Components of a Project Design Process

Product Purpose

Specifications of the product (i.e. what it is & what it is used for)

Design Criteria

The requirements for the design solution to be considered successful (AKA success criteria). It is something the designer can use to assess whether their final design solution has met the design brief and client’s needs. 

Target Audience

Who the design is intended to be used by. There are 2 types of characteristics of a target audience: 

• Demographics are the statistical, objective characteristics of the target audience. When discussing demographics, always mention something about age (it doesn’t need to be within a specific numeric range, just an age group/cohort will suffice; e.g. teenagers, young adults, Gen Z, boomers), gender, and income (especially disposable income). 

• Psychographics are the psychological & behavioural traits of the target audience (including values, attitudes, beliefs, interests, personality). You can use the VALS (Values, Attitudes, LifeStyle) framework when discussing psychographics. 

Presentation Medium

How the final design solution is going to be presented (e.g. digital vs. print, website vs. app, video) 

Situation Analysis

Analysing the internal & external factors that could influence the project. This can include identifying opportunities (e.g. internal – strengths or useful skills of team members; external – gaps in the market) and challenges (e.g. internal – limited budget or time; external – competitors). 

Style Guide

A “manual” outlining the style (e.g. fonts, colour) of the design. It ensures all collaborating designers follow a consistent style that reflects the brand when developing ideas.