Which of the following is NOT a typical phase in a design project?

• A. Planning and analysis
• B. Design
• C. Marketing and sales
• D. Proofing and revising

Answer: (C)

Understanding the usual stages of a design project helps you see what belongs in the design process versus what happens after. In a typical design workflow, planning and analysis set goals and requirements, the design phase creates the actual visuals or prototypes, and proofing and revising involve checking quality, consistency, and usability and making necessary refinements. These steps are all about developing the product itself.

Marketing and sales, while essential to a product’s success, operate in a different part of the lifecycle. They focus on promoting, positioning, pricing, and delivering the product to customers, and they often occur after the design work is completed or in parallel as a separate go-to-market effort. They may provide market input to inform planning, but they are not considered a standard phase within the design development cycle.

So, the option describing marketing and sales isn’t part of the typical design-project sequence, which is why it’s the best choice.