1. Graphic design is a form of visual communication – we get to speak a new language of lines, forms, colours and textures;
2. The symbolic language of design is universal – it can communicate across different cultures and countries;
3. We get to investigate and learn more about many different industries:  technology, tourism, education, entertainment, environmental sustainability, etc. – we’ve (almost) seen it all!
4. In print design we get to see the fruits of our labor as physical objects, be it printed menus, wine labels, CD sleeves, etc.
5. What we create, inspires people around us – it is wonderful to see a client fall in love with a design!
6. We get to have fun with software technology that keeps evolving and improving;
7. We draw inspiration from everything around us – any object we see could spark a new design idea;
8. Creative potential lies within us – we are continuously building an internal database of visual references that grow with each design;
9. We can design anywhere – conceptualising and brainstorming can be done in a coffee shop, a park or on the beach!
10. Design can influence people in a positive way – visual communication has the power to change someone’s behaviour for good.

If you can think of another reason, please share!

The public might not except the allusion that you’re company means business if you disregard there intelligence by forgetting to focus on grammer

You may be excused for thinking that there isn’t much wrong with the sentence above. After all, bar the last word, everything is spelled correctly and the word order makes sense. But that’s not all that matters. If you look closely, you’ll find four different, legitimate words that were used incorrectly, changing the meaning and potentially turning this into an embarrassing situation. In truth, sending your words into the stratosphere (or your neighbourhood, as it were) might call for the help of a professional.

Whether trying to sell a brand, a book, a service or a bottle of wine, the perfect sales pitch is paramount to landing the deal. The right word at the right time could, indeed, mean the making or breaking of a deal. It comes as a surprise then to notice how many pieces of sales copy contain errors. How can the public take a company seriously if they assault the wrong words with apostrophes or habitually commit heinous grammatical crimes? Why would companies spend thousands of rands on the perfect design for a logo or advertising campaign, but neglect to let a professional proofread the copy first? Is it because they think that the public won’t notice?

Business owners shouldn’t be fooled by the perception that the man on the street is oblivious to the finer details of written copy. Just like the right garnish can take a slither of fish from blah to beautiful in a fancy restaurant, a finely written tagline can elevate a product or service to a new level of professionalism, regardless of its inherent quality or lack thereof. After all, underestimating Tom, Dick and Harry’s intelligence could effectively lead to someone else making a profit off three new customers.

Trust is the key factor here. Discerning consumers buy products they trust, from brands they believe in. So, let’s be honest: no patient would trust a dentist sans front teeth, or a dermatologist with volcanic acne. Who would trust a sign writer that specialises in “Sign’s”, then? Neglecting to polish all the grammatical aspects of a product might create the impression that the company is content with mediocrity. Why would the product itself be any better than its packaging?

There are many professional proofreaders standing by to meet any linguistic requirements that a business might have. A simple Google search could do the trick. The South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) can also recommend accredited members for high quality work. They regulate pricing and enforce quality standards, so that desired outcomes are guaranteed. More often than not, a proofread text can be returned in the blink of an eye, so that the effect on a tight deadline is minimal. For a reasonable price, any company could have the peace of mind of knowing that their interests are properly and correctly represented.

So, what’s the bottom line? Mistakes can cost a lot of money, in terms of brand credibility and actual profit. For a minimal fee, however, any possible missteps can easily be avoided. If a company is truly serious about what they pin their name and reputation on, they’ll make sure to cross all their t’s and dot those i’s – or, at least pay someone else to do it for them.

If you’re still considering chancing it, rethink the consequences. The public will thank you for it and frankly, so would your bank manager.

A major part of branding your company is deciding which colours to use. This is not something to be taken lightly and should only be done after asking some very important questions:

• Does the colour scheme differentiate your company from its competitors? Standard Bank in South Africa, for instance, would not have differentiated themselves from Absa if they also chose red as their main brand colour.
• Are the colours appropriate for the industry that your company is in? A colour palette of pink and yellow would, for example, not suit a law firm or an accounting firm.
• Is the colour scheme sustainable – in other words, will it still be relevant 10 years from now?
• Can the colours be replicated easily? Some colours look great on-screen for instance, but cannot be printed accurately without some difficulty.
• What inherent meanings are associated with the colours? For example, red might symbolise passion, confidence and vitality.
• Does the colour have any positive or negative connotations in foreign markets? White, for instance, is symbolic of death and mourning in China.
• Can the colour(s) be legally protected? Interesting trivia: Kodak was the first company to trademark a signature colour.
• When combined with other brand colours, is the palette appropriate for colourblind customers?

As you can see, choosing brand colours is not as simple as randomly combining nice-looking ones! Some knowledge of colour theory is essential and we recommend that you work with a design team that understands this.

In an ideal world we would be able to get the things we want immediately, in perfect condition, at just the right price (preferably free). Unfortunately the real world of business doesn’t work that way. We have to make some compromises and choose the project parameters we value most, while sacrificing others. The project triangle, as depicted in the Euler diagram above, is a simplified way of explaining how things work in the creative industry (and most others as well).

Between the properties of speed, quality and price, you have to choose the two that suit your priorities most. It goes without saying that all three cannot be had – one of the parameters will always suffer at the expense of the others. So your options are as follows:

1. Fast and good: a quick turnaround time (as with a rush job) and high quality design. Seeing that this is a very resource intensive exercise, there is a premium to pay. This is not the cheapest option, but if price is not an issue and you need good results fast, this option is for you.

2. Fast and cheap: quick results at a reasonable price. Because good design takes time, this combination doesn’t allow for the best of creative solutions and isn’t an option we readily offer our clients. If affordability outweighs the visual standard you require, this is the way to go.

3. Good and cheap: high quality design at a good price. Although this may sound like a good deal, you will have to wait a long time to get your design product. Because a high premium isn’t paid for fast service, your project will be in the back of the queue. Ideal if you aren’t in a hurry and would rather wait a little longer for a great design that suits your pocket as well.

Next time you approach a design company, make sure you have made your choice. And if you ask for all three, don’t be surprised if you get shown the door!

Clients often don’t know which logo formats they can confidently request from the design company that handle their corporate identity design. Some will make do with the last low resolution proof they have received and gratefully add it to a makeshift letterhead (which will print horribly because of pixelation). Others might request a high resolution version and ask a signage company to sandblast it onto their shopfronts, no doubt causing them nightmares if it is a complex logo.

Here is a summary of logo formats you can (and should) expect from your design team:

1. High resolution CMYK (print-ready): This logo version must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi and will most probably be in a bitmap format (like JPEG or PNG). At this resolution it will print crisply and clearly without any pixelation. It will, however, be too large to use for on-screen purposes like websites (due to large file size).
2. Low resolution RGB (web-ready): This logo version will usually have a resolution of 72 dpi and will be in a web-ready bitmap format like JPEG, PNG or GIF. It can be used for any on-screen display purposes, e.g. websites, email footers, presentations, etc. Because of its low resolution the file size will be relatively small, which means it will load quickly on websites, but it is not suitable for printing.
3. Monochrome version (print-ready):  In certain situations you might need a monochrome (black and white) version of your logo, e.g. fax head, vinyl sandblasting, corporate clothing, etc. This logo version must also have a resolution of at least 300 dpi and will most probably be in a bitmap format (like JPEG or PNG). Note that converting a logo to black and white is sometimes an intricate process that requires some time – complex logos cannot be converted at the click of a button!
4. Vector version (print- and web-ready): This logo version is resolution independent and can be scaled without loss of quality. Typical formats include EPS (most common), AI (Adobe Illustrator) and CDR (CorelDraw). Although you need special software to open formats like EPS, your printer/other designers will need this version if you ever have large format printing done. Note that logos that have been designed in resolution dependent software, like Adobe Photoshop, can usually not be converted to a vector format without duplication of work. You need to discuss your needs with your design team before the logo is designed.
5. Reversed out versions (optional): You might require your logo to work on a dark background from time to time. While some logos work fine as is on a dark background, others need some tweaking. If you require a reversed out version of your logo, be sure to discuss it with your design team, because they might not view it as standard practice.

Bear in mind that the source files (aka original or open files) remain the intellectual property of the designer/design company, except if indicated otherwise in their terms and conditions. You should be able to request all the formats mentioned above without hassle or complaint.

A final note: please remember to always scale your logo proportionally and use the appropriate format for its intended purpose!