Layout Stages

Step 1: Brain Storming
Before anything that involves a computer or a sketch you write first. Write thoughts or details about what you are going layout and the idea behind it. By doing this first step it'll help to narrow down which ideas are great and others that are not.

Step 2: Thumb Nails 
Thumbnails are the doodle versions of your brainstorming thoughts. They are not meant to look great yet, but it gives you a visual of what your idea will look like. This helps to narrow done which ones you know you like and don't.

Step 3: Rough
You can begin working on the computer for this step. This is the singled out ideas from your thumbnails but blown up. It's gives you a visual of what your mark-up could look like.

Step 4: Comprehensive (COMP)

A comp should basically be what you're mark-up is going to be; may lack some details depending on what you're doing.

Step 5: Mark-Up

A mark-up is the finished product of the idea process. It has all the details you may not have added in the comp. You should have a delivery file (a .jpeg or .png depending on the receiver) and working file (any file that you have saved for possible future reference or emergency) ready now that to you are done.

Design Stages

The Step 1: Brainstorming 
Before you start any project you need to think it out. The way you do it doesn't really matter, so long as you run them someone or a group to see whether or not your idea is ok to go foward with.

Step 2: Audience
After you have the concept or idea down start thinking about the poeple who can understand it. Are you aiming for the younger crowd or maybe those in your age group? Is the message clear enough? Having an outside perspective may help to narrow or widen your thought range.

Step 3: Clear Idea
This step is probably tough for some  poeple, because you may understand what your concept is but maybe others don't. The best way is to talk this out or show others and ask then questions to help your idea to be clear. If you were not able to get your point across its ok to go back to step one and buffer out another idea.

Step 4: Simplify
Ounce you've got that clear idea make it simple. Strip it down to the bone and don't make it too complicated. Make sure your idea gets to the point.

Step 5: Bottom Line

Now the last step is basic. What was the point of the idea ? What did you accomplish and why? If you can answer these above questions you did good, but if you can't you may need to go through this process again. There is no point to your idea or concept if you can't make your point.