Since I decided to branch out on this new adventure of full time freelancing, I thought I should share a little bit about my design process and how it sets me apart from other graphic designers.

I start all of my projects in my sketchbook. Depending on the project, I either begin with a list of keywords that describe both the intented “feel” of the project and the ideal look or with a really loose sketch of my idea. For this post, I’ll be showing the steps I used in designing the labels I placed on the jars of homemade jelly I gave my family for Christmas.

 

 

 

After the initial sketch of the fruit icons, I began laying out the labels in my sketchbook. I had researched the label material that I was going to use before hand, so I designed inside of circles that were the same size as the material I was planning on using.

 

 

After the initial layout is complete, I take a picture of my sketch and import it into Adobe Illustrator. From there, I can either use the sketch as a reference and draw the design “freehand” in Illustrator, or I can convert the image into a vector graphic and then edit it. Since I wanted more of a “hand drawn” feel for this project, I converted my fruit icons into vector graphics and cleaned them up.

 

 

I then made a pdf of the finished design and printed the labels on brown kraft label material. Personally, I was very pleased with the final product.