

This is what works for me best in terms of creating layout: Identify objectives of the design work:To Inform; To Sell; To Entertain; To Evoke Emotions; To Educate and so on. Here’s an example on selecting design layouts based on a certain objective: ---To Inform Layout: Clean, clear, and organized. Focus: Easy readability and straightforward presentation of information. Elements: Use of bullet points, infographics, and clear headers to break down information. Example: Informational brochures, reports, or informational websites.

Before commencing any project, I need to understand the objectives. Is it a Call to Action, Tune-in, or Point of Purchase? The second essential piece of information is the client's goal. These two aspects serve as the foundation for the project, helping to establish priorities and determine the hierarchy of importance. Once these elements are defined, my team and I will discuss the goals and begin brainstorming, sharing and refining ideas. Once we have a general direction, we will individually seek inspiration and start working on the designs.

One important thing is to divide the main goal into sub goals and complete them step by step to achieve the end result. This will give you more clarity about what you want to achieve in the end.

This is the most crucial step in any project. This is where you ask your stakeholders and others involved, who are our target audiences, what is the message we want to convey, and what will make this successful. This is where I am able to determine my teams KPI’s. After we have laid out the goal of this project, then we are able to break down each step. After we’ve broken these down, we are able to see what skills are required to complete each step. This is where we put the right people in the right spots.

Once you've nailed down your project's goals and scope, it's time to dive into some serious research and inspiration hunting. Hit up sites like Behance, Dribbble, Pinterest, or Awwwards. They're like treasure troves for layout design ideas. Please look for samples that vibe with your project's theme, style, tone, and format. Don't just stop there; watch the latest layout design trends, tips, and best practices. You can find these in blogs, podcasts, books, or magazines. And why not play with tools like Adobe Color, Canva, or Figma? They're great for experimenting with color palettes, fonts, shapes, and icons. This research phase isn't just about gathering ideas and expanding your creative horizons. Happy exploring!

Typically, ideas begin to emerge as we define the goals and scope of the project. Once inspiration strikes, we may explore similar designs in various styles, such as the illustration or 3D, and consider how to adapt them to our needs. Personally, I find great value in researching printed materials like magazines and hardcover art books. Whether it's an art style or a historical era, browsing through these pages ignites my creativity. I also focus on analyzing the layout and graphic design of these materials.

Ahh the infamous research rabbit hole. we all start by researching for our project and end up looking at some cute koalas chewing leaves. doesn't it? Key here is to always stay focused by pinning a sticky note somewhere around your screen saying "the main thing is to keep the main the main thing" a quote by stephen covey. My strategy is simple, I have two browsers, one is setup for inspiration and other for general use. in my inspirational browser I never use anything non-work related. gradually the cookies come to help and always suggest work inspirational stuff. and I keep tabs of hehance, dribble, pinterest, awwwards and several other website open all the time. the key to research is to use browser thingy to your advantage. ;)

Any time I see a good layout, typography, use of color, hierarchy, etc. I clip it out or take a screenshot and print it out. Then I tape it into my Idea Book, which is a glorified scrapbook. It’s separated into ads, catalogs, direct mail, typography, illustration and web. If I get blocked in the creative process, due to panic at a fast turnaround or unfamiliar subject, I leaf through the Idea Book. It almost always gives me inspiration and seeds of ideas on how to attack the current project.

In my approach to layout design, I find creating a kind of mood board incredibly effective. It’s not just about gathering visually appealing elements, it’s about piecing together user-centric features that resonate with our project’s objectives. I often collect elements from various designs from different platforms and not just from them, I tend to save good designs on Instagram as well, I’ve made a collection that helps me out when I’m actually doing the project. And by analyzing what works well in these designs, I can weave these aspects into our layouts, ensuring they are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-friendly.

Once goals are established and inspiration for a creative direction is found, there are several ways to proceed. The size of your team may influence the number of concepts to review, but I prefer to have multiple preliminary options at this stage. Depending on the project's scope, using mood boards can be a good way to explore colors, fonts, design styles, and emotions before developing ideas further. This approach facilitates collaboration with the team and helps reach a consensus on the directions to explore. Recently, I have integrated generative AI into my workflow and am amazed at the level of inspiration it provides and the options it offers. It has also advanced to a point where I can upscale and use the images in my final product.

In layout design, understanding your audience is crucial yet often overlooked. Before starting your design, whether sketching or digital prototyping, know who you're designing for. What are their preferences, needs, and expectations? Good design is more than aesthetics; it's about effective communication and connection. Dive into your audience's preferences to create layouts that resonate with them, focusing on empathy and relevance. Your design should guide viewers intuitively, crafting a visual narrative that aligns with their expectations. This approach ensures your layout is not just visually appealing but also impactful in conveying your message.

Ideation should be fast and furious, non-stop without filtering and/or editing. If you can't sketch an idea quickly enough it's ok to write it down, and then come back to it if time permits. Next, go through the process of elimination, keeping the ones you think have potential, then generate more ideas from those, repeating the process of elimination until one or two concepts begin to shine through. Now you've probably reached the "ah-ha" stage where you can begin the concept's development, refinement, and then its final execution. And if it does not work, take a break and return to start all over again!

To help you get started, here are a few tips: - Keep it simple. Don't overcomplicate your layout with too many elements or colors. - Use white space to make your content easy to read and digest. - Use images, infographics, or videos to break up your text. - Make sure your design is mobile-friendly. - Keep your target audience in mind when creating your layout. Your content layout should support your message and help you achieve your goals. These tips will help you create effective and engaging content that resonates with your audience and drives results.

The most important thing to remember is that absolutely nothing is off the table. Think as abstractly or absurdly as you want to - and encourage your team mates and contributors to do the same. You will be surprised at how many fresh and innovative conceptual perspectives can emerge when allowing this type of creative flow. Try to quell judgement and logic.

Selecting the best ideas depends on your situation. I’ve had the pleasure of working for myself and with an internal agency. In my solo capacity, I work directly with the client to decide what works best for their needs. I would have already narrowed the selections down to two or three designs before meeting. On the flip side, I’ve had internal reviews, marketing reviews, sales reviews, executive reviews and finally client reviews. Even though those steps might be painful sometimes for a designer, the multiple critiques and revisions involved improve the product and meet the final goal.

Getting user feedback early and consistently during ideation is a game-changer for innovation. The magic happens when we involve users right from the start. Their insights offer invaluable guidance, ensuring our ideas are aligned with real needs and preferences. Early feedback serves as a compass, steering us away from assumptions and towards user-centric solutions. It's not just about perfecting the product; it's about creating something that genuinely resonates with our audience. Remember, innovation thrives on iteration, and user feedback is the catalyst for evolution. It's about a continuous dialogue that nurtures ideas into impactful innovations. User feedback can save you a ton of time in cutting through the noise of options!

Everyone comes together and share their work for review. Each team could have a speaker/facilitator who talks through the work. The whole group will review the work by ruling out some ideas and suggesting improvements, other creative avenues to explore. This may have a number of iteration cycles. There maybe user testing, focus group feedback - whatever review tactic is relevant and within budget and time constraint.

Seeking the 'Why' in Feedback: Always inquire about the rationale behind any feedback. General comments like "let's change it" or "try something else" are not as constructive without an underlying reason. Probing for Detailed Insights: When receiving feedback such as "let's change the layout," ask for specifics. "why?" A more informative response might be, "The layout isn’t effectively showcasing the images. Since our main focus should be on the images, this current layout provides too little space for them ." Encouraging Constructive Criticism: Encourage feedback that is detailed and actionable. Feedback should ideally offer insights that guide you towards making informed design decisions, rather than vague suggestions.

Once you've brainstormed loads of layout ideas, it's time to pick the winners for further work and testing. Get creative with techniques like voting, rating, or feedback. Online tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey can help gather insights from your team, client, or users. Stay objective, weighing each idea's strengths and weaknesses. This process helps you zero in on the most promising layout concepts, making your project more effective.

Once you've picked the best layout ideas, it's time to fine-tune. Get feedback, use tools like Adobe XD or Sketch, and stay open to changes. Collaboration and iteration lead to top-notch layout designs that truly work for your project.

Testing, review and iteration is the key to fine tune developed ideas, to rule then out or take forward to the client. It's important to show the process of investigation in a clear and logical manor, so the client understands what you have done and why. Having ideas backed-up by solid research adds gravitas to your professional craft.

------Seek Diverse Perspectives: Encourage feedback from people with various roles – not just designers. Different perspectives can lead to more comprehensive improvements. ---------Implement A/B Testing: Try A/B testing for different layout versions to see which one performs better in terms of user engagement and satisfaction. -------Incorporate Mockups for Realism: Create detailed mockups to give stakeholders a realistic view of what the final product will look like. Tools like Photoshop can be useful for this stage.

Once your promising layout design ideas are chosen, embark on the crucial stage of iteration and refinement. Leverage feedback and data to guide your process. Utilize techniques like prototyping, wireframing, or mockuping to create increasingly detailed and realistic iterations of your concepts. Online tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, or Framer allow you to design and test these iterations interactively and collaboratively. Remember, flexibility and openness to change are key. Actively incorporate suggestions and insights from your team, client, or users. Through this iterative process, you'll elevate the quality and usability of your layout design concepts, ultimately achieving the best possible results for your project.

In my Figma presentations, I ensure to include detailed notes alongside each layout design, explaining the rationale behind my decisions. I clarify how each layout aligns with specific design goals and why I believe it's effective for the given context. Additionally, I supplement my explanations with relevant references and examples, reinforcing the justification for my choices.

When presenting layout designs, it's vital to demonstrate their adaptability in different scenarios, like a billboard versus a smartphone. This showcases the design's versatility and effectiveness across various contexts. For instance, a TV ad design might need tweaking for a digital format like an Instagram ad. In my presentations, I emphasize the importance of context and involve clients early in the drafting process. This helps them understand the design's value across different mediums, from large outdoor ads to mobile interfaces, highlighting how entry points influence design decisions.

Some people may not like it but there’s something to be said about pressure as well. Good foods often need a little pressure to cook well. But there is bad pressure and good pressure. Bad pressure is basically all kinds of acts that make people uncomfortable if, for some reason, they cannot perform in a brainstorming session (small talk, inside jokes, ironic remarks, or just simply stressing what’s going to happen if the session doesn’t go well). It just doesn’t work. Good pressure is all kinds of positive stimuli that get people out of their daily passive state to care for the outcome. It’s putting in front of people what’s in the future in case of success. People need to leave the session feeling happy that they gave their best in there.

I feel, for planning any design layout its important that you understand the the objective of your design, where is it going out, who are you trying to reach with this design and that research about your outcome & target audience should have 70% of significance in the design layout but I'd still keep that 30% for creativity, for you to explore your creative side and add a touch of it to make the design unique yet simple for your audience!

White space, often overlooked in layout design, holds crucial significance for several reasons. It serves as a fundamental element in achieving visual balance, enhancing readability, and guiding the viewer's focus on key information, contributing to an overall aesthetic appeal. Neglecting the strategic use of white space can result in cluttered designs, hamper user experience, and diminish the effectiveness of visual communication. White space, whether in print or digital design, is a powerful tool for establishing hierarchy, maintaining brand identity, and ensuring a clean, sophisticated layout. Recognizing and intentionally incorporating white space into design is essential for creating visually pleasing and effective compositions.

Time-box the activity! In reality, sometimes brainstorming and continuous blue-sky exploration is just not too practical. Think progress not perfection! Run quick and dirty tests and then ship the product, measure its performance, get feedback, and iterate from there.

Designing a visual projects must be done on analysis basically getting in the information contained within the product and services used by the consumers level of adopting this layouts which will motivate him or after he sees or it's benifits explained by our colours and attract his attention to his concern for all of this survey should be noted and researching and writing the points to including it in the project of successful design Team from different expression and visual can be considered To achieve a perfect balance between the product and the end user Which will give reward to the team and both benefit from it.