Participatory democracy between designers and clients (part 1)

The Client may benefit more from the Designer's work if the project is approached  in terms of problems and goals.

In my years of experience, I have encountered many clients who seek someone to help them design (note the emphasis), instead of looking for someone (preferably a professional) who will help them find a solution to the problem from a design perspective.

Usually, this phenomenon occurs because the Client searches for a Designer at the last minute, when the project has already been completely decided by the Client. This provides a disadvantage to the final result of the project and the objective of the Client. Don't get me wrong, Designers are not the most important part of the game; no one is more versed in the characteristics of a company and its needs, than the Client. However, respecting this same paradigm, it is also true that no one knows more about the process and potential of design than a Designer.

When the Designer is included from the start, another source of ideas and solutions becomes available.
End of Part 1

Design Services Survey

Dear friends,
As you all know, I work as a freelance designer, providing branding, graphic and web design services. I am working to increase my client base, and I have created a 4-question, anonymous survey. If you could please take 5 minutes to answer these questions, it would help me greatly. Also, feel free to share it with your friends. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Rich Black or 100%K

(For Offset printing)

For when deciding between using Rich Black or 100% black in your designs: 100K is better for small text (smaller than 18pts). This helps avoiding registration issues AND if the client requests changes to the text, this will only affect one plate rather than all four (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black).

Paul Rand, logo designer

Check out this video of Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, talking about Paul Rand, the designer who created logos for: IBM, ABC, Cummins Engine, Westinghouse, and UPS.

It is refreshing to see the respect and admiration of a client for a designer.

Polish posters

Here is a gallery of some of my favorite Polish posters. The designer, Franciszek Starowieyski, died last week. He was one of the masters of the great postwar Polish poster school

Design Life Now

I just came back from the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. I went to visit the exhibition Design Life Now. This exhibition, running from September 28, 2007 to January 6, 2008, intends to present a wide spectrum of contemporary American design, including product design, architecture, furniture, film, graphics, new technologies, animation, science, and fashion.

This is my first major contact (aside from some experiences during three visits to the MOMA in NY) with a big show that covers so many fields of design. Being an AIGA member, I had the opportunity to visit an exhibit that was part of BoNE Show 7, Best of New England Design, but that event, which was organized by AIGA Boston, focused only on graphic design.

Design Life Now showcases the work of individuals and companies like Apple, Pixar, Nike, architect Santiago Calatrava, designers Joshua Davis, Jessica Smith, and David Wiseman, and many others.

These are some of the pieces that caught my eye:

• The Speak Up web site. According to their own description: this site "is a reader-supported community devoted to graphic design open to conversation and dialogue. It stresses and questions the importance of the profession in our culture. Speak Up challenges those who practice inside the field, in hope of more accountability for their actions and in light of the responsibility we all have as communicators. Its mission is to further the graphic design profession from within with the goal of creating a stronger and clearer sense of what our role is as professionals endowed with the duty of creating social, cultural, political and/or economical communications based on our ability and obligation to do so in a visually clear and comprehensible manner."

• The Blik web site. In their own words: "What is blik you ask? blik is an I.D. Magazine award-winning line of surface graphics created by and for people who like to change their mind. These self-adhesive wall decals (think stickers for grown-ups) allow you to easily transform the look of a living or office space in minutes. Affix blik to any smooth, flat surface such as a wall, window, mirror, ceiling, tabletop or floor. Choose your space, plan the design you'd like to make, and literally, just peel and stick. And when you're tired of your design, say after years, a month, maybe a day - the decals are removable."

• Howtoons: This website showcases cartoons that show kids of all ages "How To" build things. Each illustrated episode is a stand-alone fun adventure.

Other great pieces were:

• Book covers by Chip Kidd
• Design examples from Planet Propaganda

I don't know if this exhibition will visit other cities, but I would sure recommend it to designers, students, architects, artists, or anyone interested in learning about contemporary design in the US.

Interesting combination

I woke up this morning and I found my wife's shoes in the living room, in a surprising relationship with the VCR and DVD remotes.
I don't know what to make of it; I just thought that it was an interesting image, maybe good for advertising or poster design. I wanted to share it with you, and if someone comes up with something, I will happily publish the image here, next to my photo.

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Leopard semi-hidden features

This is way too cool! Muy bueno.

This is an article about the features that are usually not mentioned when Apple talks about Leopard (the newest version of Apple Operating System)

I have been a Leopard user for a couple of weeks, and I have to say that I love it! There are so many ways to speed up your work. This article talks about features like:

• Printing and Page Setup integration: No more two separated dialogs.
  
• Use of Spaces to define specific applications to each space: One of my favorites, no more clutter.
  
• The Path Bar Bonus: An easy way to find your way around.
  
• Login Items: Find the locations of everything that is automatically open when you log in.
  
• Autosave for TextEdit: You won't loose that text anymore.
  
• Automator recording: Record what you do once, and to do it again in the future...just press a button.

It's just great!

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Google logo designer

If you ever wondered who is behind Google's fun and festive logos, here you can find an article about him. His name is Dennis Hwang, and he lives in Korea.

In general, I think that it works great for Google to have a flexible enough visual identity that allows for so many creative variations. Here you can see some of the logos.

Cool stuff!

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Some ideas about paper

Paper selection is a very important part of the design process for a printed communication piece. Unfortunately, in many cases this element is left behind in the process, and the final decision depends more on the available budget.

There are many elements to consider when selecting paper stock: Coated or Uncoated, Textured or Smooth, Bright or Dim, Glossy or Dull, Thick or Thin, Opaque or Transparent, White or Color, etc.

One of the basic decisions is Coated vs. Uncoated:

Uncoated papers are more textured and porous, affecting the way ink lays on the paper surface. Inks tend to spread out more, which would not work well for a design with very small, thin, or sharp details. Images would be softened, and colors would not be very saturated.

Coated papers are smoother. Their surface allows a sharper and more detailed result, and brighter and more saturated colors can be obtained.

If you are a designer or a client working with a designer, research paper types, talk with your printer to learn about possibilities, and make the best choice depending on who will use this piece, how it will be used, and what is the intended message.

Glossy papers can make reading harder in certain lighting conditions, for example, but can be good in some cases because of the more shiny end results and the more saturated colors obtained.

There is no unique formula for a successful choice. Talk with your designer or client, and may the best paper win!

A Logo is an Investment

You know that you need a logo, but you have just started your company, and of course you are trying to save as much money as possible. Unfortunately, paying a designer to design your logo was not included in your business plan. You see it as money that you will be spending without an immediate benefit.
I invite you to investigate how much a company pays every time they use their logo, when they publish a brochure, a flyer, a poster; when they use it in their website, their business cards, their product packaging or labels. I will give you the answer to save you time: nothing, not one cent. What do they get instead? Every time they use their logo, they are creating a presence; they are planting a seed in the minds of every person that sees their logo. They are making money without even thinking about it. So, if it is so important to have a logo, and you have already understood that a logo does not cost even a small fraction of how much you can gain by using it; the next step is: how do you get one?
Have a Designer Do It
So you go online and search for logo designers. There is a myriad of designers, artists, students and computer savvy people that offer design services online, and most of them offer a logo for the price of a lollypop. Do not be fooled by the cheap prices. A logo is not a dress that you can change in the afternoon. You have invested not only money, but also effort and heart in your business. It is a very important part of your life, and you would do whatever is in your hands to make it succeed. Why then give it a cheap logo?
Why Not My Cousin Joe
Here are a few points that could help you choose who will design your company's logo:
1. Choose a professional with experience and a good portfolio to design your logo. Think about it: Would you prefer to go to an amateur doctor to cure you? Would you let your cousin Joe do it, if he's not a doctor, just because it's free?
2. A logo should be unique. Many cheap designers use free imagery from clipart to create a logo in five minutes. That's why there are so many look-alike logos on the market. It contradicts the first reason for a logo's existence: to uniquely identify a company or a product among its competitors.
3. A logo should be simple. People don't have time to translate complex messages. Look at successful companies: their logos are simple and memorable. There is no room in a logo to show all you have to say about your company. Work with an experienced designer on what concept will best identify and differentiate your company.
4. A logo should be designed to work well on a building facade as well as on a pen. If there are lines that are not visible, or letters that can't be read, it is not a good logo. You shouldn't need to change your logo every time it is used.
5. A logo is not just a drawing or a photo that you could take from a website, and it should not be your favorite pet (unless your business is about pets). Your logo should represent your company’s ideals, personality and values. If it works well, your customers will be proud to buy your products, even if they are not the cheapest in the market.
These aren't the only considerations to have in mind when deciding why and who should design your logo. Search and read more about this. Look at the prospective designers' portfolios. Give your business the value it deserves.