Does Your Web Site Design Inspire Enough Confidence and Trust to Convert? Learn from the Experts at The Northeast Ohio Usability Professionals’ Upcoming Event - by Suzanne Galvez

Local experts in interactive design will discuss how Web design can be used to improve customer experience and overall site performance at The Northeast Ohio Usability Professionals’ Association’s upcoming November 17th event. (PRWEB) November 8, 2005 — The Web has come a long way since Y2K when usability guru Jakob Neilson proclaimed “Flash is 99% Bad” and called for the “End of Web Design.” In today’s world, usability alone is no longer enough to win the hearts, minds (and wallets) of your Web site visitors. According to consumerwebwatch.org, nearly half of all consumers will assess the credibility of your site based on its aesthetic appeal and visual design. Just as the expectations of today’s Web site visitors have grown increasingly sophisticated, so have the techniques of Web designers and usability professionals. Join The Northeast Ohio Usability Professionals’ Association (NEOUPA) on Thursday, November 17th for a panel discussion on how to best use Web design to improve customer experience and overall site performance. NEOUPA has assembled a seasoned panel of experts to address the latest user-centered design techniques, best practices, and emerging new media technologies. Topics covered: • Redesigners verses realigners: The difference between good and great • Transitioning from print to Web: Designing for users • Web design techniques and best practices: Site search, page graphics and flash • Harnessing the power of interactive multimedia: Strategies to improve communication & the user experience • The future of Web design, what’s next? Meeting Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. $20 for non-members $15 for NEOUPA members $10 for students Location: Progressive Insurance, 6300 Wilson Mills Road, Mayfield Village, Ohio Register today at www.NEOUPA.org Featured panelists include: Craig Minch Craig Minch is a Cleveland native and 6-year interactive design veteran. He is Creative Director at Digital Day Creative Group, an interactive design and marketing firm located in Northeast Ohio. Craig is known for producing clean, easy-to-use, and search engine friendly designs, interfaces and commerce systems. His work has been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA), Flash Forward, the Webby Awards, Graphic Design USA , Print Magazine and the Web Marketing Association. John-Paul Walton John-Paul Walton is a designer for Nesnadny + Schwartz, a design firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. Focusing on interactive and Web design, he has produced Web sites, CD-ROMS, and other media for institutions, corporations, and organizations nationwide. His work has been featured in publications such as Print, Graphis, and Graphic Design: USA, winning numerous design awards. John-Paul is especially interested in interaction design, and the role that interface plays in communication and user experience. He is the Interactive Design chair of the Cleveland chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). John-Paul is also an active artist, composer, and member of 409 - a digital art and design community active in Cleveland, through which he has been involved in gallery shows, performances and collaborative projects. Todd Bertsch Todd Bertsch is currently a Sr. Web Designer at Insurance.com, an online insurance resource providing real-time comparative auto insurance quotes located in Solon, Ohio. Todd has 10 years experience in Web and user-centered design. Todd is a published author and teacher. He has taught graphic design courses at Cuyahoga Community College for 5 years, and is currently teaching graphic design at the University of Akron. He is a member of Northeast Ohio Usability Professionals’ Association and The Web Association. He is also creator of DesignDump.com, an online resource for graphic and Web designers. Register today at www.NEOUPA.org More Information Suzanne Galvez, Vice President of eMergent Marketing, www.emergentmarketing.com, will be the moderator of this event. For more information, please contact Suzanne at 216-245-0494.

Do I need to use a Graphic Designer? - by Neil Aplin

It has been said that graphic designers are increasingly
unnecessary - companies know what they want, they have a
member of staff able to do the work, and companies are
unwilling to pay for outside graphic design services that
they deem expensive when costs are being squeezed.

But is this really so? Companies may be saving on costs, but
maybe at the expense of what experienced graphic designers
add to the profitability of the company.

Many companies understand the importance of how they project
themselves through their printed materials. The
effectiveness of the messages they want to get across to
their customers are vital to their commercial success. They
must be consistent in the way they present themselves; in
the way they express their corporate identity. And they must
forever steal a march on their competitors in exciting their
existing and potential customers.

In recent years the software for graphic design (CorelDraw,
Illustrator, Quark, Photoshop etc.) has become freely
available on the High Street and compatible for PC’s. This
has brought the creation of the files to print from within
the scope of anyone within a company confident enough to put
together company leaflets, brochures and stationery.

In major corporations this task has been assigned to
qualified graphic designers brought in house, or to existing
staff with an interest in design and some appropriate
training. In SME’s staff have had to train themselves
through trial and error (with the help of patient print
studios!).

In the former the resultant files for print have been good
enough to print from, and depending on the level of training
invested, the design work has been fit for purpose.

In the SME’s the quality of files has been frustrating
sometimes for the ever patient printer to work from, and the
design often done a disservice to the company concerned.

The printer receiving files that need work on to make ready
for print suffers additional costs in his studio sorting the
files out (which he is often hesitant to charge for), and
time delays achieving delivery deadlines which his client
invariably attributes to the printer.

The qualified graphic designer however has an advantage on
both categories of in-house designer. He will be experienced
in the software programmes so avoiding delays and mistakes.
And whether he works alone or within a major design agency
he will understand all the graphic design tricks of the
trade that achieves effective design.

Whilst the non-qualified company designer will be fighting
with the programme, trying to implement in the design work
at all, the qualified designer will be concentrating on how
to get a complicated brand message across in a simple visual
way.

Even in-house design studios with excellent designers
struggle with one basic problem. How do we create the next
printed piece that moves the company forward into new
territory when their imaginations and creativity has been
stifled for so long within the same stories and visual
solutions?

Again, the outside graphic designer has the advantage. He
works on a range of different briefs from a range of
different clients within different industry sectors. He is
exposed to the on-going evolution of design ideas through
colleagues, different client interactions, and the design
media - as well as drawing on all the years of training he
endured that covered the history of design development and
the understanding of what designs work in each and every
design scenario. He can think outside the box that the
in-house designer is trapped in!

Perhaps you are beginning to suspect that your competitors
are biting at your heels because your customers are being
lured away by more exciting design; by design that they feel
more able to trust and identify with. Perhaps effective
design is more important than short-term cost-cutting.

Perhaps you do need to use a graphic designer?

To Discover How to Get More Out Of Your Graphic Design:

Visit: www.pxlpig.com

Copyright 2006 - Neil Aplin (neilaplin@excite.com)

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes
are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our
website URL remains active.

Neil Aplin has been working in marketing and sales for more than 22 years, including representing the Field Marketing industry on the ISP Codes of Practice Committee. He has worked on both sides of the fence; for both client companies as the design and print buyer, as well as for design agencies and printers.

Designing a graphic design portfolio - by Vincent

Graphic design is the art of combining design principles, technology and ingenuity to arrive at solutions for a variety of visual communication needs. It is used in making business cards, logos, movie title graphics, websites, user manuals and signage. An attractive graphic design enhances visibility of the product and generates revenue for the client. Therefore, the graphic designer is an important member of the core team working on the campaign.

Most clients would need proof of one’s designing abilities. It is not as much about the list of former clients or award-winning work done before. It is about what the designer is capable of. Hence, every designer needs to compile his design solutions into a portfolio. The portfolio should be put together with care. It is like the business card for a designer.

The potential client is more interested in knowing whether you have the skill to translate his design needs into an effective campaign rather than your list of qualifications. The portfolio should, therefore, reflect the type of work you are comfortable in doing. A beginner or a person who does not work with many clients may not have much to show. In such a case, it is better to include most of the designs, which the person has done in the past.

The most important aspect of compiling the portfolio is to decide the pieces that would go into it. If you do not have many products to show, then it is better to include work, which you had done for friends. As we said before, clients are not concerned about who hired you before. They are just interested in knowing what kind of design capabilities you possess. For a newcomer or a freelancer, there could be possibilities of work done for close family, community organizations and friends. It is wise to accommodate such pieces in your portfolio. They reveal the ability to come up with acceptable solutions within budgetary constraints.

The portfolio should contain actual samples. For example, include brochures, fliers, book covers etc. On every project, obtain one or two copies for sample or portfolio use. File it away neatly. If your work was part of a larger design, such as illustrations in a book, include only those pages, by tearing them off. In case, you are not able to obtain originals, take printouts from your digital files or photocopies. More and more designers work in the area of web design. Include screen shots and high-resolution print outs from the website.

Once the pieces are chosen, one has to assemble them in a portfolio case. The case should accentuate the work rather than distract from it. Size of the case depends on the size of the materials. Place your best work at the beginning and at the end. You can also arrange according to clients or skill types. Always update your portfolio as you complete new projects.

A well-thought out and neatly presented portfolio is the first step towards establishing your business credentials. It indicates your methodical approach and makes you dependable in the eyes of prospective clients.

Visit Graphic Design

Vincent Platania
We have a professional team of graphic designers that possess artistic ability and creative thinking for designing eye catching graphic design. Visit Graphic Design

Designers Learn Powerful Photoshop Techniques for Direct Mail Graphic Design - by Mike Klassen

Designers find that a little knowledge of Photoshop goes a long way in direct mail design. (PRWEB) October 17, 2005 — A group of about 30 up-and-coming direct mail graphic designers gathered in Florida this month to study direct mail layout and design techniques and how to take their design business to the next level. The attendees had gathered as part of American Writers & Artists Inc.’;s annual Graphic Design Bootcamp. Sessions included marketing techniques, pricing fundamentals and tips on how to use Photoshop to achieve powerful effects for direct mail design. The Photoshop session was presented by Mike Klassen, the president of Klassen Communications, a direct mail layout and design studio based in Everett, Washington. Klassen said that despite the power and intimidation factor of Photoshop, the techniques he presented were actually quite simple. “We examined six techniques that are used in direct mail on a regular basis. In some cases, it doesn’;t take more than 10 or 15 minutes to create a subtle, yet powerful effect,” said Klassen. One technique demonstrated during the session was creating a duotone for the cover photo of a direct market premium, an easy technique that only takes a couple of clicks of the mouse. However, Klassen went further, explaining how the choice of color can impact the choices a direct mail designer has throughout the rest of the design, and demonstrated tricks for using certain colors that might not appear obvious at first glance. Lighter colors work well on photos, but can’;t easily be used for text highlights throughout the design of a two-color piece. Dark colors work well for text, but not that well on a photo. But a simple technique allowed attendees to see how to work with virtually any color. Graphic designers often have to change their mindset when moving into the direct mail design field. According to Klassen, “Direct mail design is a lot different than what people traditionally think of when they hear the words graphic design. For direct mail graphic design, simple techniques are required to enhance the marketing message. Going crazy with the power of Photoshop, which newcomers to the field often do, is a quick way to destroy an otherwise strong direct marketing piece.” About Klassen Communications Klassen Communications is a direct mail layout and design studio. The company handles the layout and design of sales letters, newsletters, eBooks and more. Visit http://www.mikeklassen.com or call 1-425-337-3593.

Design Talkboard - Graphic Design News and Talk Forum - by Richard Shadbolt

Design Talkboard is a new graphic design, web design and pre-press web site for designers, design students and pre-press professionals. (PRWEB) March 19, 2005 — Providing news and comment on issues relevant to graphic designers and students of design, Design Talkboard aims to become one of the leading sources of graphic design information on the web. Design : Talkboard is a design resources, web design, design software and pre-press web site for professional graphic designers, design students and pre-press professionals. As well as design industry news, Design : Talkboard has an active and friendly user talk forum, where members can comment and exchange information about graphic design, web design and design software related issues. Some members ask for feedback on their portfolios or web site projects - whilst others are happy simply asking for, or giving, advice on technical issues or sharing their experience with useful career advice. Design : Talkboard also provides sections devoted to other design resources on the web and provides reviews of many useful tools for creatives - such as a recent primer of 3D graphics software. There are links to design software tutorial web sites, Apple Mac resources and many other useful sources of creative information. Design : Talkboard also provides an extensive Creative Directory of useful design links. This ranges from design education, to film, to photography, personal portfolios, to web and usability design. Recommendations for inclusion in the Creative Directory for relevant design sites are always welcome.

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