Do you guys plan out your boxes? What's your process?

[TheSlyder]

I for one have a rather large list of boxart projects that I plan on doing in the future. This way, I can move around and work on whichever one strikes me as most enjoyable, so I never face monotony. I've probably got about 15-20 projects jotted down here and there. I usually sketch out my ideas on paper first (Usually on my lunch break at work.) and once I've got it planned out, I start work on it. So far a box only takes about an hour or two in photoshop, but most of the time spent on it goes into thinking about composition and trying to come up with unique ideas, or drawing the content (I've got this personal goal. I really try hard not to use any pre-existing content for my boxes. I try to design my own covers, such as my Portal cover, where each icon has been made by myself, or in my future projects, where images will actually be drawn myself. This way, each box is truly my own, and nobody will be able to mistake it for another's.)

Jesus, how about I just jot down my life story for you guys?

Anyway, what's your process? Do you just start throwing images together until you find something cool, or what?

[xIAMHUNTERx]

I actually have a team of Chinese infants churn out my boxes.

They came with my last pair of Nikes.

[Ladykiller]

I actually have a team of Chinese infants churn out my boxes.

They came with my last pair of Nikes.

lol

First I decide to make a box for a cool game I recently saw or played. Then, I go "window shopping" for images online and see if I could actually make it happen and still be original.

If so, I then design the whole thing in my head first using the images that I picked out in my mind.

The rest....is execution

[alldreamsfalldown]

I think of a game I want to do then I kinda make it up as I go.

[MARKER]

I'm with Ladykiller on this one.
It probably takes around 9-11 hours to do a decent cover for me (hence why it usually takes around 3 days).. a lot of the time obviously not actually on photoshop, but trawling the net for images, taglines, reviews, etc.

I usually only work on one cover at a time so I'm concentrating on it (usually stick on my iRiver Clix and a mug of tea and I'm on the job for a few hours! )
Exception being this past week when I was doing a DUEL box, Iron Man box, and Final Fantasy XIII box at the same time --- the latter I would have finished now if photoshop didn't crash on me wasting about 5 hours of work --- yes, I know I should save regularly, but who does?

[VGMaster]

Come up with an idea and do the one that sounds most fun. Then I end up rushing in the end to work on something else. :P

[dmshaposv]

I like to do boxes of games that havent been done before or are tricky to do because of lack of materials. Its all about challenge.

Of course that doesn't mean I don't do boxes that have been done before. But I check all previous boxes to make sure my design is unique and original.

Process - I get inspired by the "feel" of the game. Horror = grungy, War = dusty, fantasy = sparkly, Epic = character collage, e.t.c.

I check other boxes in similar genres. Also note the typography that suits a certain type of box.

Execution - This is the time I spend on my boxes to make sure everything turns out the way I like it. The least amount of time I've spent on a box is 1 hour to the most being around 2/3 days (in WIP)

[xIAMHUNTERx]

I like to do boxes of games that havent been done before or are tricky to do because of lack of materials. Its all about challenge.

Like your SMG and Halo 3 boxes, right?

[dmshaposv]

Like your SMG and Halo 3 boxes, right?

Like my MGS4, silent hill, MGS2, MGS3, no more heroes box....

should I continue the list?

[Moogle]

The day I have a well thought out plan for a box is the day the earth explodes. Every single one of my boxes were supposed to be something else. My Lucky star box was supposed to be a Grandia III box, and my Love and Berry box was supposed to be Puyo Pop; but it never goes as planned.

At the same time though I try to make boxes that havent been done before.

[xIAMHUNTERx]

Like my MGS4, silent hill, MGS2, MGS3, no more heroes box....

should I continue the list?

No no, I think I get the point now. *chuckles* No offense intended; twas merely a joke.

[dmshaposv]

No no, I think I get the point now. *chuckles* No offense intended; twas merely a joke.

None taken.

[Vekta101]

I invision the look of the box in my head and try my best to copy that to the best I can but am often hampered by lack of resources.

[Techne]

I just go with the flow mannnn.

[Gunslinger]

First I decide to make a box for a cool game I recently saw or played. Then, I go "window shopping" for images online and see if I could actually make it happen and still be original.

If so, I then design the whole thing in my head first using the images that I picked out in my mind.

The rest....is execution

Pretty much the same except i usually like to do a bunch of quick pencil comps to get a general idea of how the design will look. Some of my designs come to me over breakfast so the pencil sketches are done on a napkin. >_>

Ideas are always popping into my head so i find that putting them down on paper saves brain processing time when trying to remember. I must have a whole filing cabinet filled with these sketches.

[TwilightMystics]

I like to do boxes of games that havent been done before or are tricky to do because of lack of materials. Its all about challenge.

Of course that doesn't mean I don't do boxes that have been done before. But I check all previous boxes to make sure my design is unique and original.

I can find myself totally in this quote!

[Iron Man]

I actually have a team of Chinese infants churn out my boxes.

They came with my last pair of Nikes.

Oh...my gosh! Me too! Although, I beat 'em with a whip as they work.

[Ladykiller]

Pretty much the same except i usually like to do a bunch of quick pencil comps to get a general idea of how the design will look. Some of my designs come to me over breakfast so the pencil sketches are done on a napkin. >_>

Ideas are always popping into my head so i find that putting them down on paper saves brain processing time when trying to remember. I must have a whole filing cabinet filled with these sketches.

I've actually done that for some of my boxes...if I can remember one of them was my recent FF7 box

I just sketch out where important graphic elements like characters and logos should go. What kind of layout would look best and unique concepts I can put in to capture the feel of the game itself. I draw them out on this 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, but I only end up needing like a corner of it, because they don't need to be highly detailed at all.

Sometimes, it doesn't look quite as good as I imagine...In which case I have to redraw things while I'm not doing anything in school and see if it works

[shadysaiyan]

lol

First I decide to make a box for a cool game I recently saw or played. Then, I go "window shopping" for images online and see if I could actually make it happen and still be original.

If so, I then design the whole thing in my head first using the images that I picked out in my mind.

The rest....is execution

me too, except , i just start from one image and work my way into a full box.

[IceFox]

My process:

1. Be bored
2. Open Photoshop
3. Start.
4. Yell at Photoshop for being a dick.
5. Give up.
6. Fetal Position
7. Do another box
8. Upload
9. Ta da.