REVSOF PRODUCTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How would we pay for the work/How much does it cost?

A: Jobs can be billed hourly or per project. If you have a specific budget we can work with that as well. Ask for a free quote to see approximately what your project or projects may cost and then from there we can discuss what may need to be done to either lower the cost or to get the project started.

Larger projects like most websites require a down payment with the remainder to be paid upon successful completion. Other smaller projects can be paid for in full upon successful completion.

Q: How will we know we like the design and layout of a project before hours have been spent working on it at our expense?

A: With every project there are always going to be differences in opinion and personal preference. We start every project with questions regarding what you are looking for in the finished result or what you have envisioned, what are your companies colours etc. Once we feel we have a good idea of what you are looking for we will proceed to do a mockup or thumbnails. Doing this saves time as we are not building a full website before the design has been approved and also for example with a logo design the initial thumbnails will help us narrow down exactly what you would like it to represent and look like. You will be able to see the project at intervals allowing you to interject if you feel the need to before it progresses any further.

With this being said keep in mind you are paying for our expertise. You want to make sure that we are not going into left field but creative freedom is important in order to get the best end result. Let us know about constraints like no picture links and corporate colors, but don't spell it out too much. You will probably end up with something that is not real great if you try to get too involved. If you are worried about going down the wrong road suggest a project wage instead of hourly.

Q: Is it reasonable for us to state from the start that any designs that are created that we are paying for becomes our property? And as such, we can stop other people using them? At the end of the day, we have to ensure that our logo actually belongs to us.

A: Yes you will own any designs or work produced that you have paid for. This is normal for graphic designers. We assume that you will own anything we produce on your behalf. If you wish this can be put in writing at the beginning of a project.

Q: To reassure that we will be happy with the quality of work, would it be unreasonable to ask if they could offer us a small sample of their work - for example, if we ask to have a new logo designed for us so that we can get an idea of how fast they work and the quality of their output.

A: Any designer who has been working for any length of time should have a portfolio of work they have completed. Take a look there and see what you think, it should give you an idea of their skills. If you do not see something you may have been looking for i.e. a brochure design, ask if they have anything they can show you.

Give the designer some space to be creative. Lean on their abilities. Don't try to control the design too much. Also get rid of expectations. Try not to visualize what you think it should be and have an open mind. You are paying for our time. You cannot expect to get major corporation designs for the money you are paying. Big companies pay millions for what they are getting. We will do whatever we possibly can based on your budget. If you give a designer room for creativity you will get a lot more than trying to control it. If you need the designer to create what you envision in your mind be prepared to pay for it.

Don't expect a professional designer to do any free work. We are busy already. That may work with people straight out of collage, but seasoned designers are not able to give you free work. Take a look at their portfolio.

Q: Presumably some graphic designers can churn out designs quicker than others, thus keeping the cost down. How could we find out how quick this guy is? Do designers tend to estimate the amount of time it would take to complete the job? I imagine that this may be difficult to do accurately? Are there any safeguards?

A: You need to get an estimate. Usually you will get a written quote in which timelines will be stated. If you are worried about being charged more because of a slower designer you should try and get a project charge. Sometimes a client may require additional designs to be done or have an excessive amount of revisions that can cause a deadline to be missed. Stipulations such as there will be 3 original designs included for the stated cost and any more besides that will cost extra may be part of the original quote as well. Once again it can be beneficial to your finished result and budget to give the designer some space to be creative. Lean on their abilities. Don't try to control the design too much.

Promoting your business

Producing a business card, a leaflet, brochure, advert or website.
Good design sells. As does interesting copy and attention grabbing images. Poor design can damage your business and your brand. If you design a flyer yourself, in a desktop package like publisher or word, people can tell you have done the job on a budget, which may give off the wrong impression.

Spend more on the design and buy a lower quantity of a higher quality product. Take advantage of our skills and knowledge, to produce products you’re proud to be associated with and comfortable handing out to clients.

Production

One of the biggest obstacles with design for print or the web is getting the content together. Here is a checklist to help you gather information for a designer to weave their magic and create print or web ready files

Planning 1. What are you looking to produce?
• A business card for networking?
• A flyer explaining your products and services or courses
• A website or blog. Do you need to regularly update the content?

2. Why do you need this product?
• Is it to enlighten?
• To remove confusion about what it is you actually do.
• Or just to sell more stock

3. Who is it for?
• Existing Customers or New customers or both?

4. When do you need it by?
Remember to factor in additional time for the designer and printer to be able to produce it in time! And include additional time for errors or reprints.

Setting Goals

Sometimes it helps to start at the end and work backwards. This can help with timescales, to see if you have time to meet a deadline.

1. What are you trying to achieve?
Is it just to understand your business better or to gain more loyal customers?

2. How will you measure this?
• Ask how the customer found you? i.e. from your Website, your flyer, or a recommendation?
• Does your website have stats or Google Analytics installed?

3. Do you need help?
for example a copywriter, a designer, a distributor

4. How realistic are your Goals? • Will you struggle to gather the content?
• Do you have the budget for the product you require?
• Is it fit for the purpose?

Consider Your Message

1. Who is your audience?
• Anyone?
• A specific age group or sex?
• Is it a fun or serious product?

2. What do you want your visitors to do?
• Buy from you?
• Recommend you?
• Complain to you?
• Learn from you?

This is where you need to provide a call to action, either emailing a sales or service contact, or calling or completing an online form or transaction.

3. Why are your products or services better than another businesses?
• Are they value for money?
• Are you a local, reliable service?
• Will your products be effective and provide the solution the customer is looking for?

Producing the Artwork

1. Supplying Content
If you can supply the following, Revsof Productions can produce your artwork and send you a pdf or jpg proof.

• A print ready logo
• Content: written text, supplied as a word file a txt file or in the body of a email.
Images, graphics or photos.

Quite a lot of information to consider but if work through the above list, you will either achieve your goal or realize you need help. Or maybe you’ll find it’s just better to wait for the right time to market your products and services, and do it properly.

Why Use a Graphic Designer?

First impressions really do count and none more so with all forms of marketing material which represent a company or organization. If well designed and of good quality such material will present your business in a favorable and professional way and, if required, help you to build your brand image.

Graphic design is essentially a visual problem solving exercise. With the use of different typefaces and graphical illustrations the designer’s challenge is to create something that is not just pleasing to the eye but also functional and memorable.

By functional we mean it must clearly convey the message or information required by the client and do so within the image and tone desired by the client. An attractively designed instruction manual for a product may look great but if it is confusing or difficult to understand you will soon forget its attractiveness.

Graphic Designers have an understanding of all these issues which affect presentation through extensive design training and experience of what “Looks Right”. Without this training and understanding it is very easy, with all the means available nowadays, both to “design” and get things very wrong (i.e. wrong use of colour, typeface, layout and size of text etc) creating a product which is both unattractive, of little use and a waste of money. Everyone can afford good design.

What is more important to you? How many leaflets you hand out or how many orders you get? You could mail 5,000 badly designed leaflets and get no orders. Or, you could send a thousand with a clear and interesting design and win say a dozen orders. The difference is design. So unless your budget is zero, you can definitely afford good design – see it as an investment, not an extra cost.

Brand Identity

Brand identity design is concerned with the visual aspects of a company or organization’s “Look or Feel”. A brand identity design is the visual element that represents how a company wants to be seen; it is the company’s visual identity, and is how a company illustrates its "image".

A company’s brand identity can be represented in terms of design through a unique logo, or signage, and is then often integrated throughout all the elements of a company’s materials such as business cards, stationery, packaging, media advertising, promotions, and on the internet. Brand identity development is usually a collaborative effort between graphic designers and the client.

The benefit of Brand Identity can be fully understood within large organizations where the brand is so strong (Coca Cola, Nike, Shell etc) that one only has to see a small part of their logo to recognize the company. Their Brand constantly reinforces their image, name and what they represent.

Brand Identity is just as essential for small businesses operating in a competitive environment, it will give an advantage over the competition by constantly reinforcing the identity of the company through all of its communicated material (marketing, stationery, website, advertising, recruitment etc) Can a new Brand Identity assist your company in these difficult times for businesses?

Would a new Brand Identity help with your customer recognition and lift you above the competition?