How should it look? Planning is complete — we’ve met, discussed, reviewed, defined and recommended. Our project brief sums everything up to the client’s satisfaction. Design is when we squint at a blank sheet of paper, wait for divine inspiration and sketch out the perfect solution in a burst of enlightenment, right? Not usually — although just often enough to keep us optimistic.

Actually, design generally involves stacks and stacks of tissue paper covered with scribbly shapes and notations. It includes research trips to libraries, stores and the World Wide Web. It rattles around in our heads while we’re driving home, eating dinner and taking a shower. Design can be fueled by hot coffee, cool music and seventies television.

From this unlikely ground come good ideas. These thumbnail sketches are reviewed and narrowed, their merit measured in terms of the project brief. The best few are tidied up and presented to the client.

With client feedback, the best idea goes back to the drawing board — literally or electronically — for refinement steps. Subtleties of form, color, image and type are explored and adjusted. Once the essential look of the design is approved, production can begin.