Comprehensive Layout (Comp)

A comprehensive layout ("comp") is a proposed visual design for a project. It can be accomplished through many forms of media as long as it can ultimately guide the final product. It is typically the final point in the process of ideation/design before a project enters into the production stage. And, it usually acts as a reference point that the production team can cite for design specifications, such as: typeface, width, color, etc.

Notes

• A few helpful applications that are capable of creating powerful comps for a digital project include: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD.

• A comp doesn't have to be digital or perfect. We've seen comps that consisted of beautiful crafted drawings, hodgepodged collages, and sketches on a napkin. While these are not ideal and can cause more problems than solutions in the long-run, budgets or time constraints or any number of factors can force the project to conclude these kinds of deliverables as the final comp before moving into production.

• Ideally, a comp consists of final art direction and copy. Making changes while in production can cause costly delays. Though, watermarked images and lorem ipsum copy can keep a project moving if the art/copy elements are prohibiting movement on a project.

Example

Coming soon.