Tag Archives: Tips for Clients

How to work with a graphic design firm

How to Work with a Graphic Design Firm

Good design requires successful teamwork between the designer and the client. Working with a graphic design firm starts with providing solid input at the beginning of a new project. Preparation is key. The project you entrust to a design firm is going to represent your company, so it’s important to give them as much information as possible up front. Here are some things you can do to make the design process easier and more productive for both you and your design firm.

Purpose: Let your design firm know what you are trying to accomplish.

  • Who are you are you trying to reach? And what do you need to tell them?
  • Is there a call-to-action? Do you want your audience to do something specific after seeing the piece?
  • How will the design be used? Is the piece for web? Print? Or both? Is it something used in person? By mail, etc.?
  • Is there a specific or targeted deadline for completion?

Message: One of the most important elements of graphic design is getting the message right and delivering it in the right tone.

What are your company’s values, attitude, purpose and personality?

Look and feel: How do you want your company to be perceived?

    • Provide descriptions such as, “conservative”, “clean”, “elegant”, “innovative”, etc”. These offer clues about the tone you want from a look-and-feel perspective.
    • Provide examples. A picture is worth a thousand words. Find websites or materials that you think are similar to the look and feel you’d like to achieve with your project. And describe why you like them (“I like the dynamic look of this”; “I like these colors”; “I like how clean and professional this feels”).

Budget: If you have a set budget, let your designer know.

Costs will vary depending on what you want. Like building a custom home, the more complex the project, the higher the price. A total re-branding is going to cost more than a single logo or package design. Discuss the final deliverables and your budget constraints with your design firm so they can offer recommendations based on your budget and provide you with an accurate cost estimate.

Deadlines: Keep deadlines in mind.

Provide your targeted deadline for completion at the start of the project. A design project has many steps and requires some back-and-forth between the design firm and the client before completion. Once the project is underway, be sure you meet your own deadlines. Provide content and feedback promptly. If multiple people in your company need to review the work, provide collective feedback from your team. This will help keep your project on time and on budget.

Keeping each of these points in mind as you begin a project will help ensure a smooth process and an on-target solution from your design team.

Protecting your brand: Trademark or registered trademark

Trademark vs registered trademark: What’s the difference?

We develop logos, taglines and brand standards for our clients. Along the way, we’ve occasionally been asked about trademarks and the difference between trademark symbols. Here’s a brief overview.

Trademarks protect brand names and logos.

The registered trademark symbol ® signifies that a brand name or logo is a trademark or service mark that has been officially registered with the federal trademark office.

The most important thing to know is that you can not use the registered trademark symbol ® until you have officially registered with the trademark office.

The logo that we created for Waste Management, below, uses the registered trademark symbol.

WM Service Anniversary Greeting

Alternatively you can use the trademark (TM) symbol. The TM symbol can be used whenever you wish to claim a trademark for your brand name or logo without officially registering with the trademark office.

The logo we created for TakeawayTee Foundation, below, uses the TM symbol.

TakeawayTee Foundation

You can find further information and a more detailed explanation from the US Patent & Trademark Office here: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics

One last point: Don’t confuse copyrights with trademarks. The copyright symbol © is not the same as a trademark. The copyright symbol is intended to protect original works (artistic work, literary work, songs, movies, etc). The US Patent & Trademark Office explains it well: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics/trademark-patent-or-copyright

How to choose a graphic design firm

How to Choose a Design Firm

Whether it’s from television, the internet, or printed materials, consumers are exposed to hundreds of companies every day. If you want to stand out, simply having a logo isn’t enough. Consumers are attracted to eye-catching, message-sending, innovative brands. And that’s where good graphic design can help transform your company’s product, message, and mantra into one cohesive visual design that really makes an impression.

Many clients have difficulty choosing a graphic designer, mostly because they aren’t quite sure what to look for. Here are some points you should consider when looking for and choosing a graphic design firm:

A great portfolio.

Obviously you want to choose a firm that will help you look your best, so start by looking at a firm’s portfolio. Pay particular attention to any descriptions that accompany their projects. A project may look good, but each has to fit specific project requirements to be an effective communication tool. You will want to choose a firm whose style of design matches the style you need to best represent your brand and reach your target audience.

Look for experience that relates to your project.

You don’t necessarily need to find a designer who has experience in your exact industry, but make sure the design company has experience in the medium that you plan to use – whether that is printed brochures, websites, presentations, trade show booth graphics, or multimedia. Or whether they have solved specific design challenges similar to yours. You want to find a design company that has the insight needed to understand your purpose and your content, and has the ability to effectively communicate both to your audience.

Meet them.

These days it is very common to do everything via text and email. Yet, if you can meet with potential designers, you can get a feeling for whether they really understand what you’re looking for. If you can’t meet in person, try for a phone or video-based meeting. If they can hear you explain what you’re looking for and you hear them explain the way they see it working out, you might come to a meeting of the minds much quicker.

Think Long-Term.

Good design requires both a good designer and a good client. Choosing a design company that takes the time to understand what you want and how you want to convey it is the basis for the best designer-client relationships. These long-term engagements help develop a clear understanding of branding and execution. If you and your designer are comfortable together, you will receive better results.

By keeping these things in mind during your search, you will be much more likely to find a graphic design firm that meets your visual communication needs.