This blog image design process provides the structure to follow to create consistently great images to capture your audience's attention.
Whether this is for your own blog or a design for a client, use this template to stop relying on memory to make sure you get everything done to a high standard. Not to mention that it makes tracking your image design projects easier to manage, collaborate on, and refer back to.
So, what are you waiting for? Let's get started.
Start by recording the purpose of the blog image design in the form field below.
This could be anything from "it's a header for a blog post" to "it's a promotional image". No matter what it is, it pays to have the purpose set in stone to keep in mind all the way through from creating your initial design ideas to putting in the finishing touches.
Next you should take a moment to record any known details about the design in the form field below. This will usually come from the sources of the image request itself.
For example, you may have been told "I want you to do a header for one of my blog posts about Elon Musk". This would tell you that it needs to fit the style of their existing, the image will probably need to have something to do with Elon Musk, and you may need room to add in the title.
Before you start drafting potential designs you need to check and make note of the style of the brand that the image will be published under. Use the form fields below to record any relevant information.
If you're using this blog image design process for your own needs this should be easy. However, if you're serving a client's request, take the time to surf their blog and use that to get a feel for their brand identity.
Next, find out the size that your image will need to be and record it in the form field below.
This is best learned by talking to the team running the blog in question, by checking their guest posting guidelines (if you're guest posting) or by checking the typical size of their most recent blog images.
It's finally time to start designing the image itself, so begin by thinking of three separate variations which would be suitable. Record descriptions of each using the form fields below.
Before sending the variations for approval you need to create mockups based on the variations you've just created. Once created, upload these to the form fields below for safe keeping.
Remember that these are just mockups - they aren't the final design by any stretch of the imagination. They exist to give an idea of what each variation would look like if completed and all whoever is responsible to choose one to carry forwards and complete.
As such, a simple sketch is often enough for a mockup. Try to include elements such as the desired brand colors and style to help envision the final design but don't worry about creating custom elements just yet.
Next, send your mockups for review and approval and record the response using the form fields below.
If any mockups are approved to be taken forwards, move on to the "Final design" section of this checklist that appears one the approval has been noted above.
If no mockups were approved but the scope of the project allows for iterations, it should be noted as such in the dropdown above. This will cause the"Mockup iterations" tasks to appear, which you should move on to.
If no mockups were approved and the project was closed (eg, the client didn't want to pay for iterations or there wasn't enough time left), record it as such in the dropdown, complete this task, and finish out with the "record feedback" task below.
Log any feedback you receive from submitting the mockups using the form field below.
If approval was given or you're making iterations then use this feedback in the coming tasks. If the project was closed, then congratulations on completing this blog image design process. Here's to more successful designs in the future!
Using the feedback from your initial mockups, create another three iterations to submit for approval. As with the others, record a copy of them using the form fields below.
Next, send your iterations for approval and use the dropdown field below to record their approval status.
At this point, if the iterations aren't approved then you either need to keep submitting iterations until something is approved or the project is closed to due reaching the limit of the scope.
It's time to create the final design using the approved mockup and any feedback that was given for it.
Remember to keep the following details in mind when working on the full design:
Image purpose: {{form.Blog_image_design_purpose}}
Brand colors: {{form.Brand_colors}}
Image style: {{form.Brand_image_style}}
Image tone: {{form.Brand_image_tone}}
Once you've finished the design, upload a copy of the editable file (.ai or .psd) and exported image (.jpeg or .png) to the form fields below.
Once the design is finished, use the sub-checklist below to check for errors before submitting it for approval.
Hopefully nothing will require editing but, if you find that something's gone wrong, make the suitable edits and upload the new design files to the form fields below.
It's the big moment! Time to send your design in for final approval.
Don't forget to record the approval status of the design and any feedback you receive using the form fields below.
If the project has been completed (either through final approval or via the scope running out before iterations can be made) then congratulations on finishing the blog image design process!
Finally, since the initial design wasn't approved you need to make iterations until a conclusion has been reached. As with your mockups, this conclusion will either be one of your designs being accepted or the project going out of scope and running out of time or money.
Record your latest design using the form field below, along with its approval status.
Congratulations on finishing this checklist! Images are a truly fantastic way to enhance your blog content, so here's to plenty of successful image designs in the future.
