Issue #13
December 01, 2005

Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.

IN THIS ISSUE:
  • 8 Stress-Free Steps for Handling Any Graphic Design Assignment, by Kristin Schwarz
  • Quick Tip: Free Publicity, by Mike Klassen
  • The IFD Mailbag
8 Stress-Free Steps for Handling Any Graphic Design Assignment
By Kristin Schwarz

Whether you're working on one of the assignments for the Graphic Design Success program or have landed a paid job for a direct-mail package, getting started – and staying on track – can feel like a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips to help you overcome the “getting started” obstacle, get yourself in gear, and make sure you meet your deadline:

1. Communicate with your client and, if possible, the copywriter.

Good communication is the key to getting your design almost perfect on the first or second try. Always be prepared to have the client make changes when he sees it “in the flesh.” But you can minimize those changes by talking to him and to the copywriter at the very beginning of the project and throughout your design process. If you're not sure about the direction you're going in, don't guess. Ask if you've got it right. You'll not only save time (for yourself and everybody else), you will also be establishing your reputation as a pro … because pros are never afraid to ask.

For example, when design pro Lori Haller begins working on a magalog, she sends a few rough sketches to the client to make sure she is on the right track. Only when the client agrees on the main concept does she get to work out the details (researching the right photo, font etc.).

2. Read the copy first!

This may sound obvious, but even professional designers sometimes make the mistake of not reading the copy. And, as you well know, you need to understand the copy and the product to design a successful package.

3. Dig into your swipe files.

Let's say the product you're working with is a weight-loss pill. To get some ideas on how to design the package – including color schemes, images, and headline fonts – look at samples in your files that deal with related subjects, such as health, fitness, and vitamin supplements.

4. Do your research.

Master designer Lori Haller uses a “word bank” to get her creative juices flowing. To do this, first you have to research the audience that the package is targeting and understand the emotions the copy is trying to evoke. Is your product being sold to a man? If so, ask male relatives and friends for their input. What would persuade them to buy it? Then you have to research the competition – products on the market that are similar to yours.

Write down words that come to mind while you do this research – in terms of feelings, colors, smells, etc. – to create a word bank for the project. You will be amazed by how helpful this will be to jumpstart design ideas.

5. Do some rough structuring.

Once you have some general ideas about the colors, images, and other elements you want to include in your design, start structuring the copy. Highlight all headlines and subheads and set them in a bigger font size to distinguish them from the body copy. This will give shape to the copy blocks and will make the project look more manageable. If you see that you have long blocks of copy without any visual “breaks,” you might want to ask your client or the copywriter to add some subheads to make it easier to read.

6. Next, select your fonts.

Set up “styles” in your layout program for body copy, headline fonts, subheads, and so on. This may seem like extra work, but you'll find that, in the long run, it will be a great time saver. It will also help you make sure that the styles you use for the project are consistent throughout.

7. Fine-tune the structure.

Insert your design elements – images, pictures, charts, etc. Some designers prefer to do this earlier in the process, but I find that when you do it that way there's a tendency to "over-design" and clutter up the page.

The point of direct-mail design is to make the copy easy to read – not to make it “pretty.” By adding design elements late in the process, you can make sure you use them the way they are meant to be used: to guide the eye.

8. Give it the finishing touches.

Once you have your design down, print out a copy, hold it at arm's length, and squint at it. Does it still look good even if you can't read the words? Or is it out of balance ... not quite right? Before you consider it to be ready for your client's eyes, give it a few more finishing touches. Run it through spell-check. Eliminate any orphans and widows. Make sure you did not accidentally cut off any text. Then read it one more time to make sure the text flows easily and your design guides the eye through it.

Every seasoned graphic designer has a slightly different system that they swear by. This is the one that works for me and many of the designers I know. Give it a try!

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QUICK TIP: Free Publicity
By Mike Klassen

I love free publicity. Here are two of the easiest ways I've found to expose my business to people I wouldn't otherwise meet.

1. Submit articles to “article banks.”

Article bank sites allow you to upload an article on virtually any topic. From there, anyone can use the article. The catch is that the users of your article must include whatever attribution information you provide. For example, my articles end with “Mike Klassen operates Klassen Communications, a direct mail/response layout and graphic design company. Visit: http://www.mikeklassen.com/.” An article I submitted to two sites is now on at least 30 sites ... and counting. To find article submission sites, search Google for “article banks.”

2. Write a press release.

Something about your business is worthy of a press release. In the “old days,” before the Internet, you were at the mercy of the media when it came to getting a press release picked up and used. With the Internet, sites such as PRWeb (http://www.prweb.com/) allow you to submit a release that can be picked up around the world.

A press release I wrote promoting a Photoshop session that I presented at AWAI's Graphic Design Bootcamp this year was accessed over 13,000 times in just 5 days. Now I can find that press release linked on various direct-mail and Photoshop related sites.

A little creativity can translate into free publicity that works for you 24 hours a day.

FROM THE IFD MAILBAG ...
by Kristin Schwarz

Hans wrote in to share an index of graphic design terms that he developed. Here's what he said ...

Dear Kristin,

Attached please find an index of graphic design terms that I created while working with Graphic Design Success. I have found it immensely helpful and I thought it might also be useful to other new designers.

If you like it, perhaps it could be added to future copies of Graphic Design Success. Please feel free to use it any way you see fit.

Sincerely,
Hans

Dear Hans,

Thank you so much for sending us the index. What a great tool! We will definitely want to add this to a future reprint of the program. And to share it with your fellow members right now, we are providing this link so they can download it: www.thedesignerslife.com/resources/

Don't forget to check out the resources, links to free tutorials, tips & tools at our website at www.thedesignerslife.com.

And here's a question from Jan ...

In The Golden Thread dated 11/7, the Who's Mailing What website was given as a place for copywriters to go to find out where to market their copywriting services. Is there anything like this for graphic designers?

Thanks!
Jan

Dear Jan,

The “Who's Mailing What” website www.whosmailingwhat.com is a valuable research tool for both copywriters and graphic designers. First of all, you find out what is being mailed, including the specs (size, colors, format, etc.). Plus, it keeps you up to date on what's hot in the industry. If, for example, you notice an increase in a particular type of mail format, that is usually a sign that the format is very successful. The site is also a good source of potential clients, because companies that are mailing are not only in need of copywriters but also direct-mail graphic designers.

* * *

Finally, I would like to share something with you that has proven to be a real time saver. During Bootcamp, Roger C. Parker encouraged attendees to become masters of efficiency by learning (amongst other things) keyboard shortcuts. One of my favorites is the QUICK ZOOM for quickly zooming in Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and InDesign. To zoom within your document window, press Command–+ [plus sign] [PC: Control–+] to zoom in ... or, to zoom out, press Command–- [minus sign] [PC: Control–-].

This is it from me for today! Have a productive couple of weeks!

Kristin

[Ed. Note: If you have a question or comment for Kristin, please send it to:
insidefreelancedesign@awaionline.com, Attn: Kristin Schwarz.]

EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities for AWAI Students
  • GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Learning Express, Inc., a well-established toy company, needs a graphic designer to join their marketing group. You'll work as part of a team to create advertisements. You should have good problem solving skills and be good under deadline in a fast-paced work environment. You'll need to know PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Quark. Knowledge of Dreamweaver and web design is a plus. Send your resume to Dan Youmell at dan@learningexpress.com.
  • GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Bioness, Inc., a developer of technology and therapies for physical medicine, seeks an experienced graphic designer to join their team in Valencia, California. You'll create designs for brochures, advertisements, direct mail and more. You'll also design for the web and email campaigns. You should know Quark, Illustrator, PhotoShop, InDesign, and Acrobat. Send your resume to Pat Jacobs at pat.jacobs@bionessinc.com.
  • GRAPHIC DESIGNER - The March of Dimes needs an experienced graphic designer to manage design projects from print through to production. You must understand all stages of design including pre press and production processes. You must know Quark, Illustrator, PhotoShop, and InDesign. Send you resume to recruiter@marchofdimes.com.
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
  • Master Designer Roger C. Parker Tells How to Put Your Prospect in the Mood to Buy
  • Quick Tip: Competent, Fast, and Inexpensive Online Printing Resources
* ABOUT INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN *

Inside Freelance Design is a FREE bi-weekly newsletter from American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.

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