More often than not, the design you see, be it a simple advert, canned food or Magazine cover, is not what the designer initially thought of.

Sometimes it can be a lengthy process getting to a point that all parties are happy with, but it can be a rewarding one too. Here I'll be showing some of the results of that process, which I hope you find to be interesting and enlightening.

LP Hearts
LP Hearts is the 'work from home' project of Leigh Price, a Dunblane mum of two who is looking to venture into the world of online business by selling jewellery. The initial stage of the design is for an invite to an at home viewing of her wares.

Stage 8
A complete U-Turn and much discussion later a completely different solution emerged. Stressing the 'enigmatic cool' of black, this final version was chosen. The single accent colour in the logo intended to change per season.

Stage 7
Having liked pastel shades the client searched through magazines and images to find colour she felt suited her identity. Matching colours to a pantone swatch the gradient was removed and the glowing effect brought back to the lovehearts.

Stage 6
An incorrectly rendered PDF led to a happy accident, the client liked a colour variation that I'd not normally have used. While too light to be completely legible, the pastel shades struck a chord.

Stage 5
While liking the design, the client was not sure of the colours, the design was suited to changing colour seasonally (as per the clients brief), but a solid answer was required for Spring. The product image was also reintroduced.

Stage 4
With the client wishing to see an entirely different treatment, I aimed for a more simple solution. A gradient wash background with simple accents of floating lovehearts replaced the background texture.

Stage 3
Pleased with the result but wishing see a variant on the design, the obvious loveheart curve was adjusted and a product photo was also included. A completely new variation on the logo was also designed.

Stage 2
Several months and a very successful period of sales later leads to a fresh new look. Moving away from the dark Autumn colours and a new logo reflecting the loveheart in the letter 'a' with a repeated loveheart texture in the background.

Stage 1
This initial treatment came from a brief through Trevor Price, Managing Director of 21 Colour printers, the choice of font and colour made by the client. The glowing effect intended to indicate the sparkle of shining jewellery