Assignment 10: Create a Process Book

Brief

Now that you have reviewed your feedback and revisited work produced earlier in the unit, we would like you to create a ‘Process’ book. So what is a process book? Quite simply, a process book documents your research, development, experimentation, use of materials and mediums, testing and finally, resolution. So what is the difference between your OCA Learning log and a process book? Not a great deal with regard to content, however, a process book allows far greater control of how your material is designed and presented. It gives you complete control of layout, typography, format, paper stock and length. The proliferation of digital printers, such as Blurb, allows your process book to be printed as a one off very cheaply. Alternatively companies such as Issuu, can publish your process book as an interactive flip book. So why should I design a process book? As well as giving you complete freedom and control, a process book can become a tangible part of your portfolio. A carefully designed book showcases not only your thinking but your practical command of graphic communication skills. This might seem a daunting task but you already have the written and practical content from the exercises and assignments. So it just becomes a question of organising and editing the material and then creating a layout. To get you started, you will need to use a layout programme such as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress or Affinity publisher. All three have powerful tools that will help you to complete the book with speed and consistency. Once you have created the process book, it can become a template for subsequent units.

Things to consider:

Unlike your OCA Spaces Journal, a process book has a front and back cover and also a spine. The front cover can include your brand identity, created earlier in the unit.
Create master pages (parent pages). This will aid consistency and save you time
Create a grid to include columns (all can be altered, if necessary at a later point)
Create character styles. Restrict yourself to four or five. Again this will aid consistency and allows you to make changes universally to the document. As an example, I might create the following: Character styles for titles, body copy, sub-heads and captions.
Page count: Remember this is entirely up to you but don’t cram too much material into the spreads. Allow the work enough room. A page could just be a single word.

To help you get started:

Firstly, create a folder on your desktop and title it, Process book assets.
Next start to populate the folder with images, development work, (photos screenshots) finished pieces etc.
Next copy and paste all your written pieces into a Word or Pages document and then put the file in the assets folder. You now will have all the material in one place which will help you populate the book.
Next open a new document in your chosen software and indicate size, pages, columns etc. See the example below using Adobe InDesign.

Once you have done this you will have a document ready to populate with your assets. The first page is your front cover. Consider how you want to organise the pages, for example in chapters or the 10 project assignments. You could at this point create a flatplan made up of thumbnails to help with this.

Now that you have started to add content (two or three pages), create four or five character styles as mentioned earlier. Once you have done this, experiment with your layout by editing the character styles, for instance change the title size colour and font — you will see that this will change all instances of titles throughout the document. This allows you to edit a document universally, saving you time and providing consistency to your book.

Spend some time creating alternative layouts and then finally save the document as a PDF.

Upload it to your learning log. Below are some useful links that will help you create your book:

What is a Process Book?

A process book is a structured and reflective document that records the creative journey behind a design or project. It includes all stages of development such as initial research, brainstorming, experimentation, testing and refinement leading up to the final outcome. The primary purpose of a process book is to show not just the end product but the thinking, problem-solving and decision-making that occurred along the way. It serves as a portfolio piece, learning tool and demonstration of creative strategy and professional workflow (AIGA, 2021).

In educational and professional design settings, a process book helps to articulate and communicate how and why certain choices were made. It can take both physical and digital forms and may include sketches, mood boards, notes, feedback, annotated visuals, and technical development (Shillington Education, 2023).

Inspirations: Analysing some designs

What I really appreciate about this brandbook is how well it balances clarity with visual storytelling. The clean grids and soft lavender tones create a calm and inviting atmosphere that makes the content feel digestible. I also love the consistency in how the visual elements flow, icons, photos, type and shapes all work together in harmony. It inspires me to be more intentional with structure in my own process book, using thoughtful colour palettes and repeated design elements to make everything feel cohesive and easy to follow.

This one immediately grabs my attention with its bold use of orange and black, it feels modern, confident and energetic. I really like how the pages showcase different applications of the brand across posters, merchandise and layouts. It feels alive and connected to real-world use. For my process book, I want to bring that same boldness into how I present my outcomes maybe through mockups, printed material examples or large-scale visuals that make the design feel tangible and impactful.

What really grabs me here is the bold use of typography, how the word “Analog” dominates the page and feels almost sculptural. It’s clean but dramatic and I love how type alone becomes the main visual. This reminds me that I don’t always need images to make an impact. In my process book, I’d like to experiment with oversized type and negative space to create visual pauses between sections or to emphasise key ideas in a way that feels confident and modern.

This layout has a quiet structure and thoughtful pacing. I like how it breaks everything down clearly with clean grids, earthy colour accents and soft photography. There’s a calm, instructional tone that doesn’t feel overwhelming. I want to bring some of that clarity into my own book, especially when explaining my process steps. Using consistent page structure and minimal design will help my content feel more approachable and grounded.

This design just feels joyful and expressive, it’s full of colour, energy and personality. I love the illustrated portraits and how they pair with bold backgrounds to make each section feel distinct. It celebrates individuality in such a playful way. I’d like to bring some of this boldness into my book, especially when showcasing my final work. Even just using bright colour blocks or layering hand-drawn elements could give my layout more warmth and emotional connection.

This one feels friendly and hands-on. I like the muted navy and mustard colour scheme, it’s calming but distinct and the hand-drawn illustrations add a personal touch. What stands out is how it combines information with visual storytelling so naturally. For my process book, I want to incorporate small illustrations or diagrams too, especially when explaining abstract ideas. It makes the content feel more handcrafted and personal, which I think suits the spirit of a creative process.

I love how expressive and bold this design is. The bright imagery and clean layouts feel experimental but still readable. It plays with alignment, scale and colour in a way that feels playful and contemporary. This makes me want to loosen up a bit with my own layouts maybe allowing myself to be less rigid to experiment with layering and asymmetry in places where I want to communicate creativity or emotion.

This one feels lighthearted and fun and I love the pastel palette, it gives the whole portfolio a dreamy and approachable tone. The use of colour blocks, clean fonts and personal imagery makes it feel very connected to the designer’s personality. I think this could inspire the more personal parts of my process book, like the introduction or reflective sections, where I want my voice to really come through in a friendly and honest way.

This design has a really strong presence with the dark backgrounds and punchy contrast. I love how it feels confident and stylish, especially with the graphic elements like arrows and bars. It reminds me that bold colour and sharp layout can create a powerful mood. For my book, I might use this kind of approach for chapter dividers or to highlight final outcomes, anywhere I want the viewer to feel a sense of polish and impact.

What I really like about this layout is how warm and inviting it feels. The soft pinks paired with natural photography give it a calming, almost spa-like quality that feels personal. I also appreciate the structured grid, it balances text and imagery so everything feels easy to read but still visually engaging. For my process book, I’d love to adopt this balance between calm colour palettes and clear sections to make my work feel approachable and well-organised.

The use of flowing lines and minimalistic vector shapes in this design really caught my eye. It’s elegant, fresh and professional without feeling too rigid. I like how each cover has its own unique twist while still feeling like part of the same family. I think I could use similar wave motifs or soft geometric accents throughout my process book to add some visual rhythm and cohesiveness from page to page.

This layout is sharp and striking, especially with its use of diagonals and bold pink accents. It has a more dynamic, energetic feel that contrasts nicely with some of the softer designs I’ve seen. What I want to take from this is the boldness, it reminds me that structure can still feel exciting. I might incorporate some of these angular layouts in my chapter dividers or intro spreads to add more energy to my process book.

There’s something really dreamy and modern about this one. I love how the pink tones are softened with gradients and how the use of circles and overlays gives a futuristic vibe. It feels like something from a digital product brand or startup pitch and that’s inspiring. For my own book, I think I’ll experiment with layering elements like this overlapping shapes or photos to give certain sections more depth and visual interest without overcomplicating the layout.

After spending time looking through all these visual references, I’ve realised that a soft, minimal layout with warm pastel tones, especially pinks, feels like the right direction for my process book. I’m really drawn to that mix of clean structure and gentle, welcoming design. I want the book to feel polished and professional, but also have a personal, approachable touch. Using warm colours, subtle overlays and carefully chosen typography and imagery will help reflect both my thought process and design style. My aim is to keep everything clearly organised while still creating a visual flow that feels calm and engaging throughout the book.

Mind-mapping

Thumbnails

Typeface

For the typeface in my process book I want something to reflect both clarity and calmness. I lean towards clean, modern typefaces that are easy to read but still have personality, nothing too sharp.

I chose Playfair Display and Fira Sans because together they felt like the right balance between personality and simplicity. Playfair Display has this elegant, slightly classic feel that gives my titles a bit of presence without feeling too formal. It adds a nice contrast to the clean, modern look of Fira Sans, which I used for body text because it’s super readable and easy on the eyes. I didn’t want anything too stiff or too plain, just something that felt thoughtful and well-matched to the soft, minimal style of my book. This combo let me keep things looking clear and structured, while still bringing in a bit of character where it counts.

Process Book

Online Flip book
Process Book – Maryam Zahedi

pdf

Process Book Download

Self-reflection

Putting this process book together really made me stop and appreciate how much I’ve grown throughout the unit. It’s not just about the final designs, though I’m proud of those, but also about how my thinking and approach have developed over time. Looking back through each project, I can see how I’ve become more confident with research, sketching ideas and making design decisions that feel intentional. I’ve also tried to keep the layout of the book clean and consistent, which I think reflects how much more attention I now give to the overall presentation of my work.

Each project had its own challenges and learning moments. The 21st Century Zoo branding made me think beyond just a logo, and the Spin the Bottle project helped me understand how design connects to everyday use and user experience. I think the self-promotion piece was the most personal, it really made me reflect on who I am as a designer and what I want my work to say about me. Putting that part together felt honest and surprisingly fun.

One thing I noticed while building the book is how important it is to not just show the work but also explain the thinking behind it. If I were to do it again, I’d try to include more notes about the early stages and what was going through my head as ideas were forming. But overall, I’m really happy with how the book turned out. It feels like a true reflection of my journey, not perfect but thoughtful, honest and full of growth.

Resources

AIGA, 2021. Designing a process book. AIGA Eye on Design. Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/how-to-make-a-design-process-book/ (Accessed 20 July 2025)
FlippingBook. (n.d.). Online publication. Available at: https://flippingbook.com/account/online/475275648 (Accessed 28 July 2025)
Pinterest. (n.d.). Process book. Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/ (Accessed: 22 July 2025)
Shillington Education, 2023. Why every graphic designer should keep a process book. Shillington Design Blog. Available at: https://blog.shillingtoneducation.com/why-every-designer-should-keep-a-process-book/ (Accessed 20 July 2025)