My Graphic Design Process is Terrible

Here is my process for graphic design

  1. Have an idea
  2. Recreate what’s in my brain in Photoshop
  3. Do a bad job
  4. Get frustrated
  5. Take a nap
  6. Try again
  7. Succeed but realize it was a dumb idea and it looks bad
  8. Give up
  9. Forget that I’m supposed to be making something
  10. Go on urbanoutfitters.com and look at vinyl album artwork
  11. Find something I can rip off
  12. Try
  13. Do a bad job
  14. QUESTION EVERY LIFE CHOICE YOU'VE EVER MADE
  15. nap
  16. Try to think of cool new ways I can trick talented friends into doing it for me for free
  17. Realize that’s a bad idea
  18. Distract myself with Twitter
  19. Try one more time with a different idea
  20. Accidentally make something that looks pretty cool
  21. Freak out with excitement
  22. Polish it up and make it look nice
  23. Second guess myself
  24. Decide it’s good enough

This is always the process and it’s exhausting.

I recently wen through all these steps as I tried to create some sort of graphic for my 2018 stand-up tour, The Black Hole Comedy Tour.

My original idea was doing something where I scribble a poorly drawn “black hole” over my face. This would really fit the theme of the show because it’s about the type of topics we’re afraid to talk about because they feel like they’ll be black holes that’ll suck everything into it and ruin our friendships.

I tested out this design and didn’t like it at all.

black-hole-face-test.png

Then it was time for a nap.

I screwed around some more and made this

Black Hole Comedy Show Design Idea 1.png

I’m not good at this. I hate this.

Then I made this weird thing.

Black Hole Comedy Show Design Idea 2.png

Meh. TIME FOR A NAP AND TO QUESTION EVERYTHING.

But when I came back I made this and thought it was…..ok, I guess.

Black Hole Comedy Show Design Idea 3.png

Then I did my classic move of looking at album artwork for something I could steal and that’s when I found the design for the Bojack Horseman soundtrack and I really loved it.

817KBLnqthL._SL1500_.jpg

I loved that involved space (black holes are in space). I loved that was so simple so it’ll be easier for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing to recreate it.

I tried using my silhouette and just doing the exact same as Bojack but it wasn’t working. I really liked the little ink droplet from the earlier thing so I just used that instead and then I couldn’t stop screaming out of excitement because it actually looked ok.

Black Hole logo Social Media.png

Praise God.

It is finished. I don’t have to worry about designing anything else for a while. This will get me through the year.

Also, and this is only kinda related, but you should check out Austin Kleon's book Steal Like an Artist.