A guide to graphic design & brand management

A guide to graphic design & brand management

A guide to graphic design & brand management Table of contents Introduction...1 What is Studio Blue?...2 What can Studio Blue do for you?...2 What exactly is graphic design?...3 The graphic design process...4 A typical print design project timeline...5 Logo and web design process...6 The design brief...7 Happy client happy designer: briefing tips...7 Supplying files...8 A logo is not a brand, so what is a brand?...9 Another way to assess the value of your brand...9 The framework of a successful brand... 10 Need more help?... 11

Introduction Our society relies on communication, and ever increasingly the success of a business requires the very best in visual communication. Studio Blue can assist you to achieve a visual communication result that surpasses your expectations and communication objectives. Successful graphic design solutions come from an effective working partnership between the creative team and you, our client. With your input, our creative expertise can provide innovative solutions to your communication challenges. This guide provides you with valuable tips on the graphic design process and how to brief a design project to Studio Blue the most important step in managing the design of your communication material. We also explain the Studio Blue creative process and how we derive our creative solutions. A successful briefing process will help you make the most of our creative and technical expertise in the most efficient and cost effective way. Let Studio Blue create the best possible design for your corporate communication......... Paul Lavings........ Creative Director 1

What is Studio Blue? Studio Blue is a boutique graphic design studio based in the upper Blue Mountains west of Sydney that offers visual communications solutions for print design, logo design, corporate identity, advertising, direct marketing and web design. We provide creative and dynamic visual communication solutions across all forms of media with a focus on exceptional brand solutions. The aim of Studio Blue is to enhance and grow the profile of our clients business profiles through innovative and targeted visual communication by ensuring that all the solutions are one hundred percent on message while building premium brands. The team has a diverse range of talents and skills with considerable industry experience and the highest possible design qualifications. The Studio Blue team has created design solutions across all forms of media, including print publishing, web, environmental and exhibition graphics, press and TV, direct marketing, advertising, promotional and special event campaigns. We can handle any creative challenge. What we design: Logos and brand identities Brochures Invitations Catalogues Stationery Direct mail packages Online web banners & graphics Multimedia presentations Newsletters Signage Exhibition graphics Booklets Manuals Posters Packaging Special event material Websites Broadcast graphics (TV & DVD) Annual reports Merchandise Banners Environmental graphics What Studio Blue can do for you Develop creative solutions for any communication challenge. Work in partnership with you to develop exceptional design solutions. Ensure your message is not only seen it s noticed and remembered. Assess the value of your current brand through a brand audit process and develop new brand strategies that reflect your organisations values and create a lasting impression on the minds eye of your target audience. Refine existing communication material to achieve the best results for your project. Develop material for your business or organisation that sits within the existing corporate style of your organisation ensuring brand integrity remains intact. Studio Blue can project manage your communication material from concept through to print production and completion. 2

So, what exactly is graphic design? Graphic design is a problem solving process, requiring substantial creativity, innovation and technical expertise. An understanding of the client s product or service and goals, their competitors and the target audience is translated into a visual solution. This visual solution is created by manipulating and combining shape, colour, imagery, typography and space. Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) 3

The graphic design process A good graphic design process is structured around ensuring that the client gets the highest quality solution and service appropriate to their business, marketing or communication problem. There are four major steps involved in graphic design: 1. Briefing 2. Design 3. Artwork 4. Production The briefing stage may consist of either or both of the following: Initial informal discussions between you, the client, and Studio Blue covering project objectives, timing and budget. Formal meetings to discuss your project in detail and clarify any technical issues including budget, timetable, brand considerations and corporate identity guidelines. Development The designer reviews the brief and background material to ensure we understand the project context and your requirements. The designer develops the draft concepts and preliminary designs and selects the most appropriate options for further development. Presentation The designer presents visual solutions and explains design decisions. The designer prepares the artwork files and provides a proof (email or hardcopy). You either approve the artwork by signing the proof, or mark-up changes you d like to make. A further proof is provided if required. Any author s corrections (client requested changes to content already provided which may include additional charges: see quote conditions provided with quote). The designer forwards the print ready digital artwork to the printer or production supplier. The designer views a proof and passes the proof on to the client for approval. If required, the designer conducts a press check of the printed sample while the job is running on the printing press. We work with you to evaluate the visual presentation against the brief..refinement Following your review and feedback, the designer amends the material as required and, if necessary, presents you with amended design/s. While the detail on these pages explains the steps involved in the graphic design process, Studio Blue will tailor its processes to suit your requirements. We will discuss the process that best meets your needs at the creative briefing stage. (Based on information supplied by AGDA) 4

A typical print design project timeline To provide an effective design solution, it s important to understand the role of both graphic designers and clients in the design process. The following information will provide you with a good general knowledge of this process. Actions Task You Us Design Request and Briefing Client contacts Studio Blue requesting initial meeting 1 week Design project scheduling and planning. Preliminary research Briefing meeting to establish and approve design brief....... Preparation 1 week Project planning & material requirements Send print specs to printer or other fabricators for quotes Organise other suppliers quotes (ie photographers, illustrators, etc) Supply all content material required to design studio....... Design Research & concept development 1-2 weeks Design development Concept & design presentation (first draft artwork) 1 week Feedback on first draft artwork Design refinement 1 week Final design presented Final artwork approved to send to print....... Production Artwork prepared for print Hand over to printer 2 weeks Printers proof check + approval Commence printing Press check.. Delivery to client 5.

Logo and web design process The process undertaken to create a new logo (and essentially brand) is slightly different to the process for print design projects. Below you will find some additional considerations that should be factored into the process. Logo design considerations: Planning and Preliminary Negotiations: Problem Definition (client) a) define the project. b) research the market. c) select the designer. d) negotiate the contract. e) establish the work schedule Pre-Visual Research and Analysis: Information Gathering (design studio) a) profile the client. b) collect existing materials. c) research subject. d) consult with client. e) edit research Visual Conception: Idea Finding (design studio) a) brainstorm for ideas. b) analyze text for meaning. c) create thumbnail studies. d) edit thumbnails Comprehensive Layouts and Presentation: Solution Finding (design studio) a) refine thumbnails to roughs. b) refine roughs to comps. c) present comps to client. d) critique comps and make changes Graphic Production: Implementation (design studio) a) commission images/illustrations/photography. b) assemble text and images. c) proof artwork and assembly. d) present proofs for client approval. e) supervise fabrication and delivery Excerpt from The Principles of Graphic Design by Louis Ocepek Web Design also has different requirements to a print design project.. Studio Blue is developing a new template to show this process, it will be available shortly. 6

The design brief The key to a successful design solution is all in a good brief.. The following information will ensure that the design briefing is as effective as it can be. The creative brief includes specific information about your design project that includes: Objectives of the visual communication material. Proposed timeline. (see sample timeline) including for concept presentation and approvals. Production specifications (for example, number of pages, quantity, paper quality/stock, size, preferred binding, etc). Any special finishes (embossing, foiling, die-cuts). Studio Blue can provide advice on finishes. Printing, production and packaging requirements. Delivery requirements including contacts and addresses, electronic file formatting (if relevant). Delivery deadline. In addition to the creative brief you should include: Final approved text in Word document file format. How photographs will be provided, if needed. How graphs and any other graphical elements will be provided and used, if required. Logos, symbols, trademarks that may be required. Communicate the emotive needs of the project: Existing communication material that you think reflects your business practices and values. Words to describe the desired look and feel such as contemporary and innovative. Emotional response you would like to achieve from the audience such as excited, proud, or scared. Happy client happy designer: briefing tips You have developed your product and completed your market analysis, You ve clearly identified and researched your market, so now here are some tips to ensure your visual communcation projects run smoothly and hit the mark: Allow enough time for the design process. Often people are tempted to crunch the time allowed for graphic design. To maximise your design investment, we suggest you allow substantial time for the design process. The focus should be on ensuring the text, design and artwork is correct. If you face strict time constraints, please discuss appropriate solutions with us. We can always provide you with solutions that won t compromise the value of your communication project. Prepare the content and obtain any approvals that may be required before Studio Blue progresses to the design stage. Let us do the creative part. Our specialist design team are professionals with the best possible industry knowledge, experience and training. Try not to let personal taste affect your opinion of a design. Consider whether the design will reach your target audience and whether it will achieve the intended result. Criticisms or design suggestions should be objective and given in relation to agreed outcomes from the design brief. Avoid multiple changes to designs concepts. The more thorough and organised you are at the outset, the more efficient and economical your design project will be. Identify, plan and prepare distribution channels in advance. 7

Ensure to give extra thought to these elements of the design brief to make the most of your project. Product/service description History/present position/goals for future Competitor information Communication background Previous communication activity Present communication activity research, advertising, direct mail, graphic design, public relations, distributor promotions Communication task the message Context of specific message in relation to business plans Information to be included in the designed item (text, logos, images etc) Function or desired response Target market Demographics age, gender, income, employment, geography, lifestyle Purchase motivations needs, wants, corporate image, product/ service positioning Purchase decisions decision initiators, makers/influencers, end users (if relevant) Budget Available budget. If unsure of budget you could provide estimates based on similar past projects and other information Timetable Consultation (research, strategy, brief development) Creative (concept and design development) Production (artwork, printing and other production) (Adapted from AGDA) Supplying files To ensure that the design process remains within the set timelines it is important to supply all information in the correct file types. Text Please supply in a Word document. If there is only a very small amount of text it is possible to supply in a email. Illustrations, graphics and third party logos EPS files are the ideal file format for vector based graphics. JPEG files are inferior in quality and flexibility for graphics, illustrations and logos as they are limited in scalability, resolution, and editability. Photographs for printing Photographs for printing are required to be a minimum resolution of 300dpi at final printed size. Ideally they should be in CMYK colour mode, although RGB is acceptable as we can convert the colour mode. Files should be in TIFF or high quality JPEG formats. Photographs for websites Photographs for web are required to be a resolution of 72dpi at final size. These files should be in RGB colour mode. Again, these files should be in TIFF or high quality JPEG formats. 8

A logo is not your brand, so what is your brand? It is extremely difficult to give a universal definition of Brand, but some that we feel come close to the mark are: A set of assets (or liabilities) linked to a (brand s) name and symbol that adds to (or subtracts from) the value provided by a product or service This is an important point: brands are not necessarily positive! A brand is the most valuable realestate in the world, a corner of the consumer s mind. These are all great definitions, but we believe the best is this: A brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer. Why is it best? Well, first of all it is easy to remember, which is always useful! But it is also best because it works to remind us of some key points: This definition makes it absolutely clear that a brand is very different from a logo, product or service. A brand is intangible and exists in the mind of the consumer. This definition helps us understand the idea of brand loyalty and the loyalty ladder. Different people have different perceptions of a product or service, which places them at different points on the loyalty ladder. This definition makes it clear how to build a brand. A brand is built not only through effective communications or appealing logos. A brand is built through the total experience that it offers.. Another way to assess the value of your brand Visual impression 1. Logo and graphic marks 2. Corporate stationery 3. Advertising, 4. Marketing 5. Promotional material Mental impression 1. History 2. Reputation 3. Public relations & media 4. Everything else from conferences to merchandise! Physical/experiential impression 1. Treatment of product user 2. Physical environment of business 3. Your people 4. Engaging community 5. Business practices This is just a very small sample of the three impressions, there are many more not listed here. The ten C s of branding: 1. Competent 6. Constant 2. Credible 7. Confident 3. Clear 8. Connected 4. Compelling 9. Committed 5. Consistent 10. Current By William Arruda, marketingprofs.com Sept 2006 9

The framework of a successful brand The following diagram shows how all the parts of a business contribute towards the success or failure of a brand.. Brand consistency across the board is vitally important in creating a successful brand. ADVERTISING DIRECT MARKETING STATIONERY IMAGERY PRODUCTS SERVICES NAME & POSITIONING STORY EVENTS SIGNAGE LOGO PLACE GUIDELINES PEOPLE MULTIMEDIA PRINT COLLATERAL ONLINE PACKAGING 10

Want more help? If you have any questions or need advice, please contact: Paul Lavings Creative Director. Studio Blue Graphic Design Telephone 02 4784 2442. Mobile 0439 466 705 Email paul@studioblue.com.au. Web www.studioblue.com.au Notes Some information in this guide is derived from the Australian Graphic Design Association. 11

Studio Blue Graphic Design PO Box 7060 Leura NSW 2780 p. 02 4784 2442 f. 02 4784 2442 e. info@studioblue.com.au w. www.studioblue.com.au