Design professionals are your resource to the latest trends, best products and ideas to help assist you in the best possible way to achieve your goals. The designer will do the footwork for you while providing the very best for your budget. They can save you hundreds of dollars on just one project by helping to prevent costly mistakes. The agreed upon fee can be by the hour or by the project depending on the client’s needs. Below I have outlined some tips for choosing a designer:

 

1. Interview several designers to find the best fit for your project.

2. A professional will be upfront about the fees and cost so there will be no hidden fees that will surprise you in the end. Ask questions!

3. Find a designer that fits your budget and project. Some professionals only deal with certain aspects of design and have a minimum charge. Interview over the phone first and get some pricing upfront.

4. Be sure to express your feelings to the designer and keep the lines of communication open.

5. This should be an enjoyable experience! If not, then choose another designer. Any recommendations you can get from other clients are always helpful.

6. A true professional will be able to buy at wholesale and save you money!

7. Get references! A professional will have references and photos that show projects that have been completed. Ask detailed questions about any concerns you may have about the projects completed. Actually check the references from the portfolio.

8. Address any concerns about the time that you have appropriated for the project, monies involved and the overall schedule that you must meet.

9. Discuss the quality you expect and what you hope to gain from this project.

10. Get any details in writing that you feel necessary. Such as: project time limits, monies to be paid to the designer, contracts, agreements and the scope of the work.

 

Remember that your designer is a complete resource for the creation of the lifestyle that you want to bring to your home or office. Hiring a designer can be one of the best decisions you ever make!

 

A thoroughly prepared client brief is half the success of a rebranding or design project. Attaining all the necessary and relevant information from the client and a comprehensive insight into the client’s brand provides you with a great foundation for the right brand identity and design solution.

As a designer or brand consultant, a properly prepared client brief gives multiple sources of ideas to work with. Unless you have a clear understanding of what the client wants and needs you waste your time trying to design something out of nothing and the client ends up spending more money than budgeted for as a result of the required modifications…which naturally makes both parties very happy….

Depending on the particular project you will need a specific design brief. That means if you are developing a website or creating a business card, the client design brief will be different. However, there is some general information about your company and what you want to achieve, which should give a good idea in any design situation. Here are some general questions that will help me and fellow designers and consultants:

• 1. Title
• 2. What is the nature of your business? What does your business do?
• 3. What is your target market?
• a. Age
• b. Sex
• c. Income
• d. Occupation
• e. Location
• 4. What is unique about your business or product?
• 5. Who is your competition?
• 6. What is your aim? What are your goals?
• 7. How do you want your clients to feel about the brand? What is the message you want to communicate?
• 8. What is your budget? Range?
• a. Providing a rough guide enables the consultant/designer with an idea of the type of marketing and design solution that can be provided to you.
• 9. What is your deadline?
• 10. Provide the designer with current and past design and marketing materials.

 

 

 To see how you can improve the image of your brand click here: graphic design Melbourne

The design process is crucial to any business, whether it is creating a simple company logo, or the design of an entire corporate campaign.

Once your business is up and running, any form of corporate identity will act to represent the company visually creating a brand. If you look at big corporate companies you will notice company branding stands the test of time for many years before it is appropriate to re-develop.

Many companies never change their logo design dramatically but only make the smallest of changes to keep the design looking fresh.

It is worth taking time and not rushing a company logo or corporate identity design as your design will represent your company and be around for a very long time.

Logo design is creating a unique symbol / graphic to reflect your companies image and vision. A successful logo becomes a symbol of your companies identity, shows your professional and should be used on your on business cards, letterheads, compliment slips, vehicle signage or website.

When you choose to have a logo designed ask for a few different designs to choose from, each logo should have its own character and style. Giving you the best options to suit your needs.

Your logo design should be professional and prove to be a statement of your business to new / existing clients, suppliers and staff, your logo design needs to easily identify its purpose and values of your company and bring instant credibility.

If you own a small company, with a well-designed logo your business will look big. It will look more professional inspiring confidence to your customers.

A striking logo is paramount for the image of any business, small or large. The design creates a starting block for a companies corporate identity, the right colours, fonts and is of great importance when starting to design business cards, compliment slips, letterheads and a website, keeping all styles consistent throughout creating your brand identity.

Logo design types

High / Low resolution

If you are looking at starting a new business, you will need a logo. All logo designs should be unique to your business, no templates, no free graphics or clipart, just bespoke designs for your company.

Below is a break down of the different types available:

Logo designs for onscreen

Low resolution RGB 72dpi

Ideal for websites, emails, PowerPoint presentations and general onscreen viewing only. Because of the small size they can be downloaded very quickly but are not suitable for print.

Logo designs for print

High resolution CYMK 300dpi

High Resolution Logo Design

Must be use for printing high quality material e.g. letterheads, business cards, compliment slips, banners, posters etc. This means your logo will be clear and crisp when printed, if a low resolution logo is used it is likely that the end result will be blurred, blocky and illegible.

Logo design – redraw and enhancement

Alternatively, if you do not require full logo design service, you could re-design, redraw or enhance your existing logo for print or website use.

By Ben Smith
Graphic Design Somerset