Invoice design

So as part of our personal branding and for the design proposal we had to design an invoice template. I was not sure what to add so I started off by doing some research to know what I should add.

I found this website to be very helpful when researching invoices. I also found this blog post by William Simpson to be super helpful also.

What is an invoice?

An invoice is a document that you send to your client after they purchase goods or services from you, both as a means of recording the sale and of requesting payment from them.

Specifically, an invoice declares in writing what exactly the client purchased, when they purchased it, in what quantity and at what price.

What is their purpose?

They create a binding agreement between you and your customer that obliges the customer to pay the agreed price. As a result, invoices can be used when taking more formal actions, especially in the case of overdue or missing payments.

That’s because, in addition to stating the total amount to be paid by your customer, invoices also identify the payment terms, including when the payment must be made by and what, if any, the potential penalties are for late payments.

How to make a good design invoice

The invoice should look clean and it should be easy to read. It shouldn’t overwhelm the client with too much information but should include everything that’s important for your records and for them to understand your charges. When you’re creating the invoice, pay attention to the layout and consider how you’re going to bill for your work.

Your business logo, address, and other information they might need such as your phone number or email address ,must be included. Include your website if applicable. You’ll want to include your client’s name and information, an invoice number, and the date of the invoice. You’ll also want the invoice total to be in an easy to spot location.

Layout for a Design Invoice

  • Logo and information at the top, where it’s easy for the client to see.
  • Client name – middle
  • Date of the invoice – middle
  • Other important information. – middle
  • Break down the project and the costs.
  • Break down your project into subcategories that make sense for the project and include descriptions as needed.
  • Provide the cost based on how you’re billing the client and the total price for each section of the project.
  • At the bottom of the invoice, total the services, include any tax as necessary, subtract any amount they’ve already paid, and show the final amount they owe for your services.

How to Bill for Design Projects

You’re generally going to choose based on a set fee for each part of the project or hourly for the amount of time you spend on each part of the project. If you’re planning on charging clients set fees for various parts of the projects you work on, break down the invoice into those parts and write the cost for each one, then add them together to get the total. If you’re planning on charging an hourly price, write down which part of the project you worked on, the number of hours you spent on it, your hourly rate, and the total cost for each part of the project.

Your invoice reflects your business and should look fantastic yet be easy for you to fill out when needed and provide to your clients. 

Visual research

I started by doing some visual research. Here is a link to see it.

Here are some of my favourite ones:

I really like the simplicity of these 2 designs, it includes colour and personality without taking away from the important information.

I really like the colour scheme of the Invoice above especially because it is similar to my own colour scheme. The writing size is a big too small though – it is a bit hard to read.

I really like how they used blocks of colour to create a sort of structure to the information.

Here is a link to my Figma design file.

My Invoice

Emily Ussher Invoice pdf

I had a lot of fun making the invoice and I am pleased with how simple I was able to make it. I do think that as time goes on and I mature as a designer this aspect of my brand will also mature.

Portfolio

It is easy to get lost in the infinite sea of information so I decided to make this a little easier to view by listing all my research blog post links and other relevant links here to keep things nice and tidy. I will also be organizing it by week.

Here is to hoping it works out!


Project 01 brief – Portfolio

Portfolio site and content strategy. Your Instagram, LinkedIn, Slack must be active and functional and professional ASAP – they should all match, think brand recognition.

This year I will need to create a new portfolio site. The portfolio should be simple and functional. A bit part of developing my website will be focused on research and learning from other more experienced designers.


emilyussher.com


Portfolio part 1

Week 01 – research conducted between 23/09/21  to  30/09/21

Portfolio part 2

Week 02 – research conducted between 30/09/21  to  07/10/21

Portfolio part 3

Week 03 – research conducted between 07/10/21 to 14/10/21

Portfolio part 4

Week 04 – research conducted between 14/10/21 to 21/10/21

Portfolio part 5

Week 05 – research conducted between 21/10/21 to 28/10/21


Something that really stuck out to me during this process is that feedback is gold, accessibility is a must, starting on paper is necessary and that a website is never fully finished and perfect and while my current website serves my current needs (showcasing my work for employers offering placement) it will have to grow with me as I grow as a designer. I have made small but good changes since having blogged my process. My website is changing along with me.

Group Critique

I made some slides in preparation for my group critique

group crit

After the group critique I decided to make a few changes to not only my colour scheme but I also decided to make a new illustration to represent myself.

I used Adobe color to create my colour scheme.

I developed my illustration using procreate, here is my progress:

This is my final illustration for my brand.

I am quite pleased with the outcome and I feel as though it will add a fun and friendly aesthetic.

 

Brand progress review

Long Bio

Hello, my name is Emily Ussher. I am a first year Interaction design student at Ulster university Belfast. I am originally from Venezuela; I found my love of art when I moved to Northern Ireland at 13 as it gave me a communication tool that I did not have at the time. I love to travel and create art. My multi-cultural upbringing has offered me a different perspective and point of view – something that is always evident in my designs.

Short Bio

Just another Venezuelan/Irish self-appointed explorer, studying Interaction Design and doing what she loves

Tone of voice

  • Friendly
  • Professional
  • Creative
  • Comprehensive
  • Caring

Word bank

  • Dedicated
  • Diverse
  • Bilingual
  • Friendly
  • Professional
  • Original
  • Innovative
  • Unique
  • Well designed
  • Multicultural
  • Happy
  • Creative
  • Quirky
  • Diferrent

Brand values

My brand values will be to create high quality, well designed products centred around the customers need. To provide a unique, welcoming and fun experience to the customer and produce products of the highest quality.

Logo design

I decided to keep it simple and uncomplicated, the font I used for my name is FS Alvar in bold.

As part of my professional yet quirky brand I decided that it would fit best if I added colour to only the dot and maintained the rest black.

When turned upside down the logo reminds me of an elephant, I will try to play around with this concept and maybe turn it into a mascot or even create a series of illustrations in the same style.

Colour

  • C2CDEB