AGDA “Find a Designer”

Checking against the brief

It’s not a totally unrestrained part of the creative process though; throughout you’ll have to check your progress against the original brief. Not doing so can result in a wrong turn and the possibility of that cardinal sin: not meeting the needs of the brief! Working on a project in the early stages of my career, I took a pretty erratic divergence from what was discussed in the early meetings and, predictably, was pulled up short by the client. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the work I had submitted, it just didn’t answer the brief.

So…

Let’s return to the brief I provided as an example last time. In it, it is stated that the desired aim was for the new entity to look fresh and crisp, though in a sense established. Some sort of visual link to the existing (and already very well established) accountancy entity would also have to be provided. Reconciling these two demands was the unique question I was being called upon to answer.

Establishing a link between the new company and old was easy; the existing corporate burgundy, when modified, was a strong and appropriate colour choice, so I carried it over into the new identity and introduced a secondary pallet of autumnal colours to be used alongside it.

But back to research…

Indeed, which as I described above is one of the most fun parts of the job. My particular client was based oop north in Manchester, a city famous for its bygone docks and textiles industries, and more recently its newly redeveloped Salford Keys district. I thought these aspects of the city offered enormous graphical potential, and put it to the client that any new identity conceived should have at its core something uniquely Manchester about it. This accepted, I threw myself into finding out everything about England’s second city I could, and quickly found my mind swimming in imagery of iron girders, spinning wheels, cranes, looms of silk, rainy cobbles and steel rivets; more than enough material to make a start with.

And make a start I did, experimenting with every possible shape, type treatment, colour combination and these elements’ juxtaposition as I thought might work. It’s unlikely you’ll do quite as much sketching and brainstorming as during this stage of the creative process.

The key to my particular project lay in the personality of the city in which the company was born, so my research largely sprung from this starting point. But factors will vary project to project. Other good areas to consider and questions to ask are:

• The sector your client belongs to. Research how your client’s competitors have handled their branding and identity — then look for a way of treating yours differently and creatively.
• The themes and messages your client wants to project. Try to obtain keywords and qualities off them and look for ways of exploring these. If solidity and straightforwardness are important to them, you might explore building/masonry type shapes and concentrate on producing concepts shorn of superfluous ornament. If tradition and establishedness is a must, then heraldry might be a good place to start, and so on.
• It’s best not to bombard your client with too many concepts —even at an initial stage— so I chose from my dozens of vector sketches six or eight marks which I thought had the strongest potential for development. ‘Pearls’ to paraphrase Alexander Dumas. ‘Rough, shapeless pearls, of no value, waiting for their jeweller’.

Mind Mapping

It’s a good idea to discuss mind mapping here, as it can be an invaluable asset at this early stage of throwing ideas onto the page. Mind mapping is a graphical variant on brainstorming. The method was developed by the Englishman Tony Buzan in 1974, and is based on insights from research on the human brain. He used his research to create a presentation method that addressed both the right and left-hand cerebral hemispheres equally by combining linguistic and logical thinking with intuitive and pictorial thinking. The typical structure of a mind map resembles a tree structure, where the subject is written in the middle of a sheet of paper. It’s best if a succint, slogan-like word or caption is used here; lengthy sentences aren’t as effective at this stage. These keywords should trigger associations and chains of association by linking impressions, feelings and ideas. The keywords which spring from your central theme are written on lines which form the maind branches, and which can then branch further for subsequent sub-concepts.

If further variations on these ideas come to mind, an additional branch is added to the appropriate main branch. This then produces further little branches on the existing main branches. The resultant mind map can be re-organised and re-structured at any stage, as it may not be clear at the outset how the map will develop, and in what direction. Use this highly effective technique when embarking on your research!

For a more in depth look at mind mapping see our fantastic mind mapping blog article.

In sum…

In carrying out exhaustive, though tightly-focussed research and using mind mapping to help you conceive your ideas —not forgetting to check your progress against the original brief— you’ll maximise your chances of presenting something your client will see potential in and want to see developed — and help you to avoid getting told off for bouncing off on a tangent!

Quality

As mentioned above, some clients brief their designers verbally, others will supply a detailed written document, and some do something in between (an initial chat over a pint, some follow-up emails, a telephone call).

Whichever way your client likes to deal with these things, I’d suggest always at least trying to obtain a written brief. It adds clarity to things and gives the designer a document to return to if unsure of the client’s intentions. Let’s assume you’ve got what you want, a written brief from your client. The next thing to consider is quality. Whilst a hastily-scribbled couple of sentences torn from a ring-bound notepad and pressed into the designer’s palm can result in mistaken instructions, general confusion and, ultimately, a solution which falls short of the client’s expectations, a detailed, structured and rational document, supported by meetings and telephone calls, can provide the designer with a sound understanding of what the client wants. The better the briefing, the more intuitive this understanding will be, and the greater the chances of you delivering a solution your client will love.

An example of a good brief

Shown below is an example of a well-written brief commissioning the work of a branding exercise for a new financial services company based in Manchester, England (the name of the company has been obscured). The client has tried to be as helpful as possible in providing the designer with all the information he’ll need before he starts the project, including company history and values, objectives, instructions on the tone of voice and visual image the company would like to project, and an informal ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ to help steer the designer in the right direction. Little, if nothing, has been left unclear. A brief like this, outlining exactly what the client wants, doesn’t want, likes and doesn’t like, gives the designer a flying start when beginning a project.

Dear Lord, I never knew that…

The word briefing comes from American military language and means a deployment discussion with a short description of the situation and explanation of the aims of the operation, and a detailed strategy. The term was introduced into advertising by the American advertising executive Rosser Reeves and the copywriter David Ogilvy, and was then adopted by marketing.

Top Tips

• If your client is reluctant to provide you with a written brief, offer to write one yourself and supply it to him. If he’s not keen on the idea, alarm bells should start ringing
• Examine, prod, probe and jab at the brief until you know it inside out
• If unsure of anything, ask the client
• Develop a sixth sense for recognising a bad brief. If you come across one you can walk away from it, or suggest you re-write it

Receiving the brief

Once you’ve received your gleaming and faultless document, the creative process may begin! The first responsibility of the designer is to understand the brief, so be sure to go over yours with a fine tooth comb until you’re confident you fully understand your client’s aims, objectives, needs and desires. If unsure of anything, don’t make assumptions on behalf of anyone else, but get back in touch with the client and ask for further clarification. Bring to bear what you already know about the project and your client and try to read between the lines. In short, do as full a job as possible on understanding the brief.

The re-briefing

In addition to the chief document you will have received, an initial conversation will have taken place where the project will have been discussed and the commission offered. Much can be learnt at this (usually informal) stage, especially if the conversation happens face to face. Use the time to delve into your client’s thoughts, share concerns if there are any and try to gauge his intentions.

After this initial chat, your receipt of the brief and examination of it, a re-brief might be necessary. The re-brief affords the designer an opportunity to go over any corrections and seek further clarification after the commission has been accepted. This re-briefing can be a valuable stage in the process, a time for discussion and for the designer to present the basic idea for his concept to the client, before time and money are invested in the implementation phase.

Summary

This might all seem a lot to take on board, but to secure yourself, then scrutinise, the document which holds the key to you delivering your best creative response is really common sensical. Succeed here and you’ll be ready to begin the fun stuff!

Elephant

Images © Elephant

Ah, the excellent Elephant magazine. Elephant is a new publication which focuses on art and visual culture. The magazine is divided into five parts: meetings, research, studio visits, economies and cities. Of the many new titles currently to be found out there, Elephant —still new on issue #6— looks set to establish itself in the visual culture sector.

Dapper Dan

Images © Dapper Dan

Dapper Dan is a brand-new men’s magazine that is “interested in inspiration, not novelty”. It is created in Athens, Greece and published twice a year, spanning fashion, culture and philosophy through striking photography and thoughtful texts. According to their website, “Dapper Dan is for the man who doesn’t feel he should have to be like everybody else.”

File

Images © File

File Magazine is a bi-annual publication featuring a broad selection of visual communication in the fields of graphic design, art, photography, fashion and moving image. Beautifully presented in a 30 x 39cm hard cover with a full-colour 96pp newsprint inner stitched inside. Recognising the potential synergy between print and moving image, each issue is accompanied by a full-screen online player, screening in full each issue’s short films, music videos and documentaries. A magazine to both watch and read.

Futu

Images © Futu

An award winning design, fashion and luxury publication from Poland, Futu aims to highlight the positive aspects of material culture and promote a certain mode of creative living. The typography is highly accomplished throughout each publication and much thought goes into substrates used for each issue. Most interestingly, each month a single design studio is chosen from across the world to design that month’s issue.

It’s Nice That

Images © It’s Nice That

It’s Nice That is another one of those independents which looks set to stay. It showcases work from the fields of graphic design, product design and illustration, publishing exciting practitioners both on and offline, and directing that talent to produce creative projects for brands. The physical journal is published every April and October as an archive for the most interesting editorial from the last six months. For those who find relentless advertising a turn-off, each publication is entirely advertising free.

Territory

Images © Territory

A design magazine in the pure sense, The Malaysian Territory was first published in 2004 and has since then become an important journal within the Asian design scene, some heralding it as the first of its kind in the region. Since first publication, Territory has evolved its own peculiar trippy aesthetic, setting it apart from similar journals who are often concerned with modernism-like design or a more European style of illustration. Territory claims to constantly work to discover fresh talent, helping up-and-coming designers carve their identities in the international arena. Not a bad thing at all.

The Ride

Images © The Ride

One of the loveliest new publications out there, The Ride truly is something special. Born of an idea to create an all-encompassing journal for riders who do not wish to be categorised as commuters, bmxers, track racers, freeriders and so on, The Ride exists to give something back to the riding community. Each issue contains riders’ tales and stories, and the publishers have been wise enough to pull on board some first rate artists, illustrators and designers, all of whom have contributed to giving The Ride the highly memorable visual style it has.

Summary

With all the iPad-inspired talk in the air of the death of print (a topic that refuses to die) it’s deeply heartening to find so many people so ready to launch their own titles, a fact that seems nicely to counter the prevailing prognosis for the publishing industry. That the industry has changed a great deal is not in doubt, and the dispiriting state of several first-rate established titles is a genuine concern. Perhaps though we’re witnessing not the death of an industry, but its metamorphosis into something different. As Jeremy Leslie of the excellent magCulture blog wrote in a recent Creative Review article, “It’s the tangible, physical medium of print that people turn to for self-expression.” There are no signs of the medium loosening its hold on the creative industry’s imagination. Beautiful magazines are here to stay.

L’Histoire du Vingtième Siècle—“Twenieth Century History” for those who don’t speak French.

Bazooka

Throughout the twentieth century, proponents of core themes that came to define France, like liberty and protest, used design to communicate and disseminate their messages. The Agitprop posters of Atelier Populåire are well known, though other notables among these révolutionaires were groups like Bazooka and Grapus. Bazooka were a mixed-sex collective with an alternative take on punk graphic design. Coming together in art school in Rouen in 1974, Bazooka’s members were exposed to ideas from across the graphic design / art intersection, notably Dadaism and neo-Dadaism. They learnt to print their own material and published a number of radical zines. Sexy and confrontational, they would doubtless be worth further investigation.

Grapus

Grapus was a collective of graphic artists who worked together between 1970 and 1991, before internal struggles tore it apart. Fiercely political, Grapus produced searing posters, often with a social intention or message. These posters have a political urgency about them that feels uniquely French, and when sat alongside those of Atelier Populáire pull into sharp relief the context in which they reside.

It is through no fault of their own that the graphic design of artists like Jean Carlu (left) and A.M. Cassandre (right) now appear clichéd—their style has been borrowed to death, their posters proliferated, reproduced and collected on a grand scale.

Havas City

Bringing things bang up-to-date, Paris-based ad agency Havas City was recently commissioned to redesign French supermarket Monoprix’s own-brand range of over 2000 grocery products—a huge task for any agency. Widely reported on in the British design press (see Creative Review spread, below), HC plumbed for a bold, no-nonsense typographical treatment, dispensing with imagery and package windows, but combining colourful type with witty messages.

Image © Havas City

Grapheine

Proving French studios can produce clean, globalised-looking graphic design with the best of ‘em, design studio Graphéine produced an impactful and fun visual identity for 2010’s Festival de Marne. Echoes of Asian anime are apparent in the execution of the illustrations. A dilution of Gallic flair, or positive move toward a world-wide graphical aesthetic? You decide!

Images © Graphéine

Toffe

Not much known outside of French design circles, Toffe (a nom de plume—his real name is Christoph Jacquet) is an important and original graphic designer, with a certain following in Paris, where he was born and still resides. His work “bristles with contradictions” says Rick Poyner, combining ugly default computer settings with intricate fleurons and flourishes in jarring graphical juxtapositions.

Images © Toffe.

M/M

M/M, graphical stars in France, combine design, art and format with dazzling originality and a kind of innocent sense of experimentation. Their posters, typefaces and alphabets have had their fair share of coverage, so it’s worth demonstrating how creative the designers there can be when working on installations, models and set design. Nothing seems beyond the pale for M/M—they have even turned their hand to frangrance concoction. In an industry often at risk of taking itself too seriously, M/M remind us that design can work best when it retains a sense of wit and spontaneity.

Images © M/M Paris.

The Foundries

Exljbris

The distinctively coloured Exljbris homepage and a sample from their Didone-like typeface Questa. Imagery used with kind permission of © Exljbris.

Striking artwork by graphic designer Kristian Bjornard who has experimented with and modified Exljbris’s font Geotica Three.

Described on its blog as a ‘one-man Dutch font foundry’ Exljbris was founded by Jos Buivenga. Exljbris is where Jos releases and offers his typefaces. For 15 years, his online friends and fans could follow the development of his typefaces and download the results at no cost. In 2008, while still working as an art director at an advertising agency, he released his first commercial typeface Museo with several weights offered for free. That strategy paid off and Museo became a huge bestseller. Partly thanks to that success he now calls himself a full time type designer. Recent projects include a custom version of Museo & Museo Sans for Dell and the Questa project, a collaboration with the well-known type designer Martin Majoor.

Linotype

(Top) The Linotype homepage is a portal to typographic manna; (below) a tantalising collection of Linotype specimens. All imagery used with kind permission of © Linotype.

Linotype should need no introduction, being at the centre of typographical innovation (and upheaval) for the past 120 years (in one guise or another). This from their website: “The day Ottmar Mergenthaler demonstrated the first linecasting machine to the New York Tribune in 1886, Whitelaw Reid, the editor, was delighted: “Ottmar,” he said, “you’ve cast a line of type!” The editor’s words formed the basis for the company label, and marked the beginning of Linotype’s success story. Four years later, the ingenious inventor founded the Mergenthaler Linotype Company. Little did he know that after more than 100 years of successful business the Linotype, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., would be following in his footsteps.”

Today, Linotype sees itself as a partner to typographers and designers and has one of the world’s largest font libraries (10,500 typefaces and counting). Its comprehensive website is a masterly feat of navigation; visitors able to search for fonts not only through technical specifications but also by intended use (text, corporate, screen etc.), type foundry and character set features. In addition the Linotype Form Finder makes it possible for users to reshape a font sample displayed in order to select the kind of typeface he is looking for. There are so many other useful services and products on the Linotype site that it’s probably better you just have a peruse rather than read me prattling on.

HypeForType

(Top & middle) HypeForType’s homepage complete with arresting 3D type artwork and type specimens of Killer, Neo Deco and Links, which form distinctive pieces of design in their own right. HypeForType turned 1 recently and posted this announcement on their blog. Imagery used with kind permission of © HypeForType.

“A labour of love for founder Alex Haigh” is how HypeForType is described on its website. The foundry is 1 year old now and already has an impressive collection of high quality, new and exclusive faces as well as some esoteric and unusual ones. Their blog is a good read, you’ll find competitions, interviews and exciting announcements there. Perhaps most striking of all is HypeForType’s predilection for working with some of the design industry’s big names, collaborations which produce unique one-offs available exclusively through HypeForType.

LucasFonts

LucasFonts’s website embodies much of what might be termed International or Swiss style design. Beneath are two examples from Germany of their fonts in use. Imagery used with kind permission of © LucasFonts.

Lucas De Groot founded his own type foundry, LucasFonts, in 2000. Its aim, in a few words: “to make the world a better place by designing typefaces that look good and work well under any circumstances and in many languages.” The website claims “Graphic designers across the planet have discovered the special qualities of Luc(as)’ fonts. They are attracted by their functionality and friendly appearance and love the enormous range of possibilities that each family offers. Many also appreciate the idiosyncrasies – a quest for extremes that has resulted in some of the narrowest, thinnest, wittiest or boldest typefaces around.”

LucasFonts has a sister company, FontFabrik which specialises in custom typefaces and is now world-renowned, having designed fonts for Microsoft, Heineken, Siemens and Volkswagen.

SMeltery

Shown above are SMeltery’s idiosyncratic homepage, type specimens of Heretica, Geronto Bis (which Jack is particularly proud of) and Enfer, and engagingly designed samples of Sans Merci and Soupirs. Imagery used with kind permission of © SMeltery.

SMeltery is a French type foundry founded by Jack Usine in 2002, which offers a very attractive range of display-type faces. There are some gems to be found in the ‘free’ section, though Jack’s currently most proud of recent works like Vidange, Megalopolis and Geronto Bis. A Bordeaux-based graphic designer, Jack also maintains a vigourous involvement in various aspects of visual culture, which seems to have influenced his energetic SMeltery typefaces in an intriguing way.

Typonine

Typonine’s homepage devotes a lot of space to new faces such as the elegant, high-contrast Marlene. Shown bottom is a spectacular selection of typographic posters from Tipoplakat of which Nikola Djurek is a member. Imagery used with kind permission of © Typonine.

Typonine is a digital type foundry and graphic design studio based in Croatia and The Netherlands. It is run by graphic and type designer Nikola Djurek who founded Typonine in 2005. Their fonts have a precision, tension and elegance about them which would make them a good choice for discerning clients. The Playground page of their website is a mischievous patch dedicated to type experiments and projects, and through Tipoplakat, customers can order from a collection of stunning typographic posters designed by Djurek and his close associates.

Summary

Unobtrusive in their way, type foundries have made the transition from Old Trade to the digital age with élan and are a vital pillar of the modern design profession, indispensable to studios and those clients willing to commission bespoke fonts. But they should also become indispensable to students and fledglings, for even if unable to afford some of the fonts, it pays to be aware of things at the top end of the profession, and the services, guidance and free downloads make foundries an invaluable resource. You might be so convinced of a font’s appropriateness for a particular job that it’s possible to argue a client into parting with the funds for it. So captivated by the ligatures of a typeface that the 70 pounds/dollars/euros you had set aside for a big night out you instead divert for its purchase. Unrealistic? Maybe, but you live in hope!

The Book… A free download

What’s a cookie? How do I protect myself on the web? And most importantly: What happens if a truck runs over my laptop? For things you’ve always wanted to know about the web but were afraid to ask, read on…20thingsilearned.com.

The Process

The Fi team rose to the challenge and created the book

To learn more about the process that went into making this project happen read and watch the video on the Fi website. Another great project to checkout on their website is the building of the new Fox.com site, an interesting read indeed.

In a Nutshell

A type foundry designs and/or distributes typefaces. Originally, type foundries manufactured and sold metal and wood typefaces and matrices for line-casting machines like those made by Linotype and Monotype, and were designed to be printed on letterpress printers. Today’s digital type foundries accumulate and distribute typefaces (typically as digitized fonts) created by type designers. Some type foundries also provide custom type design services.

The Foundries

CastleType

The CastleType homepage (top) and samples above from (clockwise) Latin Ct, Sculptura and Goudy Trajan. Imagery used with kind permission of © CastleType.

San Fransisco-based independent type foundry CastleType was established in 1990 by Jason Castle, and specialises in revivals, classic styles, decorative fonts and custom font design. Custom services offered are extensive, taking in logo digitization (whereby customers supply their logo and a digital version is added to a favourite font) and the digital rendering of existing typefaces.

The revival and classic styles are remarkable for their elegance and the display faces are bold and confident. Jason is currently busy expanding his Goudy Trajan family with Cyrillic and Greek characters and the release of Sonrisa —a precise and friendly looking sans serif— is iminent.

Dalton Maag

A shot from Dalton Maag’s website, the limited edition Tephra prints and pictures of a custom font designed for the University of London’s Central School of Speechf & Drama in use. Imagery used with kind permission of © Dalton Maag.

London-based Dalton Maag has been designing fonts and logos and “supporting and assisting people in deepening their typographic skills” since 1991. In that near-two decade period they have seen exciting growth but what makes them remarkable is their branching out into both Cairo and Brazil—endeavours to contribute to emerging visual and typographic cultures in each country’s continent. Through doing so, Dalton Maag’s resumé has expanded to take in the vast typographic expanses of both the Arabic alphabet and South American languages.

Emigré

A page from Emigré's exuberant looking website and samples of their fonts. Clockwise from upper left: Mrs. Eaves, Ottomat, Puzzler and Priori Acute. Imagery used with kind permission of © Emigré.

Yes, that Emigré, the iconic, much-mourned design journal Emigré. Some colleges and universities become so preoccupied with teaching their students of the cultural significance of the journal that they neglect to mention that the entity lives on in online form, with an archive of articles from the journal, an excellent shop and large collection of surprising and esoteric fonts available for download. These are of a diverse nature, though one thing that seems to permeate much of the collection is the jaunty angles which adorn the fonts’ serifs.

Tiro Typeworks

Tiro Typeworks's graceful and formal homepage and a glimpse of their acclaimed ornamental typeface Restraint. Imagery used with kind permission of © Tiro Typeworks.

Tiro Typeworks was established in 1994 by John Hudson and Ross Mills and has evolved into a highly regarded foundry with a reputation for custom typefaces and font solutions. What makes them stand out from other comparable foundries is their expertise in multilingual computing and publishing, which they have specialised in since 1997. Their work in this area includes extensions to existing Latin typefaces and new typefaces for Arabic, Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, Burmese, Cherokee, Cyrillic, Ethiopic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Ogham and Tahi scripts. Impressive stuff. An ornamental typeface of theirs that really stands out is Restraint, described as “an ornamental font which happens to contain letterforms. It is 100% fanciful all the time and not for the timid of heart.” A tour around Restraint, as well as the wider work Tiro are involved in, is highly recommended.

Fontsmith

Fontsmith’s homepage, a medley of typeface samples from the foundry (Rufus, Clerkenwell and Jack) and examples of the custom typeface designed for Film4 in action! Imagery used with kind permission of © Fontsmith.

Fontsmith is a leading London-based type design studio founded in 1999 by Jason Smith. The studio consists of a team dedicated to designing and developing high quality typefaces for both independent release as well as bespoke fonts for international clients. In addition to their wide range of exceptional typefaces available through their website, Fontsmith are also noteworthy for having custom designed typefaces as part of rebranding projects for such celebrated clients as Channel 4, Mencap and BBC 1. Your writer uses a Fontsmith typeface —Clerkenwell— as part of his identity.

OurType

The formal though playful homepage of OurType (the black ‘try’ and ‘buy’ circles at the top bounce around with the movement of the cursor), OurType’s Parry font as seen in De Bug magazine and a self-promotional poster from the Foundry. Imagery used with kind permission of © OurType.

Founded in 2002, OurType states it “has a vision that is different from most other font companies. It publishes newly designed fonts that are tailored to contemporary needs. Yet it respects traditional values, and strives for the highest quality of product. So it stands equally apart from those who are enslaved to the new and those who merely try to recreate the past. OurType fonts are useful, durable and attractive tools for anyone using type now.” The website contains lots of playful movement and the fonts offered are indeed contemporary yet formal.

To be continued…

A further six type foundries will be previewed in the second article in the series. Watch this space!

James Victore has always been one of our favourite graphic designers, students learn about his iconic works throughout our graphic design courses. This article written by Jocelyn K. Glei for Behance has only made us love him more.Below are a few excerpts from the article that we think reigns so true in the world of design education. Please take the time to read the full article.

“Racism.” Social poster. Self-authored. Silkscreen. 26″ x 40″ 1993. © James Victore.

So you like time away from computers. Do you do all of your sketching and writing on paper?

Paper, and not in the studio. I’ll go to a bar or a restaurant. When I did the book, I left the studio every morning and I went to the park and sat for an hour, hour and half. I brought an idea, and I wrote longhand in one of these big sketchbooks. Then I would come into the studio and work during the day. Afterwards, at 4 or 5 o’clock, I’d go to my bar, sit with a beer or two, and refine it. Or write on a new idea. So it became this really nice process of every day. And it became a habit.

I can’t do the think-work in the studio. The studio’s for putting stuff together – for work-work. And if we’re not doing work-work, then we leave. How many great architecture ideas have been drawn on napkins? Because they’re free, they’re not thinking about work.

And it’s fast, right? We’re obsessed with efficiency, and sometimes we forget how much faster drawing is.

My third students [at SVA] aren’t allowed to use computers. It really frustrates them because they don’t know how to use their hands. But I say listen, I know how much time it takes to boot up a computer, and open InDesign, and you get a box, and you type a letter in it. And you make it this big. Then you make it this big. Then you make it this big. Then you make it this big. Then you move it over here. Then you make it red. Then you make it this big. And it’s like: You’re not designing! You’re organising. That’s easy. Worry about that later.

And this is stuff I learned from heroes. It’s the work you do before you ever put pen to paper. That’s the important part.

Build

Build’s newly designed website features pleasing collapsible/cascading functions operated through the Mac’s arrow keys which makes for an intuitive browsing experience. A handy index is also included as a further navigation tool.

Meta Design

Germany’s famous Meta Design has crafted a predictably, though pleasingly, Swiss affair for their studio website. Vertical sub-menus exist to guide the browser through the site’s architecture and rolling news headlines running along the bottom of the screen lend seriousness to things.

Madethought

The easing functions on the website of Madethought are difficult to beat, the rising and falling of the sub-menus an addictive joy for the peruser. These are housed at the bottom of the screen within an understated black design which showcases some great work.

Effektive

Scotland-based Effektive has created a gorgeous-looking website with a colour scheme of matte greys and a single dynamic blue. Sub-menus become endowed with a blue bar as the cursor hovers over them and animated files whizz past in displays of individual projects.

Bunch

Bunch, of London, has also got it right on the easing of its sub-menus. Four thick black slabs open to reveal an abundance of links, and while lots of quick animation is present, it never becomes overbearing or detracts from the work on show. Also worthy of note is their excellent search facility where viewers can search for a project based on year, type, media & technique and application.

North

For sheer confidence and originality, North warrants an entry. The designers there have elected to show a single page of logotypes they have designed, which, as I wrote elsewhere, segue randomly from grey to colour in a delicate array of cadences. Tantalizing, restrained brilliance.

Frost

Australia’s Frost have gone for a concept based around Apple’s coverflow fascia. Viewers are presented on the homepage with a vast collection of project icons and invited to speed through them coverflow-fashion. Once clicked on and perused, navigating your way back to the thumbnails or next project is simplicity itself with the large cursor icons at hand.

JUMP:: Mentoring Program for Young Emerging Artists

JUMP is a national mentoring program for artists aged 18–30, who are in the first five years of their professional practice.

JUMP artists are supported to undertake a one on one mentorship with a leading professional of their choice, focused on a funded creative project.

JUMP artists also access online profiling and professional development opportunities, and significantly expand their national network during the 10-month mentorship period.

JUMP is serious about championing our nation’s next generation of arts industry leaders, and ensuring that geography and cultural diversity are no barrier to identifying and promoting artistic excellence.

Supported artforms include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts, Community Arts, Dance, Hybrid/ Interdisciplinary Arts, Literature, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts.

JUMP is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, managed nationally by Youth Arts Queensland, and delivered in collaboration with state delivery partners, all profiled via the links below.

Applications for the 2011 JUMP program are currently open, closing 22 October 2010.

Refer an Artist

Do you know a young and emerging artist just poised for an opportunity like JUMP?

Or an established professional artist who’d be an ideal mentor?

Dob then on the Jump website

Latin Ascent Typography

This poster by Dado Queiroz, advertising his workshop for ‘the new literate’ for Brasil’s Ideafixa was, amazingly, created fully 2D.

This simple yet complex letterform by Jackson Alves was, coincidentally, created at the same Letaria workshop that Dado Queiroz (see above) taught at.

…and again! I’ll have to book myself a place on Dado Queiroz’s workshop. Tipografia bonito from Juliano Domingues.

Ultra-impactful signwriting by Nomad Ink for Curitiba-based restaurant Wonka Bar. Though zany, control has been maintained over the composition.

Website Design

I urge you all to peruse the website of children’s clothes and accessories shop Família Ovo, designed by Pernambuco-based studio Mooz. A perfect response to a brief for a shop of Família Ovo’s kind.

Graphic Design

Though much of the work displayed here is of a more unexpected flavour to typical ‘European’ design, Brasilian designers are capable of delivering clean, well-ordered logotypes with the best of ‘em. These are by Dado Queiroz.

A road sign-based response to a brief for a documentary about Curitiba’s new BRT (Bus Rapid Transport) system by design studio Nomad Ink. These signs are titles for the documentary—if anyone can find it online let me know!

Built Environment

In the hands of a lesser studio it could so easily have gone garish. Staggering, yet unobtrusive, environmental design for Brasilian beauty centre Set by Mooz.

Branding

Another from Mooz, this time identity and website for men’s fashion website Neonico. Note the triptych of explosive effects on the last characters of the logotypes.

These few images, which demonstrate bundles of imagination, are part of an extensive branding project by Rodrigo Bellão for iPhone game developer 99ft Jetpack’s first game, Box n’ Bug.

Illustration

Illustration with type for a T-shirt design by Rafael Nascimento. No matter how far you travel, it seems homages to Helvetica and all things Swiss are never far away.

Beautiful vector illustration on the theme of gay rights for Metropole magazine by (again) Rafael Nascimento.

In Sum

This’ll be one of the easiest summaries I’ve ever written and not much need be said, other than keep an eye on the blue green & yellow nation. With work of this calibre across the full gamut of creative industries Brasil’s reputation as a nation of great football may soon be eclipsed by its growing reputation in the creative fields. And to that I say “Saude!”

Indeed we are. Described as a logo development side project for Brasilian band Área Restrita, Murilo Grafics gets the balance between elegance and Photoshop effects just right.

Author: Bradley Hotson for The Graphic Design School The Graphic Design School offers vocational training graphic design courses. Delivery is online, affordable and open to students all over the world to study in the comfort of their own home.

Neon Signs

Neon, Advertising & Vice

One message strongly signified by neon advertising seems to be vice. The enthusiasm shown by those in the alcohol, tobacco, gambling and sex trades for embracing neon to advertise their wares, services and establishments has been substantial, forming for many an indelible connection between neon signage and decadent commodities. The inherently bright and showy properties of neon make it an ideal choice for the cheerful yet pushy style so often adopted by vice-based industries, and by extension those simply selling cigarettes and Budweiser beer. So whilst there is nothing intrinsically trashy or risqué about neon, the sober and the luxurious sections of the business and cultural communities seem largely to have made their minds up, and decided it’s not for them. One recent exception has been London’s Wellcome Trust who engaged the services of London-based graphic design studio Graphic Thought Facility to create a “series of neon artworks based on the scientific models that represent the structures of proteins used in the treatment of HIV, obesity, malaria and cancer.” Images may be found here.

The connection between neon and the advertising of vice is undeniable. Peddlers of alcohol, tobacco, gambling and sex are well aware of neon’s attention-grabbing and brash potential. Image © Cheryl Goodwin.

Certain brands have subsumed neon into the fabric of their DNA. The flickering neon Budweiser sign has attained cultural familiarity through cinema and our own experience. Image © David Morton.

Electrifying in blue, and perfect to sit over the door of a nightclub. Image © Ian Muttoo.

As with vice, neon advertising has strong connections with the body modification industry. Image © Marc Weinreich.

I Never Knew That…

When used in tubes for signs, neon produces a distinctive red-orange light. It’s the other noble gases which when used emit the greens, blues and other hues commonly seen in signage, though all are commonly referred to as ‘neon’ signs. Neon signs are expensive to produce, the high costs due to the rarity of neon, and not the liquifaction process involved in their production.

During daylight hours, the neon sign drops back into the landscape, becoming a mere painted sign with a tubular exo-skeleton. Image © Patrick Boury.

David Warwick likes “the incongruously jaunty type” of this neon sign. Nothing murky about the establishment though; The Dungeon is a London-based art gallery.

Though often typographic, sometimes an illustrative sign crops up to amuse and delight. Image © Gerard Donnelly.

It’s the roman and Asiatic-type neon signs that have filtered through to our consciousness, but cyrillic and other-writing people make them too. Image © Dit is Suzanne.

Neon’s Influence on Future Noir

Whilst commonplace in our cities, it might also be useful to look at how a commodity like neon can have an influence on style and subculture. Neon has featured heavily in the work of film directors looking to project a dystopian vision of the future, signifying the particular un-organic look its fluorescence communicates. Throughout Blade Runner, Deckard, the detective who inhabits Ridley Scott’s Los Angeles of 2019, weaves his way through a neon-soaked cityscape. Here, neon signs advertise every kind of ware—legitimate and shady—in roman and Asian type of bright reds, greens and blues, as crowds hurry through fierce rain with neon-handled umbrellas. Scott’s idea of a future Los Angeles was based less on the LA of the time and more on Tokyo, itself a futuristic city teeming with neon.

Neon features heavily in science fiction filmmakers’ work, perhaps most notably in Ridley Scott’s 1982 future noir thriller Blade Runner, who’s 2019-set Los Angeles resembles a neon-drenched rain-swept Tokyo, itself a kind of future-city.

In Sum

A writer whose name escapes me once divided historians up between what he called parachutists and truffle hunters, meaning those who are driven by the broad sweeps of history and those who find meaning in the unexpected nuggets of stories often related by ordinary people. As designers we need to be both. We shouldn’t ignore the wider world around us—to take an interest in global trends will help improve our work as well as our character. At the same time we must nurture and cultivate a keen sense for the miniature of life, to zoom in to the detail of the everyday, pick an attribute of the environment and link it back to a wider cultural context. Neon signage is one such attribute, and there are countless others out there to explore. Ernesto Rogers (I don’t forget everyone’s name) once claimed that if you examine a spoon carefully you can understand enough about the society that made it to visualise how they would design a city. Whilst possibly stretching things with this assertion I believe he was on the right path. You will be too if you develop the visual awareness explained above, striding towards signs reading ‘Awards’ ‘Recognition’ and ‘Success’, in neon naturally!

“The baths are no longer there, but the sign was restored in a recent conversion of the building into flats” explains Herschell Hershey. Gorgeous.

Greyboard

Primarily used for inconspicuous packaging material, graphic designers have been turning to greyboard as a substrate on which to print for some time now, in a table-turning celebration of its rough-edged qualities. Despite its unglamorous origins (it is produced from waste paper) greyboard has a tactile quality which feels satisfying in the hands. High contrasts between coarseness and precision may be achieved by combining this gravelly favourite with a lavish printing finish such as foil-blocking (see images below).

Greyboard postcards with cyan foil printed on front, black foil on reverse for artist-led organisation Interval. Designed by © Graham Jones.

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a cheap, durable and easy-to-assemble material often used for signage and report covers. Type and imagery can be transferred onto PVC through screen printing, die-cutting and transfers. Widely produced in myriad colours and weights, PVC is an appealing substrate which graphic designers should (and do) take advantage of to produce objects most often printed on more predictable stocks. The results can be dramatic and unpredictable, turning easily-forgotten or disposable printed matter, like invitations and business cards, into memorable objects of permanence.

These business cards were printed on a translucent PVC substrate which is refreshing and unexpected. The black and silver inks used lend them an expensive feel. From © Pinkograf.

Fabric

The use of fabric for graphic design purposes has obvious uses when one considers clothing label clients and the like, but can also be used to suggest any number of meanings, as the various fabrics themselves do. Tweed has become a symbol of the countryside, and silk connotes expensiveness. Fabrics can be screen printed and hand-drawn onto. They lend actual weight to objects and are inevitably tactile.

To suggest “vibrant modernity as well as solid City tradition” in a piece designed for investment bank Lehman Brothers, London-based graphic design studio The Design Conspiracy produced 5 handmade pin stripe boxes, with material sourced from Savile Row. When the box was opened it revealed an explosion of bright colours.

Translucent Stock

Transparency and translucence have an intrinsically enchanting value that children are fascinated by and graphic designers have been clever to exploit. Thin stocks are often susceptible to showthrough, which is generally seen as a defect, but transparency may also be used by designers deliberately and creatively to great effect. With translucent objects compositions change depending on what happens to be beneath the stock.

Striking posters designed for a series of talks held by LongLunch. Printed on Transcolour Leaf and Transcolour Red Roses, both by GF Smith. Image used with kind permission of © Proud Creative.

Specialist East Yorkshire-based paper merchants GF Smith offer customers a tremendous selection of tactile and unusual substrates.

Newsprint

Composed of mechanically-ground wood pulp, newsprint has a short lifespan and is cheap to produce, hence its principal use for newspapers and comic books. Perhaps due to its cheap and ephemeral nature however, graphic designers sometimes use it as a substrate on which to print work of high caliber, which might arguably be better suited to a stock offering more longevity or a higher quality finish. This knowingly perverse design decision can add novelty to a project; to view a publication with high design standards printed on newsprint can be a bemusingly pleasurable experience.

The cheap and ephemeral nature of newsprint hasn’t stopped many designers choosing it as a substrate on which to print great work. Image supplied by © Jennifer Daniel.

Flock

If ever there was a substrate candidate intended to add a tactile quality to printed material it must be flock. Flock was originally intended to simulate tapestry and Italian velvet brocade. These days, designers use it to add a decorative, tactile and luxurious feel to printed materials. As with fabrics, flock naturally recommends itself to projects for clients such as clothing companies and textiles merchants, and its luxurious, almost baroque, character makes it ideally suited to wedding materials. The robust nature of flock means it can be embossed, debossed and foil-blocked.

For those intending their project to connote luxury teetering on the decadent, few substrates can match flock. Image used with permission of © CraftyKat.

Astrolux Mirror Board

Astrolux is a highly reflective, high-gloss card available in a wide range of colours. When combined with embossing, the results can be beautiful. Luxury, again, is a look which can be achieved, especially when hues of gold or silver are used, although astrolux board offers a more contemporary and less traditional experience than, say, flock does. Precision, seriousness, fun (think grown-up tinsel and baubles) and cool futuristicness are all values attainable with the versatile astrolux board.

Why limit yourself to one intriguing substrate? To evoke the feeling of opening a tin for his ‘Pilchards’ project book arts enthusiast Simon Goode has used astrolux mirror board, kraft, tracing and graph papers in an audacious blend of materials.

Top Tips

• Choose a substrate which can ‘take’ a printed design and is appropriate for your intended message
• Research the substrates available from paper mills and specialist suppliers
• Familiarize yourself with the costs of materials. Prices of substrates can fluctuate, and it pays to keep your knowledge topped up.
• If you’re sure of a particular substrate’s powers to connote luxury/spontaneity/hand-craftedness (delete as appropriate) but are worried about costs, obtain printers’ quotes on both standard stock and your special choice. Present both to your client and argue your case.

In Sum

Choosing a substrate is an integral part of the design process, and should be carried out at the start of each project. Luckily for creatives, the number of substrates available to us is now greater than ever before, giving us unprecedented choice over the materials we select for our jobs. Few other elements of the design process work so hard at buttressing, connoting and amplifying the messages we communicate, or so persuasively at cajoling our audiences into “feeling” these messages. The death of print has been heralded regularly for a decade now, and whilst evidently an overblown claim, designers must continue to do all they can to explore, fathom and utilize the frontiers of the Printed Object. In this unprecedented era of glorious substrates, you’ll be in with a head start.

If a surface will take a printed impression, it’s fair game! Image used with kind permission of © Dave Kirby.

DO: Keep your page structured

In the recent months we’ve seen an explosion of great grid layouts and css files. The most famous (in my opinion) being 960.gs and one of the cooler, more light weight grid systems being the 1kb grid. Following after the structure and balance of a great magazine/newspaper, these grid systems help lay out information in a structured and easy to follow format.

DONT: Just place boxes everywhere

We’ve all seen these types of websites before – 20+ boxes, all different sizes, nothing lining up properly and not on piece that actually grabs your attention because you’ve just ran into a whirlwind of craziness. if you’re a web designer and you cannot properly place items in a structured environment, well, I would’t really call yourself a web designer.

DO: Focus on what’s important

Are you building a website for a business that sells one specific product? If so, make sure that’s the focus of the home page. Allow yourself space on the inner pages to place calls to action for that specific item. If you’re building a blog that gives out freebies or writes tutorials, make sure they’re getting the proper amount of focus and attention. Websites like WOO Themes do a great job and putting forward what their main focus is – wordpress themes.

DONT: Place irrelevant ads across your page

If you’re going to try and make money from your website/blog, do yourself a favour and lay off the excessive advertisements. If your page loads and has 70% ads and only 30% content, odds are high that people will leave and never come back. Making your ads the #1 priority is a bad idea. Try blending them in and making sure they don’t take away from the content.

DO: Choose the right colour scheme

Knowing what your readers emotions are will help you in choosing the proper colour scheme. You won’t want a bright and ‘loud’ colour scheme if your website is in the meditation niche. You’ll notice that most punk rock bands have CMYK colour schemes (pink, yellow, black and blue), while a doctor/medical website will generally stick with a lighter, more ‘open’ colour scheme

DONT: Overdo it with 20 different colours

Having every colour that is inside the 64 set of crayons on your screen will not only look bad, but it will annoy your readers and drive them away. Your colours should blend well together, not clash. If you’re not good at picking colour schemes, I’d suggest a site like Colour Lovers which has user generated colour schemes posted. Find the right colour scheme (at most, 5 colours) and see how much better your designs turn out.

DO: Make it easy to scan your pages

People will not spend 5 minutes trying to figure out what your website is about and what it has to offer. The best way to ensure you’re getting the right information out to your reader is to make the page easy to scan. Use proper H tags (similar to how this post is using h3 tags) to focus on the important items. You can also use pull quotes, block quotes and images.

DONT: Write one paragraph per page that is 1,000+ words long

If there’s one thing that stops me from subscribing to a blog is that the posts are literally 1,000+ words and have no paragraph breaks. This, and they normally don’t even have blog words or any indication that there’s anything important inside their content. Break your content up and make it easier to read – please, and thank you.

DO: Keep it simple stupid

It’s a proven fact that sign up forms with more than 3 items (usually – name, email & one other item) will have a significantly lower sign up rate than the easier forms. People HATE doing things for too long – so don’t over complicate things. Make things as easy as possible for your readers by pretending a 4 year old will be viewing it. It definitely helps get things out in the open where they need to be.

DONT: Go on and on (and on) about nothing

Rambling, excessive LOL’s, too many smiley faces and random dribble will drop attention spans of your visitors. You want them to stay – act like it. If you have a personal blog where you write about your life, thats one thing, but to randomly post about what you ate, or where you went yesterday on your business website will definitely drive people away.

DO: Focus on killer copywriting

Words matter. Keep them short, sweet and to the point. If you have trouble writing copy that attracts the readers attention to where you need it to go, hire someone. Copy is just as important as the design of your website. Choosing the right words for sign up buttons, page headings, navigation items and calls to action can be the difference between 50% sign up rate and a 90% sign up rate.

DONT: Stuff your pages full of keywords

Google isn’t stupid. Neither are your readers. If your page has the main keyword for your site stuffed into each paragraph 30–40 times, it will not only read very poorly, but you’ll be penalised. Writing should flow naturally and should only mention your keywords where they fit.

DO: Set your navigation up properly

If you’ve got a sign up page on your website, maybe you’ll have your main navigation in a blue colour, while the sign up button is in a green colour. Regardless, you’ll want to make your navigation easy to spot and easy to use.

DONT: Make your readers search to find something

Your readers shouldn’t spend 30–40 seconds trying to find a contact or about page. They also shouldn’t have to click through three pages just to get to a sign up form. Get the important things out in the open. For the items that aren’t required to have a strong focus on your website, you might want to invest in a search box – I HATE when websites don’t have a search box. Web design 101 maybe?

DO: Optimize your load times

If there’s one recurring theme in this entire article it is the fact that visitors are impatient. You need to build your website with optimal speeds and allow your page to load in around 1–2 seconds. You can do this by making sure your css files are compressed, using the google hosted javascript files and ensure your page is coded and designed with optimal speeds in mind.

Someone like embed a video on their site. Then I will not suggest you to make it auto load or auto play, because it makes your site slow. If you do not know how to set them, I suggest you to use moyea flash video mx 6, because you can set the player’s profile in this software. The product site: video-to-flash.com.

DONT: Make everything on your page an image

Text on a website is there to be exactly what it is –text. There is no need to make the text blocks of your site jpg images. Also, making your website background 1MB or more in size will also cause your page to load very slow. I’ve seen websites also use 2 different javascript libraries and load 10+ plugin scripts for them in the headers and their websites took around 20 seconds to fully load.

DO: Choose the right fonts and sizes

I’ve only recently got into typography and have realised that it is a highly important aspect of web design. Making your section titles the right size and making sure the fonts you’re using will greatly effect the experience your visitors have when viewing your websites. Generally speaking, you should use one main font for the content and then you may switch the titles of the pages to a different font.

DONT: Have 5 different fonts in 10 different sizes

Picture this: Page titles are in times new roman, content for those pages are in Arial, navigation links are in comic sans and the sidebar is in impact (yes, that impact). How ugly does that look? Now, remember that vision the next time you want to build a website with 5 different fonts.

DO: Make your page visually appealing

The world may tell you that people don’t judge a book by its cover, but thats a lie. The first thing people see is the web design you’re branded with. That first impression better be a good one. Utilise textures/gradients that give your website depth and draw attention to the beauty of your design. I would strive to ensure each of your website designs are accepted to galleries like css mania.

DONT: Throw a bunch of crap together and think you’ll do well

Animated gif’s are your first no-no. After that comes the marquee scrolling text and the jumbled mess of text and graphics that resemble a 13 year olds myspace page. It isn’t cute and in case you’re not aware of it, it’s no longer 1980. Things have changed and people don’t expect to see something that looks like a 7 year old made it. If you’re a professional, act like it and make sure your designs are up to par.

Debossing & Embossing

Debossing and embossing are the processes whereby an element of a design is stamped into the substrate with ink or foil, giving printed medium a 3-dimensional, textural quality. Debossing occurs when the design has been pressed into the surface of the substrate, producing a recessed effect on the page. Embossing yields the opposite result; a raised design component on the printed object. Great impact can be achieved through an emboss or deboss, especially when combined with a striking foil or special colour. In aiming to communicate a more subtle effect, designers might also want to consider blind debossing and embossing. The processes are identical, save the fact that no ink or foil is used (see below right).

(L>R): A subtle deboss combined with what appears to be a white spot varnish. Image courtesy of © SeptemberIndustry; Debossed gold card. The emboss was achieved by operating a “curious industrial machine with a ‘single button”, explains © Kariann Burleson.

Foil Blocking

Few finishes can rival foil blocking for sheer razzle-dazzle. The process (also interchangeably known as foil stamp, heat stamp, hot stamp, block print and foil emboss) is achieved by pressing coloured foil onto a substrate with a heated die, which causes the foil to separate from its backing. Foil blocking can be used to great decorative and memorable effect. It is also versatile, and may be used to signify an array of signs and meanings, such as luxury, futuristic-ness, modernism and metallic-ness.

London-based graphic design studio North are famous for not having a website. They instead show a single page of logotypes they have designed, which segue randomly from grey to colour in a delicate array of cadences. Shown above is a striking foil-blocked rendering of the same concept. Image courtesy of © SeptemberIndustry.

Die Cutting

With die cutting, a steel die is used to cut out a defined area of a design. This finish is often used with decorative intentions, and can create pleasing results on printed pieces, which resonate with recipients. Many printers stock a range of popular dies like circles and radiussed-cornered ingots, but you can also have them designed to your own specifications. Die cutting may also be used creatively as a functional element of the overall design; apertures in the covers of printed material allowing show-through to the content within being a good example.

From the simple to the complex. (i). Many printers stock a range of circular dies due to high demand for them. Their popularity does nothing to diminish the impact a well-designed circular die cut business card can make. (ii). This coaster was letterpress-printed and die cut in the shape of the state of Ohio. Images courtesy of (from L>R) © Malota and © Cranky Pressman. “Don’t Lose Heart” coaster designed by © Mikey Burton.

Varnishes

In addition to the practical uses varnishes offer, such as protecting substrates from smudging and wear (their primary purpose), the different types available can also be used decoratively by graphic designers to embellish printed material. As with foil blocking, different messages can be communicated through different uses of this finish, though having stated this, it should be added that this is perhaps natural, given the wide selection of varnishes available. Gloss, matt and satin are all commonly used and explain themselves. Two lustrous varnishes which merit a line or two of their own are

• PEARLESCENT
  Pearlescent varnish, when used, delicately reflects a whole gamut of colours, giving a subtle, luxurious effect
• SPOT UV
  Perhaps the most “designery” of the varnishes available, spot UV can be applied discretely to areas of a printed page so that when turned toward the light, these areas become highlighted

Devilishly versatile, and there to lend weight to the meanings you wish to communicate, from muted and delicate to glossy and whorish. (from L>R) images supplied by © Kariann Burleson and © SeptemberIndustry.

Deckled Edge

Perhaps not strictly a print finish, as a deckled edge on a paper stock will either be present when selecting a substrate or not, a deckled edge is nevertheless a visually arresting design component when used cleverly and appropriately. The name refers to paper that has a soft, raggedy edge to it. There are two types of deckles; natural and tear. Natural deckles occur (obviously enough) naturally at the point the paper is made. During paper manufacture, the slurry of wood pulp fibres which make up the paper are drained of water, and what is left sits atop a screen in a frame called a deckle, and it’s this frame that causes the uneven edge of paper made in this way. Tear deckles are achieved on purpose, by tearing, after the paper has been made.

Deckled edge paper seems to connote integrity and hand-craftedness. More often than not natural, they betray the very old and esteemed origins of the process used to create them. It’s perhaps no surprise that deckled edge papers are popular with letterpress printers and bookbinders all over the world.

(L>R): Charming letterpress-printed book by © Webb & Webb; Intriguing business card by Koichi Sato using a blind impression on the printing press. Both pieces are printed on deckle-edged paper. Koichi Sato image courtesy of © Kariann Burleson.

Perforation

Perforation is a process that generates rows of small holes through a substrate which weaken it along their axis and make tearing easy. Often used for practical purposes like tearing sections off forms, in recent years graphic designers have awoken to the tactile potential of perforation and began to introduce them into their designs. The process is there to serve a single, obvious function; for the paper to be torn apart or open, and this seductive proposition means the human compulsion to interact with perforations is always in attendance.

Shown below are pictures from “Drentse Bodemweek 2008″, a book designed for a Dutch environmental convention by Jelmar Geertsma of Netherlands-based design studio Typehigh and illustrator Lieslot Moed at Art Academy Minerva. The book is bound French-folded with illustrations to the insides of the pages and perforations running down their edges, inviting readers to tear them open and reveal the imagery within.

Few print finishes get recipients interacting with printed medium more than perforation does. It’s the curiosity-barren person who doesn’t experience the desire to tear. Images supplied by © Typehigh, designed in collaboration with Lieselot Moed.

Special Colours

Most full-colour printing is achieved through the four-colour CMYK process, and while myriad colours can be reproduced using this method, CMYK cannot cover everything, and sometimes more striking results can be achieved through the use of a spot (or special) colour. A spot colour is a specially made ink all of its own, and usually requires its own plate when passing on press. During printing, the special colour is not mixed with any of the other inks, hence its dense, flat quality. Fluorescent colours are special, as are metallics, both unachievable through the four-colour process. The vibrancy attainable through the use of special colours need not be stated.

Additional special “spot” colours can be added to the four-colour CMYK process at any pass on press. Eye-catching effects can be achieved through the use of carefully chosen special colours. Image supplied by © SeptemberIndustry.

In Sum

The print finishes outlined above, and more besides, are all at the creative’s disposal for adding a special final touch to a project; the graphic designer’s icing on the cake, if you will. As with substrates, finishes can be used to enhance messages and communicate meanings to audiences. Whilst typically carried out at the end of the production process, for best success print finishes should not be applied to a project merely as an afterthought, but built in to the design from the start.

Practical factors such as costs, budgets and print runs are ever-present in the designer’s life, and it can take some hefty persuasion to convince a client of the benefits of spending funds on a brilliant finish, a task compounded by global recession. However, with such a dazzling array of finishes there to be used, it has to be worth a try now and again, surely? Many of the projects photographed included in this article were printed in the past two years, so we can infer that some clients are budgeting for lavish print finishes. Given this, would it be overly optimistic of me to cry: “Profligacy is dead. Long live profligacy!”?

The words above may be a strapline for UK-based graphic design studio Golden, but they might equally apply to us creatives who tirelessly strive to explore the bounds of print finishes! Image supplied by © SeptemberIndustry.

Author: Abby Holmes for The Graphic Design School The Graphic Design School offers vocational training graphic design courses. Delivery is online, affordable and open to students all over the world to study in the comfort of their own home.

Recruiters – Do you need them to land a job?

What’s the job of a recruiter?

A recruiter is basically the middle man between you and an employer. There are many recruiters that deal specifically with design and advertising agencies. They’re in close contact with a number of employers, so they’re often the first to know about freelance and permanent jobs that are coming up. They also know exactly what’s going on at a large number of agencies; who’s hiring, who’s firing etc.

When a job brief comes through from an employer, a recruiter kind of does the ‘screening process’ for the employer, sending them what they consider to be the top candidates for an interview.

Recruitment agencies also have a wide network of contacts. So even if an agency doesn’t have many jobs on the books when you meet them, they may be able to get you in front of potential employers with a lot more ease than you could if you had to contact them yourself.

Should you get a job through a recruiter, they will also negotiate your salary and day rate, as well as all the details regarding your contract.

Whose side are the recruiters on? Image used with kind permission of Pogo. www.wemakepogo.com

Do I need to use a recruitment agency?

You may be looking for your first job. Or even a new job. Where do you start? It’s rare that you’ll find design jobs advertised. The advertising and design industry just doesn’t work that way. The industry is quite small, so often if an agency needs someone, they’ll ask people in the agency if they know anyone. Or they’ll go through recruiters.

This is not to say that you can’t get a job without using a recruiter. Many people ‘cold call’ agencies, asking if they can come in and show their folio. It’s a foot in the door. An agency will often say, ‘You can come and see us, but we don’t have any jobs’. Don’t worry about this. If they really like you, they might be able to find you some freelance, or maybe even a full time gig. Or if there’s really no work going, they’ll keep you in mind when a job does come up. After ‘cold calling’ a number of agencies and going into show my folio, I was offered two jobs in two weeks, just weeks later.

Throughout my career, I have used recruiters on a few occasions. A recruiter once found me a job interstate, which would have been very difficult for me to do on my own. And when I decided to go freelance in 2007, I found recruiters very useful in finding jobs, as they are the first people to get contacted when freelance work comes up. However, the majority of jobs I have found on my own. Once you’re in the industry, you build up a network of contacts, so you often find out jobs through word of mouth. And if mates in the industry know you’re looking, they’ll think of you when a job comes up. As soon as friends knew I was freelancing, I would be recommended if work came up at their agency.

Things to consider when working with a recruiter.

The most important thing to remember is – never rely solely on a recruiter to find you work. Going in and showing your folio to a recruiter and then sitting back waiting for the calls to come flooding in is not the way to go. You could be waiting a long, long time for that call. A recruiter may see your folio, but have no jobs at that moment. Then when a job comes in, they may call the person they’ve just seen and forget to call you. Or it could be a long time until the right job comes up. Maybe you slip their mind. Maybe they didn’t like your folio. They could have left the agency. Who knows? Perhaps you do get a call, but the job is totally unsuitable. Put yourself in control of your destiny. Don’t leave it in the hands of someone else.

Why? Because no one cares about your career like you do. Don’t think for a minute that anyone else but you truly has your best interests at heart. It sounds harsh to say, but it’s the truth.

A recruiter can help you get the job you want, but maybe they won’t. You need to be out there actively ‘cold calling’ agencies, working up your folio, showing your folio to as many people as possible and utilising all your contacts to get that dream job.

A recruiter is not a designer.

Sounds obvious huh? But think about this. Whenever you go and see a recruiter, they are judging your folio from a designers perspective. Then, based on this, they are putting you forward for jobs they deem you are suitable for and that they consider you have the talent for. Whilst some recruiters have worked in advertising or design, it’s mainly on the account service side. So the vast majority of the time, your folio is being judged by an untrained eye.

There have been countless times I have gone to see a recruiter and they sit there flicking through pages and it’s blatantly obvious that they’ve missed the whole idea or concept of an ad or piece of work. This is frustrating to say the least, as you know that a designer would never miss something like that. Recruiters just don’t ‘get’ your folio like a designer would. So in my mind, they shouldn’t be judging it as if they do. But they do and based on what they ‘see’, will put you forward for the jobs they deem you suitable for. This means you have no control over how you are been represented. Another reason why it’s dangerous to solely rely on recruiters to find you a job.

Does a recruiter see what a designer sees? Image used with kind permission of Irina Vinnik http://vinnik.net

Can I see more than one recruiter?

Yes. But how many all depends on the size of the city where you live. In Melbourne, approximately three to four recruiters is more than enough. In London, I’d say five at a minimum. If you register with too many, you will find that you end up having recruiters applying for the same jobs for you, which can get a little bit tricky. That’s because an employer will often give a brief to a number of recruiters, so every recruiter in town could be touting for the same job. You don’t want your CV to be put forward by two different recruitment agencies, as then there’s a dispute about who gets the fee. It can get very ugly.

Read the contract carefully.

A recruiter has scored you a freelance gig for few weeks. After being there a few weeks, they decide to keep you on indefinitely. Fantastic.

A couple of years ago this happened to a creative team I know. What started off as a great gig eventually meant they were let go to make way for someone they had found without a recruiter. Why? So the agency didn’t keep having to pay the fee to the recruiter on top of the freelance day rate they were paying them.

What they hadn’t done was read the contract closely. The contract stated that as long as the team kept freelancing there, the design agency had to keep paying the recruiter a fee for one year. This seems an awfully long time to keep receiving a fee, relative to what the recruiter has actually done. To add insult to injury, it was the recruiter that contacted the Art Director and in fact the Art Director than found a copywriter to work with. Yet, the recruiter got the ‘finders fee’ for both! After four months of working at this very small agency, the director just couldn’t afford to keep paying the day rate and fee to the recruiter for both the Copywriter and Art Director. So they were ousted for a team the agency found themselves. If I had been in this position, I would have tried to negotiate 3–6 month, rather than a year.

The point is, read the contract carefully. You can have a say about what is being negotiated. After all, it involves you!

It’s all up to you. Image used with kind permission of Victor Oritz. www.iconblast.com

Working with the recruiter to get the best deal for you.

Like an employer, the recruiter is trying to get you at the cheapest fee for their client. You in turn are trying to negotiate the highest salary you can. How do you get the best deal for you?

If you get freelance work, recruiters will ask what your day rate is. Tell them what it is, maybe leaving it open, with a ‘I usually charge round .….’. This tells them that you’re flexible to taking on the work at a slightly lower rate. Sometimes the client won’t pay more than a certain rate, so it’s better to have the gig at a reduced rate than not at all. But do not take work at a rate that is significantly lower than what you’re worth. The recruiter will think they can always secure you at this rate. And if it turns into a long time gig, you will quickly resent the pay you are on.

If you’re currently in a full time job, the recruiter will ask you what you’re on. Generally, people give a slightly higher figure than they’re already on. Then they will ask you what you want to be on — which is something around 15% more than that.

When I moved from my first to my second job, I effectively ended up doubling my salary. How? Basically, I had been in my first job for three years and was underpaid. So the salary I told the recruiter was what I really should have been on at the time. The recruiter was then able to negotiate a salary higher than this again, meaning I could move agencies and start moving up the career ladder.

You must do this with caution though. A couple of years later, a recruiter called me about work and asked what I was currently on. I stated a figure that was quite a bit above what I was being paid. As the recruiter knew the market value of someone in my position, he knew I couldn’t possibly be on that much and was none too happy that I had lied to him. You can exaggerate a little, but don’t push it.

A good tool to have.

So, back to the question of whether to use recruiters or not. Well, as you can see, they can be very useful to find work. They have inside knowledge of the industry, many inside contacts and the ability to negotiate your salary and contract for you. I guess, I like to think of them as one tool to use in any job search. In the end I think the best person you’re ever going to find to help you search for a job — is you.

Case Binding

Also known as edition binding, case binding is often used in the binding of hardback books, owing to the sturdy, robust qualities inherent in its process. As with perfect binding, pages are gathered and folded into sections, or signatures. These are then sewn together, the spine glued and the book block pressed and trimmed. Covers are prepared with buckram or other hardy material and, once dried, the book block is ‘cased in’ to the covers. If we rewind a few steps to just before the book block is glued and pressed, designers can embellish their books by specifying coloured headbands and ribbon bookmarks to creative effect (see images below).

A commission for four A3-sized, quarter-bound case bindings from London-based bookbinder © Simon Goode.

Japanese or Stab Stitch Binding

Interchangeably known as Japanese, stab and traditional Chinese binding, pages are here sewn together with a single, continuous thread. There are many variations, far too many to cover here, but in recent years Western designers have helped bring some of them back into people’s consciousness. Gift and children’s books are often to be found stab stitch bound, and increasingly design-conscious clients like Onitsuka Tiger, who produced a superb stab stitch-bound 2004-05 trade brochure (an image of which your normally resourceful writer was, alas, unable to obtain) are turning to the process. Best used to bind publications on the thinner side and when wishing to add a tactile dimension to a publication’s design, the effect can look pleasingly delicate, yet is a robust enough binding method.

A stab stitch-bound notebook and journal, both of which demonstrate the, by turns, innocent and intricate qualities of the method. Images courtesy of © Ruth Bleakley and © Michelle Clement.

Z-binds

The z-bind, so-called because of the distinctive ‘Z’ shape a z-bound piece forms when viewed from above, is a visually arresting method of binding two publications (or two parts of a single publication) together into one. This can be achieved either with permanence in mind by stitching the two together end-to-end, or as a temporary device, through the use of an elastic band or perforation. Lots of interactivity or ‘relational aesthetics’ as French art curator Nicolas Bourriaud has termed it, can ensue through an encounter with a z-bound project; the publication flipped and turned, separated and re-put back together.

Beautiful z-bound MA Project ‘Warnings From The Past’ by © Leanne Mallinder. She explains: “‘Warnings From The Past’ is a small collection of five purely typographic speeches each coming with a corresponding poster of a quote from that speech.”

Bellybands

A bellyband looks much like a portion or strip of a book’s dust jacket, and performs in much the same way. Reasonably versatile, the bellyband can be used functionally to hold a collection of loose leaf pages together or decoratively and as an added layer of protection. When used decoratively as part of a well-designed publication, bellybands seem to lend an air of importance to things and manage to connote the idea of a certain graphical luxury.

Two examples of well-designed and –integrated bellybands. Both carry important publication information, the first printed from handset type and the second featuring a subtle black spot varnish. Images supplied by (L>R) © Trip Print Press and © Oliver Rone-Clarke.

Elastic Bands

The humble elastic band is another innovative method of binding both loose leaf sheets (usually with notches die cut into their tops and bottoms) and for making more permanent binds. When not used for holding loose leaf sheet together they are best used for devices like flip-books, less good for binding thicker publications, as the elasticity makes for poor page fall. The intrinsically ephemeral nature of the elastic band can help signify a feel of happy ingenuity and immediacy.

Charming and intricately bound ‘album to store feathers in’ for a bird-watching friend of © Ruth Bleakley. An exposed spine is visible, over which diagonal, coptic stitching sits housed. Elastic bands at the opposite end act as a clasp to keep it all together.

Exposed Spine

A largely recent phenomenon driven by designers and more visionary patrons that has had traditional book binders scratching their heads in befuddlement, exposed spines have become an increasingly common sight on design bookshelves in recent years. Perhaps the most openly decorative entry in this article, an exposed spine is not a method of binding per se, as all that has happened is a publication has been produced, usually perfect-bound and as per usual, and then its covers (and hence spine) left out of things, permitting a view of the exposed signatures and stitching which would typically be hidden away. The effect can be both cheerful and utilitarian, cheerful in that colourful signatures are often used in order to wring the most out of the finish (see project below), and utilitarian in the same way Renzo Piano’s Centre George’s Pompidou in Paris is, with its “exoskeleton” of escalators and scaffolding.

As featured in these articles elsewhere, Typehigh and Lieselot Moed’s ‘Bodemweek book’ is a graphic banquet of format design and printed finish. In addition to containing gatefolds and perforations, the publication is also bound sans cover, revealing the colourful spine within.

Loose Leaf with Slipcase

There are several ways of collecting loose-leaf pages and holding them together (see ‘Bellybands’ and ‘Elastic Bands’ above) but few feel as luxurious as a bespoke slipcase. These die cut, quickly assembled gems can be designed to fit the pages within as snugly as a book’s covers. From a functional perspective, nothing can beat loose leaf for pages falling and staying open, as the whole point of them is that they aren’t bound, although the process does imply a certain artisanal decadence; a motorcycle maintenance manual, loose leaf, would be an inappropriate choice due to risks of pages becoming lost, discarded or rearranged out of order.

Stunning self-promotional piece by Leicestershire-based graphic design studio Six. Six, ‘Made by Six 08/09’ is composed of loose leaf sheets that feature credentials, recent client work and selected studio projects, all housed in a subtly embossed slipcase/box. Image courtesy of © SeptemberIndustry.

In Sum…

An important, and at times fascinating, design component then, no? As with print finishes and substrates, for best results a method of binding should be decided upon at the start of a project and not at the end. Functional considerations should always be heeded, as the diverse array of binding methods available offer up an equally diverse breadth of differences in longevity and robustness. How easily a publication’s pages fall open should be a prime consideration for the thoughtful graphic designer. From a formal and aesthetic perspective, the myriad materials and sundry levels of intricacy available mean that several of the binding methods covered above may be used as signifiers for all kinds of messages, and, as I hope has been demonstrated, even act as the distinct finishing touch to a project.

…and it’s not just paper-based substrates that can be bound in visually compelling ways! Image courtesy of © Kate Black.

It’s true. Our environment affects the way we work. I remember an agency where I once worked, I found it really hard to be productive as it was a bit like being in a science lab. Think; concrete floors and stark white blank desks – heaven forbid you had work on your desk! Although sleek and well designed, it was not conducive to creative thinking. As designers we hope our offices are designed in an inspirational manner. It is definitely easier to think and be motivated and inspired in such surroundings. Here’s a few creative spaces I would love to work in.…

Ogilvy

A boardroom that changes colour.

I’d be pretty impressed if I was a client sitting in this reception. Ogilvy in Cape Town is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. No excuse for a lack of creativity in this building Oglivy

Three Rings Design

After the whole office gave input into their wants and needs for the office design, the theme for the space was decided on — Victorian / Steam Punk.Photo credit and interior design;LLC & Three Rings San Francisco

Mono

Mono Minneapolis

Nothing

The offices at Nothing are made entirely of cardboard. The idea being to create an office that is nothing, a blank canvas on which people can leave their mark.Pretty bleeding obvious it’s Amsterdam, what other country wouldn’t shut down this place for OHS reasons… Love the Dutch! Nothing Amsterdam

Parliament

Photos care of Lincoln Harbour Parliament Design Portland

Oktavilla

Photos care of Oktovilla Stockholm

JWT

Photos care of JWT New York

Michon

At Michon, they believe they work better in light and bright surroundings. They transformed what was formerly an old school into a creative agency.Michon UK

Design by Front

Design By Front Nth Ireland

Barkley

Exterior photos; Allistair Goodman, interior photos; Ron Berg

Got a great looking studio?

Please email us your pics and we will add them (reference:“The Best Looking Design Studio in the World”). Email: admin@thegraphicdesignschool.com

First Things First

The presentation is the moment of truth. The moment when the designer must bring all his communication skills to the fore and convince his audience that what he’s showing them is the right response to the brief. Many designers find presenting to clients nerve-wracking, which is understandable given that client decisions can at times mean the difference between shopping for food that week or going back to Mum’s for dinner.

Presentations can feel momentous and even daunting, but persevere and over time they’ll become easier. Image used with permission of © Tim Phillips.

Being nervous isn’t perceived by others as being half as bad as you’d think, and it’s good to keep in mind that nobody expects designers to possess statesman-level oratory skills. The main thing when giving presentations is to be yourself. If you’re a smooth sort of person that’s wonderful, but being rough-edged or a little awkward is equally fine, if that’s part of your personality. Just don’t try to be smooth if you’re not as you’ll more likely than not tie yourself up in knots with the effort of it all. Be yourself, and be passionate and confident about what you’re presenting.

Noone expects designers to be accomplished orators of Steve Jobs-level prowess.

All in the Preparation

“There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe” — Robert Heinlein

Be prepared and leave nothing to chance. Image used with permission of © Victor Chang.

Another important ingredient in the presentation is preparation. Spend time on every little detail before the big day, and be sure to have each component or topic in place, and in the order you want to present them. From there, keep things simple and structured and take your clients, from beginning to end, through your creative process. Avoid making assumptions about what your clients know; you may have worked, lived and breathed the project for the past fortnight but your audience won’t have. You might begin by restating the brief, explaining the developmental process and ending with a compact summary. Presentations really needn’t be any more complicated than that.

The great immutable law of making a design presentation is this: tell your audience what you are going to show them and then show it to them. That’s all there is to it. Don’t tell them what to think about what they are going to see, just tell them what it is that they are going to see. Try it. You’ll be amazed.

Adrian Shaugnessey, acclaimed designer and writer of ‘How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul’ states

This is sound advice. To reiterate what I stated above, you may have become used to your solution, but your client may have just been presented with something, to his mind, daring or even downright shocking. He’ll need time to digest things, and, after explaining what you’re about to present and presenting it, you can help this digestion by keeping quiet.

A Visual Reference of What You might Include in Your Presentations

Taking a lead from Shaugnessey, follow this visual reference guide for simple, effective presentations. The images comprise brief, project development and final execution of the visual identity for the Folkestone Film Factory.

Imagery courtesy of © Playdontplay Creative.

It’s not What You Say it’s the Way that You Say It

I wrote above that ideas can be rejected based not on their inferior quality per se, but more on the way they are presented, and the illustration below demonstrates how, by utilising creative ways of thinking, we can often turn decisions favourably in our direction. This isn’t to contradict my other point about being yourself throughout presentations, but being aware of the micro-climate of each presentation you find yourself involved in and employing the communication skills necessary to resonate with each client will certainly do your cause no harm at all. Back to the example:

Writer and producer Albert S. Ruddy, on being approached by Peter Bart, an executive at Paramount Pictures, agreed to work as producer on the forthcoming “The Godfather” movie. At that time a best-selling novel, the Godfather script had nonetheless managed to accrue certain negative associations based on the belief that it glorified the Sicilian mafia. It had been touted to and rejected by various Hollywood studios, and was back in Paramount’s in-tray when Ruddy agreed to take the job on. The only hurdle to clear was the approval of the then-head of Paramount Charles Blühdorn, who reserved final approval of producer and director on all motion pictures passed. Blühdorn was a volatile Austrian industrialist who talked candidly about getting involved in the film business more for the fun of it than the money. A meeting was set and Ruddy flew to New York to meet Blühdorn. “Whaddaya wanna do with this movie?” Blühdorn enquired in his inimitable and brusque style. Ruddy knew that if he began to discuss the novel Blühdorn would reject the project out of hand, so instead went on to expound “Charlie, I want to make an ice-blue, terrifying movie… about people you love.”

Ruddy flew back to Los Angeles with Blühdorn’s blessing.

Your rhetoric and planning will have to be polished, but you’ll need also to present great work. Image used with permission of © Thom Fougere.

Top Presentation Tips

• Prepare thoroughly
• Speak factually, coherently, distinctly and not too quickly
• Intersperse your speaking with appropriate pauses to allow your audience to absorb the information
• Be as articulate as possible
• Argue convincingly, objectively and fairly
• Maintain eye contact
• Don’t speak for longer than your audience’s attention span allows
• Don’t use PowerPoint

Aim to make coherent, well-structured and memorable presentations. Image used with permission of © Southtyrolean.

In Sum…

Thorough preparation and solid planning are vital for the effective implementation of good presentations. The work you present also has to be up to scratch. Ultimately though a lot rests on your personality. Throughout your presentations strive to come across as reasonable and likable, maintain eye contact with the members of your audience, speak articulately and passionately about your work, listen to comments and attempt to answer any questions put to you as best you can. Your clients, prospective or actual, need to be convinced that you are the not only the right designer for the job, but are also going to be easy to get along with. The more you satisfy clients of this important criteria, the more you’ll be trudging back from the supermarket laden with food from all the well-paid jobs you’ll have won!

Don’t, through lack of preparation or confidence, allow stage fright to overshadow your presentations. Image used with permission of © Linus Gelber.

Spending time on preparation, being yourself and showing first-rate work will help you turn out confident performances time and again! Image used with permission of © Linus Gelber.

Contained Therein: What to Include

What graphical wonders might reside within…

What should a freelance designer’s portfolio contain? For starters, it should include no more than 6–10 projects. Any more and you risk your interviews dragging on and prospective employers and clients hurrying you along whilst glancing at their watch. Try not to include two too similar projects, even if you’re equally proud of both. Each piece in the portfolio should come with its own unique narrative. There is an exception to this rule; it can be ignored if you have a series of projects designed for a certain client, say a triptych of biannual trade brochures, which together demonstrate the development of a concept or narrative and can be presented, from your point of view, as a single project.

Your portfolio truly is your shop window to the world, offering others a glimpse of your priorities, competencies, predilections and professional level. Sweat blood over it. Image courtesy of © Juan Pablo Cambariere.

For traditional ‘paper’ portfolios, high-quality printouts of uniform size are recommended. These printouts could include developmental and conceptual work alongside the final solutions. Attempt to inject a dose of uniformity into things; it looks neat and consistent and your efforts won’t go unnoticed by those on the opposite side of the table. Just be sure that each project tells its own unique story, and go to brow-furrowing lengths deciding just what to include, and the order in which you present them. Print-based designers will naturally enough want to include finished printed pieces, but these may still be combined with printouts explaining the ‘journey’ of each project. Exactly the same rules described above apply to web-based designers. They can, if they choose to make use of printouts, show frames from websites they’ve designed, which can in turn accompany actual visits around the websites themselves, if a laptop is present.

A dazzlingly original portfolio concept. A series of perfect-bound books contained within a slipcase and all bound with an elastic band. Image courtesy of © Zoo Press.

The Receptacle Itself

A great alternative to the traditional “paper” portfolio, the laptop is an increasingly appealing method for showcasing one’s work. Image courtesy of © François Proulx.

“Don’t fret, it’s what’s inside that counts” we are told by our mothers when spurned by a playground sweetheart. But with regard to the portfolio, the exterior, the actual, physical receptacle you carry your work around in, matters a great deal too. The slim black case, once beloved by all, has, over the decades, become ubiquitous and predictable. It has an evergreen appeal, in the same way that gallery spaces’ white walls and beech blonde floors do. Because of its very ubiquity though, here in the 21st century, the slim black case is no longer going to raise any eyebrows or get hearts a-thumping. Employers will have seen thousands of them. Therefore, I’d advise you to think about something a little different. The key here remains discretion; a receptacle whose appearance visually or tactilely overpowers the work contained within has failed in a basic aim, much as a gallery in charge of a Mondrian retrospective would if it hung the great Modernist’s canvases on garish flock wallpaper, if you can imagine so undesirable a thing.

Photographers’ archive boxes make handsome receptacles for a freelancer’s portfolio. They are sturdy, protecting, beautifully made from acid-free materials and discrete in their design, much in the same way the slim black case is. Their self-folding covers carry just enough weight for them to open and lie flat with a pleasing ‘clunk’. Also of immense value, they allow the freelancer to carry his work around loose-leaf fashion. To carry your work loose-leaf is an infinitely more desirable system than having a ringbound portfolio, which requires the designer to frequently turn the case around and (if the case is on the larger side) awkwardly turn the plastic sleeves as he goes. Loose-leaf printouts allow the freelancer to pass them around to those they’re presenting to, and this is A Good Thing.

“Thou shalt not use Powerpoint to present thy portfolio”. Image used with kind permission of © Ian Ruotsala.

If you have a laptop, you may wish to make this your main portfolio receptacle. Laptops are good for this, and a modern, not-too-scuffed Apple laptop can help make a slick impression on others. Be sure to have all the technical bases covered before presenting; arriving to a meeting with an uncharged laptop, sans mains charger isn’t going to impress anybody. Choosing to carry your portfolio on a laptop allows for expedient and rapid updating of work. You can shuffle things around, add and omit projects as you see fit and effectively tailor your body of work to suit each new meeting and interview you bag. You can of course do the same with a traditional paper-based portfolio, though high-quality printouts can represent a not negligible expense. A final word on using laptops, if you do choose to pursue this route avoid using Powerpoint in your presentations; everybody by now should know that this software is the last word in corporate uncool.

This Is The Modern World

Portfolio site of successful designer Fabien Barral.

Of course, most freelancers with a decent body of work nowadays will also have an online presence, used, in the main, to display their work. Take as much care with your online portfolio as you would your physical one. Strive for a uniformity and dynamism in your photography of projects, and make sure that images and pdfs saved from the computer are of sufficiently high and consistent resolution. Write concise, foolproof explanations to accompany the work and organise it all in an intuitive level-based fashion, much as you would a website. Sites like Flickr and View Creatives go some way to aiding the freelancer in this professional-feeling endeavour, but you’ll still need to pour energy and vim into the whole enterprise to create the right appearance.

A Dynamic Process

Don’t, through neglect or complacency, allow your portfolio to become stale… “Retro” bedroom image used with permission of © Steve Collins.

If not tended regularly, and updated at least periodically, portfolios can make their owners seem stale and static-seeming, much as a restaurant that hasn’t updated its menu or decor since the 1970s would appear. Your relationship with your portfolio (for that’s what it really is), should be a dynamic process which engages your thoughts and labour continuously. A portfolio assembled two years in the past may have once seemed the sexiest thing alive, but if not updated and cared for as and when necessary, projects may become vaguely dated, printouts and interleaves may ‘stick’ together and, if you spend a lot of time carrying them around, projects inside the portfolio may become dog-eared and crumpled. Keep things shipshape and Bristol fashion as best you can. If printouts look a little worse for wear, replace them. Rotate, add and omit projects when desirable.

Useful Top Tips

• Keep things small. A portfolio any larger than A3 is really too big
• Keep things clean & uncrumpled
• Loose-leaf sheets are better than ring-bound sleeves
• Assembling a portfolio should not be a one-off exercise, but a dynamic and continual process
• Request and absorb other people’s comments and allow this information to flow back into the way you maintain your portfolio
• Interleave your loose-leaf sheets with a bold and dazzling substrate, though choose something that doesn’t overpower the work contained within
• If you choose to carry your portfolio on a laptop, for pity’s sake avoid using Powerpoint in your presentations!

The “restless and questing” disposition of the freelancer when putting together his or her portfolio is an asset, not a fault. Image courtesy of © Humminggirl.

Keep things on the smaller side; a portfolio any larger than A3 for the graphic designer is, nine times out of ten, unnecessary. Image used with permission of © Stefho74.

In Sum

A restless disposition when it comes to the freelancer’s personal portfolio is, according to Adrian Shaugnessey, a strength, not a weakness: “Designers are never happy [with their portfolios]. I’ve known many competent and talented designers who’ve begun portfolio sessions with an apology: ‘I’m just about to redo it,’ the say; or, ‘Sorry, it’s a bit out of date.’ It seems to be a designer foible that the portfolio is ‘never finished’ and ‘never representative of current work’. Yet far from being a sign of weakness, this is a good sign: It indicates a restless and necessary desire to improve and develop.”

To reiterate what I stated at the top, your portfolio is your second most important asset after your personality, and thus requires the thought, care and attention this level of importance deserves. Like a Savile Row tailor, your success as a freelancer may depend on tiny details, and the portfolio is a complex enough animal to through up lots of details-based challenges. Pour thought and care (not to mention funds) into things, leave nothing to chance and be unswerving in your commitment to the upkeep and presentation of your portfolio. Perhaps most important of all, remember that each project included should not be composed of merely an arresting image or piece, but tell a compelling story about you as a designer and the process you went through. This is the key to an effective and resonant portfolio!

Aim for your portfolio to make a spectacular impression on others. Image used with kind permission of © Guiniveve.

First Things First

In•voice:: noun:: a list of goods sent or services provided, with a statement of the sum due for these; a bill

This week’s article is all about bills, no pun intended, honest… Platypus image © Jersey Shooter.

Detailed, ‘transparent’ and designed inbrand. Example of invoice © Hotson Studio.

Let’s get some basics out of the way. Your invoice’s list of services should correspond directly with the services you agreed to carry out at the start of the job. Additional good practice would be to include the original contract offer (in whatever shape or form) itemizing the services you’d agreed to for your client’s comparison. Your invoices should contain the name or studio name (if applicable) of the person providing services, which, for the freelancer, usually means himself. If you haven’t already provided your client with your bank details, include them somewhere on the invoice.

Be scrupulously transparent about costs, both forseen and extraneous, and leave nothing hidden when invoicing your clients. Image used with permission of © Jen Hamilton-Emery.

More than One Way to Skin a Cat…

It’s perfectly reasonable to design a billing template yourself using a package like Adobe InDesign, (see example above) then generate your invoices from this template whenever you need to bill someone. If you care about how your invoices look and work (you should do; they’re part of your suite of materials) then this method allows for the greatest creative control and freedom. If you feel this is the way to go then take as much time over it’s design as you would your letterhead or logotype.

Increasingly though, people are using other means to generate their invoices. MacFreelance is a piece of invoice and billing software made especially for creative professionals, and can allow freelance designers to create very professional-looking templates. MacFreelance and its competitors all come with features for including your own logotype and allow some, limited control over the design of documents. Many are also laden with additional bells ‘n’ whistles for monitoring project developments and carrying out billing administration.

Subernova offers users a “simple and enjoyable way to create and send invoices and estimates.” I’ve used it in the past. It’s not half bad.

Subernova, ‘project management and team collaboration’ software gives users the chance to create ‘insert here’-style invoices super quickly and like MacFreelance comes with additional features for setting project milestones, tracking time, keeping tabs on late payments, setting deadlines and more. A recent development also worthy of note is that Subernova is now syncable with iCal.

For freelance designers who receive most of their money through PayPal, you can now create and save billing templates and store them within your Paypal account. These work in much the same expedient ‘insert here’ way as Subernova.

Extraneous & Unforseen Costs

Picked up any extraneous costs on your journey? Image © Tom Skinner.

Certain extraneous costs should be carefully listed, firstly in the original service offer or estimate, then relisted in the invoice. Extraneous costs, or ‘further expenses’ can include courier/delivery fees, model fees and proof purchasing expenses. To the extent that not all expenses are foreseeable, when embarking on a new project you should also try to negotiate that the client assume all responsibility to remunerate extraneous costs. You might word this line into your original service offer: “The client or commissioning party has to reimburse the commissioned party for all extraneous costs actually incurred.”

Setting Deadlines & Client Transgressions

Educate yourself as to your legal position, but treat late-paying clients with courtesy. Image © Mark Flisher.

The persisting problem of late payment is probably the largest non-creative cause for concern experienced by the freelance graphic designer. Freelancers are unlikely to take legal action against corporations for obvious time-based and financial reasons. The freelancer might also ask himself “why risk losing the potential repeat work by being litigious?” Safe in this knowledge, clients need not worry excessively over paying you on time and in accordance with the terms laid out on your invoice.

Exceeding payment deadlines can put a strain on a small freelance business, not to mention the strain placed on the client/designer relationship. Freelancers need cashflow to survive just like any other tradesperson and chasing after late payments is a regrettably guaranteed part of the freelancer’s lot.

A slow response to pay a freelancer’s fees from a seemingly lackadaisical client can leave many a designer stressed, frustrated and unsure of what action to take. But there is a system to follow. . ‘Lackadaisical client’ image used with permission of © Chelsea Steed

The time period you should allow to elapse before sending out your first reminder shouldn’t be all that long, between 2–4 weeks after the exceeding of your payment deadline is about right. It’s good to know where you stand from a legal perspective, though difficult for me to look into every country’s law practices. In Great Britain, one month after receiving an invoice and having not paid, a client goes into arrears and is obliged to pay the designer for damages caused by delay. Should a disagreement arise, the designer will have to prove the successful delivery of the invoice. The damages, with regard to defaulted payments, is the interest which the designer must pay to his bank throughout the duration of the late payment and for the amount owed. Legal counsel costs may also be charged for here.

It’s important to outline the legal implications above, but reaching a hostile legal situation can more often than not be averted, or wholly avoided. In ‘How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing your Soul’ Adrian Shaughnessy advises freelancer’s to handle the unfortunate chasing role not with aggression, but with courtesy and respect. “…Approach the individuals concerned with the utmost politeness; make friends with your clients’ finance departments, they are rarely the villains. When you get a cheque in the post call and thank them. Designers like to have their work praised, and so too do clerks in accounting offices.” His quote pertains to style over law, but both are worth paying attention to in equal measures.

Repeat: “courteous not agressive, courteous not agressive…” Image courtesy of © Keri Minard.

Summary

The more precarious position experienced by freelance designers over full-time employees, within the context of getting paid, is part and parcel of the life we have chosen for ourselves. For those who send out invoices, benefits include the ability to charge higher design fees and a sympathetic attitude from government tax departments with regard to our annual expenditure and investments. Impediments include a less predictable financial life and, the big fly in the ointment, the tiresome task of chasing late payments.

When it comes to billing your clients, project as professional an appearance as possible through the design of your invoice, include all your relevant terms & conditions and make it a rule to be wholly transparent about costs. Keep track of invoicing dates and deadlines, and should any late payment situations arise, remember to handle your clients in a well-mannered and friendly attitude. It’ll more than likely never happen, but you’ll have recourse to the law should you need it. Follow the advice above and you’ll be doing all you can to ensure a financially secure existence with good clients on board who pay on time, conditions necessary for producing great design and being a happy bunny!

Learning to invoice professionally whilst being aware of where you stand legally makes for happy freelancers! Image courtesy of © Flavita Valsani.

Pros of freelance

• Freelance can be an attractive proposition to an employer, as they are not tied to keeping you on. When you’ve just left college, you haven’t established yourself in the industry, so it can be seen as less risky to an employer to take you on to do some freelance work and see how you go.
• Often freelancing can be a foot in the door to a permanent job, a sort of ‘try before you buy’ for the employer. You get to suss them out too!
• Freelance can be a fantastic way to work for a number of very different clients.
• You will be able work with lots of different designers and have exposure to many different design styles.
• Not sure whether you’d like to work in a design agency, advertising agency or even in-house? Freelancing gives you the opportunity to try a bit of everything out.
• You get to choose when you want to work.
• You’re not tied to any employer.
• There’s less chance of getting involved in office politics. You’re not going to be there for long, so why do you care? You can just go in, do your work and leave.
• If you don’t like the job, it’s easy to move somewhere else.
• There’s the chance to earn more money per day freelancing than in a permanent role.
• You may be able to work from home.
• You’re your own boss. There’s a definite feeling of autonomy and independence.
• You get to meet lots of people and build up your contacts in the industry. Once you start building a reputation for yourself, you may find that you don’t have to seek out work so much, but that you get called back by the same places when they are busy time and time again.
• It’s easier to take longer periods off to go on holiday to pursue other creative projects. This can be great if you’re also a budding animator, photographer, illustrator…
• You can negotiate your own rate. Once you start gathering experience, you can up your rate accordingly.
• You can sometimes charge for overtime – depending on the employer. You must pre-negotiate this before you start.

Working at a great agency can make all the difference, photography © Lincoln Barbour

Pros of permanent

• You know where you’re going to be working every day of the week. No job is ever stable in this industry, but there’s definitely a feeling of more stability.
• Once you’ve been in your job for a while, you will be given bigger briefs and more responsibility.
• You will be mentored by your creative director. This is particularly important when you’re straight out of college and you’re still learning the ropes. By the same token, you may be given a fair bit more leniency than you would in a freelance role, where you would be expected to perform without ‘learning plates’.
• You will form close friendships with the people around you. Being permanent means you’ll be part of all the social events, Friday night drinks, award nights etc. You’ll really feel like part of a team.
• You’ll have greater creative control over your work and a greater say in how it evolves. As time goes on, you’ll have greater say in how the agency runs and you could be given more leadership responsibilities. You may also start to mentor and manage other designers.
• You know what you are going to be earning every week. This makes it easier to plan your life, paying bills, getting a loan, buying a house. You are considered more stable to a bank.
• A permanent role can look good to your next permanent employer.
• You’ll be able to build up a portfolio of work that you saw through from conception to completion. This will be work that hopefully you’re really proud of.
• You will be able to work and develop a brand over time. You will get to evolve campaigns and have a real creative say in the brand.

Cons of freelance

• You are often called in because an agency is really busy, such as in a pitch situation. This can be pretty intense.
• You don’t get any real downtime or ‘quiet days’ like you would in a permanent role, as if you’re not working, you are costing the company money, so they won’t keep you on.
• It can be hard to plan holidays and other stuff, as you never know when you’ll be working.
• You could be called in to work all weekend and lots of late nights, especially in a pitch situation.
• As you’re often moving around from agency to agency, you often don’t get to bond with co-workers and you always have to get to know new people and suss out how they work. You can consequently always feel like the ‘new kid at school’.
• You may not have such a large say as a freelancer. You can always have a creative opinion, but if someone in the agency doesn’t agree, you often have to go along with what they say, as you are in effect ‘the hired help’. If you become too disagreeable, they can just get rid of you. This can be frustrating, as you often just have to follow other people’s ideas, against your better judgement.
• You can sometimes have less creative input, as you are seeing someone’s idea through.
• You often start a project and you may not get to see it all the way through, so it can be harder to build up your folio.
• You are almost certainly never given the briefs that others in the agency would want. More often than not, you are given the briefs that no one else wants to work on. I once came into an agency for a freelance gig to work on a weight loss client. The creative director had sat on the brief for 5 weeks in the agency, as most of the creative’s were guys and they didn’t want to touch it. Finally my partner and I came in one Thursday and were told we had to present three fully developed concepts to the US heads of this company that flying to Australia for the meeting on Monday morning. Needless to say, we did not get much sleep on Sunday. We charged for 18 hours of work that day!

Cons of permanent

• Sometimes when you start off somewhere as a junior, it can be hard to move up the ranks as you develop more experience. In some ways, you will always be thought of as a junior. I stayed in my first job for just over three years. After asking for pay rises and only getting very minimal jumps, I decided to move agencies. Even though I absolutely loved where I was, I just knew I wasn’t going to be able to move up the ranks there. By moving agencies, I doubled my salary and my seniority.
• Sometimes the demands of the job can be so much that you feel like your job is your life. There can be this feeling that you must stay late every night even if you’re not busy, just so you seem devoted to your job. Some people can thrive on this, but most of us like a little balance.
• It can be harder to take holidays. I remember going to ask for a month off to go overseas and I was told ‘there’s never a good time to take a holiday, so it’s always a good time to take a holiday’. There also used to be this running joke in a few agencies that I worked in that if you went on holiday, you’d be lucky to come back to a job. I know a few people that did lose their job after going on holiday. One poor girl happened to bump into her boss at an airport whilst on holiday and wondered why he was acting so strange and not looking her in the eye. Then the day before she was due back at work, she got a call from someone at the agency saying ‘don’t bother coming in tomorrow’. No wonder her boss hadn’t been able to look her in the eye.
• As you’re on a permanent salary, most likely you won’t be entitled to overtime. Long hours and weekend work can be expected for no extra pay.
• Starting salaries can be low and as you’re just out of college, there’s no room for negotiation. You basically have to accept what is offered to you. Sometimes employers take advantage of this and offer really low salaries. Sometimes you have to weigh this up with the great experience you’ll be getting, especially if the agency is highly regarded in the industry.
• You may only be working on the same two or three clients. In fact a few times, I’ve only been working on one client. This can be creatively mind numbing after a while and once you’re deemed as the so called ‘expert’ on that client, it can be hard to move onto other clients.

As you can see, there are great things about freelance and permanent. It’s up to you to decide what’s right for you now. I started off in permanent roles for the first seven years of my career and then decided to go freelance. Both have been fantastic for many different reasons. Good luck with the hunting!

They come in all shapes and sizes, from all different professional backgrounds, and we rely on them to pay our fees. A large portion of the freelancer’s lot is spent looking for them, bagging them, and spending a considerable amount of our daily slog trying to work out what they want. I’m speaking of course about clients, and this article is all about working with them, retaining them, educating them and occasionally sacking them. Mention the word ‘client’ to a fellow designer and the response will quite often be one of a humorous tutting under the breath coupled with a rolling of the eyeballs, which you’ll be invited to join in with in a moment of good-natured designer-fellow feeling. This is all very well, though a little close examination reveals clients to be a generally good bunch, who, to state the obvious, we rely upon for our livelihoods. At their best they can push us beyond the safe confines of what we’ve become used to, and it’s an oft-quoted phrase out of the mouths of the wise that’s fast becoming a truism, that the very best design comes out of a collaborative endeavour between the designer and client. Let’s look at things here a little more closely…

The Good, The Bad & The Meddlesome. Image used with permission of Peter Lewandowski.

A Marriage, (of sorts…), the Designer/Client Relationship

A marriage, (of sorts…). Image courtesy of Wild Cakes.

“Without clients there is no graphic design and without demanding clients there is no great graphic design.” So says Adrian Shaughnessy. It’s a decent quote and should help pull into sharp focus the sometimes unfair nature of things whereby clients are looked upon unfavourably as this unknowable force, an irritating fact of life and a brake on our creativity. Certain ‘star’ designers are often cited, inaccurately, as having enjoyed unfair patronage by some über-benevolent client early on in their career, but the truth often turns out to be a little different, these well known designers having had to work just as hard as we all do for a certain amount of indulgence.

I’ve attempted to redress the balance here of how clients are viewed, but how should the designer act towards them? Along what lines should the relationship run? The best piece of advice I can give here, and this might strike you all as blindingly obvious, is to treat your clients with respect and attentiveness, in a similar way as you would your friends. This isn’t to say you should befriend your clients (a modicum of professional detatchment is always a good thing) but just as we all have to work at our friendships to prevent them from going stale, and an inconsiderate remark can damage a friendship beyond repair, so you should work on your client relationships to prevent a drift occurring.

They’re not all monsters (very few are) but the clients on your roster will all be as diverse as this bunch here, and will all want something different from the others. Image courtesy of Paxton Holley.

Designers should train themselves to be hyper-sensitive to their clients needs. It’s a mistake to assume that all clients want the same thing, or have the same expectations of you as a designer. No two clients are the same. Some will want to be highly involved in the design process, some will need lots of attention, some will be suspicious of the idea that graphic design has intrinsic value and can help their business. You’ll need to develop empathy and understanding in a bespoke way for each of your clients (no easy feat, but beneficial in the long run). By developing this understanding you’ll strike the right tone with them and be able to better glean what they want, which should be the main goal in any designer/client relationship. You’ll learn about each other and some sort of rapport may blossom. These are the conditions necessary for flourishing long-term relationships to develop.

Retaining Clients

The heights a design-conscious client (The British Guardian newspaper) and a reputable graphic design studio (Cartlidge Levene) can scale together. Guardian offices wayfinding system imagery used with permission of SeptemberIndustry.

Winning new clients is a challenge faced by all freelancers, and will never go away throughout your career. Once you’ve built a solid roster of clients, retaining them is another challenge you’ll have to face. But getting repeat work from an existing client is easier than winning new work from scratch. It won’t happen automatically, and you’ll have to make your client aware that you’re available and looking for more work. Added to this, if you train yourself in the empathy and understanding skills I’ve outlined above you’ll go some way to keeping existing clients on your books. Naturally, as a designer you’ll also have to keep delivering the goods, on time and within budget, to avoid your clients looking elsewhere. Conduct yourself with honesty when discussing problems and briefs with clients, defend your work when it’s questioned and admit to it when you’re wrong. Demonstrate that you care deeply about what you do and be attentive to your client’s wants and predilections. By conducting yourself in this manner and delivering the work you’ve agreed to carry out, you’ll be doing all you can to hold on to the clients you’ve won and get repeat work off them.

Educating Clients

It’s back to school for some clients to design education boot camp. Image courtesy of Alida Thorpe.

There are corporations and individuals out there, skilled in the argot of design practice, who regularly commission design and have a good track record for producing good work. These are often to be found at the top of many freelancers’ ‘wish lists’ of dream clients. They do exist but aren’t nearly so numerous as those clients unversed in professional design practice or language, and who require a little more help throughout the relationship. I hesitate to use the word ‘education’ here, but as formal as it sounds there really is no better term for the learning process which occurs between the inquisitive, receptive client and the articulate designer.

Smaller clients may be used to handing over design work to soulless ‘design and print’ facilities, or having a go at producing logotypes, advertisements, layouts and newsletters themselves. Contracting the services of a graphic designer can be a leap into the unknown for many businesses, who will all possess, at the least, a vague idea of what they want, but often little knowledge of the many aspects of design processes involved in their delivery. Assuming you have an open-minded and receptive client, it’ll be up to you to occasionally explain ‘why’ things work the way they do. This could involve any aspect of design practice, from colour theory and grid systems right through to conceptual-based matters. When called for, guide your clients through the tricky terrain of the design landscape with patience and understanding. Remember that you’re speaking to a client and not a fellow designer and adjust your language accordingly. In return, and by developing an inquisitive disposition (which should be mandatory for those looking for a career in the creative sector) you’ll likely learn lots from the varied types of businesses out there.

There’s No Easy Answer to this Age-old Question…

Look to form long-lasting, prosperous relationships based on equality with your clients (you’ll have to share the driver’s seat throughout your career at times). Image used with permission of Lino M.

Concerning clients, possibly the single most common question which preoccupies and occasionally distresses graphic designers is this: How do I stop my client from meddling with my work? An overly-meddlesome client can be a bane on a designer’s existence, and it irks us to have our work interfered with by non-professionals. We all wish, reasonably enough, for clients to defer to our better judgment regarding semiotics, aesthetics and the like, but, alas, this doesn’t always happen. Confronted with a situation like this you could flatly refuse to carry out the suggested amends, telling the client he’s plain wrong, or agree with him and set about implementing the suggestions with the minimum of fuss, keeping silent about your own concerns.

My own favoured, third way is to acknowledge what a client wants to do, tell him you’re happy to do as he asks but voice your concerns, and say that alongside what he’s asked you to do you’d like also to show him the concept you think would work best. Present several layouts/concepts to him and see what happens. As designers we aren’t always right and can’t win every battle, but by keeping in place a system for dealing with these kinds of situations we’ll more often get our work through than not. Be a warrior as opposed to a doormat.

If your client attempts to take control of a project and disregards your opinions entirely, don’t be a doormat…

…be a warrior, and find your voice as a designer to convince him —gently— of a better direction. Doormat image supplied by Rukiasan. Kit Fisto image used with permission of Ted Schwartz.

Sacking Clients

When to press the red button? Image supplied by Luke Robinson.

It’s possible that at some point in your career a client will prove himself to be troublesome enough for you to decide to let him go. Various things can happen to make you arrive at this decision. The client might be well-meaning but hopelessly disorganised to the extent that you start to lose money. Personal factors might make it difficult for you to maintain a working relationship. You may belatedly spot an out-and-out charlatan in your midst. A client might not be able to pay you. If this last thing happens, suspend all work immediately. Waste no more time or energy until your client has got his finances in order. If it’s a personal matter, and you decide that a particular client is simply not worth the trouble, then contact him to explain that you are severing your working relationship, politely but firmly, and provide reasons why. Make sure all loose ends are tied up before doing so (have you been paid up to date?) and then act on your decision!

Useful Top Tips

• Never tell clients what to think of your work
• When defending your work, always argue from the audience’s perspective, never your own
• Take an interest in your clients’ affairs

In Sum…

For better or worse, we as freelance designers are linked in symbiotic relationships with our clients. Good clients keep us on our toes and can provide a check on our egos. They exist as (or propose) puzzles which we as designers must decipher and provide solutions for. It can be a highly satisfying part of the freelancer’s job to seal and then develop a working relationship with a good client, unravelling, deciphering, deducing, reassessing and reappraising matters throughout each relationship. To take less able or design-conscious clients and gently bring them on takes what they called in Victorian times ‘character’. Getting into the habit of forming your own opinions, and defending your ideas will boost your communication and articulation skills like little else.

More than a necessary evil then, let’s hear it for the client!

Unique, diverse, and each with a puzzle for you to solve. Let’s hear it for the clients! Image courtesy of Judy Baxter.

When devising your project plan, break your jobs down into clearly delineated milestones for best organisation. Image courtesy of Johnny English

First Things First

To begin with, you’ll need a system for booking jobs in, and allocating project codes/numbers to them as they arrive. This could be termed “Processing”. Designing a system for these codes/numbers can be entirely your own decision, the only rule being that once you’ve devised it you should keep things consistent across all projects. You might take the first three letters of your client’s name, add a numeral(s) indicating which project for this client this job is and append the year and month the job is booked in.

Create a folder with subfolders on your hard drive. The name of the first-level folder should correspond with your client’s name. Do the same within your email account. As correspondence and attachments starts to flow back and forth between you both you’ll be able to archive and store information, messages and files in an organised manner.

Job bags are useful for storing things in which relate to projects. Plastic A3 folders make good job bags. At the start of each job you might not have a lot of physical ‘gumph’ to fill them with, but once your project is underway, and depending on how you work, you may find yourself accumulating a daunting amount of scraps of paper, printed emails and sketches from meetings and the like which it’d be useful to store all in one place. Attach a label with the client name and project number/code on it and affix to a consistent place on the job bag.

Planning Jobs & Projects

Planning is a set of systems and methods. Good planning is purposeful and clear-sighted, effective and efficient; it helps to avoid mistakes.

Download a free PDF template that you can print out or save and fill in for each of your projects »

Important Planning Questions

• What am I trying to do? (Aim)
• What is important? (Criteria)
• How do I best go about achieving the aim within the given conditions? (Working method)
• When do I start? (Deadlines and time)

Without having an aim, it’s difficult to score. Image courtesy of Skyline Studio

Aims

As it states in ‘The Little Know-It-All’ “Aims are a decision-makers’s guidelines and signposts.” Without setting your aims, how can you expect to attain them? There’s a good mnemonic which psychotherapists and life coaches use when explaining aims to their clients; SMART. Aims should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based. Put them down in writing, lest you forget things. As repeated elsewhere, once written down, aims and goals take on a concrete life and become commitments. Review them periodically and amend wherever appropriate.

Every project you embark on will need some kind of plan, which should be broken down into a list of jobs based on priority. The most important jobs should be tackled first, and anything that can be done in under three minutes should be attended to immediately.

A good project plan should remain intuitive and realistic and help you find your way around the job. Wayfinding signage from Berardo, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon courtesy of Prentiss Riddle

Top Tips for Effective Job Planning

• Self-discipline will be required
• Little jobs needing less than three minutes should be done at once
• Larger jobs should be broken down into several steps
• Check the job list once a week
• Set up a calendar
• Keep a deadline reminder within your calendar

Note: A reminder system is a good thing to build in to your project plan. At risk of over-stating the point, without writing things down small jobs can fester in the mind, build up so they seem insurmountable and stress you out. Even if you haven’t forgotten anything, you may convince yourself that you have simply by not recording things on paper.

From the book ‘The Little Know-It-All’: “Self-discipline means being able to overcome our innate laziness and inertia, and to carry out even unpleasant tasks in order to achieve more in the end.” Employ SMT (single-minded thought) as often as possible. There exists a theory called ‘The 80:20 Principle’ which states that for many people we waste around 80 per cent of our time on unproductive activities, and that 20 per cent of our most productive time leads to 80 per cent of our success.

“Time is money.” Image courtesy of Patrick T. Power

Time Management

We’ve all heard the oft-quoted phrase “Time is money”. It’s a phrase that holds water as the more time we squander on useless activities the longer the time period the money we’re earning is made in. Set overall and milestone deadlines for each job within your project on paper, and stick to these deadlines to maximise your productivity and profits.

It may help to keep this overall concept of your projects in mind: A project is an undertaking with a delineated beginning and end, in terms of deliveries and timescales involved. They’ll vary in complexity, but all projects will involve stages and sub-projects within the larger whole, and each will need its own thought-through and planned timeline and defined aim. Assembled together, these sub-projects should come together to help realise the larger, project aim.

Have your expected project start and end dates in place during the initial phase of project planning. Image courtesy of annaleahart

The Four Prime Components of Planning

• Evaluation: What are the challenges here and what needs to be done?
• Planning: How do I deal with the challenges?
• Execution: What will my solution look like?
• Observation: How do I check the outcome?

Without adequate planning, projects can quickly fail in a number of ways. Deadlines may be exceeded, milestones missed, jobs forgotten about and things mislaid. You can find yourself on the backfoot, having to play at catch-up because of your own inadequate planning.

With the best will and design skills in the world, without adequate planning, you run the risk of your project turning into a mess. Image courtesy of Frontline Blogger

Projects usually succeed if:

• Everybody involved in the project has the same clearly defined aims and outcomes in mind
• The project is adequately planned, above all to prevent false starts and having to repeat individual steps
• The work is carefully timetabled and monitored to ensure the project can be concluded
• There are open channels of communication at all levels and at all business locations
• You have in place emergency plans you can fall back on if events do not run as planned

Further Rules of the Planning Process

• Plan ahead
• Consider contingencies and emergency options
• Break projects down into manageable milestoness
• Make a list of resources needed
• Draw up a project budget

Execution

• Review project aims
• Stay motivated and enthusiastic
• Complete the project

By constantly monitoring project progress you’ll be able to stay on top of events. Image courtesy of Lars Schleicher

Monitoring

• Constantly monitor your daily activities and workflow
• Keep an eye on timeframes and progress
• Do the same for events
• ot down any outcomes, both foreseen and unforeseen

Adaptation

• Solve problems as they occur
• Keep plans supple and amend if necessary
• Take emergency steps if need be
• Conclude project on time

The project plan is a detailed description of what is required of each project, and is made up of some or all of the following parts:

1. Project Definition

• A description of the tasks to be carried out
• Project resources needed
• Stated project aims
• Project outcome
• Projected project outcomes

2. Project Variables

• Jobs to be executed
• Project start date
• Predicted project duration
• Predicted end date

Another way to view the project plan is as an intricately-composed system of variable key segments. Image courtesy of Adele Turner

3. List of Milestones and Jobs to be Done

• Responsibilities (if working in a team)
• Jobs
• Predicted outcomes
• Planned start date
• Planned end date
• Actual start date
• Actual end date

4. Project Budgets

• Actual project budget
• Projected budget (if different)
• Any other expenses
• Unforeseen costs

Sometimes things just happen that are beyond our control, so always have a contingency plan in place. Image courtesy of Laura Thorne

5. Supplementary plans

• Emergency plans

6. Project approval

Case Study: CFTC Experts brochure

Client: Commonwealth Secretariat

Designer: Poonum Chauhan

Design Agency: The Fink Agency LLP

I recently caught up with Poonum Chauhan, a senior designer at The Fink Agency in London, to ask her about any projects she’d been involved in where good project planning had been essential. Her words on a particularly devilish project, in terms of logistics and planning, are given below.

The CFTC Experts brochure is composed of information supplied by countries stretching from East Africa to the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.

“This project was quite a large one with a lot of different elements involved, and which all had to be pieced together to produce a highly professional document.

“With countries involved from the entire Commonwealth, and individual experts from these countries each writing profiles, the planning, collation and timing of this project needed to be highly organised and efficient, which, as we discovered, didn’t always turn out to be the case! Time zones, work trips, meetings abroad and the general hierarchy of the organisation proved to be challenge, along with budgets too!

“Also, the print was given away, so liaising with the Commonwealth’s printers to ensure the job came out how we wanted it was imperative. A 152pp, 210x210mm brochure, with a throw-out cover, and a 6 colour job were all things to take into consideration when we started this. Also, having to think about courier costs around the world, we had to drop our original case-bound idea as production and postage costs would’ve been just too high!“

Summary

In ‘The Professional Practice of Design’, Dorothy Goslett writes “Many designers, though admitting its necessity, think that design administration is boring, a tiresome chore always to be put aside for doing second if something more exciting crops up to be done first. But good design + good administration = good fees well earned.” If you don’t pay enough attention to it already, get involved in project planning and administration. The routines will soon become habitual and the benefits will reveal themselves to be substantial. For what designer, or client for that matter, doesn’t want his project finished on time and within budget?

Did you meet your planned end date? Were you on time and on budget? You must’ve been if you’ve followed this guide! Image courtesy of Teena Vallerine

References: A chapter on project planning in the excellent ‘The Little Know-It-All, Common Sense for Designers’ book, which I recommend to you all.

Let’s begin with the simple part which, if you haven’t already, you’ll need to have in place: Your working rates, both hourly and daily. All freelance designers need to establish their rates, have a good idea of them and be ready to submit them when asked for. We’ll get onto pricing entire jobs below but for now we’ll tackle rates, which you’ll need to have in place before you can quote for jobs anyway.

Your rates are what you charge clients for your time and services. Hourly and daily are the most common, both used and asked after. Some individuals choose to charge their clients by the half hour but in general and for the purposes of this blog I’ll stick to the two rates mentioned above.

When deciding what and how you are going to charge people, there are several factors to consider.

How experienced am I

“The force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet.” Image courtesy of Daniel Drisdelle

A fledging junior will charge differently from a middleweight designer, who will charge differently from a freelance creative director. This all comes down to experience. You’ll get better the more experienced a designer you become, and will have to adjust your fees throughout your career to reflect this.

Assuming for now you’re at a junior level, you’ll need to choose rates which aren’t quite as high as those charged by middleweights, but good enough for someone who cares about what they do and considers him or herself a fledging professional. In Great Britain, between £12–15 per hour and £80–100 per day are reasonable rates for a junior graphic designer. Each country will have its own averages. Do your research and place yourself where you feel you belong within the appropriate range of rates.

What’s in my Armoury

Any special arrows in there? Image courtesy of Yo Spiff

If you happen to count certain specialised skills within your quiver of arrows then you may want to think about a range of rates for the different services you offer. In addition to solid typography and layout skills and a decent knowledge of printing processes, (which should all be mandatory), perhaps you’re also a bit of a Flash wizard, Aftereffects Jedi or Processing ninja. Competences in these areas, because so baffling to the majority of people, tend to mean that clients will pay a higher fee for them. Given this, to keep a set of rates for standard graphic design services and another for more specialised abilities is a good idea.

Variable Rates

The Lada, the Mondeo or the Bently sir? Image courtesy of Kristina / Webbelina

There are large and small businesses, rich and poor, and everything in between. A good client list should consist of both small businesses and organisations, where shortfalls in budgets are compensated for by a hefty dose of creative freedom afforded the designer, and larger, more established clients, where typically the work is more corporate in look and feel and designers will have more to rail against, but who usually have more money to spend than their smaller high street brethren.

Bearing this in mind, whilst stopping short of advocating rampant, opportunistic greed I see nothing wrong with keeping your working rates supple to allow for the different types of businesses/organisations who might approach you and ask you to quote for a job. It would seem instinctively wrong to quote a local charity the same fee as you would a blue-chip high street bank for the same job. Given this, it is good to keep a range of fees at your disposal, with a top and a bottom end, to allow for the different types of businesses who may engage your services.

Pricing Jobs. Here’s where the Fun Begins…

With a clear and considered decision made on what rates you are going to charge people, you will be able to quote for jobs with a degree of precision. The same rules regarding striking a balance apply here, and the rates you will have established should form your first consideration when quoting for jobs.

There are several factors to reflect on here, some, most or all of which you should build in to quotes you submit wherever appropriate. The more factors you examine and deem relevant to each particular job the more you’ll protect yourself against unforseen eventualities and maximise your profits. It’s also worth noting here to get as much information about the impending job as possible from the client before returning with an estimate. The more information you have at your disposal the better your judgement will be, and the more accurate your quote.

How Long is this Job Likely to Take?

One of the most basic questions you’ll need to consider and estimate on is how much time the job is going to take up. To give this your best estimate, you’ll need to think about how quickly you can complete the actual task, minus client meetings, traveling times, back-and-forth decisions etc. Start to think about how fast you work, how easily the creative process comes to you and how proficient you are with the software packages you use.

What is my Client Like, and How Much Attention is He Going to Require?

The designer/client relationship is an intriguing process of discovery. Image supplied by Simon Goode

A good client can make all the difference to your mental wellbeing as a graphic designer. They’re people, and people are all different, so all clients will possess varying degrees of certain strengths in areas such as organisation, communication and deferment to your professional judgement. Rarely will a client exhibit strengths in these three broad areas in equal measure. Most will be more adept at one over the others.

All designer-client relationships involve a certain amount of mutual learning and a building up of rapport, which, incidentally, is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job. Before submitting any quotes, you will need to get as good a feel as you can for how much of your time and attention you think your client will need. Having only one or two initial meetings, some emails and telephone calls to go on, it helps to stay tuned in to the microclimate of the budding relationship in its early stages, to best anticipate, then build in, what kind of client he or she is going to be.

“We could do it like that or…”

Visually arresting Dragon poster by Australian designer and The Graphic Design School graduate Reide Iredale

Another thing to consider and worth discussing here is the question of design options. To explain, you might be asked to quote on the design and printing of a corporate brochure and see an opportunity within the brief to do something outstanding.

As well as supplying a quote for a standard design job, you might also offer your client a range of delicious design and printing options, gently informing them that, whist perfectly acceptable to pursue the 4-colour, purely typographical “route A”, isn’t the target audience much more likely to be wowed if we pursue “route B” and spend a little more money on commissioning that designer who did the incredible dragon illustration for our intro pages?

All in the Research

Take a leaf from the scouts’ book and “Be Prepared” when pricing jobs. Image used with permission of Steve Borgerding

How much research will need to be done on this job? A local estate agent in need of a logotype and stationery, who comes to you with a rush of A4 printouts of rivals’ work and instructs you to “make it like these” should require less research than a Qatari newspaper contracting you to translate the Gotham typeface into Arabic script, retaining the characteristics of the roman whist simultaneously adapting the face to suit the cultural sensibilities of its readers. Try to estimate how much research will be involved in each job and build this in to your pricing.

Client Involvement & Collaboration

Luckily, Harmony Medical was a client local to Hotson Studio and traveling costs were kept to a minimum.

This ties in to the ‘what is my client like?’ topic discussed above. Try to establish how many meetings will be necessary throughout the design process. Will these meetings involve traveling costs for you in train fares or petrol? Perhaps you’ll bag a Spanish client who’ll insist you fly out for a meeting with him in Madrid (it happens). Does your client have a computer with design software in his office and would he prefer you to work from there alongside him?

Even if the client agrees to visit you at home home or the studio, client meetings can eat away at time like nothing else. If traveling is required of you, the costs involved can hit the pocket hard.

Anything You can’t Handle Alone?

Some jobs will almost certainly involve you subcontracting parts of them out to professionals from the affiliated trades. Illustration, photography, copywriting, translation and motion graphics are typically, and frequently, subcontracted out to others. In this scenario, before submitting a quote to your client you will need to gather your own and work it/them into yours. When doing this, as a rule a 10–15% markup on subcontracted costs is viewed by the profession as acceptable.

Printing commission

Some printers, usually after the development of an ongoing relationship, allow their customers to build in some commission to the quotes they generate. Here, after supplying your printer with a job specification and requesting a quote, then receiving one back, you would ask the printer to re-quote building in an extra cost of between 5–10%. This would be your commission. You would supply your client with the amended printer’s quote and on being paid their fees the printer would pass on your commission to you.

Creative Generosity

On a case-by-case basis, you might decide to offer a discount of between 10–15% for the first job undertaken for a new client, as a gesture of goodwill and in the hope that your generosity at this stage might incentivise him to keep feeding you work in the future. Make a judgement on how likely you feel it is that the relationship will be long-term, generating prospects of further design work for you.

If you can get away with it…

Lastly, and if you feel you can get away with it, add a little extra in to cover yourself, because even with the best planning and pricing in the world, you can never predict for certain what is going to happen to timeframes and budgets. One ex-client of mine springs to mind who, throughout initial meetings, was the very embodiment of good organisation and courtesy, yet who, once the job was underway, revealed itself to be exasperatingly disorganised and at times discourteous. I wasted a lot of hours as a result of their disorganisation, but the job had already been quoted, agreed on and fixed. Their having a limited budget for my services made it difficult for me to add in additional costs retrospectively.

In Sum…

Whilst seemingly a lot to take in, by studying the factors outlined above and bringing to bear as many as you feel relevant to each job you are asked to price, you’ll find yourself more in pocket and more prepared for unexpected hiccups than you would if you simply went through the motions. Fixing your hourly and daily rates is a good and necessary first step. From there, question every part of each potential job you can think of to assess what it’s going to cost you, in time and money, and work out your best estimate. Quoting is sometimes seen as a mildly dull aspect of the freelance graphic designer’s lot, but by viewing yourself less like a sales clerk in a partitioned deskspace and more like a tactical commander on the battlefield, you’ll be well prepared and less likely to fall behind with bills. One final piece of advice from copywriter and blogger Holly Knowlman, who herself is passing on advice that she had heard: “If it’s a crap job and you hate the client … quote them a fortune. It’s much better than turning them down.”

Cool and unflappable, because she has all the bases covered in her estimates. Image used with permission of Laura Vancane

It All Starts With a Great Idea

By clearly visualizing who your client is and with some forethought, research and planning, the end result should be an appropriate symbol that immediately identifies the company, and clearly communicates the product or service. This is absolutely key to a successful logo design and should always be foremost in your mind while conceptualizing your design.

When you have your concept, start sketching it out to quickly come up with ways you can execute the idea. Starting in black and white can help ensure that your design is clear, legible and reproducible without any distracting features. Adding great color, style characteristics, or subtle effects will help make your design unique to stand out amongst the competition. Add some type to bring some context to your design and choose a font that compliments the symbol and communicates clearly. To ensure a successful logo remember to keep your design, Simple, Memorable, Timeless, Versatile, and Appropriate.

Reproducibility

The excessive use of detail in this logo will seriously compromise its ability to be reproduced. Fine details like the sharp pointed tail and thin lines will disappear when printed at smaller sizes and the small white shapes will fill in losing their definition. Outlined type with extreme gradients will print poorly as well, making the type hard to read at any size. On the right, the elephant is drawn with bold shapes, leaving ample white space in between for definition. Just the right amount of detail is used to help convey the idea and the solid flat colors used will ensure that this design will reproduce great with pretty well any process. I wouldn’t recommend using multiple colors like this in the type all the time but in this case it works to make it fun and exciting.

Color Palette

The sample on the left is using far too many colors than is necessary, making it very busy and more difficult to define the individual objects. The use of fluorescent and uncomplimentary colors makes the overall composition unappealing and less attractive. Using default colors straight from the swatch palette and plain black for the type make the design much less sophisticated than it could be. The sample on the right utilizes a beautiful main palette of custom mixed complimentary colors of orange, green and brown. They all work together in harmony to bring the cute kitties to life while adding a warm and cozy feeling. The use of dark brown for the type keeps it complimentary to the graphic and maintains a good contrast necessary for legibility. Using the same orange that’s in the kitties for the “petcare” type offers additional visual interest and helps separate it from the main type. This helps give the eye a break and enhances legibility as well.

Simple is good right?

The left example is very simple in its execution, using only basic square and circle shapes. The placement of all of the objects has left the overall composition looking static and boring while the plain black type is under considered, effectively ensuring that this logo generates about as much excitement as flossing your teeth. The example on the right however, has cleverly used positive and negative space to create the plate. The entire logo is comprised of only four shapes by creating two simple arcs to help define the plate and by letting the cutlery bleed off the bottom edge. The combination of these design choices and using Tragan for the font, give it a simple, classic, stylish feel appropriate for this audience.

Choosing a Typeface

Hard to read? It sure is! Skinny outlines, drop shadows and other effects used on type all work against keeping it clear and legible. The “Tiederhouse” text is too tightly kerned while the “Attorney ay law” type has far too much letter spacing. The type is placed too close to the graphic without enough breathing room and the tagline is much too small in proportion. The “Tiederhouse” text uses the font “Hobo” which is a 70’s style font not at all appropriate for a professional law office. The sample on the right uses a much more professional and appropriate looking serif font with spacing and shapes that seem to mimic the construction of the symbol. It’s clear, easy to read and is just the right amount of distance from the torch device. Making the line between the text gold colored would have been a nice touch.

To read the whole article and image credits please see istock

To feast your eyes on a collection of logo designs and galleries see HERE

Professional Practice: Self-promotion & Winning Work

In this climate of Olympian-sized competition, compounded, undoubtedly, by the worldwide recession, it’s imperative for us to do all we can to stand out from our peers, to make an impact on those we meet, to conduct ourselves with integrity when meeting new people and to start to cultivate a reputation, in order that we might be remembered by those commissioning design, and chosen over the competition.

The Lesser Bird of Paradise knows a thing or two about standing out. Image courtesy of Bluepeak Travel Photography bluepeakt

Great Expectations

Many children across Great Britain grow up hearing the oft-quoted phrase “from little acorns, large oak trees grow”. This is a worthwhile phrase to remember when starting out on the path to a career in graphic design. Many undergraduates, having spent years reading about star-designers and surfing the websites of their favourite studios, become stuffed to the gills on great work, and may face a rude awakening when, on graduating, they find that Nike aren’t banging at their door to insist on giving them their next international campaign to work on, or that Pentagram haven’t created a job position especially for them.

Starting out rarely involves working with clients of Nike’s calibre. More realistically, your first break might come through a small charity, a local acupuncturist or an acquaintance in need of an identity. These are the kinds of “little acorns” which, though not as glamourous as Nike and its ilk, offer young graphic designers an opportunity to cut their teeth, do some great work and begin to cultivate a reputation. In his best-selling book “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be” Paul Arden writes “We are always waiting for the perfect brief from the perfect client. It almost never happens. You’re probably working on a job or project right now and saying ‘This is boring, let’s just deal with it and get it over with. We’ll make the next one good.’ Whatever is on your desk right now, that’s the one. Make it the best you possibly can.” Paul is right. By conducting yourself with integrity and doing your best on each job you’re commissioned you will be making moves toward building a good professional reputation.

Rather than pursue the big beasts…

…adjust your sights and go after those that need you most! Lioness picture used with permission of Laurent Geslin, photographer Laurent Geslin Moggie picture supplied by Herbi Ditl www.flickr.com/photos/herbivore

A recent branding project for a newly-formed free church by Hotson Studio Hotson Studio

In any event, it’s a sure bet that the “dream clients” (Nike and, in Britain, perhaps Selfridges) will already have access to award-winning, highly reputable design studios. The evidence for this is there in the quality of their campaigns. Far better to look in the less exposed, more pedestrian corners of the High Street and business world, and to seek out those who could really do with your help. Adrian Shaughnessy in “How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul” puts it nicely when he says “There is more personal satisfaction in taking a client with no apparent potential and producing effective and resonant work for them than there is in working for so-called ‘cool brands’.”

With realistic expectations, and a personal business ethic in place, you can deploy the techniques explored below to help make things happen.

Word of Mouth

It occasionally frustrates me how many potential clients are going about their work unaware of just how much good graphic design could enhance the value of their business. These potential clients are everywhere. One of our jobs is to tap into this rich seam and pull some aboard, just as the brown bear scoops the salmon from the fast-flowing stream in the wilds of Canada.

There are various methods of finding clients at our disposal, and to maximise our chances of building a solid client base we need to exploit each of them as best we can.

As a freelance graphic designer you’re your own shop front. Image courtesy of Colin Turner

Even in this digital age one of the surest ways of making contacts and finding work remains plain old-fashioned word of mouth. Make sure family members and friends all know what you do and have at least some idea of what the profession entails. They will then be in a position to mention your name (and perhaps pass on a well-designed business card of yours that you’ll have supplied them with) should they hear of anything going. Between you and everybody you know, you probably know more people who commission design than you’d think.

There’s no reason why the same rule cannot apply to clients. If you have an existing client then ask him to keep his ear to the ground for you and recommend you to his associates. By ruthlessly exploiting every contact you can think of things can (at the best of times) develop for you in an exponential manner.

Your Online Presence

Some graphic designers still pride themselves on running a thriving business without the need for a website, but they are now a minority breed. In the digital age it pays to work at your online presence, through your own site and the larger, networking-based ones. At the bare minimum, a well-designed single webpage can act as a message board through which potential clients might email, telephone or write you. You can also supply a link to a website like Flickr, where you can keep an up-to-date online portfolio of your work. If you use Twitter, or run a blog, then leave the links on your webpage. If you’re a web-savvy designer then I won’t need to stress how beneficial and impacting a well-designed and planned website can be.

Letterpress printers Typoretum work hard at their online presence and have an integrated approach, each page giving links to the others, forming an intuitive whole www.typoretum.co.uk

I have found Twitter to be a useful tool for making contacts. Twitter seems to be like Marmite in that people either love it or hate it (or don’t “get” it), but through persevering with Twitter, winning followers and following the interesting Tweeters, advertising your work and leaving links to useful online stuff, you can gain a valuable network of online contacts, some of whom may contact you when they need creative services. With a copy & paste you can publish the same information you tweet through Facebook, LinkedIn and Bebo, your own blog or website. Once you get going this can take seconds, and it pays to disseminate your information as widely as possible.

There are dedicated businesses such as View Creatives in Britain where you can upload a cv and selection of work, which prospective clients can then download for a small fee and view respectively. Some of these sites, for a small monthly standing order, give the option of being a premium user which guarantees a place near the top of the list and offers more space to upload images of work. This too, parallel to a networking-based online presence, may be worth considering.

Link each account, blog and website back to the others. The more relentless you are at publicising yourself, informing your followers and friends of recent work and advertising your wares online the better your chances of making a successful go at gaining a substantial pool of contacts.

Self-promotional Material

Back in the real, tangible world of print and paper, you will also need to engage in the production of printed promotional literature. This too, when starting out, can be a useful tool in generating leads and contacts. Be prepared to work hard to make whatever you do visually arresting and distinctive. The world is awash with printed, moribund detritus and amongst all this you’ll want to get noticed. You might start with a postcard, displaying an image of a favourite piece of work on one side and your contact details on the reverse. The more ambitious-minded might want to experiment with an intricately folding piece displaying a choice selection of work. This adds a tactile element for the end user to experience.

Graphic design studio Turnbull Grey letterpress print their own greetings cards and frequently use them for self-promotional purposes Turnbull Grey

Your promotional piece should be used to leave behind at interviews and meetings, and to send out to people. Direct mail should be considered, and the same rules about making your piece visually compelling apply. Just as I’m advising you all to do here, I myself recently designed and had printed a 16pp A3 poster, which folds down to postcard size. One side contained a selection of imagery from my portfolio with explanatory text, and the reverse some typography and contact details. I sent this piece out, combined with a handwritten letter on my own letterhead, to existing and prospective clients and London-based studios whose businesses I admired. In two months I’ve been invited along to several portfolio reviews with design studios (advice and criticism given at these are invaluable) and pulled a new client on board who I am now working for. My database of contacts received a considerable boost through the endeavour.

I learned that details with this sort of thing matter. Be sure to have a well-designed, cohesive suite of stationery with which to use when writing to people. Find out your contact’s name and record it accurately to avoid the dreaded “Dear Sir/Madam” at the top of your letterhead. Another tip from Adrian Shaugnessy “…when you write a letter, especially a letter promoting you or your company, always write the address on the envelope by hand. It is so fare to get a letter with a handwritten address that most people instinctively open these first.”

Your stationery needn’t be gorgeously foil-blocked like Build’s is, but put as much effort into its design as they did www.designbybuild.com

The Self-initiated Brief

“Self-initiated projects are often necessary for the individual’s … psychic health, and the urge to experiment and explore is perfectly reasonable”. So says Adrian Shaughnessy, who then goes on to make clear that we should be under no illusion that self-initiated projects impress in the same way that a real, commercial project will. He has a valid point, although there are no hard and fast rules to what works in graphic design. I have met people in studios who have politely leafed through my commercial work unconcernedly and only really displayed any interest when coming across my letterpress work, which is largely self-initiated. One past client even took me on for a summer on the strength of a student sketchbook.

Though rare, if good enough (and out there online) your work may be spotted by the editor of a design journal and images requested for inclusion, and this can happen for personal projects just as easily as commercial ones (see the record sleeves by Hector Pottie below). My own feelings on the matter are that self-initiated projects allow the designer to give full reign to his creative impulses, allowing any potential client a better insight into who the person he may commission really is.

These fictional, silk-screen printed record sleeves by Hector Pottie were deemed fit for inclusion in an issue of British-based Grafik magazine

Summary

By pouring sweat, blood and tears over the various means and methods described above, you will be laying the sound foundations of a healthy freelance life. Maintain realistic goals, be aware of the zeitgeist, of all that goes on around you, and try to act with originality and precision when working on self-promotional and –initiated work, and your online presence. Treat self-promotion as an ongoing process rather than a sequence of one-offs. By maintaining a critical, striving attitude to your own work and acting with integrity and professionalism in your dealings with people you’ll soon be on the front foot and cracking open the champagne!

“Pop!” “Whey!” “Splash” “Fizz” “Pour” “Pour” “Pour” “Clink” “Cheers!” “Glug” “Glug” “Glug” …
Image supplied by Alessandro Termignone

Next week in our series of “Professional Design Practice” we’ll talk about Freelance, Fee Structures & How to Quote

Reviews

“I’m going to buy a handful of copies and every time I start a new identity design I will supply the client with this book as a cornerstone of education and communication on the topic. If you like the idea of having a smoother client-designer relationship, you’d be smart to do the same.”

Christopher W. Taylor, Amazon.com

“A great read for both designers and clients, as it shares valuable insights and discusses the importance of brand identity all the way down to the process from start to finish.”

Brian Hoff, The Design Cubicle

“A very useful resource for designers who want to specialize in logo design.”

Fabio Sasso, Abduzeedo

“A must-read for anyone who wants to make their living in the graphic design industry, especially those who want to specialize in the fiercely competitive logo design niche.”

Steve Douglas, The Logo Factory

From Pencil to PDF: sub-headings

• Mind-mapping
• The fundamental necessity of the sketchpad
• The Tenth Commandment
• Pinning the map
• Internationally recognized
• No set time
• Dress for success
• Black and white before color
• Where Photoshop comes into play
• The pen is mightier than the mouse

Read more comments and contributions on David Airey’s website

Download the free PDF from David Aireys site by clicking on the link below

To read more about the process of mind mapping in design see another super blog article HERE

]]> http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com/blog/graphic-design/logo-design-love/feed/ 2 http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com/blog/web-design/get-off-the-mac-roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-making-once-a-week/ http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com/blog/web-design/get-off-the-mac-roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-making-once-a-week/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:43:33 +0000 admin http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com/blog/?p=1521

Steve Jobs is nobody’s fool. The sleek, sexy and justifiably praised desktops and laptops that Apple make are now a staple —a necessity even— of any self-respecting graphic designer. We await the release of new iMacs and operating systems with impatience, queue up to purchase our copy, and coo over them once they’re installed as if they were newborn babies. We learn them inside out and gush, blog and tweet over new Photoshop filters. Graphic design, along with many other professions which used to require a certain amount of manual endeavour, has, with the rise of digital technology become nigh-on completely computer-based and desk-bound. The modern graphic designer need never sketch out a rough by hand or design a font on layout paper. Everything can now be done with the help of a computer.

The latest “big-cat-themed” operating system that you simply can’t live without and the best ever. Until the next one…

And yet there was a time when graphic design was a very hands-on profession, not at all centred around a magical-looking computer, and which involved all kinds of tactile and smelly materials, and which required actual physical effort to work with the various mediums associated with it. I’m talking drawing boards, airbrushes, magic markers, inks, layout pads, lightboxes, silk-screen printing, linocutting, collage and drawing. What is most fascinating here is that these analogue processes aren’t from some far-flung past. We aren’t talking William Morris’s Kelmscott Press here. No, many graphic designers and tutors in their fifties, forties and even thirties, will have some recollection of their professional life involving the making of things by hand.

Large-scale Voltron models made entirely of Lego, from Grand Admiral / Mark Sandlin www.flickr.com/people/grandadmiral/

Thankfully, most design schools still offer students the chance to get to grips with some, if not most, of the processes listed in the paragraph above. And this fact should be celebrated, as it provides those willing to learn with an anchoring in the distant and not-so-distant analogue past. One could view this advocation of older processes as a certain charming backwardness through lack of funds on the design schools’ part, although the well-planned and carefully thought out courses will have been designed with the same points that I describe here in mind. Good design schools, like many designers out there ‘in the field’, recognise that it’s highly beneficial for the young graphic designer to think outside the Mac. For students, the freedom and breadth of disciplines offered should be taken advantage of, as the opportunity to indulge these passions (in the quantities that design schools can offer) will hardly likely come round again once you’re out there in the working world.

During my own final year of education I decided I wanted to learn about letterpress printing, and planned to use it to print my major end-of-year project. In my pursuit I was fortunate enough to have a course head as enthusiastic as I was and who had valuable connections to a fine printing press in Wales. Within a month I had been packed off there for an intensive, hands-on introduction, and emerged two weeks’ later having learned to design, handset, compose and print using letterpress, and returned home with two posters to exhibit at my end-of-year show. On graduating I kept in touch with the staff at the press and continue to visit them each year. Two weeks is scarcely enough time to master the discipline, though I was at least given an initiation into letterpress printing which enabled me to continue to use it for personal projects. Clients and other designers seem to like the fact I include these handmade projects in my portfolio, and of all my work it is often these pieces, and not my commercial work, which is singled out for praise and which people are most easily able to recall when I speak to them.

Lovely commission for ilovetypography.com letterpress-printed by Typoretum www.typoretum.co.uk

Gorgeous 2010 handbound, accordion-fold letterpress-printed calendar by Campbell Raw Press www.campbellrawpress.com

Two tactile Christmas cards from Hand & Eye Letterpress both set in wood and metal type and printed on a metal-coated board www.handandeye.co.uk

As mentioned above, on completing your education, if you’re lucky enough to bag yourself a job either inhouse or within an independent studio, the chances are the prospect of long hours at the Mac beckons. You won’t mind this at all because within your studio, through all the graft, artworking and occasional tedium involved, you’ll glimpse moments of pure enchantment; when you get a job couriered over from the printers, or have an idea of yours passed for inclusion on a project. You’ll be trying very hard to make a positive contribution to your studio, to make the transition from someone who needs a lot of help and support to a genuinely productive member of the team.

A charming montage of greetings cards and the colourful back patterning from letterpress-printed stationery designed and printed by Smock www.smockpaper.com

Amidst all this though, try to maintain some link with the traditional processes you’ll have learned at some point during your education. It’ll be all too easy to let things slide when you’re strapped in to an iMac. Sketch out roughs with a pencil as opposed to on screen. Suggest using letterpress on that new album cover. Anything. Thankfully there is now more appreciation for the handmade than there was fifteen years ago. Back then the age of Mac had only just become prevalent and software like Photoshop had still to really catch on. Graphic designers (and their clients) were in thrall to what they could now accomplish with computer-aided design. Luckily, here at the end of the decade, you could say that disciplines such as letterpress and traditional drawing are enjoying something of a renaissance. People will always value the tactile and the handmade (if it’s any good that is) and by choosing to take this route where appropriate your professional life will be richer and more rewarding than it would be spent solely on the Mac.

The creative possibilities that computer-aided design brings is undoubtedly a Good Thing. Adrian Shaugnessy again “The computer has revolutionized the design process. It has made the act of designing easier, and in many ways it has improved the way we design things. Yet in other respects it has made design more formulaic, and it has standardized the act of designing.” These are words worth heeding. Traditional skills retain a charm and often present a usage which should always be remembered, celebrated and, wherever appropriate, used!

Impactful four and three-colour silkscreen prints by Waste Yourself www.wasteyourself.com

Tools & Perparation

Do create and edit your text in a word processing application such as Microsoft Word and then import the text to a desktop publishing application such as QuarkXPress, InDesign, Pagemaker or Corel Ventura where you can create your page layout, format the text with graphics, etc.

Do use QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign for desktop publishing. QuarkXPress was the print industry standard page layout program for decades, designed and perfected for commercial print output. Adobe InDesign, however, has given Quark a run for its money. InDesign not only costs half as much as Quark, but it is fully-integrated with its sister apps, Photoshop and Illustrator. Another page layout program is Adobe Pagemaker—now discontinued but still around. However, I find that Pagemaker is nicknamed “Ragemaker” for a very good reason. It is fine for small projects—newsletters and whatnot—but for large projects, books in particular, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and trouble in the long run if you use Quark or InDesign. Also, if you are lucky enough to have a choice as to what platform you can use, go Macintosh. PC/Windows desktop publishing files are far more likely to cause problems when it comes to graphics, fonts and printing. If you do decide to stick with a PC/Windows platform, make sure that the commercial printer you select has ample experience with that platform.

Don’t use Microsoft Word as a desktop publishing application. Word does have many of the same layout features as desktop publishing apps such as Quark and InDesign (i.e., it can create columns, import graphics, create nice laser prints, etc.) but when it comes to commercial printing, Word is not going to get you very far. Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, etc. are word processing applications, NOT desktop publishing/layout programs. They handle font replacement differently and often cause reflow.

Don’t create your page layout for multi-page documents in draw programs such as Illustrator or Freehand. Use desktop publishing apps like Quark or InDesign.

Do provide the printer with a hard copy laser printout of your project, as well as all of your layout files (in Quark, InDesign, etc.), graphics and fonts. Inkjet printers are fine for initial proofing and printing, but always get a final printout (and proof it) from a PostScript laser printer.

Don’t assume that what you have printed out and submitted as hard copy or see on your monitor is what you will get. Take a good long look at proofs and bluelines supplied by the printer.

Do take your printer’s advice.

Don’t assume that you know more than the printer.

Fonts

Do supply the printer with ALL of the fonts used to create your project (even the symbol, fraction and dingbat fonts). Try not to use TrueType fonts, and for PostScript fonts, make sure you supply the printer with both the screen and the printer font parts. Remember to include fonts used to create EPS graphics, and fonts that the printer probably already has (i.e. like Helvetica, etc.). There are many different versions of some fonts and a “wrong” version can cause reflow/repagination problems.

Don’t use Bold or Italic in the style menu or hit the Bold or Italic button when you want to bold or italicize text in your page layout program. Use the actual font. For example, in Quark, if you want to create text that is Helvetica Bold, don’t select some Helvetica text and then bold it. Instead, select the text and change the font itself (not the style) from Helvetica to Helvetica Bold:

Do

Don’t

Don’t use TrueType fonts. Period. Always use PostScript or OpenType and Adobe fonts (Macintosh or PC/ Windows) are always a safe bet. TrueType is fine for printing to a laser or inkjet printer, but TrueType fonts can cause severe problems when it comes to commercial printing. Many commercial printers won’t even print a project that contains TrueType fonts. Often, they pop.

Don’t use 20 different fonts for a 4-page newsletter. It makes you look like you don’t know what you’re doing. In desktop publishing, consistency is everything. Use one font for your main body text, another for your main heads, another for photo captions, another for sidebars, etc., but don’t mix and match fonts for your main body text or make every headline a different font unless you’re trying to create some sort of chaotic effect and it is your intention to confuse the reader. Too many fonts is not only considered to be bad design, but it also slows printing to a crawl.

Graphics

Do supply ALL of the graphics used to create your project. Desktop publishing applications like Quark and InDesign link to your graphics; they do not embed them in the document. If you don’t supply the graphics along with your Quark or InDesign documents, the printer will get a missing picture error, and won’t be able to continue until you supply the graphics.

Do use TIFF and EPS graphic file formats:

• Use TIFF for halftones: graphics that are not just black and white, but rather, have many shades of gray or color gradation (i.e. scanned photos that were created or edited in Photoshop or an image editing application).
• B&W clip art (no shades of gray—just 100% black and 100% white) looks best if scanned in and saved in 1200 dpi Bitmap TIFF format.
• Use EPS for line art, illustrations, charts, clipart, etc.—graphics that are basically black and white and were created or edited in vector applications such as Illustrator or Freehand. Resolution should be at least 600 dpi, 1200 dpi is the standard and creates the best print quality.

Don’t use other graphic file formats like PICT, JPEG, GIF. Just because you can import them into your desktop publishing application doesn’t mean that you should. Stick with TIFF and EPS. If your graphics are in any other format, convert them. This is especially true of the PICT format. Quark hates PICTs; imagesetters hate PICTs. Steer clear of PICT.

Do most, if not all, of your image editing and graphic manipulation (i.e. lightening, darkening, resizing, etc.) in the original program that the graphic was first created or edited in, rather than the desktop publishing application. For instance, if a Photoshop TIFF needs to be lightened or darkened, lighten or darken it in Photoshop, not in Quark. Even though Quark will lighten or darken an image, adjust contrast, etc., you may get different results once you project goes to press and is printed.

Do name your graphics with the appropriate file extension: filename.tif, filename.eps.

Don’t rename graphics once you have placed them in your desktop publishing/page layout document(s). If you do, make sure to go back into your document and re-link the graphics

Do check your mode for color TIFFs. Save color TIFFs as CMYK (not RGB, never RGB). Save black & white TIFFs as Grayscale.

Do check with your printer to see if they charge extra for breaking any of these “rules.”

Design & Page Layout

Do use a document setup size (i.e. your page dimensions) that is the same as your trim size. For instance, if you are creating a 6 by 9-inch book, set up your initial page size in the document setup for 6 by 9-inches.

Don’t create 6 by 9-inch text frames in a 81/2 by 11-inch document setup and manually add registration marks.

Do make page elements that bleed extend at least 8th of an inch beyond the page boundary.

Don’t use your page layout/desktop publishing program’s predetermined “hairline” rule. The width varies from program to program, and prints out differently on a laser printer than on an imagesetter, if it prints at all. Don’t create rules that are less than .25 pt.

Do watch for widows, orphans, rivers, bad kerning and other desktop publishing no-nos that will make you look like an amateur. Get rid of double-spaces after periods, don’t use spaces to align columns (use tabs) or to create paragraph indents. Know your en dash (–) from your em dash (—).

Editing & Formating

Now on to some tips for editing and formatting those wonderful design and publications in Illustrator and Photoshop

Illustrator vs. Photoshop

This is not about what program is better but more of what program to use for what. You can not say that one is better than the other because they have completely different uses but work closely together.

Photoshop This program is great. It is the best application for editing images and works primarily with pixels. A limitation with pixels is that the pixel-based image is not to be scaled since all you are doing is enlarging the squares/pixels which lose quality and clarity.

If you are a web designer you will work very closely with Photoshop for different elements and graphics of your website… even for Flash. If you are working to produce print you will only use Photoshop to create images that will be imbedded into Illustrator or a layout program such as Quark. Photoshop should not be used to produce text for print.

Illustrator This is not about what program is better but more of what program to use for what. You can not say that one is better than the other because they have completely different uses but work closely together.

This program is also great but is not a pixel-based image editor. Illustrator works mostly with vector graphics. This allows the image to be able to be scaled to just about any size and keep its integrity. As a result logos should always be produced/finalised in Illustrator. You will be able to scale them to just about any size you like.

You can even produce graphics for the web using Illustrator and a lot of the time I have found myself doing this. Since you can output to many pixel-based files, you can make extremely smooth looking graphics and convert them to a JPEG or other raster files.

For print this can act as a layout program. You would take your images edited in Photoshop (most of the time high resolution TIFF files) and place/embed them inside your document. In Illustrator you would then create all your text and shape designs as well as add your logos and other things like that.

Just follow this simple rule: in print use Photoshop for your image editing and then do everything else in Illustrator.