March 9th, 2011

Your Creative Team Relationship, Part 2

So now we get into the nitty gritty…money. When starting any potentially long-term relationship, it’s definitely important to put your best foot forward, but you shouldn’t try to pretend to be what you really aren’t—that’s the beginning of communication breakdown.

  • To thine own budget be true. Yes, the economic climate makes it easier to negotiate, but it’s also important to understand your strengths and limitations. It can be easy to get caught up in bells and whistles, but if you’re honest about how much you can afford to spend, you’ll be able to prioritize your needs better, and a creative firm can help you with that as well. Also, a priority list will help you decide whether a possible stopgap approach might be better: building your own blog, using templates, etc. There are some good ones out there, but there are also some not so good ones, so do your research. And ask someone you can trust for an honest critique.
  • What we mean by “do your research.” Look at logos, ads, packaging, websites that you like. Decide what you like and don’t like and why. Don’t stop at the first template site you find, and don’t necessarily go to the most popular one either. Who is your target audience and what is the best way to reach that group? Talk to other entrepreneurs, especially those you admire. Ask them what they did. Consider colors and fonts that you like.
  • But what if you don’t have any idea how or what to budget? It might be best to start pricing your first project. For instance, maybe you need business identity: logo, business card, stationery, style guide. Start researching design firms. Choose at least 3 that you like and ask each one for an estimate. When looking at each estimate, make sure you understand what is included in the price. If you have questions, ask.
  • Now that you know what it’s going to cost, what next? Now the moment of truth. Can you afford it? If yes, then choose the best fit, factoring in price, quality, and service. (See Your Creative Team Relationship, Part 1 for more information on choosing the right design firm.) Insider secret: If it’s just slightly above what you can afford, you can ask the firm of your choice if there’s room for negotiating the price. Or you can tell them what you can afford, and see what they will do for you. It doesn’t hurt to ask. If the answer’s no, go back to the first bullet point and figure out what you really need and what you can live without for now.

In any case, make sure you do your homework. If you are not sure how to begin, start with friends in the design industry. They will always point you in the right direction. Find someone you trust. And be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do on your own.

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May 28th, 2010

Your Creative Team Relationship, Part 1

Believe it or not, your relationship with your graphic design team is like any other relationship: mutual respect and clear communication are key to a healthy one.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind before you start a new collaboration:

  • Make sure you actually like their work. This seems pretty straightforward, but you’d be surprised. A lot goes into a decision to work with a designer, and many times, especially with the economy as it is, we compromise on quality because we assume it will cost too much to work with a good design team. Sometimes, it actually costs more to work with something less. You pay less initially, but the time to get what your really want might be more costly to your business. Plus, sometimes you don’t get what you want and then have to “break up” with your design team to find a new one—more emotion and time, which, again, is money.
  • Make sure you like the design team. Do they listen to you? Do they understand your vision? And what’s more, do you like talking to them? You will spend an awful lot of time talking to them, so make sure you find it pleasant enough. Even the best designers don’t always do exactly what you hoped for the first time, so you have to feel comfortable discussing what’s not working for you. And dread is a horrible way to start a conversation.
  • Go with your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t try to make it work. Again, the best price in the world or convenience of location won’t make up for your lost time and energy. If you’re pretty sure it isn’t the right fit, then it isn’t.
  • Don’t choose your sister’s best friend’s nephew to do the project…unless you really like his portfolio. He’s free. He’s a nice guy. He’s available immediately. We don’t have to spend the time looking for someone. Why not? Well, we’ve got a question for you: what happens if it doesn’t work out? We’d all like to hope we can separate our professional lives from our personal ones,  but, for the most part, that just doesn’t work.

Well, it’s time for us to get back to our projects, but we’ll post more tips very soon. Stay tuned.

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April 13th, 2010

Old dinos learning new tricks with surprising speed.

Laurie has successfully navigated us through linking our twitter account to our F’book account to our blog. Yes, it’s true. The lumbering print dinosaurs did this without the aid of our highly evolved IT or Social Media primates. [cue loud bellowing sound echoing across primeval landscape]

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April 12th, 2010

Never try to start a blog when you have no blood sugar . . .

It’s 1:30 in the afternoon and I really need to eat something so this blog will make any sense at all. See you after lunch.

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