Inside Freelance Design

Issue #21
March 23, 2006

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:

• How to Turn Out More Projects Faster ... and Always Meet Deadlines
• Quick Tip: Using Shadows to Make Your Design Stand Out
• The IFD Mailbag
• EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

How to Turn Out More Projects Faster ... and Always Meet Deadlines
By Kammy Thurman

As a graphic designer, one of your most precious commodities is time. After all, you only have so many hours a day to work, and you can only take on so many projects.

But there is a way to maximize the number of projects you can handle with the time you have – and that is by creating a production schedule that will turn you into a lean, mean, design machine.

One of the first things to tackle is helping your clients understand that the biggest cost of producing a promo is not in hiring you, or in the postage or printing. It's time. When you can win their support in keeping your own time to a minimum, it saves them time ... and money.

Here are 4 key strategies to use in making your production schedule. They will help you and your clients use time as efficiently as possible.

1. Work with only one point person in a company. Trying to design by committee is a major time stealer. If a design needs to be reviewed by several members of the team, have them funnel their comments through the point person. If you have questions, the point person is responsible for getting them answered by the right individual.

2. Use pre-written forms to streamline steps that are similar from project to project. For instance, instead of writing up a new list of questions to ask the client for each project, create a standardized questionnaire that you can tweak as needed. Also create a proofreading checklist to help you run through the proofreading step quicker.

3. Systematize your information vollection. As you work through a project, new ideas or information will invariably come your way. Set up separate files for each piece of the project. For example, a DM piece might have files for “letter,” “lift note,” “buck slip,” and “order form.” Keep all the ideas and other materials in these files. It's a good idea to organize your work this way using both physical and computer files.

4. Create a physical, written schedule in MS Word, Excel, or another spreadsheet program. The table will have five columns and 10 rows.

   The header will have these categories across the top: Task, Time Needed, Begin Date, Proof/Check Date, Final Deadline.

   In the “Task” column, list these items: Read Final Copy, Collect Information, Find/Create Graphics, Layout, Proofread, Review by Client, Camera-Ready Output, Approval by Client, Final Delivery to Printer.

   The columns under the other headings will be filled in with dates as you work backward from the final delivery date.

   Your schedule will look something like the one below. Please note, not all boxes will need an entry.

You start filling in the table with the Final Delivery to Printer date. Then, you fill in dates you have no control over (such as the date the client wants to see the project from you for his review and the date the copy will be delivered to you by the client or the copywriter).

Next, estimate the amount of time you'll need for each step, and fill in the rest of the table.

By the time you're finished, you'll have a step-by-step progression of the project. You'll know exactly what needs to be done – and when it needs to be done – to turn out more projects, faster, and always on deadline.

* * * * * * * * HIGHLY RECOMMENDED * * * * * * * *

3 Quick Tax Tips for Writers

1. Should You Incorporate?
Every situation is different but generally the costs and time involved with incorporating and maintaining a corporation will outweigh the tax benefits until you start earning more than $20,000 in net income a year.

2. Self-Employment Retirement Plans
As a copywriter, you are self-employed — and as a self-employed individual, you can set up your own retirement plan. The two most common (simplest) plans for a small business are a SIMPLE plan and a SEP plan. Because there are so many things to consider when deciding how to best set up your retirement strategy, you should seek professional advice.

3. Your Health-Insurance Deduction
As a self-employed freelance writer, you can deduct the cost of your health insurance from your gross income. This deduction is limited to the net income of your writing business. So if your net income was $1,000 for the year and your health insurance was $2,000, you could deduct $1,000 of the health insurance from your income. The remaining $1,000 could then be used as an itemized deduction for medical expenses.

[Editor's Note: As an independent contractor, you're your own boss. You call your own shots. But with that freedom come responsibilities -- quarterly taxes among them. To find out where you can save... what the IRS really needs to know... how to make the most of those deductions for travel, meals, entertainment, home office, and more click here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/tgte/]

QUICK TIP: Using Shadows to Make Your Design Stand Out

Let's say you have landed a big assignment and are now working on applying what you've learned in the AWAI GDS program. You want to use design elements that stand out and have "punch" to them.

So you add a starburst with the word “Free” next to the image of the free premium. And you choose a strong color like red or bright yellow for the starburst. If you add a shadow to the starburst, you'll increase its impact significantly. (But keep in mind that, generally, you do not want to add shadows to words. It decreases readability.)

Now ... instead of using the default shadow of your layout program – which is usually a shade of gray – use the color that is on the opposite side of the color wheel from the color of the object you are applying the shadow to. (You'll find a color wheel on page 366 of your program book.)

Let's say your starburst is red. Choose green as your shadow color. Since the shadow is just a percent of the green tint, your design won't look like Christmas (red & green). But the shadow will make the starburst stand out even more.

If your starburst is yellow, apply a violet shadow. Try these opposite color-wheel variations and see the difference!

* * * * * * * * Advertisement * * * * * * * *

Learn Copywriting And Increase Your Per-Project Fees Up To 50%

It's no secret that direct marketing copywriters earn higher-than-average salaries. By adding thisvaluable service to your graphic design business you can both increase your income AND make your writing services more marketable.

Learn more: http://www.thewriterslife.com/addcopywriting/

FROM THE IFD MAILBAG…
by Kristin Schwarz

Dear Kristin,

I am working on my 2nd assignment for Graphic Design Success. I've decided on a 2-color layout and have chosen Pantone 654 (dark blue) from my swatch book as the color for design elements such as bullets. How can I select this Pantone color to copy in my layout program?

Dear John,

You have not indicated which software you are using, so here are instructions for several popular programs.

Microsoft Publisher

Choose font color from the menu bar. Choose more colors and select the “Custom” tab. Change the color model to Pantone. Once you are in the Pantone model, you can choose any Pantone color.

Adobe InDesign

Go to “Swatches.” Open swatch library. Choose the Pantone library that you want to load. Select a color swatch from the library. This swatch will be saved with your swatches.

Or ...

On the Swatches palette, select the little arrow on the top. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose “New Color Swatch.” Select the color type as “Spot Color, and change the color mode to Pantone. The Pantone library will load, and you can select your color and add it to your swatches.

QuarkXPress

On the top menu, chose Style>Color>New. You can name the color by its Pantone number or call it e.g. “dark blue.” Change the Model to “Pantone.” You can type in the Pantone number or select from the list. The new color swatch will appear in your color palette.

Adobe PageMaker

On the color palette click the new swatch icon (on the bottom of palette) or click the little arrow on the top of the palette. A drop down menu will appear. Pick “New Color.” A window with color options will appear. Type in a name or the Pantone number. Make sure that you select “Spot Color” as color type. Then click on the libraries pull-down menu, and select Pantone. You can either type in the Pantone number or select the color from the library.

Our next letter addresses an issue that concerns many designers ... both starting out and experienced.

Dear Kristin,

I've come upon an issue that puzzles me. I understand that the designer is entrusted, along with the copywriter, to maximize the appeal of the product and the marketing effort. His primary expertise and focus should be on the “look & feel” of the marketing package.

As for picturing his “target reader,” the designer has only his subjective commonsense to rely on. If the instructions for Assignment #3 are any indication, then he would have to analyze and profile his “target reader” by himself, whether he knows how to make these judgments or not.

I don't believe marketers would feel comfortable about this. For this reason, I'd appreciate your explaining the real-world industry practice, so that we will be better prepared for what lies ahead.

Regards,
Anthony

Dear Anthony,

is no one “real-world industry practice” concerning the way clients work with direct-mail designers.

Sometimes, the designer receives very little information from the client. It's always a good idea to ask for samples of previous campaigns so you can see what has been done in the past and what can be improved.

As the designer, you should, of course, do some research on your own. You want to get a strong idea of what the prospect is like, what his hopes, fears, passions, and hates are. These are the basic emotions the copy must appeal to. And these are the emotions the design should appeal to as well.

For starters, check your swipe file for packages on the same type of product you're selling. Then research the competition on the Internet. If appropriate, go to “brick and mortar” stores with comparable products. Look through magazines and books that have something to do with the situation your product addresses. These steps will be tremendously to you in understanding your prospect..

The ideal scenario is that the copywriter and the designer work closely together on a project. Successful copywriters spend time getting to know the prospect. Because of this, they frequently have a very clear vision of how the package should look and feel.

The designer puts this vision on paper. He's the one who knows what is the best font for the body copy, what works well for the headline – and then applies all the rules of direct-mail design. Working closely together benefits both the copywriter and the designer, and the campaign becomes even stronger.

At AWAI, we encourage our copywriting members to find direct-mail designers to work with from among our GDS members. And we encourage our designers to make contact with AWAI copywriters. The AWAI forum (http://www.awaistudents.com/forums/) is a great place to meet and exchange ideas.
This is such an important topic – for both designers and copywriters – that we're running a full article on it by top designer Lori Haller and master copywriter Donna Doyle in our next issue of Inside Freelance Design. Learn how Lori and Donna maximize their success by working closely with other professionals!

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

• GRAPHIC DESIGNERS - Over 125 ads are currently posted on DirectResponseJobs.com by marketers looking to hire AWAI Graphic Design and Copywriting students. Search and apply today at: http://www.directresponsejobs.com/
• GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Marmi, a retailer of women's shoes, needs a graphic designer to join their team in Fenton, Missouri. You'll design magazine ads, direct mail, and other marketing materials. Designers with retail design experience will have an advantage. You'll need knowledge of Quark and the Adobe design suite. Send your resume and pdf work samples to Steve Marlette at steve.marlette@wolffshoe.com.
• GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Certified Vacations Group, a packaged vacation provider, seeks a graphic designer. You'll develop designs for brochures, ads, and other promotional and marketing materials. You must be skilled with standard desktop design programs. Send your resume to jobs@certifiedvacations.com.
• ENTRY LEVEL GRAPHIC DESIGNER - First American Title Insurance Company needs an entry level graphic designer to work in their Grandville, Mississippi office. You'll work with a team to design brochures, postcards, and more. You must know Corel Draw, Adobe Pagemaker, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Send your resume and salary requirements to hr.midwest@firstam.com. Include "Graphic Designer – MI" in the subject line of your email.

COMING NEXT ISSUE:

• Graphic Designers and Copywriters: Working Together for More Powerful Promotions
  (a special article by Lori Haller & Donna Doyle)
• Quick Tip: Finding an “Easter Egg” in InDesign

* 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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