Hi there! I was out on vacation since last Wednesday through Saturday. I had one day to settle in at home, and absolutely no time to settle in at the office. Within minutes after walking through the door, my boss asked me to join him, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors in a meeting to discuss a Save the Date card I've been working on the last couple of weeks. In the 5 years that I've been employed at this place, I have NEVER been in the same room with these three gentlemen at once. I was nervous, but confident and excited for the opportunity to talk directly to the man who will ultimately approve the project I'm working on - the Chairman! Every time I begin a project for my design studio, I start with a creative brief where I have an in-depth conversation with the client about the project and their vision. I ask questions like: What is the project for? Who is the target audience? What kind of event is it? What type of mood are you trying to evoke? What message are you trying to convey? And so on. The more information you obtain at the beginning of a project, the better! You'll save so much time in the proofing stages because you'll be able to start the project with a clear understanding of the client's vision, which will lead you to accurately translate it onto ink and paper. THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IS SOMETIMES "NO BUENO" Unfortunately, when you work for a company where you follow the chain of command, you're not always able to sit down and discuss the project with the one person who gets the final say. We designers get the watered-down version of whatever communication took place amongst department leaders, which will often keep the project in the revision phase for a few days - even weeks! This is why I was excited to go into the meeting on Monday morning and get right to the point. I was nervous however, because I had been gone for a few days and I had no clue if anything had happened during my absence. THE ISSUE As it turns out, the issue with the layout was the performer's face. Yep, his face. (You have my permission to "Lol") The Chairman made it very clear that he didn't like the performer's face because it looked like he'd had a lot of work done. "It doesn't even look like him!" he exclaimed. (YouTube showed me otherwise, but um, okay...) Yes, it was a relief that my work wasn't being critiqued in a negative way, but the "issue" at hand struck me by surprise. Every performer sends us approved images to use in our marketing materials so there was no other image I could use. It was understood that the artist had to be featured on the cover, but not his face. Not as much of it, anyway. MY APPROACH I tried to gather more information from the Chairman as far as what he liked/disliked from the previous two layouts I had worked on to see what I can focus on instead. The first draft was too modern for him (our company caters mainly to senior citizens), and the second draft was not approved because of "the face" still being too dominant. I was asked to shrink the picture and to "just pick a color" to make the card more festive. There wasn't any more information to extract from him despite several of my attempts. Only vague directions to pick a color and shrink the performer's face. And just like that, I was back to square one. A COMPLETE REDESIGN Below are a couple of quick sketches illustrating how the layout changed from the 1st to the 2nd draft: Here's what I hope you learn from my experience: • THE CREATIVE BRIEF: Always, when possible, interview the client on many levels regarding the project. As you talk to your client you will begin to see images and designs forming in your mind. As these images enter your mind, ask more questions to see if your vision aligns with theirs. Remember, you are the expert. Even if it doesn't align 100%, take as much information from them as you can so that you can bring their vision to life, but use your expertise to enhance that vision. If you can't talk directly to the person who will be making the final decision, extract as much information as possible from the project manager. • CRITIQUE: Never take a critique as a personal attack. A critique no matter how harsh or inappropriate, is never about you. It's about a communication gap. You are a visual communications architect. The client provides some tools and direction, but often times they are communications challenged. It will take patience and guidance from your part to extract their vision and goals in a clear and concise way that will allow you to transform the information into a kick-ass visual communications piece. • YOU'RE AWESOME!: Many think of us as "simply" artists, but graphic/stationery designers are a pretty awesome breed! We bridge communication gaps, we are problem solvers, we make things look pretty, we are tech savvy - there is so much more to our job than just art! Even more so if you're planning on operating your own design studio. So don't become discouraged when you encounter a difficult client. I admit, I was a bit frustrated yesterday after my meeting. I came back to work after my vacation expecting to get approval on the save the date card, not to spend another day on a redesign. But guess what? Had it been approved, it would have meant nothing to me. But because I put so much effort into solving an issue I felt I had very little control over, I felt pretty good about myself when I figured out a way to please the Chairman without sacrificing design. Because at the end of the day, you have two main goals to achieve, #1) make the client happy, and #2) put out work that you are proud of. Talk to you soon! The previous two layouts featured the performer as the main focal point, but now I had to rethink everything and come up with an entirely new color scheme. SO HERE'S WHAT I DID I had recently purchased a set of gold style swatches from Creative Market that I was dying to use. Also, I've noticed that whenever I want to get anything approved around this place, all I have to do is use the color blue, so I searched Shutterstock for a blue and gold background and found the one shown below - it was perfect! The wreath hints at the holidays that will be soon approaching around the time of our gala and it also highlights the copy inside of it creating a new focal point – yay! I can't show you images of the approved save the date card, especially because the information hasn't been released to the public yet, but below is a rough sketch of the third and final proof that solved the "face" issue. I used the Shutterstock background shown below on the left along with the wreath, and I applied the gold styles to the "Save the Date" wording on the left of the card so that it matches the gold wreath. The artist was still present on the cover, but because of his placement he was no longer dominant in the layout. I strategically placed his face over the wreath, so it blended-in even more, making his face less noticeable. It turned out perfect and I am proud to say that the card was approved within minutes after I submitted the redesign. Whew! PS - I know you're busy, so I'll try to make it shorter next time ;)
0 Comments
I'm so happy to announce the launch of the 5-Day Stationery Crash Course! Often times, the only thing separating people from their dreams is not knowing where to start, which is what inspired me to create this course in which I will share the tools required to pursue a career in custom stationery design. I will break down information and lessons into steps that are easy to complete and understand, as well as provide insight and design tips. I also mention a few lessons I learned the hard way, allowing you to learn from my mistakes so you don't have to make them yourself.
Upon registering for the course, you will receive your first lesson, and one daily thereafter for a total 5. Here's a list of the topics we will cover: Daily Lessons
Who is this course for? This course is for entry level graphic designers, digital scrapbookers and any paper lover who wants to learn the business of designing custom invitations & stationery for weddings and special events. The Crash Course does not include software tutorials, so you much already be comfortable behind the computer in order to benefit most from this crash course. Value I am currently working on a 7-week in-depth course that will be worth 12 times more than The Crash Course available today. By enrolling in The 5-Day Crash Course at an introductory rate of only $29.99, not only will you gain momentum in your journey to becoming a creative professional, but you will be a few steps ahead of those who sign up for the full-course once it opens for enrollment later this summer. Students of The 5-Day Crash Course will receive special early bird pricing for the full-course, where I will guide you through the entire process involved in the creation of custom design work. Because running a design studio takes a lot more than sitting down at the computer working on your designs, as you will soon find out. Ready? Grab your favorite drink (I'll take a soy vanilla late please), click on the button below and let's walk you through the door that leads to this amazing career that 18 years later I still love and enjoy – and I hope you will too! One of the most important, and sometimes most difficult lesson to learn when freelancing, is how to be true to yourself and know your worth. Worst yet, is when you know your worth, but are not charging accordingly and you begin to feel disenchanted with a project, client, or even your career. Now imagine working on that same exact project while earning a fair and well-deserved salary. Your spirits would lift, your energy levels would rise, and your ability to focus and quickly deliver drafts would allow you to thrive as a designer and excel in customer service. At the beginning of my journey as a custom wedding stationery designer, I used to spend a lot of time and energy trying to find ways to make a client’s small budget achieve similar results to that of a client who had significantly more to spend on their wedding stationery. Why? Well, first of all, I’m genuinely a nice person. I’m confident in my abilities as a designer and I’m very passionate about what I do. If I had a connection with a client who valued and appreciated my work, I found it difficult not to go the extra mile to ensure they got the most bang for their buck and provide them with the best customer service possible. “ Self-care is just as important as providing great customer service. Don't overwork yourself, especially if you're working for free. ” – Dio Perez, Design & Illustration One way I would save my customers money was by doing a lot of printing and cutting in my studio instead of sending the project out to the print shop. I didn’t have a stack cutter, so I would print the invitations on my laser printer and trim the edges with a rotary paper cutter, 2 sheets at a time. This would add at least 3 hours of manual labor to the project and I wasn’t able to bill manual labor at the same rate as design hours, so I was saving them money, but I was charging less while working longer hours, which eventually added more stress and frustration to my work day. I also spent a lot of time preparing estimates, sometimes up to 6 hours, for people that weren’t paying customers yet. Many times, because I had already spent so much time on the quote, if it was slightly over budget, I would offer discounts as an incentive, just to make sure I got the job and earn some kind of compensation for the hours I had already invested in the project. I would like to say I learned my lesson quickly, but the truth is I didn’t. For the first year or so, I just assumed this was the nature of the beast. I treated each project individually, assessing the needs of my clients first, then trying my best to give them the most value for their budget.
You see, when I first went solo 10 years ago, there wasn’t so much information available on the web, nor was there such thing as The Custom Stationery Course where I could learn all about running a custom stationery business. I learned all about it on my own, by trial and error, and it took a good year and half before I realized I could productize my services – and that, my friends, was liberating! The power of productizing your services Instead of spending an entire work day putting a quote together (for free) I took the guess work out of pricing by standardizing the process. My once hourly design rates were woven into a flat rate for the creation of a basic stationery ensemble. My price list clearly stated a starting budget requirement that covered the cost of this basic stationery set, which I would design and send to a professional print shop for production. This new pricing structure also included a price list for additional goods and services that would transform that basic design into a more detailed, customized piece of art, IF their budget allowed. Some of those add-ons included: computer calligraphy, wrap-around address labels, additional ink colors, rhinestones, card stock layers, etc. Productizing my services allowed me to stop selling myself short and enabled me to focus on things that mattered without losing so much of my valuable time on tasks that drained me. The quoting process became so much easier, to the point where clients themselves could come up with a pretty close estimate of what the final cost would be, just by looking at the price list. They knew from the start that they needed a budget of at least $500 to work with me, and the price went up from there. I know you’ve heard this before, but time is your most valuable asset. Time is money. Spend it wisely. Outsource the tasks that slow you down and those that pay you less than what your services are worth. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Find ways to simplify the process and free up your time to do the tasks that bring you joy. Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) files are a convenient way to save and share color swatches (also referred to as color libraries, or color palettes) that can be easily loaded into Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and/or Photoshop swatch palettes. This makes it very easy to access specific colors when switching back and forth between any of the three software applications. Video tutorial for loading ASE color files into Illustrator In the second half of the video you can see me using the freshly loaded swatches to change the color of my puppy illustration. When and how can I use ASE color files? ASE color files can be created for technical use or simply for reference/inspiration, such as:
How to load ASE color files to Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign
Below are the before and after shots of the puppy illustration. On the left is the original image, and to the right you see the new version featuring colors from my new "Pepper Berries on Gravel" color palette, available as a free ASE file download in my Monday Hues library. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If so, please share.
~ Dio Perez, Design & Illustration I remember the day I walked into my boss' office 10 years ago to give my 2 weeks notice. She asked why I was quitting and my reply was short and simple. I've always wanted to start my own business and this felt like the right time to do it. I had a one year old daughter at the time and I wanted to enjoy the first years of her life by spending time with her at home, while getting my business started. She gave me a look of surprise saying "I would never have the courage to do what you are doing" and wished me good luck. At the time I didn't understand why a very successful woman in her mid-50s, accomplished and business savvy wouldn't have the confidence to leave the corporate world? With all that experience under her belt, wouldn't she be better equipped than myself to start her own business?
FEAR The two weeks quickly arrived and I immediately dove into heavy research and setting up my new home office. Prior to starting my business, I managed a small graphics team where we created a variety of marketing pieces to promote the different entities within the property I worked for. Everything from custom invitations to logos, menus, direct mail pieces, posters, brochures - you name it! I thoroughly enjoyed my job for the first four years, but after becoming a mother, the small flame I had in me ever since I was a child telling me I was meant to own a business when I grew up (not knowing then what it would be), that small flame had become a potent fire burning inside of me. Climbing the corporate ladder didn't give me the joy that working on side projects or being able to spend time with my daughter did. I knew I was giving up a steady salary, paid vacation and health benefits, but it didn't phase me at the time. On the other hand, I was VERY afraid to miss out on more of my daughter's "firsts" and to fail myself by not trying to do what I was meant to do...and at that point I knew it was custom stationery design. WHERE TO START? I knew there was a lot of work to be done and I wasn't sure where to start, but we all have to start somewhere right? So I started with the business aspects first. I filed a fictitious business name with the county clerk, got my business license, a resale license, business bank account and PO Box. Next, I proceeded to create a brand for myself. A logo (which morphed over the years to better fit my business as it grew), business cards, I purchased a domain name and used Yahoo! Site Builder to design my own website. I knew I wanted to specialize in custom invitations for weddings and social events. My portfolio at the time didn't fully reflect the type of work I wanted to attract, but that didn't discourage me. On the contrary, I used that to my advantage by posting images of logos and invitations I had created in the past and emphasized my ability to brand weddings and social events in the same manner I had branded numerous corporate events for my former employer. My website consisted of just a few simple pages, samples of my work, my bio, a picture and contact information. No blog. In fact, I didn't even know what a blog was at the time. You have to remember, this was 10 years ago before social media and smart phones. While I think there is a big advantage to using social media to promote your business in this day and age, I do appreciate the fact that my work could be more easily found online back then, before the web became saturated with people's posts all across the social media platforms. FINDING MY WAY And that's how I did it. I just picked a place to start and I did it. Much like doing laundry, when the hamper is overflowing and you decide "well, I guess I'll start with whites..." that's what I did. I knew certain things had to be done, so I picked something and just tackled it, creating the momentum that got me going from one task to the next. The truth is, quitting my job and starting a business was the easy part. The challenges began afterwards, trying to find suppliers and vendors, and trying to keep up with design projects while doing other tasks to keep the business going, such as bookkeeping, purchasing, shipping, billing, etc. Another challenge I faced at the beginning was not knowing how much to charge, especially on projects I hadn't worked on before, such as creating custom illustrated maps and stuffing envelopes. But I never gave up. My business was (and still is) my passion. It kept me learning and growing professionally to the point where I had to chose. Do I expand and hire help or do I stay small? COMING FULL CIRCLE After much thought, tears and prayer I decided to stay small and return to the corporate world. There were many factors involved in making that choice. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but after seeing many of the wedding vendors in my circle lose their businesses during the recession in 2009, I started looking out for job opportunities "just in case." Once my husband lost his job, it wasn't an option anymore, it was a must. What felt like a crisis back then actually turned out to be a blessing. He eventually found a job where he has grown and excelled and I found a position where I continue to do what I love. Yep, I still design custom stationery and direct mail but I do it for a performing arts center now. This job gave my family stability during uncertain times and has allowed me to follow through in pursuing my two other interests: illustration and teaching. A typical work day while working for myself consisted of 12-14 hour work days, 6-7 days a week. I'd spend hours working on (non-design) operating tasks, but now that I have 8 solid hours a day to focus on design, plus paid holidays and vacation pay, I have regained numerous hours that I can dedicate to my family and to fulfilling my other entrepreneurial goals. Among them are growing my line of social stationery and teaching aspiring stationery designers the process and tools of the trade through my latest project, The Custom Stationery Course. KNOWING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU Just like I saw many of my friends lose their business during the recession, I also saw several continue to grow and thrive. Every situation is different and the challenges will always be present. It's part of the experience. My advice is for you is to see everything as an opportunity for growth. Follow your passion. Don't quit your job if you are not ready to do so, but keep working towards your dream. If you haven't, just start. Set one foot in front of the other and begin your journey. Because even if you experience a detour like I did, there are benefits that align with that detour. Sometimes the scenic route can be more joyful than anticipated, filled with new adventures and encounters with people you wouldn't have met otherwise. These people might be the ones who will ensure you arrive at your destination better prepared than you were prior to meeting them. It's been 4 years since I went back to the corporate world - it's gone by fast! I've met great people and I continue to run my business on the side as a "hobby" that gets me paid. I know the the full-time job is temporary, and I will take the leap to expand my stationery business and hire help in a few more years. At this point I'm taking advantage of the benefits that have come from taking a detour, but I am still living my dream, and that's what matters. On that note, I say to you Bon Voyage, my friend! Enjoy the journey! And if you ever need some pointers and guidance regarding graphic design an/or custom stationery design, I am here to help. |
Hi - I'm Dio!Graphic Designer & Spanglish Lettering Artist Topics
All
My Shops*Affiliate LinksI am often asked what tools I use to create my work, so I’ve incorporated Amazon affiliate links in my posts to products I like, use and recommend. This means that if you click and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission paid for by Amazon, not the customer.
Please note that anything marked with an asterisk (*) indicates an affiliate link. Resources*List of products I use & trust:
E-Courses |