Nice interview with one of the industry’s more interesting designers working today.
Things seem to go pretty fast for me, at least for the first round. Maybe half a day for a couple of comps. For some books like that dog book I mentioned, I’ll read the manuscript and just let it stew for a couple of weeks. When I do start comping-up an idea, I kind of engage in brutal self-editing and ditch ideas that don’t work. If I feel I am forcing an idea, that is an indication that I should move on.
I remember an interview I saw with an actor on Actors Studio where he said you have to be willing to embarrass yourself when trying things out for a scene. I think that is true in design as well. I sometimes come up with an idea and think, “Naaahh, they won’t go for it.” I almost always send it and don’t really mind if they think, “What the hell is this?“ If it feels a little wrong, it’s probably right.