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One continuing project I have is to design the Reading Cycle Campaign’s quarterly newsletter.
Now there is always something that has to go in last minute as contributors have second thoughts, some research comes up, developments materialise, or a gaff has to be corrected! Even the smallest amendments can create massive changes to the layout, and this has to be accommodated in a seamless fashion.
That’s why I work with Quark XPress. This may be deemed a little old fashioned by some designers, but I have complete faith in Quark when it comes to magazine work. I find other publishing packages are lacking in basic requirements to ’squeeze that extra bit in’. I’ve worked with Quark for many years, and during that time I’ve developed the skill to cope with any amendment that falls on my lap, process it efficiently and create the necessary effects so that it looks like nothing has happened at all!
This ties in neatly with my own campaign regarding ‘clear, concise and uncluttered graphic design’, which all depends on how dexterous you are in making totally unnoticeable changes.
Watch this space, as I’m sure I will be making further comments on this subject in the future!
Alice
19 May 2007
18 May 2007
Presentation points
At a recent networking lunch I was cornered by a woman who asked me about how to make a presentation.
After I had sussed that she didn’t want to use Powerpoint and technology wasn’t an option, I decided to go for the more simple approach.
First, fully research the customer. What I mean is, find out their ‘pain’, what is missing in their company and what is needed to improve it. Does your business offer a solution to their needs? What can you give them that will relieve their ‘pain’, fill in the missing gaps and benefit their company?
Next, how would you deliver these solutions? Hone them down to about five or so specific benefits (not features, there is a difference) and explore them thoroughly to make them fool proof. Develop each concept or idea to introduce them separately to aid comprehension.
Make up a presentation pack consisting of a laminated cover with your logo, contact details and title of the presentation on the front, using your corporate colours. Each subject of your pitch should be presented on separate pages, using clear imagery, graphics, flow-charts, pictures, examples or whatever is necessary. Each page should be either encased in plastic or printed on high quality paper/card to give it a professional feel. Compile a version that you can leave with your audience so they can show their colleagues and discuss it later.
When delivering your pitch, consider that the listener has to digest what you are saying. They will need time for the concepts to sink in, so speaking slowly is essential. This means that you don’t have to dumb it down, simply leave a small gap between the introduction of a new idea, and then explain it in another way to drive the point home. The visual impact of your presentation pack will also aid your explanation.
Allow an opportunity for questions. If you’re clever, you’ll have thought up what questions they might ask in advance, and have prepared answers. If not, careful thinking on your feet, again taking your time, will be easy if you’ve done your research properly.
Again, I want to stress how important it is to unclutter your presentation. Clear, simple pages employing one point at a time is so much easier to understand. Avoid clever graphics, confusing backgrounds, conflicting colour schemes and multiple fonts - simplicity is the key here. Putting your logo sympathetically on each page with your strapline (if you have one) can be a good idea, as long as it doesn’t swamp the content. And pay attention to the copy - check your grammar, spelling, vocabulary and syntax to maintain professionalism. And get more than one person to proof read it – preferably someone not involved – to iron out any mistakes.
Alice
After I had sussed that she didn’t want to use Powerpoint and technology wasn’t an option, I decided to go for the more simple approach.
First, fully research the customer. What I mean is, find out their ‘pain’, what is missing in their company and what is needed to improve it. Does your business offer a solution to their needs? What can you give them that will relieve their ‘pain’, fill in the missing gaps and benefit their company?
Next, how would you deliver these solutions? Hone them down to about five or so specific benefits (not features, there is a difference) and explore them thoroughly to make them fool proof. Develop each concept or idea to introduce them separately to aid comprehension.
Make up a presentation pack consisting of a laminated cover with your logo, contact details and title of the presentation on the front, using your corporate colours. Each subject of your pitch should be presented on separate pages, using clear imagery, graphics, flow-charts, pictures, examples or whatever is necessary. Each page should be either encased in plastic or printed on high quality paper/card to give it a professional feel. Compile a version that you can leave with your audience so they can show their colleagues and discuss it later.
When delivering your pitch, consider that the listener has to digest what you are saying. They will need time for the concepts to sink in, so speaking slowly is essential. This means that you don’t have to dumb it down, simply leave a small gap between the introduction of a new idea, and then explain it in another way to drive the point home. The visual impact of your presentation pack will also aid your explanation.
Allow an opportunity for questions. If you’re clever, you’ll have thought up what questions they might ask in advance, and have prepared answers. If not, careful thinking on your feet, again taking your time, will be easy if you’ve done your research properly.
Again, I want to stress how important it is to unclutter your presentation. Clear, simple pages employing one point at a time is so much easier to understand. Avoid clever graphics, confusing backgrounds, conflicting colour schemes and multiple fonts - simplicity is the key here. Putting your logo sympathetically on each page with your strapline (if you have one) can be a good idea, as long as it doesn’t swamp the content. And pay attention to the copy - check your grammar, spelling, vocabulary and syntax to maintain professionalism. And get more than one person to proof read it – preferably someone not involved – to iron out any mistakes.
Alice
15 May 2007
A BBC Experience
My good friend Cheryl asked me to accompany her to take part in a BBC Radio Berkshire broadcast with her. Apparantly ’strong’ women were requested to answer a few difficult questions in a lunchtime programme. This sounded a bit unnerving, but I felt that a chance to publicise my business to a potential audience for free should not be passed over, so I agreed.
The questions themselves were probing: What is the rudest thing anyone has done to you? Have you ever broken a confidence? What is your most used excuse? This was a little worrying, I didn’t want to paint myself into a bad light, but neither did I want to seem naive or weak.
The trouble is, my name, Alice, means honesty and truth, and I try to adhere to this as much as possible. This has, of course, got me into trouble now and again, as there are so many unscrupulous people out there who can spot an honest person from miles away and rise to the challenge! Being ’streetwise’ or business aware can help prevent this, as can gaining experience and learning from your mistakes. Listening to people, absorbing their knowledge, retaining necessary information and then implementing it for your own purposes to further your own ideals.
Anyway, once inside the BBC premises I had a chance to learn more about business. Learning from successful organisations and studying what it is that makes them so is a great way of improving your own. Take their logo, for example. It’s clean, crisp and simple, authoritative and fashionable, using their own font and colours which can be adapted accordingly. Having total recognition helps, of course, but I often think a logo should explain what it does without the viewer having to work too hard to understand it. And this is also reflected in the way the corporation works too, providing a professional approach that is recognised throughout the world and sets it apart from its competitors.
And why can’t this concept should be used in your business too? I believe clear, concise and uncluttered design can maximise the potential of publicising your organisation. Sometimes the most simplest of ideas are the most effective, eliminating red herrings, eradicating confusion, and cleansing the background to bring out what is most important. Let simplicity and clarity (and honesty) shine through!
Alice
The questions themselves were probing: What is the rudest thing anyone has done to you? Have you ever broken a confidence? What is your most used excuse? This was a little worrying, I didn’t want to paint myself into a bad light, but neither did I want to seem naive or weak.
The trouble is, my name, Alice, means honesty and truth, and I try to adhere to this as much as possible. This has, of course, got me into trouble now and again, as there are so many unscrupulous people out there who can spot an honest person from miles away and rise to the challenge! Being ’streetwise’ or business aware can help prevent this, as can gaining experience and learning from your mistakes. Listening to people, absorbing their knowledge, retaining necessary information and then implementing it for your own purposes to further your own ideals.
Anyway, once inside the BBC premises I had a chance to learn more about business. Learning from successful organisations and studying what it is that makes them so is a great way of improving your own. Take their logo, for example. It’s clean, crisp and simple, authoritative and fashionable, using their own font and colours which can be adapted accordingly. Having total recognition helps, of course, but I often think a logo should explain what it does without the viewer having to work too hard to understand it. And this is also reflected in the way the corporation works too, providing a professional approach that is recognised throughout the world and sets it apart from its competitors.
And why can’t this concept should be used in your business too? I believe clear, concise and uncluttered design can maximise the potential of publicising your organisation. Sometimes the most simplest of ideas are the most effective, eliminating red herrings, eradicating confusion, and cleansing the background to bring out what is most important. Let simplicity and clarity (and honesty) shine through!
Alice
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