Notes from Notchcode

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Notes from Notchcode

12.15.2009

Cost versus Value: Why Your Design Intern Can't do a Designer's Job "for Free"

A colleague in the graphic design world told me the other day his position in an in-house marketing department was being eliminated. In this economy, this is unfortunately not unusual. And even more unfortunately usual, the company decided marketing was the first place to start cutting (because, you know, it makes so much sense to hamper your advertising and outreach efforts when you need to find more revenue).

The thing that was really galling, to him and to me, is that the owner of the company decided that they would be replacing this designer (who is not a newbie, mind you), with an intern who will--wait for it--work for free. Free, as in beer. Now as a business owner, I get all excited whenever I hear that I can get something for nothing. The problem is, you usually get what you pay for.

I'm not here to say all interns are worthless as replacements for designers; some, who are talented, very self-motivated, and have prior experience in both the techniques and application of those techniques--those interns may do a good job. But in my experience, this is a rare occurrence.

Interns can be a valuable addition to your staff. It can take production and some design loads off your design team and allow you to increase your capacity. And I've had good interns that not only helped with production but were creative as well. But the problem with an intern is inherent in what they're there for: to learn. If there's no designer, and the intern is doing all the work, the boss is going to be spending a lot of time training that intern in how to do basic stuff--and not just the finer points of using software, etc. And who will the intern learn from if there's no designer there?

The real learning curve an intern will go through when thrust into a graphic design job is in how to create effective design efficiently. I have yet to see an intern pop out design work that is effective at getting the audience to respond without literally scores of iterations. Seriously, I wanted to throw the computer out of the window when I would come back after an hour and see the intern staring blankly at the screen, with one, maybe two, elements on the screen. And the "tutorial" screen up on the window. (This, by the way, is when the designer steps in and helps the intern with whatever is stymying them.) In the time a designer with even one year of real-world experience would have a dozen variations on a concept completed, and be refining them down to half a dozen or so to present to me, the average intern would typically have three or four ideas completed. It's not a knock against the intern, because as I said, they are there to watch, learn, and practice in a real-world environment. They're not supposed to be banging out stuff super-fast.

Add to the design issues a lot of hand-holding and over-the-shoulder watching the boss will have to do in order to get a product that doesn't make their company look like they just fell off the turnip truck, and you're talking about a Bad Idea. I know in his mind, the boss is thinking "this is great! I just saved all this money by having an intern do the design work!" But in the long run, he'll suffer for it, in time spent managing the intern, and in the loss of revenue poor quality work will bring to the company. Can anybody say "incorrectly preflighted layout file that will result in the company having to pay thousands of dollars for a new press run?"

So: first off, interns take a lot of time and attention to get something approaching a similar result that an experienced designer could return more efficiently. The intern will cost money: your boss's time is money, yes? The revenue lost by creating designs that are less effective can be measured in dollars, yes? An intern "working for free" is not free. It will cost, and cost more than you think.

Secondly, there's the issue of a designer's experience; both at the company and in general. Designers are hired because the company liked their work, thought they could create designs that would resonate with their audience, and make them money. They looked to the designer's past work, and past experience, when making that decision. That's a big part of the value a designer bring to a company: leveraging that experience and know-how to create effective communication materials.

Aside from the experience and training a designer brings to the table, there's the weeks, even months of in-house training and learning once the designer is hired. This time spent learning the company's marketing and advertising strategy and utilizing that knowledge to create effective design for the company is worth a lot, both in the designer's value to the company and to the bottom line. That training is going down the toilet if they let a designer go. They'll have to start from scratch.

Here's the bottom line: interns are great assets to any organization. They help carry the load and learn a lot at the same time. But they are not replacements for experienced, qualified design professionals.

Labels: advice, b2b, graphic design, performance, ROI, small business

posted at 2:18 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

10.20.2009

A List Apart waves red flags on your potential client

In "Getting to No", Greg Hoy (of Happy Cog) outlines five items worth thinking about when considering a new client relationship. Even with all my years behind the wheel of my own design practice, it was nice to see these pitfalls elucidated so clearly. As the spouse of a project manager who is on the client side of a client-designer relationship, I see the value in this article for potential clients as well.

For more on The Vanishing Boss, The Prospect With Ants In Their Pants, and more, check out Hoy's article over at A List Apart.

image of the Dada Crypt via Ed_45 on Flickr.
Labels: advice, b2b, b2c, work

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10.05.2009

Soft vs. Hard in the Entertainment/Design mega-complex

My old school chum Jason Apollo Voss has some interesting things to say on the value of good design and art in business today over on his blog.

a snippet:

It used to be that good art and good design were the exclusive purview of the wealthy. Now good design is everywhere and accessible by everyone. Look at the packaging on products, look at the shape of the toilet, look at the lamp options at Target, etc. The public loves what they love. And that comes courtesy of an artist. In short, art is everywhere.

Check it out.
Labels: art, b2b, b2c, craftsmanship, design

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7.14.2009

A Ringing Endorsement

Sometimes a negative is a positive, especially when it comes from a company that has an even worse online portfolio than I do! Really, folks, I know my site is still in the stone age, but don't talk the trash if you can't back it up with work we can see (the portfolio section, if you can call it that, was some sort of slow-loading Java thingie that never finished loading, and wasn't branded with the same UX as the rest of their site. C'mon, people! Let's use something better than iWeb to build your own site--especially if you offer web design services!)

The interesting thing to me is that these guys are in southern California (a place where I've never had any clients) and work primarily in the entertainment industry (which, aside from being a DP on a friend's short, I've never worked in or for). Love the birdie photo on the right, especially. I mean, really, WTF? Is this how you promote your business? I have a feeling they pulled my name off a Google search for "creative services denver" (picking Denver at random, perhaps) and plucked my URL from there.

Who knows? Who cares, really? Just another example that the internet may be a great place to find good people who can help you to make your business succeed, and it can also be a place full of mediocrity and Red Bull-filled nonsense.
Labels: b2b, branding, california, humor, underpants gnomes

posted at 11:23 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

7.09.2009

Compensation: Graphic Designers

Planet Money asked people how they are compensated, and I added my two cents today, regarding graphic designers. I've posted about this before, but it's a nice (relatively brief) summary:

Compensation for graphic designers is all over the map, depending on how long you've been in the industry, how your shop is set up, and what you have been trained (by either clients or your boss) to expect.

Most designers who work for someone else--in a studio or in an in-house design department--make a salary, like many white-collar workers. Benefits, etc. all depend on the size, wealth, and philosophy of the employing firm. So that's fairly "normal".

Where it gets interesting is when you're working for yourself, or looking at how the client/studio relationship works in regards to compensation.

Crowdsourcing, and Logo "Competitions"
Of late there has been a lot of "crowdsourcing" of logos: logo "competitions", where freelancers submit a design (based on very little info about the "client" company), in hopes of being the "winner" and having their design chosen. The payout for this is usually very small--a few hundred dollars for something that (when a firm does a lot of research, takes time to get to know the client's organization, and so on) potentially is worth several thousand dollars, at minimum. A lot of designers, design advocacy organizations, and professional groups have come out against this model, saying it's bad for both the designer (not getting paid fairly) and for the client (not getting a logo or brand identity that's really all that effective).

Value-based Fees
Typically, a graphic designer will charge a fee based on the value their finished product has for their client. The logo for a small local business with a lower annual revenue has less value assigned to it than a brand identity for a national, multi-million dollar corporation. A lot of time is spent by designers and firm owners figuring out what these values are, and how the value _they_ assign to them fits into the competitive marketplace. A firm may charge more for a given product for a given client than another firm, but perhaps they offer value-added services (additional consultation, an approach that fits the personality of the client better, and so on).

These fees take into account not only the value that the client places on the product, but (internally) takes into account the actual amount of research, concept, design, production, and implementation time for the designer. They know that they can't make less than $X per hour if they want to pay rent on their studio, cover health insurance, buy design software upgrades, and so on. And since on average a designer only does about an hour of design work for every two or three hours spent looking for work (or planning projects, or doing their accounting) the actual hourly rate is lower than the figured rate.

The client usually doesn't see any of this. It's part of the larger calculation that figures in the value of the piece to the client, as well as hard costs of production.

Hourly Rates
Other designers will charge their clients an hourly rate, but in my experience this hurts the client, the designer, and --ultimately-- the project. If you're paid hourly, what's the incentive to work efficiently? If the client runs out of money, does the project stop where it is, or proceed with the designer getting paid less, effectively, per hour? Or does the client cough up more dough?

Setting Expectations
Whether a designer is charging based on value or based on time, a set fee for a project with a defined scope of work is better for everyone, setting boundaries and expectations on all sides, and resulting in happier designers and clients in the end. The AIGA has excellent resources for designers (both those just starting out and those of us who have been at it for a while) regarding contracts, fees, and terms of use; as well as resources for people who need to hire a designer.
Labels: advice, b2b, graphic design, logo

posted at 10:55 AM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

6.19.2009

Why it's Awesome to be a freelancer

While I agree with many of the points Andy makes in 10 Reasons It Sucks to Be a Freelancer, I think (if you are a good fit for the job) it's a great thing to be. With Notchcode going into its tenth (!) year, and with me going at it full-time since 2002, here's my perspective on why being a freelancer rocks:

1. You are your own boss.

This is the excellent part everyone who strikes out on their own sees when they pull the trigger and start working for themselves. Now, by "boss", I mean "someone who sets the agenda, schedule, and priorities in your life". Your REAL boss is your clientele, but that's true whether you're working for yourself or for someone else, so we'll set that part of things aside. What I'm talking about here is the day-to-day aspects of having a job. Don't like working in the morning? Fine: No eight AM meetings, ever again. Like to go for a bike ride before work (as I do)? Go for it. Need to pick up the kids and mind them from three PM till dinnertime? No prob. You set the schedule.
(CAVEAT): This also means you need to be responsible enough to work time into your schedule to actually get the work done, meet with your clients, do your bookkeeping, and so on, at other times during the day. Being your own boss doesn't mean being a slacker--it just means being the master of your schedule.

2. You get more work in a recession.

A cartographer I know is insanely busy this summer. I am busier now than this time last year. Why? A lot of in-house creative staff has been let go. And while I definitely shed a tear for my peeps (I was once one of them, too), it's also an opportunity to get more work. Just because there's a recession doesn't mean businesses and organizations need less creative work. Often, they need more: ad rates are cheaper in a recession, and you can build your brand on less budget--but only if you have the creative content and marketing work in place to take advantage of it. While small shops and freelancers have to pay more FICA, deal with their own health insurance, etc., our overhead in the short term is probably lower than an in-house asset (although losing the in-house body of experience and knowledge is a mighty hurdle to overcome with outside talent). I won't say that a lot of my larger clients are giving me huge projects (because they aren't), I will say that small entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the marketing vacuum right now to launch new projects (which need marketing and development) and larger organizations are doing a lot of smaller, strategic projects with the budgets they have on-hand. And small shops/freelancers are perfect for that.

3. Pick your clients.

Granted: When you're starting out, it's really hard to pick and choose whom you're working for. Nevertheless, one thing I've learned is it pays to be picky. If you sense a prospective client is going to be too high-maintenance, isn't a good fit for your capabilities or style, or doesn't have the budget for what you think the project needs, sack them before you get going (nicely. No need to be impolite). You'll find that as you build your clientele with groups you enjoy working with, they refer other good groups your way (mostly). It's a positive feedback loop that makes both you and your clients happy. If you like to do work for hot air balloonists, you'll probably find a lot of other hot air balloonists calling you after you do a great job for your first one.

4. You can work from anywhere, with anyone, in any location.

I work out of my home, my favorite independent coffee shop, my car, a park--anywhere I want. It allows me to put myself in the best place to get work done and to be creative. If I find things too distracting in one location, I pick up the laptop and the client folder and head somewhere else. Some companies enable this with a more open attitude, but not many. You can also find yourself working with a wide variety of organizations in lots of different locations. From my home base in Denver, I've done work for clients in Oregon, California, Washington, D.C., Iowa, and across Colorado. I've worked with vendors from all over the place, as well, which is another cool thing, if you like to see how people in other places do the same thing your usual vendors do. There is the time zone difference to consider, but it's never been a deal-breaker for me.

5. Set your price, your standards, and your scope.

We all know that the market has a say in how much you get paid (on average, anyhow); but there's a lot of latitude. If you are an expert with years of experience in a specific area of graphic design, or web development, for example, you can command a higher rate. You can also be more flexible than a larger firm can (less overhead for you to consider) when it comes to striking a deal with a client you really want to work with. And you have the satisfaction of being the person who sets a monetary value on your worth. You also don't have to do something you don't want to do. You don't have to settle for less, which your boss may want you to do if you're running over on time, for example. And you can define your practice to fit the specific scope of work you enjoy doing--and are awesome at. If you only like doing user experience work, just do user experience work. Refer your clients to someone else for the rest of the project (or better yet, bid on the job together and get a package deal).

Those are just five reasons why it's great to be a freelancer. There's lots more. I started being my own boss, exclusively, in the last recession, and haven't looked back, and am loving it. If you find yourself spending your coffee breaks, day after day, considering going solo: do the research, make a plan, and go for it!
Labels: advice, b2b, freedom, process, work

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4.06.2009

What's in a good design proposal

I've been writing a heck of a lot of proposals this month, and probably have written hundreds over the last ten years. Regardless of the scope of work, the type of project, or the size of the client or client's budget, there are some key things that you should look for in any design proposal, and they're all based on setting expectations--on both sides of the table.

What are you doing?

Spell out broadly, then specifically, then in excruciating detail, exactly what you're doing for the client.

How are you going to do it?

Discuss the process; how are you going to get from step one to step three?

When will it get done?

List a specific schedule for each step, including things the client is responsible for. Make sure they know they are an important part of the process by including them in the planning process for a schedule.

How much will it cost?

I'm of the opinion that the client likes to see the project fees broken down in some way, whether it's by job function (design/production/copywriting/etc.) or by project phase (research/conceptualization/layout/revisions/etc.). This helps them--and those above them who have to approve budgets, perhaps--to get a handle on where all the money (read:effort and time) is going.

Of course, this method is value-based vs. hourly-rate agnostic; you can place the full value of your concept work in the "Concept" row, or you can simply list a number based on your hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours you plan on spending on that task. I won't go nto detail here, as I've posted about it before, but design is a value-adding process, and I would advocate charging based on the value the client will get out of a certain function of your work, as opposed to merely the hourly rate you value your time at.

What will the client get?

List explicitly what the client will receive at the end of the project. In my case, it's the right to use a certain design for a certain application for a certain amount of time, for example. That, and the physical or electronic deliverables they receive comprise the total deliverable package they pay for.

Terms

Make sure you use a good, vetted set of terms. The AIGA and the Graphic Artists' Guild are good places to start; your lawyer is a good place to end.

Sign on the dotted line

Make sure you and your client sign the agreement. It is a contract, after all.

Photo via flickr by A National Acrobat

Labels: advice, b2b, graphic design, process, small business, work

posted at 5:21 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

3.04.2009

How designers charge

I've been asked by a number of new clients and friends how graphic designers charge for their services. Here's how I do it:

I prefer to charge on a per-project basis, estimating a fee that accurately reflects the value that the client will get out of both the intellectual property I create, and the physical/virtual expressions of that property. For example, if asked to create a direct mail brochure for a nonprofit client's annual giving campaign, the intellectual property includes:

the research and investigation into their audience, marketplace (competition), and goals,

the concept of the piece, including marketing direction and consultation,

copywriting and visual hooks or elements unique to the piece, which integrate their branding and overall marketing strategy,

There's more, but those are the basics.

The expressions, of course, would be:
the graphic design based on the approved concept,

revisions to the design based on feedback from the client, focus groups, stakeholders, etc (although most of this feedback should be handled in the conceptual phase, it sometimes leaks over into the design phase),

production of the approved design layout for printing, coding for e-mail or web, etc.

overseeing fulfillment with vendors (printers, web hosts, programmers, etc.)

Partially, there is an hourly rate component embedded in here. As any small business owner knows, you have a certain hourly wage your workers (including yourself) must generate in order to make the business profitable. $x per hour for y man-hours a year minus expenses (including salaries, taxes, etc.) roughly equals your profitability. So you can't not have an hourly rate as some portion of the equation, at least from a pragmatic standpoint. Hourly rates are also an important part of out-of-scope work elements (say, you decide to add a micro-website on top of the previously-negotiated brochure project). Those rates can serve the practical function of covering your firm's time, while also acting as a bit of a warning to clients to try and get all the work covered in the original project, so as to avoid extra charges.

The hourly rate isn't the only factor in a project's cost, of course, because we are talking about the value that the finished work has to the client. If a client is only using this piece for a one-year campaign, it's not as valuable as something they will use over and over (like, say, a brand identity). Therefore, it will cost less than a more long-lived product, even if the work takes the same amount of time and effort to produce. Many of the books on the subject show a percentage calculation for this sort of value (or other values, such as turning over all the source files, or re-using a design that was only licensed for one-time use). The value is really the important thing to stress, both for designers and their clients, because it frames the product of a designer's work in the right way. Like architects, lawyers, scientists, and other professionals who generate intellectual property which is then applied in the "real world" around us, the value in a designer's output isn't in the mechanics of creation; it lies instead in the application of creative and analytical thinking to a particular problem, which results in a practical solution.

So with this overarching concept of charging based on value, it's important to note exactly what the client gets, in-hand, at the end of the process. Contrary to what most people assume, it's not the actual product of all that work; rather, it's the right to use that intellectual property in a certain way. It's a license.

That license may be limited by time or quantity, or geography (one year, 5,000 brochures, only in North America); or it may be completely unlimited. In the design world, it's usually an exclusive license, as a designer is making something that's "purpose-built"--made for a very specific application such as a capital campaign, or fundraiser, or season ticket brochure. A programmer may specify the license is non-exclusive, since more than one person may be using, say, their video game.

By specifying the scope of a license, the value can accurately be assessed, and the client doesn't pay more than the worth of the designer's work for the use the client needs. Why buy the bridge, when you just want to walk over it once?

This aspect--licensing--can flummox even business professionals who otherwise comprehend much more complex concepts. Many people assume that design work is more like carpentry: they ask you to build it, and take possession of it. This is a concept known as "work for hire", and many others (illustrators, photographers, graphic designers) have detailed why it's a bad idea, so I won't go into it here. Suffice to say that work for hire practices ultimately stifle creativity and can generate unwelcome issues for both the creator and the party commissioning the work. Both leading professional graphic arts organizations, the Graphic Artists' Guild explicitly opposes work for hire, and the AIGA also seems to concur (albeit without the vitriol or explicitness of the GAG).

So who sets prices? Ultimately, the market does. There's a reason multinational corporations pay millions of dollars for a brand identity: it's worth it. Likewise, there's a reason local businesses pay a certain amount for a new website: it's worth it. The great thing for businesses is they aren't forced to pay a certain amount for a service. Someone shopping the design market for, say, a website, will find a range of fees offered from different firms for the same thing. They would also see a range of capabilities, creative outlooks, and strategies for production and implementation from these firms. But there will be a range, and that range is determined by what those firms have independently determined a given project, with certain specifications, is worth to that type of client at that time. While there are guidelines (based on surveys made nationwide), they don't determine a given firm's rate for a project any more than market pressures in their area do.

It's also important to note that as I alluded to above, price is just one variable to consider when shopping a project around for a designer. Businesses and designers need to have compatible viewpoints on strategy, approach, attitude, working methods, and other things, to really have a successful outcome. I've found that if an organization is shopping exclusively on price, they will get what they pay for, and not get what they really want, or really need.

I should also note that the basic principles I mention here are used by most of the reputable professionals in the field. People just starting out, students looking for a little extra money for tuition--they may charge differently. I'm certainly not saying everyone should apply these principles, but I am saying lots of us do, which is why I've outlined them here.

Hopefully this has been informative. I'd love to answer your specific questions about the pricing process, (and bid on a project, if you have one in mind!). Just e-mail me or leave your questions in the comments.
Labels: advice, b2b, b2c, graphic design, licensing, process, work, work for hire

posted at 11:39 AM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

2.19.2009

A tour of $99 logo sites, by Doug Bartow

Ever wondered what you get from a bargain-basement, cheapo logo firm that offers "unlimited revisions" (even "unlimited concepts"!) for less that it costs for a good pair of spinning rims for your Bentley? Well, if you make enough to own a Bentley, you probably have the business sense not to ever find out. Instead, consider this wonderful post from Doug Bartow, who held his nose long enough to get logos from four of the "top" cheap logo companies. As a branding and design guy, he takes a critical look at what was offered up to his fictional company, a (nonexistent) rollerderby team in Troy, New York.

some of my favorite excerpts:

[traditional brand designers] operate under the somewhat antiquated notion that actually getting to know our clients might help us better understand their communications needs, and, as a result, do a better job defining and articulating their message in an engaging and compelling way. Crazy, I know.

...

After about 10 minutes, the "wizard" determined my rollerderby club's profile to be a "strong, confident and sophisticated business." Sophisticated? Perfect, if I were TAG Heuer or BMW.

...

Rather than focusing on clearly understanding the client's business and needs, the general solution put forth seems to be simply providing more and more sketches until something visually clicks—or the client's budget is depleted.

The whole story (and the accompanying logos that Bartow received) are worth a look. The main point is that a good logo comes from knowing the organization, it's hopes, aims, audience, and personality...not easy to do via a one- (or seven-) page form on a website (plus the $99, of course).
Labels: b2b, b2c, branding, customer service, graphic design, logo

posted at 2:17 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

2.11.2009

Local Business Plug o' the Week: Indra's Net

I do a lot of web design, website development, and website consulting--in addition to the marketing, print design, etc.. Probably 60-75% of my current in-house project load is web work. That means lots of web hosting!

The range of clients' web-hosting-savvy is pretty broad: everything from people who have had a web presence since the mid '90s at the same provider, all the way through clients who are getting a site up for the first time and don't know what they need.

I've dealt with discount and higher-end web host providers, both national and local, and have one recommendation for anyone who wants web hosting done right: Indra's Net.

They have been in the biz forever, and have excellent people, facilities, and services for all sorts of web implementations. 24/7/365 live local support is a given, as is their friendly, non-condescending attitude when you need to get some advice.

They aren't the cheapest. But they are the best I've found. And that makes a difference worth paying for.

The real Bonus: they are right up the road in Boulder!
Labels: b2b, colorado, web design

posted at 2:58 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

1.22.2009

Notchcode Creative and the Native American Community Development Corporation announce the launch of the new NACDC.ORG website

The Native American Community Development Corporation launched their new website today, allowing stakeholder communities, funders, and the general public to easily access information about this important organization and their work. Notchcode helped them make it happen.

About the NACDC, and what they needed in a website

The NACDC works with Native communities to address underlying factors that inhibit economic development and the productive use of available financial capital. NACDC focuses its efforts in key areas to include financial education, housing, the re-acquisition of indian lands, agricultural lending, small business development and finance, and school-based mini-banks for students.

The NACDC's new website needed to be functional for its audience, and inform prospective funders and current stakeholders about the programs and initiatives that advance the mission of the organization. The website offers an inexpensive outreach option for a group that is dedicated to smart allocation of resources, and focuses primarily on its programs. Current Tribal partners, as well as prospective partners, can use the site to find out more about the initiatives the corporation has that would benefit them. Prospective funders and granting organizations can get supplemental information on the NACDC, facilitating funding decisions and further discussion of their goals.

Notchcode worked with NACDC staff to identify the best information architecture to meet the outreach and marketing needs of the organization, as well as presenting the organization as best in class for Tribal community financial outreach and education.

About the web site's new design and interface

The new web site was designed by Notchcode Creative, working closely with the NACDC, to showcase the vitality that their organization brings to Native American communities nationwide. An analysis of audience needs, demographics, and usage patterns resulted in an improved information architecture and W3C-compliant user interface. An existing financial education minisite is also integrated into the site.

The website also incorporates a new brand identity, developed by Nakota Designs, a Native American branding and design firm. They collaborated with Notchcode to deliver source files which Notchcode staff adapted for use on the site. Notchcode also utilized the brand's typographic and color themes to integrate the site into the organization's other anticipated marketing efforts.

Online donations integrated and trackable

Notchcode also integrated an online donation component throughout NACDC.org, utilizing Groundspring and Network For Good's Donate Now! suite of online tools. Donors can make singular or recurring donations from any page on the NACDC site. Each page has a unique tracking code for donations, enabling the NACDC staff to analyze what page content generates the highest value donations.
Labels: b2b, b2c, clients, interface, nonprofits, W3C, web design

posted at 5:04 PM Leave your comments here: 1 comments

1.14.2009

Thoughts on Hirschfeld declaring bankruptcy, and the future of newspapers

102 years old and Bankrupt

I heard yesterday what was made official today: National Hirschfeld was closing their doors, citing a lack of financing. Over 250 people were laid off immediately. Hirschfeld had been in business in Denver for 102 years.

I have also heard from industry insiders that national Hirschfeld owed nearly $2 million to at least two paper vendors, along with debts to other smaller vendors.

Hirschfeld had a number of reputations in town. For a while they were the go-to printer for large offset work, and even some web, depending on who they were competing against. They wanted the big-name, glamor pieces, and would price aggressively to get them. Because they had so much printing capacity on the floor they often underbid the competition by a substantial amount in order to keep the presses running.

Unfortunately, I never had much luck with the projects I sent to Hirschfeld. I would say well over half of them developed issues related to poor prepress preparation of the job, inadequate proofing internally, and a lack of attention to detail. This caused myself--and many of my design colleagues--to avoid printing at Hirschfeld whenever possible. I hadn't sent a job there in over eight years. But Hirschfeld kept rumbling along, powered by Barry Hirschfeld's good humor, charisma, and an eventual merger with two of the other largest printing concerns in town.

But in the end, even Barry's smiles, bow tie, and glowing white halo of hair couldn't keep things moving. National Hirschfeld is declaring chapter 7 bankruptcy; the presses and other assets will be liquidated in order for outstanding debts to be (at least partially) repaid.

What does this mean for designers?

As a designer with over 15 years' experience in print, it's disheartening to see any established printer go. Even though Hirschfeld wasn't one of my preferred vendors, the reduction in competition will hurt, a little. And I feel the pain of the prepress folks, the pressmen, and the sales reps that all worked hard to get our projects turned into a tangible product.

Mostly, however, it's a sign that, as a designer, if you're not diversified into online, experience, or other forms of interactive design, you'd better get started. Print will never completely go away--it's an important part of almost any integrated marketing campaign--but that's just what it is: a part.

The future of the printed newspaper

On a related note, I listened to two good podcasts this morning regarding the future of the printed newspaper. The local angle was handled by Colorado Matters, produced by Colorado Public Radio. They interviewed Mike Littwin, columnist for the beleaguered Rocky Mountain News, and Andrew Hudson, former press secretary for Wellington Webb (among other things) and man-about-town. The upshot was that the Rocky is probably going out of business, despite its history as a founding father of the city of Denver. Hudson would like to save it as a cultural institution, using a sales tax to support its operation.

On June 12th's broadcast of Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviewed the former managing editor of the Washington Post and the publisher of the Christian Science Montitor. She discussed the future of the printed news with both of them. Both interviewees said that while the daily paper may be in decline, journalism has never been stronger. Delivery of a newspaper's product online has a broader reach, and in the end, may provide the successful way out for newspaper companies. The Christian Science Monitor, for example, will cease publishing a daily paper, and go all-online with its daily content. A weekly edition will remain in print.

The CSM's strategy seems like a good one. Reading ink-on-paper newspapers is more of a luxury, and something that you like to take your time doing. I get the Sunday New York Times delivered to my door, and I take two days to get through it (longer than that for the Crossword). I read the Times' website during the rest of the week because it's more convenient, and more in step with my workweek pace. Don't doubt that the Times, with around $1 billion in debt, won't be watching the Monitor's strategy unfold. I wouldn't be surprised if, by 2011, even the Gray Lady will be cutting her newsprint diet back to one helping a week.
Labels: advertising, advice, b2b, b2c, customer service, denver, graphic design, paper, press check, print, printing, web design

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12.10.2008

Six marketing ideas for a recession

Now that the recession is "official", why not use it as an excuse to tighten things up?

Not tighten your belt, necessarily, but tighten up the way you use your marketing? What serves you well in a recession will serve you well when times are good, too. So, to that end, I bring you:

Six marketing ideas for use in a recession (and when things bounce back):

The amuse-bouche.

Give your clients a little something extra, that you enjoy doing and also benefits them.

Nontraditional uses of traditional marketing pathways

Forget about the coupon in direct mail. What about a "secret word" that brings your customers a discount or access to special services...that only "select" people receive via your permission-based email blasts...or getting your clients involved in an online dialog that benefits all of them (on your site, of course)...none of these suggestions are groundbreaking, but think about how much they cost, compared to traditional direct mail, etc....

Redefine what "essential" is, in relation to marketing and brand expressions

What's more important: meeting someone face-to-face, or sending ten people a direct mail piece talking about your services? Getting new clients, or strengthening ties with existing ones? Or both? Having that nice rounded die-cut corner on your letterhead, or spending that extra $250 on overhead for an informational seminar for your clients?

Now is the time to think hard about what you really need, and why you are using the marketing strategy you currently employ.

Less is more, and now's your chance to prove it

Do you really need a fax machine? Need a fax number on your business card? When was the last time you actually sent a fax versus an e-mail? Use cost-trimming as an excuse to streamline your communication pathways, clearing out the chaff of old technology and ways of thinking and replacing them with methods and channels that are relevant to your audience.

An opportunity to enter new markets or new marketing channels

How about an iPhone app that pushes relevant info to your target market? Outdoor advertising to get someone's attention focused on your issue? Permission-based e-mail campaigns to build brand impressions? If you haven't thought about these options, now is a good time to do so. Why? Because approaching people from another angle allows you to catch them off guard, and hopefully even give them information or motivation that they really need in order to get your company in their life.

Redefine your brand

Why not? If things are really going down the tubes, take a hard look at your existing brand. Is it reflective of your organization, your product, and your culture? Does it address the relationship between your organization and the public at this moment? What about in five years? Time and money spent refining your brand right now, when things are down, will get paid back in spades down the road, as other organizations play catch-up.

What are some ideas you have? Let's hear about them in the comments!

photo by jtloweryphotography
Labels: advertising, advice, b2b, b2c, branding, clients, creativity, design, graphic design, marketing, nonprofits, process, productivity, small business, web design

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12.08.2008

Great Graphic Design makes everything better

One thing I remind people about all the time: everything anyone has ever made has been designed by someone. Great graphic design makes products, companies, and ideas more accessible by more people. Bad graphic design just makes products, companies, and ideas more opaque.

What differentiates the good from the bad? Lots of things. Focus. Brand integration. Accessibility. Grokability.

Paying someone $150, or $400, to design a logo will almost always result in bad design. Does that mean the designer who made it is not a good designer? Not necessarily. What it does mean is they aren't taking the time to find out what the essence of that brand should be. The same thing goes for paying a similar amount to design a website. Or a brochure. Even if you think about that money in terms of an hourly rate, rather than the value the design has for you (which is really how you should look at it), what does $150 translate to, in hours? I'll tell you: very, very little.

Would you trust a lawyer to draft the articles of incorporation for your business for $50? Would you let a $400 doctor operate on your heart?
Labels: advertising, advice, aiga, b2b, b2c, branding, graphic design, illustration, information graphics, interface, licensing, logo, marketing, nonprofits, packaging, process, ROI, seo, typography, visual information, web design, work

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11.14.2008

Product Booklet with photography--lots of fun from start to finish

Over the summer I worked with a great client in Golden on a product booklet for an industrial lighting fixture that they designed and engineered. I created the look of the brochure, with a design concept that fit the product perfectly.

As a bonus, I got to shoot photography for all of the product images in the booklet. I want to devote a longer post to the process, as well as show off some of the interior spreads that I think worked particularly well in terms of conveying information to the target market in an understandable and compelling way....but for now, I just had to show off the back cover shot. Shooting lighting fixtures is notoriously difficult, but I think we pulled it off (with a big assist on-set from one of the fixture's designers, who knows more than I will ever forget about the science and application of optics, refraction, reflection, etc. etc. etc.):

Labels: b2b, b2c, design, photography, print

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11.10.2008

New branding for a B2B client: Walker Media

I wrapped up a branding effort for a new client in the Denver area a couple of months ago, and wanted everyone to have a look:

Walker Media is an independent consulting firm that helps public radio stations nationwide improve their fundraising and outreach effectiveness. Previously, I had worked with the firm's principal, Karla Walker, when she was with the Classical Public Radio Network, and she asked me to create her new brand when she began her new venture.

Here it is:

We used the initial caps as a standalone graphic device in a number of areas, as well, such as on the letterhead:

It's a simple, clean, and effective typographic solution for this business, and reflects (pardon the pun) Karla's approachability, flexibility, and professionalism. It also raises the bar for her competition, which in comparison, has been left in the dust.

We also did some quick-turnaround product photography for her as well, showcasing pre-loaded iPods that she sells to stations for their premium subscriber benefits:

Labels: b2b, branding, photography

posted at 10:17 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

After waiting months to hear back from a prospective client on a proposal I had submitted (and followed up on repeatedly) I finally got word from them that I wasn't being considered for the project.

That's fine; happens all the time, and it's part of the gig.

What is not part of the gig, however, was the fact that the client had proceeded with their project some time ago, and in fact had already completed it with someone else, without extending me the courtesy of a call/note/call telling us we weren't getting the project.

Want a way to ensure you won't get any respect? Don't give any.
Labels: advice, b2b

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12.01.2006

Slowing Down

Well, the holiday slowdown is upon us. If you're in a B2B service industry, you know what I'm talking about: no one wants to work between Thanksgiving and about a week after New Year's.

Well, there's one exception to that: There is always the one or two clients I have that are desperately trying to push something out before the Christmas/NewYear's vortex (from which no productive time can escape, it seems), and EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW! I MEAN NOW, MISTER!!!

Yeah, so it's basically a mix of laid-back clients who may or may not return a phone call in the next six weeks, and people who want to surgically implant a Blackberry into your brain so they can have constant contact with you. Not quite enough lassitude to allow for a full-on vacation, but enough that the manic clients with the rush projects can be accommodated. Quite an equitable balance, I suppose.

I am not alone in this observation, by the way. Every shop I've ever worked in, ever printer I've talked to, has mentioned this. Businesses just want to not deal with new projects right now. But trust me, January is a whole different story.
Labels: b2b, clients, holiday, vacation, xmas

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