Starting with the Right Lens: Know Your Stakeholders
Before you ever open Photoshop, you have to know who you’re designing for. Without understanding your stakeholders, your work has no real direction, like throwing paint at a wall and hoping it forms a masterpiece.
In my project for my direct mail handout for OU, my first stakeholder helped define the second, as I knew with any university student would also bring a guardian into the picture as well. Once I understood their goals and expectations, I could see how my design needed to evolve to meet the needs of the broader audience. It’s a domino effect where one insight sparks another, shaping the entire creative process.
For the student, I focused on the ideal university a student might want and all the benefits that comes with going to OU. For the parent, I focused on the sense of security that OU has, and how it will make their student feel right at home.
If you skip this step, your design might look good, but it won’t speak to anyone.
From Rough Sketch to Refined Vision: The Evolution of a Design
Designs in Photoshop evolve faster than a celebrity rebrand. My drafts started simple, but after reviews and feedback, I realized how much small tweaks could elevate the overall look. Sometimes it’s a matter of color balance or font weight, other times a total layout change based on how my stakeholder envisioned it.
I had to change some of my wording, to align it more with the universities brand guide, the layout of graphics and even a slight tilt in the background picture.
Feedback isn’t a setback; it’s a GPS that gets you closer to your final destination. Each revision shapes your work into something sharper, smarter and more intentional.
Final Thoughts: Purpose Over Pixels
Photoshop is more than just editing software, it’s a communication tool.
When you understand your stakeholders and refine your message visually, your design goes from “pretty” to powerful. The key is purpose: every color, shadow and layer should have one. That’s when your work stops being background noise and starts being something people actually notice.
And if you’re just getting started, watching YouTube videos can make the process much easier to navigate and a lot less overwhelming.
Be patient through it, and take criticism with opportunity in mind, because every edit gets you closer to mastering your craft.
