Research for Designers: Where to Start

Summary

In this informative video, self-taught graphic designer Shantanu Kumar shares insights from his Skillshare class on logo design. He emphasizes the importance of research and client communication, showcasing his process with the Sikkim Coffee project. Through Milanote, he organizes information, creates timelines, and develops user personas. He also discusses the significance of understanding the brand's mission and vision, and conducting competitor analysis to ensure a unique and effective logo design.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Shantanu Kumar is a self-taught graphic designer and YouTuber who shares his expertise in a Skillshare class on logo design.
• 🔍 The first step in the design process is research, which can be intensive and time-consuming, as illustrated by the Sikkim Coffee project.
• 🏛️ Shantanu draws inspiration from unique cultural elements such as the architecture of monasteries and thangka painting for his designs.
• 🔑 A logo brief is essential for providing direction in the design process, and it should be detailed and well-organized.
• 📝 Shantanu recommends documenting all discussions with clients to ensure alignment with their brand perspective and to avoid conflicts.
• ❓ He suggests starting conversations with clients by asking four key questions about their brand's existence, purpose, future, and guiding principles.
• 📈 Milanote is a free digital whiteboard software that Shantanu uses to organize files and information for a project.
• 📅 Creating a timeline with deadlines for each stage of the design process helps in managing the project effectively.
• 👥 Understanding the target audience through user personas is crucial for designing a brand that resonates with them.
• 🎬 Watching and analyzing the movie 'Kiki's Delivery Service' helped Shantanu to grasp the inspiration behind Kiki's Creative Club's brand identity.
• 🤝 Continuous communication with the client is vital at every stage of the design process to ensure the design aligns with their vision and industry knowledge.
• 🏅 The importance of competitor analysis is highlighted, as it helps in understanding the market and differentiating the brand.

Q & A

Who is Shantanu Kumar and what does he do?

Shantanu Kumar is a self-taught graphic designer and a fellow YouTuber who teaches about designing logos in his Skillshare class.

What is the main focus of Shantanu Kumar's Skillshare class?

The main focus of Shantanu Kumar's Skillshare class is to teach the process of designing a logo, including research, concept development, and client brief analysis.

What was the first project Shantanu Kumar mentioned in the script?

The first project mentioned was for Sikkim Coffee, which was research intensive and involved studying the architecture of monasteries and the style of painting called thangka.

What two concepts did Shantanu Kumar merge to create the logo for Sikkim Coffee?

Shantanu Kumar merged the concepts of the red panda, which is the state animal of Sikkim, and Tibetan calligraphy to create the logo for Sikkim Coffee.

What is the importance of a brief in the design process according to the script?

A brief is crucial in the design process as it provides direction and helps to align the designer's perspective with the client's vision and the spirit of the brand.

What is Milanote and how does Shantanu Kumar use it in his design process?

Milanote is a free digital whiteboard software that Shantanu Kumar uses to organize all his files and information in one place, making it easier to manage the design process.

What are the four questions Shantanu Kumar suggests asking the client to understand their brand perspective?

The four questions are: Why do you exist?, What's the purpose of your brand?, What future do you want to create?, and What principles help you guide this behavior?

What is the name of the co-working space and cafe that Shantanu Kumar discusses in the script?

The name of the co-working space and cafe is Kiki's Creative Club, which is based in New Delhi.

What is the inspiration behind the name of Kiki's Creative Club?

The name Kiki's Creative Club is inspired by the 1989 Studio Ghibli classic film 'Kiki's Delivery Service'.

What are the goals and missions of Kiki's Creative Club as mentioned in the client brief?

The goals and missions of Kiki's Creative Club are to provide a safe space for creative people, offer a calm and comfortable environment, help increase productivity without burnout, and assist in overcoming creative blocks.

How does Shantanu Kumar approach competitor analysis in his design process?

Shantanu Kumar conducts competitor analysis by researching places where the target audience frequents, using personal experiences, and interviewing people in his circle about their preferences and experiences with similar spaces.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Logo Design Process

Shantanu Kumar introduces himself as a graphic designer and YouTuber. He previews his new Skillshare class on logo design, emphasizing the importance of research in the design process. He shares his experience with the Sikkim Coffee project, highlighting the intensive research that involved studying local architecture and thangka painting, leading to a design that merged the red panda and Tibetan calligraphy. The video then shifts to discussing the client brief for Kiki's Creative Club, a co-working space and cafe in New Delhi, and the importance of understanding the brand's goals and mission. Shantanu demonstrates how to organize information using Milanote, a digital whiteboard, and stresses the need for aligning with the client's perspective to avoid conflicts later in the design process.

05:01

🎨 Understanding the Brand and Target Audience

This paragraph delves into understanding the target audience by creating user personas for Kiki's Creative Club, representing different types of creative professionals. Shantanu explains the significance of detailing these personas to ensure comprehensive coverage of the target audience. He also discusses the importance of watching the movie 'Kiki's Delivery Service' to grasp the inspiration behind the brand's name and its message about embracing failure as a part of the creative process. Shantanu then outlines the steps for conducting competitor analysis, which includes personal experiences and interviews to understand the competition's brand, audience, and pricing. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuous communication with the client to stay aligned with their industry expertise and expectations.

Keywords

💡Graphic Designer

A graphic designer is a professional who specializes in visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. In the script, Shantanu Kumar identifies himself as a self-taught graphic designer, emphasizing his expertise in the field and setting the stage for the educational content he will provide on logo design.

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes in design, business, technology, photography, and more. The script mentions Shantanu Kumar's new Skillshare class, indicating the platform where he will be sharing his knowledge about logo design, thus providing context for the video's educational purpose.

💡Logo Design

Logo design refers to the process of creating a unique symbol or mark for a company or brand. The video's theme revolves around teaching the audience about designing a logo, with the script highlighting the importance of this process in establishing a brand's identity, as seen in the discussion of the Sikkim Coffee project.

💡Research Intensive

Research intensive describes a process that requires extensive research to inform decisions and guide the creative direction. In the script, the Sikkim Coffee project is described as 'very research intensive,' emphasizing the importance of thorough research in the design process to represent the state and its people effectively.

💡Thangka

Thangka is a type of Tibetan painting that often depicts Buddhist deities, scenes, or life stories of saints. The script mentions taking inspiration from thangka as part of the research for the Sikkim Coffee logo, illustrating how cultural elements can be integrated into design to reflect a brand's values or heritage.

💡Concept

In design, a concept refers to a central idea or theme that guides the creative direction of a project. The script discusses settling on two concepts for the Sikkim Coffee logo, the red panda and Tibetan calligraphy, showing how concepts are merged to create a unique and meaningful design.

💡Brief

A brief is a document or outline that provides essential information and guidelines for a project. In the script, the client brief for Kiki's Creative Club is mentioned as the starting point for the design process, highlighting the importance of understanding a client's needs and objectives before beginning design work.

💡Co-working Space

A co-working space is a shared work environment where freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals can work independently while sharing resources and ideas. The script describes Kiki's Creative Club as a co-working space and cafe, indicating the type of environment for which the logo is being designed.

💡Milanote

Milanote is a digital whiteboard and visual workspace for organizing ideas and projects. The script mentions using Milanote to organize all files and information for the design project, demonstrating a practical tool for managing the design process and keeping track of various elements.

💡User Persona

A user persona is a fictional character created to represent the typical users of a product or service. In the script, Shantanu Kumar creates user personas for Kiki's Creative Club to understand the target audience better, such as an Art Director, Freelancer, or Content Creator, which helps in tailoring the design to meet their needs.

💡Competitor Analysis

Competitor analysis involves examining the strengths and weaknesses of a brand's competitors to identify opportunities and threats. The script discusses conducting competitor analysis for Kiki's Creative Club, including looking at other co-working spaces and coffee shops, to understand the market and position the brand effectively.

Highlights

Introduction to Shantanu Kumar, a self-taught graphic designer and YouTuber, offering a sneak peek into his Skillshare class on logo design.

Emphasis on the importance of the first step in the design process: research, exemplified by the Sikkim Coffee project.

Description of the extensive research process for the Sikkim Coffee logo, including architectural and cultural studies.

Reveal of the two concepts merged for the Sikkim Coffee logo: the state animal, red panda, and Tibetan calligraphy.

Explanation of the significance of a client brief in providing direction for logo design.

Introduction of Kiki's Creative Club, a co-working space and cafe in New Delhi, and its branding needs.

Inspiration behind Kiki's Creative Club's name from the Studio Ghibli film 'Kiki's Delivery Service'.

Discussion on the importance of organizing information from a client brief using tools like Milanote.

The necessity of aligning with the client's perspective and documenting discussions to avoid conflicts.

Use of four key questions to understand the client's brand purpose, mission, vision, and values.

The process of creating user personas to understand the target audience for Kiki's Creative Club.

Deepening the understanding of the brand by watching 'Kiki's Delivery Service' and analyzing its message.

Conducting competitor analysis by researching similar spaces and understanding their target audience and branding.

Importance of maintaining communication with the client throughout the design process for expert advice.

The strategy of listing competitors and conducting interviews to understand their brand and audience.

Invitation to join the full Skillshare class for a step-by-step guide on designing a logo for any brand.

Closing remarks with an invitation to like, subscribe, and stay updated with the latest videos.

Transcripts

- Hi, YouTube, I'm Shantanu Kumar,

a self-taught graphic designer and a fellow YouTuber.

In my new Skillshare class,

I'm going to teach you all about designing a logo.

And guess what?

Today I'm sharing an exclusive sneak peek with you.

Stay tuned.

(uplifting music)

The first step to any design process is research.

Among all the projects that I've done,

Sikkim Coffee is definitely my favorite.

This project in specific was very research intensive,

and the main idea of the research was to come up

with a concept that would best represent the state

and the people.

I started by researching

the architecture of the monasteries there,

studying things that were unique to the state,

and also took inspiration

from a style of painting called thangka.

I would say the research alone took about a month.

Eventually, we settled on two concepts

and decided to merge both of them.

The first concept was red panda,

which is the state animal of Sikkim,

and the second concept was Tibetan calligraphy.

I merged these two concepts

and created this logo for Sikkim Coffee.

Every logo starts with a brief.

If there's no brief, there's no direction.

This is the client brief that we'll be working on today.

In the brief it mentions that Kiki's Creative Club

is a co-working space and cafe based in New Delhi.

They're looking for a logo to use for the cafe,

app, marketing, and other merchandise.

It's a space dedicated to empowering creative professionals.

The name of the space is inspired

by 1989 Studio Ghibli classic film,

"Kiki's Delivery Service."

According to the brief, the goals and missions

are that they provide a safe space for creative people,

it's a calm and comfortable environment,

they help increase productivity without feeling burnt out,

help overcome creative blocks.

The space works on a subscription basis

and falls on the premium side.

They also do coffee takeaways for non-members.

When a client sends you a brief, it's not really structured.

So what I like to do is go onto my Creative Club board

and organize my information there.

You can use Google Docs, pen, paper,

whatever you're comfortable with.

I like to use Milanote. It's a free software.

It's like a digital whiteboard,

and it's somewhere I can organize all my files

and information in one place.

So I typed down all the information,

from the name of the brand

to goals and missions of the brand.

I'm going to drag down a note and write Client Name,

that is Kiki's Creative Club.

I'll do same for other information, like location.

So location might be New Delhi.

In most of the cases,

the client brief isn't adequate enough to start working

on your design process directly.

So what I like to do

is have a lot of conversations with the client.

I ask a lot of questions

and try to understand the client's perspective on the brand.

The main objective is to align yourself

with the client's perspective

and embody the spirit of the brand.

This will help you save a lot of conflicts later on.

I would recommend you to document everything

that you discuss.

The questions you ask can vary from project to project,

but usually I like to begin with these four questions.

Why do you exist?

What's the purpose of your brand?

What future do you want to create?

What principles help you guide this behavior?

You can always give the clients examples

to help them understand the questions better.

For example, Uber's mission statement is,

"Transportation as reliable as running water,

for everyone, everywhere."

In a similar fashion,

I ask my client what their mission statement is.

The shorter and clearer your answer is,

the more concrete the direction will be.

I realized the more engaging my conversations are,

the better I understand the brand.

You can then follow up by asking questions

like who their competitors are

and what are the brands they're inspired by.

So after I have all the information,

I organize them on my Milanote board.

So I'll put down notes for each of the questions

that I've asked.

So, Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values.

Since I have the brief with me, I'll go ahead

and copy the answers to these from my brief.

Then I organize them into columns.

Let's say Goals and Mission.

This can be my Client information.

I'll also go ahead and create a timeline for this project.

So I'm going to pick a checklist, to-do list,

and then have Research, Moodboard, Sketching,

and Final Logo.

For this, I can add a title here and call it my Timeline,

and add individual deadlines to each of the stages.

Next, I'll go ahead and create boards

for each of the important steps.

(uplifting music)

I'll create another checklist for the deliverables.

So in our case, it's Logo, Color Palette, Typography,

and our Final Presentation.

For any brand, it's important to understand

who the target audience is.

This is done after having conversation with your client.

In our case, for Kiki's Creative Club,

I'll go ahead and create three user personas.

User persona is basically a character sketch

of what your idle customer looks like.

I'll drag down three notes and give them our imaginary name.

So let's say Kim, Dhruv, Anushka.

And basically understand

what my idle customer would look like.

So for me, all my idle customers would be creatives.

So maybe Kim could be an Art Director.

Maybe Dhruv could be a Freelancer.

Maybe Anushka could be a Content Creator.

One thing to note here is that it's important

to mention your personas in details.

This will make sure

that you have covered your entire target audience.

I'll also write the age, what the hobbies could be.

Now I'll dive into the deeper research.

I watched the movie "Kiki's Delivery Service"

from which the name is heavily inspired by,

and I better understood the reason behind it.

The movie tells us about how failure

is an inevitable part of a creative process,

but most importantly, it's also temporary.

Kiki, the main character,

tells us that if you stop having fun,

then the magic will slip away.

Kiki's Creative Club is a space designed

to bring that magic back and prevent burnout.

Now, I'll go ahead and add all this information

that I've gathered so far onto my Milanote board.

I'm going to add just a few more screenshots from the movie.

I'm going to add a poster from the movie.

I'm going to write a more defined version of the message.

So I look at "Kiki's Delivery Service" message

and then have this information onto my Milanote board.

Now moving on to the competitor analysis.

While conducting research about my competitors,

I look for places where my target audience would usually be.

So that would include coffee spaces

and other coworking spaces in my area.

Personal experiences is also one way

to do your competitor analysis.

To understand my competitor better,

I conduct interviews with people in my circle.

I like to ask them questions about what they like,

how they work, and what places they go to.

I like to see who they are as a brand,

what their target audience is, what their pricing plan is,

and what their design looks like.

I usually take about two to three days in this process.

Having conversations with client

is very important at every stage,

just to make sure that you're on the same page.

The client knows the industry better.

He's the expert, and you always want the expert's advice.

So according to the brief,

I know that my competitors are WeWork

and Double Slash // Coffee.

So I start with researching about them first.

So their target audience is mostly startups

and small businesses.

So I'll do some more research on WeWork.

I'll look up about their branding.

(uplifting music)

A lot of creatives also work

from the comfort of the home studios.

So how do I convince them to come to Kiki's Creative Club?

Apart from other coworking spaces,

even coffee shops can also be a competition.

So that could be Starbucks, Third Wave Coffee,

or Blue Tokai.

I'm going to list all

of this information onto my Research board.

You can also look for competitors in other countries

and take inspirations from them.

Now, I'll go ahead

and add all this information onto my Milanote board.

(uplifting music)

Thanks for joining me for this lesson.

This was one part of my logo design class on Skillshare.

Join me in the full class

to learn step-by-step how to design a logo for any brand.

Click on the link below,

and I can't wait to see you there.

(uplifting music)

- [Announcer] Thanks for watching.

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