What can you do to continue your standards of superior design on a tight budget?

1. Faux finishes. If you can’t afford it, fake it. Finishes that is. I recently attended an excellent print show in Tulsa, put on by CP Solutions. There were several paper vendors there with many exciting papers and finishing options that had all us designers ‘oohing’ and ‘aaahing’. But what if you’re client cant’ AFFORD a clear varnish or laminate finish?

Try this– adding a simple layer of partial opacity can make a dark design shine with extra sheen creating the illusion of a varnish or laminate.

2. Cut it out. Wanna create an awesome die cut effect without the cut? Try placing the design on a dark background (preferably black) when viewed at a distance in dark card holder the card will JUMP off the table and trick the viewer with the illusion of being die cut.

3. Simple arrangements. Nothing screams “CLASS” like something simple. Sleek. Elegant. On your next card project, convince the client to go with the “less is more” approach. The card will look sophisticated and expensive without the extra price.

Got some special design tricks of your own? I’d love to hear them!

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Recently a design student was perplexed when I requested that she "spice" up her typography. She let me know that one of her instructors did not allow her to add anything to the typography.

She had learned that typography effects were the first sign of an amateur. While I can definitely confirm that I’ve seen some typography tricks that were so poorly applied or so hideous that they were indeed the marks of an amateur designer.

However, in an effort to avoid throwing the baby out with the wash, I think it’s important that young designers are taught the ins and outs of typography effects without the bias of "simplistic style" so that they can appease the client with the greatest amount of design prowess available.

The next few posts we’ll be looking at keys to creating this stunning typography and carefully exploring the effects and techniques available.

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This style, while a necessity in fine arts, can get in the way of the modern graphic artist. If you are working with clients, chances are they are wanting something truly unique for their business.

Recently one of my students asked, after looking at some of my sample Web sites, how we managed to have such a variety of styles . . . The question took me by surprise, but I quickly recovered and shot off a few answers.

As a designer, what can we do to continue to come up with uniquely creative ideas and stay out of the rut of same ol’ design?

Let’s look closely at what I told him:

1. Keep learning. We should constantly be looking at magazines, books and websites for new designs and creative inspiration. Sometimes seeing something new will inspire you greater than any amount of thinking and studying.

2. Learn the Software. The better you know the ins and outs of your design software, the more creative your work will become. Nothing hinders a good design faster than not knowing what is available to you.

3. Collaborate with your Peers. A lot of designers are afraid to bounce ideas off their peers, for fear of stolen ideas and competitive proposals. Find some creatives you can trust and bounce your ideas off of them. A mixture of perspectives and ideas will do wonders to boost your creativity.

4. Listen to your clients. Remember that art is subjective to a certain extent. So while I may think that my designs are incredible, the client may have had something totally different in mind. The more you listen, the more flexible your designs will become.

5. Try new things. Constantly come up with ways to create a look that has never been done before. Don’t allow fear to keep you from stepping out there and coming up with "the next big thing". You can do it!

The list could go on and on. . . . tell me what you do to stay creative and keep your designs fluid!
 

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Much like the business card, a billboard is “one-shot” advertising. You hope to catch the attention of a driver speeding by. The message must be clear enough to comprehend quickly, but powerful enough to stick in the mind.

Recently a project came across my desk for new billboard. The previous designer had included a whopping total of 22 words in their design. 22?!?!?!  How am I possibly going to take in that much information while driving down the road? Is the designer responsible for any auto accidents that may occur because drivers had to hit their brakes to take in all the information?

In case you didn’t get the point, 22 words on a billboard is a bit excessive. So how do you determine HOW much information to include on there?

Well, generally the rule of thumb is no more than 8 words. That’s about all driver can comfortably take in. Obviously, that’s an average. You will see billboards ranging in content numbers from 5-15, but keep in mind that 8 is the “perfect” number according to researchers and professional marketers.

That in mind, what do you “leave out”. Well, chances are there is absolutely NO reason to include an actual telephone number on a billboard these days. Web sites are prevalent. And most can just as easily surf the web from their phone as they can make a phone call.

On the other hand if you are struggling to decide what TO put on there, here are some vast ideas (some better than others!):

Contact Information:

Name of the Organization
Web Site Address (url)
Telephone Number (easy to remember format 1-800-FLOWERS, etc.)
Physical Location
Slogan or Motto
Tagline
Niche Information

Visual:

Logo
Color Scheme
Person of Interest (or the POC)
 

As I mentioned earlier, you should be careful not to “overload” the reader with an exorbitant amount of information.

Some pitfalls to avoid:
Be wary of certain colors  . . . For instance, you might want to be careful of sky blue unless you really want your billboard to “blend” in with it’s surroundings.

Know where your billboard will be displayed, be familiar with trees/buildings that could obstruct the view.

As with everything else, billboard design will be subjective. You may be loved or hated. But hopefully, you will get read.

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To make matters worse, the printer changed his postcard template and had me make adjustments to match. So I did. With all the confusion on that end, we never received a proof of the final piece, which hopefully, would have meant that myself of the project manager would have see and noticed that the version was incorrect. In all likelyhood, I probably wouldn’t have noticed, since it was my files that I had sent.

The good news is the client was very understanding and we’re getting a reprint done immediately. Other than that the postcards turned out great!

It just all goes to show that DETAILS matter for a designer. Unless we are careful, organized and consistent, we can find ourselves with egg on our face. On the other hand, it happens. As long as we own up to our mistakes, correct the situation as much as possible and never leave the client holding the bag, we’ll be successful.

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I recently read an article that outlining some of the new features of Adobe’s InDesign re-vamp and compared them to features of the new Quark 8. As a die-hard InDesign fan, I wouldn’t be caught dead voluntarily using Quark. In fact, I’ve purchased Marksware’s Quark to InDesign converter for the sole purpose of avoiding the product.

Interestingly enough, reading up on this list of "features" released in Quark 8 it was apparent that many of the "new additions" have been in InDesign for several years! Go Figure!

Back to Live Preflight, in InDesign CS4 with the "Live Preflight" option selected, you have the opportunity to have errors flagged in real time as they occur. Import a RGB photo? Live preflight will tell you. Is the font you’re using missing a stroke? Live preflight will tell you.

Since I don’t have my hands on it yet, I’m anxious to use this in a real production environment. Shoot me your feedback, I’d love to hear your experiences with InDesign CS4 vs. CS3.

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As you finish up your design today, take a moment and ask yourself:

"If I had another hour, another day, another week to work on this, what would I do differently?" 

Then write that down. Is it possible to incorporate those ideas into your current design? If the deadline doesn’t permit any additional changes, you might want to consider keeping these ideas on the back burner in case you need them for future concept updates and changes.

In today’s deadline-driven society, we as designers must struggle to avoid falling into the "production" rut that can easily occur when we feel rushed or too busy.

Sit down, relax and think through your next assignment!
 

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Wrong.

A "bigger" business card (one that is larger than the standard 3.5" x 2" dimensions) makes for a poor business experience. A larger card doesn’t adequately fit into standard business card holders, will not work in wallets well and ultimately will end up in the trash much faster than their standard-sized counterpart.

If your client is bound and determined to include the history of their business, 10 forms of contact information and all their pricing chances are you’re gonna need something a little bigger. If the client can afford it, create a card that neatly folds down into 3.5" x 2" so that you can achieve the best possible solution.

Again, as I’ve mentioned SO MANY times on this blog, don’t forget you can be just as creative and eye catching within the boundaries of a traditional business card, as always here’s a little eye candy for inspiration!

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1. Keep it Fresh. If you portfolio is the same as it was last month, then you’re letting it get stagnate. Keep in mind as a designer, you should always be growing. Rarely do I look at a piece that I designed last year without seeing a million ways it could be done better if I was doing it today.  That’s what it’s all about!

2. Go Digital AND Paper. We are living in a digital society but that doesn’t mean you should "force" your prospective boss or clients to go digital as well. In the busy grasp for time, many may rely on a paper they can easily look at on the go rather than a digital CD or Web version of your work. My suggestion? Show your versatility and do both.

3. Include Awards and Recommendations.  Any prospective employer will be impressed by the number of awards and recommendations you have collected. Allow your work to speak for itself through these commendations. Don’t have any awards? There’s no excuse! Look online for design competitions. Yes, the entry fee my be a little pricey but the results and prestige are well worth it!

4. Focus on the Details. If you include a cover letter be sure it’s addressed to the right company. When looking over applicant’s for a new designer at the ministry, I recieved a resume and cover letter addressed to another company in town. What did this tell me? The designer didn’t have much of an eye for detail, meaning, they weren’t somebody I even interviewed. Don’t let a careless mistake make you look bad!

5. Include a Memorable Resume. An integral part of any solid portfolio is an up-to-date resume. Your resume should include a brief summary of your most recent positions and your overall skills. Limit this item to 1 page, front only. You may want to consider printing it on speciality paper or something noticeable, like a metallic card stock.

6. Show Variety, but Start with Your Greatest Strength. If you specialize in Logo development don’t start your portfolio out with a Web design. Start with your strengths to "wow" your prospect, then follow up with your other work to show your versatility.

7. Be Ready to Answer Questions. One of the first questions I ask a prospective designer that wants to work for me is to tell me what their favorite piece in their portfolio is. This is always very insightful for me to see what the designer truly deems their most important piece.

8. Include "Real" Samples. If you do book typesets and business cards, don’t just "show" the printed pages in sleeves, include real books, cards or brochures. Allow the employer or client to "touch" and "feel" the pieces. This will brand the images into their mind, and cause your name to be remembered.
 

9. Have Professional Contact Information. One of the biggest turn-offs for someone looking to hire a freelancer or new staff member is contacting them via an email address like sally_44772@yahoo.com. Don’t do this. Make sure you have an email address that is fed through your web site and sounds professional. If you leave your cell phone number make sure your voicemail message is also professional. Change it if you need to. Remember, the first key to selling yourself is presentation!

10. Use Your Creativity.  It’s cliche, but you must think outside the box. Don’t go overboard and in so doing, overwhelm your client. Professionalism will get you a lot farther than flamboyance, but be impressive. Show them you mean business and can think creatively.

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Early on, my plans of art and the design world were almost thwarted. Looking back, I can see many opportunities throughout my life that I had to allow rejection to shake my confidence and send me in another direction.

My first bout with this client-induced distress came when I was 10 years old. As a small child I had grown up in a family of crafters. My parents build very nice wooden children’s furniture: table and chair sets, rocking chairs, step-stools and desks. My mom eventually began painting on the pieces, the latest children’s characters, teddy bears, tractors or trains; she had  a large repretoire of designs.

Being a busy child I wanted to help and soon a natural knack for drawing and painting was discovered. Before long, I had surpassed my mom in the ability of personalizing the furniture in our home shop. However, when we were "on the road" at trade shows and craft fairs, it was my mom that did the majority of the work, dealing with customers and meeting their needs. Customers were able to select a piece of furniture and my mom would paint the child’s name or names on there while they waited.

In the fall, my mom had a severe case of bronchitis. It became clear that she would not be physically able to attend the upcoming Craft Show we had booked a year in advance. Needing the money, my grandmother suggested that I could take the show that weekend and she would be willing to help me deal with the clients and I would be able to handle the painting needs.

As I said, I was 10 years old.

The prospect of handling my first show was exhilarating. I was so excited and nervous. Anxious about my age, my grandmother helped me set up an area in the back of the booth where I couldn’t be seen. All day long I busily personalized the pieces, selling my work quickly as my grandmother handled the customers who never saw the young girl that was actually doing the painting.

Then it happened. A customer came back to pick up a $5 wall-hanging coat rack she had purchased. I still remember it clearly. The piece had a fluffy white lamb painted on it, and I had painted the name "Ashley" for her granddaughter. My grandmother turned to me, as during a slow moment I had walked to her side to watch the people browsing the auditorium.

She asked, "Jen, did you finish that coat rack?"

"Yes!" I replied and hurried over to where it sat, the paint finally dry.

I handed it to the customer, hopeful. She looked at me sharply, "YOU painted the name on there?"

"Yes ma’am!" I replied, proudly.

She looked at it closely, shook her head and said, "The letters are crooked and it doesn’t fill the space properly, I want my money back."

I was stunned, hurt and angry all at the same time. Having grown up in the shows, I knew better than to express my emotion. My grandmother curtly told her that I had been very successful this weekend, so her measley $5 wouldn’t matter and that someday I would be a successful artist, regardless of how I had been treated.

When the lady walked away with her $5 in hand, I sobbed to my grandmother, "I’ll never paint again, I quit."

My grandmother, being the wise woman she was, explained to me, that if I quit painting and doing what I loved, then I had let that woman beat me. I learned the tough lesson of dealing with clients: You can’t always please everyone and sometimes, they will be downright mean."

I often think back on that lady and her $5, hoping that if I’m ever in a similiar situation I will graciously be an encouragement, not a road block to someone else’s dream. I thank God for my grandma, who didn’t let me quit and was an encouragment helping me see that it wasn’t MY problem if someone didn’t like my work and I wouldn’t ever let that stop me.

So today, even if it’s hard, I will continue my art, continue designing and continue my dream in the face of rejection or disappointment, knowing that while I may not please everybody, I am talented, I am gifted and I am in the right field, the field of my passion.

To suffix this story, I will mention that after that show, I no longer hid in the back when I tag-teamed with my mom. I looked the customer right in the eye. Soon, the customers lined up to watch me work. Our booth would have tons of people in it wanting to see the ‘little girl’ that did the painting. It was my first niche! I was the youngest business person there.

At a show nearly a year later, I had my first request for an autograph on my work. What a thrill that was. The lady who did that, far made up for the mean grouch at the first show. I had come full circle.

I hope this story is an encouragement to you as your work is rejected by clients, companys or even your boss. Don’t sweat it. Don’t quit! You will succeed. You have the talent.

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