Graphic Design Hot Spot

In Design You Have To Be On Top

2009-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

In design you have to be on top, best of the best to stand out, make an impression, and create your "identity". The paradox here is that a designer never does make it to the top. There is always going to be something, as a designer, you have to work on, change, learn, and adapt to. Ever changing times, new fads, and technology that we need to learn is ever plaqueing our ability to be at the top.

So what can we do as a designers to stand out and make an impression for our clients and to our clients?

1. I think the best thing you can do as a designer is to listen and throw away your ego. As a designer you will get your feelings hurt, be stomped on, and spit out. It's just the way it goes. You cannot please anyone and as a developer of esthetics it is quite apparent that this is often going to be the case with your clients and potential clients or even employers. You might not agree, you may even think they have no clue what they're talking about. Yes, some of them do not, we all know that Helvetic and french script might not be the best idea for a wedding invitation, but sometimes they do make valid points.

2. Be up-to-date. Designing is all about fads and sometimes being outside of the fads, but if you're not up to speed on what's going on in design and technology, you will often fall behind. Too often, we fall comfortable in our zones, on our macs vs. pc's and fail to realize that there is a whole new world out there for us to explore.

3. Show only impressing peices. If you have a feeling something is not up to par, it's probably because it's not. If you're not sure what the best of your peices are, then swallow your pride and go through the dreadful critiqueing process. It's not just for design class 101.

4. Keep a positive attitude. There's many times in a designers career where you will simply want to throw in the towel. Great designers and all fields alike take their dive into many failures. As a designer, you probably have already experienced this. Failures are what make a designer better then the next one, because you have already trekked in the mud and know now where not to step while the other guy steps in the puddle. Keep your head up, cause in all actuality it's making you that much better.

Right Prices for Right Designs

2009-05-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

I think pricing our work is something graphic designers take great consideration in trying not to overbid ourselves and underbid ourselves, but sometimes it's not a matter of getting the work as much as it is creating a stable industry for ourselves.

In the design industry, I consider my prices to be fair, not too little and not too much but straight in the middle. I think this is an important place to be to keep our market stable. Unfortunately, either out of greed for work or out of straight ignorance, alot of designers will completely underbid a project, such as $69.00 for a completely custom built website.

We don't need to be Einsteins to guess who's going to get the work when you have someone willing to charge so little, however, the customer doesn't understand what they're really getting with that price and the designer doesn't understand what they're doing to the market place.

I read in Computer Art's magazine a few years ago that it is complete taboo in the design industry to way underbid fair market value prices, because that is what customers will start thinking is fair market value when in all reality it's not. We didn't go through all the rigamarol of learning how to be designers and business people to get paid a Mcdonalds salary, it's not right and it's not fair.

Besides all their fellow designers, the underbidder doesn't understand what he/she is doing to their own business. To charge such low prices shows such inexperience. We all know how it is to deal with clients and how much time goes into making sure our project meets ours and our clients expectations. Inevitably the designer will be cheating both themselves and the clients of full service potential.

Customers should be weary of jumping towards cheap or expensive prices as well, since both shows unprofessionality of the person or the company. How much time and expertise can you really get for $69.00, and chances are that not every expensive company was the leading designer for Coca-Cola's advertising campaign and probably doesn't have reason to charge the over the top prices other then they have got away with it up until, hopefully, now.

I'm not saying that my prices are what everyone should charge, I am all about competition in the marketplace, but we as designers and consumers need to make sure that the marketplace exists and is fair to both those of us in the design industry and everyother industry out there.

Honestly, we all win in the end.

Why Graphic Design Is Important For Your Business

2009-04-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog for Graphic Design Hot Spot and I believe, one of the most important entries. My name is Coralyn Loomis and I am a professional Graphic Designer running a studio in Hudson Valley Region of NY (you can check it out by going to http://www.synapticfyrestudio.com.) Now that the legistics are out of the way, let's talk more about what's in my title: "Why Graphic Design Is Important For Your Business".

Whether you are a business owner or a prospective business owner, you, like so many others face the time when promotional materials are a necessity. Your logo, your business identity, maybe even a website. Yet, there are still so many business owners out there opting to not go ahead and do the fundamentals to a successful business. Graphic Design IS important for your business to succeed.

You can do all the marketing in the world, but if the visual repersentation of your business is poor or practically non-existant, then the campaign will not be successful.

Still not convinced? Think of this scenario:

You're browsing a shelf of business cards or brochures for a Carpenter in your area...which one are you more likely to choose?

A.) the plain looking card that looks as if it was made in Microsoft office with cheap stock.

B.) the one that's pleasing to the eye and has some weight in your hand.

If you are the norm of the public you will choose option B.

Why? Because how you present yourself visually says alot about how you will present your business. Such as:

Option A. says to prospective clients: I don't take much pride in how I operate my business, I try to find the easiest and cheapest solution.

Who wants a carpenter who doesn't take pride and takes the easy way out using the cheapest materials?

Option B. says to prospective clients: I care about my professional image. I am willing to spend more to get more. My business is important to me and I show that in my work.

If you think I am over-analyzing, you are wrong my friend. Think about how much advertising effects you everyday. When you're grocery shopping, watching TV., picking a place to eat. That is all graphic design and it is a KEY element in successful marketing and attracting new clients.

Okay, so you're convinced that Graphic Design is important in print...but why do you need a website for your business?

It doesn't matter if you're operating a financial business or selling stuffed bunnies out of your basement, you'll be taken more seriously if you have a website.

* Websites allow clients to see your business portfolio

* Obtain content and information about your business

* Contact you only if they are serious about taking the next step, saving both parties time.

* Prospective Clients have a better chance at finding your business.

* Most importantly, gives your business a BRAND identity which is important for a successful business. Remember it is your face to the rest of the world. They don't call it the world wide web for nothing.

Whether you are new to this whole world wide web thing or, congradulations, you have a website up and running, there are a FEW important things to remember:

* Don't use templates to build your website inless they are fantastically designed.

* No FLAT HTML, no one wants to see that, it's ugly, cheap, and gives you a bad wrap.

* Keep it SIMPLE. No CLUSTERING!!!! Don't let the page scroll and scroll and scroll.

* Keep it synched. No mismatched text, fonts, colors!

Say it with me:

"Great businesses starts with Great Graphic Designs!"

More to come, until then, Remember the rules.

Best,
Coralyn M. Loomis
Owner/Director
Synaptic Fyre Studio