101 PROJECT GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 101 PROJECT GUIDELINES Despite general beliefs, designers can t read minds, we know about your project only as much as you share... Table of Contents Choosing a media 2 Type of project 2 Choosing a format 2 Your personal style 2 Know your Target Audience 2 Technical Specifications 2 Build you project brief 3 For all new projects alike 3 Logo 4 Posters 4 Brochure 4 Booklet 4 Catalog 5 Website 5 Package 5 Presentations 5 Icons 5

2 The more you share the better the return, so don t get shy on us. Choosing a medium: There s a wide range of marketing media that allows us to share information, so which one will give the best results for your needs (i.e. using a printed brochure versus an electronic one)? Based on your business marketing dynamics and target audience, put more than a little bit of thought on choosing your medium - since, what is it worth to invest time and money in a great design if it won t reach any relevant party? Type of project: We are surrounded by design, so projects can range from: icons, logos, posters, brochures, illustrations, presentations, patterns, menus, albums, animation, websites, banners, tradeshows, catalogs, image retouch, flyers, business cards, letter heads, envelops, info-graphics, templates, billboards, splash-screens, mini sites, loaders, interface, fabric, education material, cover pages, business plans, power points, books, postcards, greeting cards, ads, sings, covers, packages, brand theme, brand colors, fonts, symbols, t-shirts, ers, blogs... Well you get the idea. Choosing a format: While some projects have clear preset formats (i.e. I need a poster for my booth with a 10 backdrop... ), others can have less obvious scenarios that you may need to take into account. Take a printable brochure for example, where part of the size configuration should be based on distribution: would you send it by postal service inside a regular envelop, or will it be carried inside a company folder, or should it fit in a shelf holder, and so on. Your personal style: Design projects can be tough since there isn t just one single outcome possible, thus making it as objective as it gets. If you ask 100 people about one particular design, you will get 100 different answers if not more. So what does your gut tell you? Share with us in words or even better, send us examples of what you like and dislike, so we can have a better understanding of your personal style preference. Know your Target Audience: Instinctually you will most likely guide the project to your personal style, but you should definitely consider your target audiences preferences first (if the target audience is indeed a third party). Our challenge will always be to find a good balance between both. Lets take for example, you, being a hip young guy or gal, while the project s target audience is a much older crowd... You might prefer a more modern, urban or dynamic look, while they might prefer a more conservative one. Technical Specifications: Every project has at least three stages: conception, design, and production. While the first two are open to our wildly creative imaginations, the production stage comes with technical limitations. For this sole reason, production specifications should be presented prior the whole process. Considering the specifications (i.e. from the print house, packaging, software developers, etc) will let the conception and design stages be more efficient in maximizing the option outputs despite limitations.

3 Build you project brief: The following are the basic questions for you to first, ponder upon as you consider your project. Second, it gives us some info to familiarize ourselves with you and the project ahead. If you don t find a project that suits your needs, you will be able to still get an idea of what information we might need, since most of the following is jotting down the basics. Nevertheless, a good person to person conversation will seal all the gaps to in project specifications and parameters. Shared information for all new projects alike: What is your company focus? Define your company personality? What keywords best describe your business? What is your target audience? Who are your competitors? What sets you apart from your competitors? Any existing brand guidelines? What colors do you like/dislike? Provide similar project samples that you like/dislike, and why? What material will you provide for the project (text/images/logo/templates/die-cuts)? What is the time frame? For more project specific criteria, please review the next two pages

4 Logo: Is the logo subsidiary to another company s? What is the purpose of the logo? What do you want your logo to say about you? About the logo itself: Any wording and/or case preference? Byline? Legal add-ons (Ltd, Inc...) Composition: 1. Typography only 2. Type embedded in symbol 3. Symbol and type apart 4. No preference Alignment preference: 1. Vertical 2. Horizontal 3. Need both versions 4. No preference Color limitations, base on reproduction type? (Default logo set includes: full color, 2 colors, BW and there negatives versions) Posters: What is the purpose of the poster? What will be the main subject of the poster? What impression do you want the poster to leave? Indoors/Outdoors Viewed from close/far away? Viewed in a seated or walking environment? As a backdrop for a booth? Dark/light environment? Behind glass? Others... Print: Where will you print the posters? What type of paper and finish will you be using? What type of special mounting will you be using? Size:??W x??h Brochure: What is the purpose of the brochure? What will be the main subject of the brochure? What impression do you want the brochure to leave? If a printed method will be used: Are you thinking of using a recycled or color based Fold type: 1. Tree-fold (6 sides) 2. Half-fold (4 sides) 3. Accordion fold (7 or more sides) 4. No folds, double side Booklet: What is the purpose of the booklet? What will be the main subject of the booklet? What impression do you want the booklet to leave? If a printed method will be used: Are you thinking of using a recycled or color based Binding type? Page numbers including front and back cover? (some binding types require a number that can be divided by 4)

5 Catalog: What type of products will be listed in this catalog? How many products will be listed? What impression do you want the booklet to leave? If a printed method will be use: Are you thinking of using a recycle or color base Binding type? Pages number including front and back cover (some binding types require a number that can be divided by 4) Website: What type of website you are looking for? Personal Online Business Brochure/Catalog Informational Blog E-commerce What impression do you want the website to leave? Do you need web design, web development, or both? Provide a site structure of pages (it s a MUST) Any special features? (i.e. blog, gallery, etc.) Do you need content management system? Single site cross platform or separate sites for computer and mobile devices? What should the home page feature in contrast with the inner pages template? Any template preference? Navigation: located at the top or left Secondary navigation Drop-down menus Number of columns Package: What product is the package for? Please have in hand the actual product for us to see. Is the package for freight or for display? If display, what impression do you want the package to leave? Do you have preexisting package specifications for us to design the graphics to, or do you need us to offer suggestions? (see print specifications) Print: Where will you print it? What material will be used? What type of finish will be used? All packages with die-cuts should eventually be tested and accurately designed by a package specialized print-house. Presentations: What is the purpose of the presentation? What impression do you want it to leave? Are you interested in only a template design or the entire presentation with content integrated as well? In a conference room? In a large scale conference venue? Over the web? What format do you want the presentation in? PDF (more flexible from a design perspective, but editable only with Adobe Illustrator) Power Point (more design constraints, but easily editable on client side) Icons: What will the icons be used for? Is there an interface design they should fit in with? Provide a list of all icons needed in the set Explain what each icon represents What file format is needed for the final output?