One of the ways I do that is by subscribing to a myriad of podcasts. One particular podcast I subscribe to is “This Week In Photography”, which is hosted by a rotating panel of professional photographers that talk about photography news, tips, techniques, questions, etc. They also interview other photographers.

It was in one of these interviews, with David DuChemin–co-founder of the site Craft & Vision–that a revelation was shared.

He mentioned that a good friend of his, would meet with him weekly and they would present ideas to each other, or help each other out with various tasks that they were good at and the other perhaps wasn’t. These weekly dinners/meetings developed into a working relationship that his friend is now his Manager.

He manages his schedule, his purchasing, his billing, his everything. This allowed Paul to sell most of his possession, load stuff up in a large jeep (with a tent on top) and go exploring the country and take amazing photographs. He’s able to do this, knowing that everything else is taken care of “back at the office”. He is able to just focus on creating and being creative.

As a creative person, it takes a certain environment to get into that creative mindset, to turn out amazing work. Stopping to answer phone calls, or check email, or write up an invoice, can break that creative concentration, and it can be hard to get back into. (If you have watched me on Justin.tv, you have seen that I can get easily distracted.)

So to know that someone else “has your back” can be a freeing experience to allow a person to just focus on creating!

I took that revelation back to my wife and shared with her how she has been helping me do this lately (handling my scheduling while I am asleep during the day and unreachable, going with me to client meetings to take notes or ask questions I forget, etc.).

I then proposed the idea to her for it to become official. For her to be my Manager and to handle the business side of things for me, so that I can create amazing works for my clients.

So, without further ado, it gives me great joy to introduce my wife, Amy Jones, as our new Manager at BJPDS.

Some of Amy’s responsibilities will include (and how this affects you as my client):

• Scheduling — scheduling my time for any photo shoots, client meetings, design work, “creative time”, etc.
• Client Meetings — attend client meetings to make sure that we get all the information we need for the project.
• Client Services — be the main point of contact for clients. Setting up meetings, answering questions, getting feedback/changes on proofs, etc.
• Invoicing — work with me on invoicing/billing.
• Marketing — help come up with fantastic marketing ideas for BJPDS, as well as spectacular deals for clients!
• Tweeting/Blogging/Facebooking — Eventually, Amy may even appear on our blog with helpful posts for our clients, tweet out specials, etc. and help us be more “visible” online.

With this change, please make sure to send all business related emails to our official design email at bjpds.com., or use the contact form below. This will ensure that Amy has access to all incoming emails and can answer emails sooner than I can. (No more waiting 24 hours for an answer!).

I am excited for Amy to join my team (well, she’s always been on my team…). I was fortunate enough years ago to be able to work with my wife at the same company, and I am excited to be able to do it again.

Please help me welcome Amy to our team!

Andy, Sarah and Mandi at an on location photography photo shoot 2011 in Minnesota

I had so much fun with Sarah, Andy and Mandi at the Clifton E. French Regional Park. They were such a joy to work with and such an beautiful family…not to mention so much fun!

So, from now until August 31st…(yep…all summer long). You get double the design for your money! That’s 1/2 off your design total*!

If your design total comes to $100 at the end of the project, you only pay $50!

*As with any design work, a consultation is required to go over the scope of the project and a design proposal/estimate will be created. 50% off will be applied to your project total at the END of the project–so if your project ends up requiring more design time than the proposal, you still only pay 50%!

Brand Guidelines help companies educate their employees on their brands. Brand guidelines are an integral part for any company. No matter how large or how small a company is, brand guidelines should be created and implemented.

Brand guidelines are not just for marketing reasons either, but also to remind the company and its employees the company’s mission and goals as well as the usage of its logo, tag line, colors and even communication language.

That can sound very confining and a lot of employees can feel a sense of anxiety when the mention of a “guideline” is brought up, but it can actually help employees in creating solid branding collateral that effectively conveys the company’s message and image.

What exactly is a Brand Guideline?

A Brand Guideline is a document that outlines exactly what a brand is, what the mission and vision statements are, any company goals and all the proper usage of logos, taglines, graphics elements, colors, even sample layout guides.

Sample content could include:

• Statements
  • Mission Statement - What the heart of the company is
  • Vision Statement - Where the company sees itself going
  • Goals - Any goals to get themselves to the vision they have planned (these can change as time goes on)
• Usage
  • Logo - The “do’s” and “don’ts” of how to use the logo
  • Color — What the company colors are and how they should be used
  • Type - What the fonts are that the company chose and when you would use each font
  • Graphics - If there is any graphical elements created for the company (e.g. mascots, border images, photographs, etc.) you would detail how they should be used
• Communication Language
  • Writing Style - Should your communications always be upbeat? Should they have a more serious tone? What style of writing will appeal to your main demographic?
  • Jargon - Should your company use any technical jargon? Is it used in your industry? Does your clientele understand this jargon, or is it only used on a corporate level?
  • Content Format - Should items always be grouped in specific formats or segments? Should writing be concise? Should their be a hierarchy?
• Collateral Components
  • Layouts - Do you already have a design layout structure for your collateral (e.g. business cards, brochures, fliers, letterhead, etc.) then layout the main elements and their dimensions for ease of recreation.
  • Packaging or Misc. Elements - Do you use marketing gimmicks like CDs, Pens, gift-able Flash Drives? How should your logo or information be implemented on those?

This is just a smattering of what could be in a brand guideline. Bert Jones Portrait & Design Studio can work with you to build a cohesive brand guideline. Whether your creating a new brand or need to solidify an existing one, we’re here to help.

One that really gets me the most is web sites.

They are so easy to make and get setup, that so many people who are not trained designers are doing them to save money. Which is great, (I completely understand needing to save some cash!), but at the same time, people need to take the time to research to make sure that their web site is going to work for them, and be effective at its goal.

In the spirit of education, I have scoured and found some tips to help people create an effective site (of course, BJPDS can help you with your web site too!)

Keep your site clean and clutter-free!

This is a big one for me, and its one that took me a while to understand and except.

Just like when talking to a prospect, people have a tendency to do what I like to call, “Spew and Pray”. A salesperson Spews all the information they know about the product or service at the prospect their talking to, and then pray the prospect buys the product.

The same thing can happen on a web page.

A person can have so much information they want to convey on the website, that they put it all out there and its just too overwhelming to a potential prospect. They don’t know where to start and its just too much to take in.

Alternatively, a person can have lots of graphics, buttons, or widgets they want to use, that it can also make the web site seem cluttered and crowded and can break up the flow of your content or distract the potential client…which comes to my next point…

Direct your viewer’s eyes on the site and make them DO something.

Traditionally with print materials, like books or brochures, our society has been bred to read from top to bottom, left to right. The same holds true to websites, except that since a website can be fluid and have links to other pages, eyes will drift and wander. Having other widgets or items on a page can make them move from the important information to non-important information.

Each page on your site should have a starting point. This point should be very noticeable and eye catching to get their attention. The content should flow underneath that. Take a look at this site. Notice the large words FRESH. It directs your eyes to it first.

The content should then link to all important areas you want them to view. Look at this site (click on any location). Notice how the graphic grabs your attention, then the navigation is underneath it. They direct your eyes where they want you to go.

And finally, each page should have an action. Something you want the prospect to DO. Do you want them to contact you? Do you want them to fill out a form? Do you want them to click a link or take a survey or click the next page? Make sure that you have them doing something to get the results you want, whether it is reading more, or gathering their information.

Navigation that is clear and easy.

It’s important to have a navigation bar that is prominent and easy, with not too many links, but enough to hold all your content pages. If you look above at my site navigation, you can see that it only has a few main options, that drop down to specific areas. Its clean and not cluttered.

Making sure that your navigation is sectioned by Main categories and then subcategories, helps viewers find information quicker.

Alternatively, making sure your site’s content and design is in an organized fashion that follows your navigation is important too. Using the grid system in your design helps to keep things organized and un-cluttered.

“Above the fold”.

Above the fold is a print term that has been adapted for the web industry. This term refers the portions of a webpage that can be visible without scrolling. Keeping important information or action items, “above the fold” help the prospect get to the nitty gritty first, and then have the option to read the supplemental information if they want.

Follow your brand.

If you’ve invested a lot of time in your brand, make sure that it stays consistent across not only your website, but your entire media collateral. Its what makes you instantly recognizable with your clients before they even read the content. Look at popular brand names like Nike, or stores like Best Buy. You can tell a brochure or product or service is from them, before you even really see their name, simply from the colors they use and/or their logo.

If you don’t have a brand, invest in one! It can be an important aspect of your marketing plan and a way to help keep your web site from growing out of control. (BJPDS can help you come up with a comprehensive brand identity package).

Proof your content.

Make sure that you proof your content. Spelling errors can seem unprofessional and make a prospect question your authority over a particular product or service.

Proofing your content can also help you to “trim the fat”. Take a step back and read it as if you’re a prospect and have never seen the content before. What works? What strikes a chord? What seems excesive or too much information, or perhaps complicated to understand?

Giving your content a once– or even a twice-over can really help you make your content shine!

But what makes a good designer? What traits should they have? Do they need to be creative? Do they need to have technical ability?

Most successful designers would agree that to be a good designer and be successful, a designer should have a few common traits like creativity and technical ability; and a few not so common like discipline, flexibility and patience.

Graphic designers should first, and foremost, have some sort of creativity.

The ability to take client’s text, colors and maybe a photo or two and create a piece that not only informs, but perhaps entertains or draws in an audience is crucial to being a successful designer.

Anyone could throw these elements together. But a good designer knows which colors will affect the reader, how different sized elements can create a spacial plane and draw in their audience and get their attention.

A designer should have some ability to sketch. Sketching out thumbnails quickly can be crucial during the brainstorming process to quickly get their ideas out of their head and in a visible form.

Some designers go straight to their design programs to start brainstorming, but they can get caught up in the technical side of the “how to” in creating a piece and loose the “what if” during brainstorming, where anything goes. This will also help the designer quickly see which designs will and will not work. A designer should sketch until the “storm” has run dry.

Technical ability.

With so much technology at their disposal, they need to know how to use it effectively. Hen-pecking at a keyboard and clicking on a mouse will only get them so far, they need to know how the program works, how they can manipulate it’s abilities to get the result they need.

Beyond technology, they should now the technical side of graphic design itself. How light, colors, text and placement can have a positive or negative affect on a reader.

Passion and discipline.

A designer should also have passion for the work they do and the pieces they create. If they don’t enjoy what they do, they won’t create good design and their clients won’t be pleased with the design they have been given. Passion will drive a designer to strive for success and passion will help them create the best piece for their clients.

Along with passion a good designer should be disciplined. They should constantly educate themselves on the latest design, striving for knowledge and keeping abreast of the latest technology available. But most of all, they should be disciplined to stick with their design process, even if it takes long hours and to know when their piece is complete, instead of constantly making changes or over-designing the piece.

Patience and attentiveness.

A good designer should have patience and attentiveness. A designer should listen and listen well.

Understanding their clients needs and asking questions that will draw out as much information from their clients is crucial in making sure the designer has the proper knowledge and information to move ahead in the design process. This will ensure that they create the best piece for their client. This will also help them with another trait, being flexible.

Flexibility.

At any time a client could completely change their mind, which could mean that the designer needs to start over. The designer also needs to be flexible with their self. At any moment, even after the initial brainstorming session, a new thought could emerge which could take the design in a whole different direction. This could mean a better design in the long run, but it’s up to the designer to be flexible enough to take the chance.

These common traits are just a start. There are many more traits that a designer could have to help them be successful. No two people are a like and not every designer is going to have every one of these traits, but it would be worth their time and effort to develop these traits, and to learn how to use them.

To begin, you will need the following tools: a desktop publishing program, content for your brochure, and a printer for output. Other tools may be needed depending on what other items are needed in the brochure, such as possible photos.

The first item you must address is content. You need to determine what this brochure will do. Will it be a sales brochure, selling a service? Will it be a product brochure, informing customers about a certain product or products for sale? Will it be informational, contain information about an organization, a candidate running for city office, or information about the benefits of washing vegetables before consuming them?

Whatever information your brochure will contain, you need to make sure that you have all relevant information for it ready, spell checked and accurate. Be careful that you do not give too much information; otherwise your audience will not want to read the brochure. You want to give them enough information to have an understanding of the content, but you also want them to contact you for more information.

You also need to make sure you understand your audience. Who is this brochure for or trying to reach? Designing a brochure for a senior citizen retirement home, but using slang and design elements for teenagers won’t bring you the expected results. You need to make sure that your design will fit the audience it is trying to reach.

Once you have those pieces of information ready, you can start to plan the design of your brochure. You will need to determine budget, page size, color, typeface, use of photos, and organization of your text. Let’s look at these individually.

How much money have you allocated for the design and printing of your brochure? Will you create it in-house, or hire a design agency to create one for you? Will you have it printed in-house or through a print-house? How many will you print? Look back at your audience to help determine how many to print. For instance, if you’re making this to pass out at a trade show, and you know that roughly 5,000 people will be there, you will want to have 5,000 or more copies.

Page size is important. You need to make sure that you have enough ‘real estate’ for your content. Will this be a tri-fold brochure, utilizing a standard letter size piece of paper? Do you have a bit more information than what will fit on a letter-sized piece, and require a four-panel brochure on a legal-size piece of paper?

Colors play a huge role in what people will remember. Will your brochure be in color? Will you save money and print in black and white? Depending on your content, it may be more beneficial to have it in color. If you are making this brochure to sell a product, or to sell a home, you may wish to have it in color to accurately show the product or inside of the home. Also keep in mind on how you will have it printed. If you are saving money and utilizing a press, make sure you know how many inks you are using. If you are only going with two spot colors, then you need to make sure you don’t use more colors than that

Next, you will want to determine the typeface(s) to use. Again, look back at your audience. If you are creating a piece for senior citizens, a clear large typeface should be used. If you’re creating something for youths, a fun typeface for subheads may need to be used. Always remember that your vital information should be in a clear, legible typeface.

Will your brochure have photos? Are photos even available for the content of the brochure? Do you need to hire a photographer to take still-shots of your product? If you are going to use photos, make sure they are crisp, clear and relate to your information. Having a good design, with clear content and pixilated photos can put all your effort to waste.

Lastly, you will need to determine how to organize your content. What should go on the cover? What about the back cover? What about the inside of the brochure? Each item should be looked at on how the brochure will fold and be opened. Organize your content so that it reads like a book, from front to back.

Brochures can be confusing to create because they typically have two panels that open out. A helpful tip, take a piece of paper and fold it to the final size of your brochure. Write on each panel the headers or subheads of information. By doing this, you can then see how the brochure will appear to the audience. If it doesn’t quite make sense to you, move items around. This also saves you design time, as you will have a good idea on where to place everything on the page.

There are some things to keep in mind when you design your front and back cover panels. The cover should always have the title of the information within, perhaps the company name, slogan, logo and an image. The back cover should have the contact information, and if it will be mailed out to your audience, space for addresses and postage. Remember that the Postal office has standards for mailing, so make sure your back panel is up to their standards.

Once you have your content in place, your headers set, your photos all placed and sized correctly, you have done a final spell check and everything is all set to go, then you are ready to have it printed. Make sure that you have your brochure set to your printer’s specifications. You should always talk with your printer (if using a print house) during the initial setup stages of your brochure, so that you know how they will need the file for printing.

Pulling all those items together can be challenging. But the final piece will give you the results you need, leave you feeling good that you have a solid piece of information to hand out and will inform your audience of the information you need them to know.

With today’s technology of laser printers, digital presses and high-definition screens, audiences expect everything they see to be crisp and clean. Making that happen from one media to the next can be a challenge for any designer. In terms of resolution, printing has a vast scale of resolution to utilize for any piece that is created; from 150 dpi, dots per inch, to 4800 dpi, the range is vast. While the same piece displayed on a monitor can only eek out about 72 dots per inch. The difference in resolution is noticeable, creating something for both media can take skill and knowledge of how a printer and a monitor work.

Typography is another factor worth mentioning. In the printing industry, millions of fonts are available to choose from. From Serif and San Serif to cursive or fun, a designer can choose any font to compliment their design and bring the required message to their audience. On a monitor a designer is limited to only a handle of fonts that are typically standard on all computers. This limitations ensures that the type will be read and maintain roughly the same size and shape from computer to computer. Although this limitation can be helpful to make sure that the audience sees the same thing, no matter what browser they are using or what machine they are on, this doesn’t help the designer in choosing a font that will more aptly fit the message of the piece.

Another challenge to any designer is color, where typography is limiting in its choices, so is color. In the printing industry a designer has access to millions of colors, only limited by what inks the print house can create. On a monitor, a designer is typically restricted to roughly 256 colors that are deemed ‘web safe’. Web safe means that the color can accurately be displayed in the RGB (red, green, blue) color space. Whereas a printing press with its CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) color space can display those millions of ‘print ready’ colors. Since CMYK and RGB are different color space and work differently, RGB uses additive light to show the color and CMYK uses subtractive light, they will not produce the same color accurately.

One major difference that is typically overlooked between print and web design is its audience and location. With print design a designer is designing a piece for a specific audience and location. Questions like, “Who is it for?” and “Where will it function?” are cornerstones of the design. The designer and their client get to choose who and where. With web design, a designer still asks those same questions, but doesn’t necessarily get to limit the “who” and the “where”. With the World Wide Web so vast, anyone in any place can see the design. Individual groups of people, that perhaps the design was not create for, can view it. The designer and client have no control, or very little, over this problem.

With design being placed on the World Wide Web and media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, interactivity is also becoming a difference between print and web. With a printed piece, there is not much interactivity between the piece and the viewer. They read it, they absorb the information, they move on. With multimedia designs, such as a DVD or web page, the viewer can click links to learn more about a particular part of the piece, to view a movie, to read background information, or to learn more about the client. Any number of items can be included that couldn’t be included in a printed piece.

In conclusion, both design types are valid options for any company and designer to pursue in reaching an audience with their information. The important thing to remember is to ensure that the designer and client research all the options available, specifically look at each difference (like the ones mentioned above) and ensure that the final decision they make, is the correct one for the message they are trying to get out to the masses. Without proper planning, research and sound decisions made, any message could easily get lost or reach an unintended audience.