We are here to help you through the design process, from initial idea through to launch or delivery. New topics added daily!
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I have some design software, can I do it myself?
Here are two things to consider: level of skill and time value.
Firstly, you may have the technical skill with software to make the items, but do you have the required ability to be able to objectively create material to represent your organization? This is more than just knowing what you want, but being able to create something that does it effectively and accurately with creative flair.
Secondly, how long would it take you? How much is your time worth? If you could do it, but it would take you two days, would you not be better off employing a designer for a few hours, allowing you to spend your time more productively on your business?
If you have unlimited time, are technically able, and have a creative streak, then you probably could do it yourself. However most people are in business to make money, not to design stuff for themselves.
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How do I choose a design studio?
For instance, if you need to develop a brand image over a long period of time, and create a suitable identity scheme to help visualize that brand’s ethos and attitude, then it’s pointless employing a studio who profess to be experts at making business cards or cheap leaflets.
You’ll need a different approach.
Similarly, if you need a designer to take your idea and turn it into a cheap and cheerful printed leaflet, then commissioning a brand consultancy is not going to do you any favours on the cost side of things.
It’s generally horses for courses. However some of the larger outfits will cater for smaller clients and projects, and if you can find one of gems you may just get top level service on small scale projects too.
So how do you find out all this stuff? Simple – most design companies have websites (if not – why not?) and all the points above ought to be quite apparent without too much digging.
Beware of a couple of things though…
Firstly, avoid what are colloquially known as ‘Photoshop Jockeys’, the kind of ‘designer’ that thinks that because they are a good mechanic that they could be a racing driver. They generally have good software skills, but not much in the way of ability to apply them creatively to express a bigger picture (YOUR bigger picture remember). They usually have the attitude of ‘one size fits all’ and you are very unlikely to end up with anything unique, and you’ll probably find that it is not as flexible in production as you’d like.
Secondly, steer clear of the ‘Mystic Designer’ – that’s the one who tries to impress you by making it all sound very complicated. These people will only serve to keep you OUT of the loop,, not a good place to be when you’re paying for a result that you will have to live and work with for some considerable time. Design is, in principle, very simple – it may be hard to get right, but the process is easy to explain and understand to the layman.
Always ask to see a folio of recent work – you may not see an example of exactly what you need, but you will be able to ascertain the competence of the design studio in achieving the aims of the other clients it has serviced.
Make a few mental notes of the other clients, and contact them – a recommendation is by far the best way to sort the wheat from the chaff, but be careful that you still choose the right firm for the job.
If you’re in any doubt, the question to ask is: “How will what you do help my business to achieve its aims?” If you get lots of ums and ahs, then you’re better off looking somewhere else.
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Is design expensive?
This is a case of ‘how long is a piece of string’. Not helpful I know, but there it is. On a job by job basis, a designer can spend as little or as much time as you can afford on a project.
Now, in order to manage this, you as a client must first determine your budget. It may be helpful to get a few quotes from design studios to help you do this, but be sure that each studio is quoting on exactly the same brief, otherwise you’ll be comparing apples with oranges.
Typically, a good design studio will be charging anywhere from fifty pounds per hour upwards. The studio will give an estimate or a fixed cost, based on the time needed to do a job in their experience, so it is important too that you give them as much detail as possible as the start, so there will be no nasty surprises later on.
As with everything, cost is relative. For example: a studio charging £70 per hour could spend 8 hours creating you a marketing leaflet, charging you £560; the cost of printing may only be £100 for a few thousand (depending on spec of course). Now compare this with the costs for a large, multi-paged brochure: the design cost may well run into the thousands, but the print cost could be ten or twenty thousand pounds. It’s worth paying for expertise, as the stakes are high and a badly prepared job could be very costly when it prints badly.
Beware of printers, or some studios, that will offer to design (or artwork!) free. Those who do either do not value design as a tool for developing your business, or are more concerned with making money out of you by printing your job. Print costs do not depend on the quality of design, so be cautious of this approach.
The rule of thumb is to pay as much as you can afford for design from a reputable studio that can offer experience of the kind of thing that you need. Don’t go for the cheap option unless you are prepared to pick up the pieces yourself if things go wrong. Remember that an experienced designer will be able to do a lot more in an hour than you might imagine!
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How do I get something commercially printed?
There are two ways you can do this. Either go to a printer direct, or have your design company to do it for you.
Either way, you’ll need someone to create artwork that is ready-to-print. This is not the same as having a job designed. Once you are happy with design visuals supplied by your designer, you will need to have artwork made that the commercial printer can deal with. Considerations including colour, scope (number of pages), size and shape can all affect the cost and final quality of a print job.
If in doubt, ask the printer for a spec sheet – this will tell you everything you need to know about what the printer expects to receive from you in the way of artwork. Design companies, on the whole, are used to seeing this kind of information, and can tailor a design job to get the best from your budget and print method.
Sometimes a commercial printer will offer to do the creative work for you. This may be in-house, or they may have links with one or more design studios. Be careful to choose the right designer for the job.
Commercial printers invest huge amounts in presses and other machinery (printing press costs commonly run into the millions of pounds), so to make money, they have to print stuff. It’s common sense really, but stop to think about it, it doesn’t matter WHAT they are printing, so long as the press is running they make money – this should ring alarm bells if what you actually want is great design.
Rule of thumb: if you want bread, go to a baker, if you want print, go to a printer, if you want design, go to… er, you get the message.