Comp Design

Comp design (Comprehensive Design) refers to mockups or prototypes created during design projects such as websites, advertisements, or posters, to visually demonstrate the final design concept. The term "comp" is short for "comprehensive design," and it is used to visually communicate the design concept to clients or team members.

Objectives of Comp Design

  1. Visualizing the Design:

    • Comp design concretely shows the appearance and layout of the final design, helping clients and team members visually understand the completed design.

  2. Collecting Feedback:

    • Comp design is used to receive feedback from clients and stakeholders, allowing for adjustments and corrections in the early stages of design.

  3. Improving Design Process Efficiency:

    • Creating comps that are close to the final design improves the efficiency of the overall design process, reducing rework when moving to the actual production phase.

Characteristics of Comp Design

  1. High Fidelity:

    • Comp designs are created to closely resemble the final design, accurately replicating colors, fonts, images, and layout details.

  2. Interactive Elements:

    • For web design, comp designs may include interactive elements like button actions and navigation movements to concretely convey the user experience.

  3. Ease of Adjustment:

    • Feedback is easily gathered in the early stages of design, making adjustments and corrections straightforward, allowing for quick responses to client requests.

Steps to Create Comp Design

  1. Confirm Requirements:

    • Collaborate with clients or project teams to confirm the design objectives and requirements, including target audience, brand guidelines, and functional requirements.

  2. Create Wireframes:

    • Before creating the comp design, create wireframes to outline the basic layout and structure, clarifying the framework of the design.

  3. Create Visual Design:

    • Based on the wireframes, create detailed visual designs. Use colors, fonts, images, and icons to create comps that closely resemble the final design.

  4. Add Interactive Elements:

    • Add interactive elements, such as button actions and navigation movements, to the comps if necessary.

  5. Collect Feedback and Make Adjustments:

    • Present the comp design to clients and stakeholders, collect feedback, and make adjustments and corrections as needed to complete the final design.

Advantages of Comp Design

  1. Clear Visual Communication:

    • Comp design clearly visually communicates the design concept and intent, facilitating smooth communication with clients and team members.

  2. Time and Cost Savings:

    • Identifying issues and improvements in the early stages of design reduces later-stage corrections, saving time and costs.

  3. Client Confidence:

    • Clients can preview the final design image in advance, allowing them to proceed with the project confidently.

Summary

Comp design is the creation of mockups or prototypes in design projects to visually demonstrate the final design concept. It is used to visualize the design, collect feedback, and improve the design process's efficiency. Comp designs are created to closely resemble the final design and may include interactive elements. The creation process involves confirming requirements, creating wireframes, creating visual designs, adding interactive elements, and collecting feedback and making adjustments. Comp design offers advantages such as clear visual communication, time and cost savings, and client confidence.