Importance of ORRU in Design
“Oh! So you are a designer…. You just need to do things with what they give” said a friend of mine once. I just smiled.
So you really think? Designing is easy because of all the materials or data is given. You just have to combine them and create something…
Am Sorry you are wrong…. Being a designer is tough..
When you are a designer you need to be able to visualize what your client needs, be it with a brief or not. That’s why you need to follow ORRU.
OK now……So what is ORRU- Observe, Read, Research and Understand.
As a designer, I had to work with a lot of clients with various business, services and products. Each of these have unique individual characteristics even though the end products are sometimes similar. This is where we get the ORRU in design comes to help us.
O – Observe:
meaning: notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.
When you get a design brief or a client’s meeting, you need to be able to observe really well to understand the uniqueness of the product, service or business they provide. Because you need to find the key element to get their product/service stand out from the crowd. When you find that small point you can use it to be the main focus of your design. To find this, you will need to observe, may be by discussing with your client or by getting a first-hand experience on how things are done.
R – Read
The first thing you do when you get a new project is to read the brief. Reading gives us necessary information about the project we have in hand. When you read, you are able to find fine tips on what you need to focus when designing that will help with marketing or sharing information according to the clients requirement.
R – Research
There have been times when I have come across design projects that require me to research more about the topic I am about to design. Sometimes it’s related to medicine or illnesses, science, or simple as cars (I do know the bonnet & the engine…apart of that nothing.. but car bubble bath). The advantage of this is you can get an idea of what topics to be highlighted or what should be the main focus of the project.
U – Understand
As a designer you need to understand the scope of the brief or client’s requirements. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple flyer design or a complicated 3d design you need to have an idea of what you need to create. Many times I have been requested to recreate designs done by others due to not understanding the project or the design purpose properly. Example: a book cover design about Business to empower women ends ups as a digital business cover.
Hmm,, so do designers really need this stupid OUUR?
Yes they do. All these help you when you make a design decision. What I have known so far is by using these small tips I was able to create good designs that exceeds client’s expectations. Even if you don’t know more about the project in hand, you can always discuss with your client to get a better understanding to do a better design job.
Hope you will follow these small tips to make your next design great…
Stay Safe, Stay Happy
