Desktop publishing versus graphic design

What is Desktop Publishing?

Desktop Publishing (DTP) is the placing and positioning of text and graphics on the page to produce paper publications such as newsletters, magazines, brochures, books, etc. It can be adapted to create other paper publicity such as leaflets, flyers, postcards, networking material, business stationery, adverts, cards, posters, signs and other visual communication.

How is it different from graphic design?

Graphic design uses art and creative forces to combine shapes, colours, text, pictures, imagination, fashion and other images to produce new graphics and art, such as graphics, logos, illustration, concepts and design. It conjures up something new specifically for the client. The design is then used to create paper or web marketing material.

Whereas DTP takes the designed graphics, logos, illustrations and concepts to combine it with text, layout and other materials onto the page. Desktop publishers excel in arranging the material available in the most efficient, effective and attractive method ready for the printing process. It is mainly paper based, but other media can be used and explored, such as plastics, clothing or whatever.

So in a nutshell, graphic design creates design, desktop publishing takes that design and puts it into a paper format!

Postcard Possibilities

Having browsed through my blog list, I came across this posting about postcards, which I would like to share with you: http://www.businessofdesignonline.com/profiting-from-postcards/

I’ve always liked postcards - they’re such a versatile media to work with. You could pack all your details onto both sides, or design them so they can be popped into the post with the traditional stamp in the corner. They can be enclosed in a C6 envelopes (found in a myriad of colours to match your design) or just have your details on one side to leave on side-tables or counters as walk-past publicity.

Why not try the concept from the post above? Setting up a serial of postcards spread over several weeks to get your message across in small bite-sized pieces is an effective way of drawing attention to youself - I was once bombarded in the same way by a printer touting for my custom and I certainly knew who they were when they called me later to see if I had received them. They succeeded in making an impression because I have remembered them to make this post now!

And watch out for my own new postcard design, just getting it ready to hit the streets very soon!

Is your networking up to scratch?

Take a look at your networking material, whether it’s your business card, leaflets, brochures or whatever, and consider these few pointers:

• What kind of material (card, paper, plastic) is it made of? Does it look cheap or expensive? Does it reflect the quality you want to portray?

• What colours have you used? Are they appropriate to your product/service? Don’t use your favourite colours if they are not suitable to your business. Also, be aware of how legible they are, eg red or yellow on a white background (does it disappear?), pale text on a dark background (may be trendy, but how easy is it to read?), combination of opposite colours (jumpy or what?).

• How unique is your card? If you got it off the internet, do you run the risk of meeting someone else at a networking event with the same design? Alternatively, if you designed it yourself, is it instantly recognisable as being produced by a home printer? Is it bland, ordinary, uninteresting, boring? Could it catch a prospective customer’s eye?

• Does it say what’s in the tin? How many times have you taken a business card home and you can’t fathom or remember what the company is about? If your business name doesn’t reflect the nature of your product/service, do you have a strapline or description to help the recipient? Does your logo also help in recognition?

Now for the action - if you (or somebody else you know) are not providing positive responses to these questions, and you would like to have marketing material that is professional, attractive and effective, then - go ask Alice!

You’ve designed your product – now what?

I had a very interesting lunchtime meeting with Complete Packaging Ltd, a firm that not only deals with the external visual marketing element of your product, but also the processes from conception to completion – from your initial idea to your client receiving the finished article. Mark Jones, the manager, described to me a series of scenarios regarding some projects he had undertaken, varying in complexity as he coped with situations that arose throughout his progress.

One of his main criteria is to provide a service that covers all aspects of promotion, which include initial concept and efficiency of design, packaging and compilation, distribution and transit, returns and feedback. The idea is his company can manage the entire process in-house: continuous communication between the different stages, with efficiency and effectiveness going hand in hand, expertise in packaging and distribution becoming married together, and the customer’s expectations all taken care of.

Mark’s experience in distribution and transit held him in good stead when he realised that so much of his loads were so poorly designed they were unable to survive their journeys. His company undertake research into not only how the packaging looks, but also into compilation efficiency (putting the boxes together and using suitable materials to protect the contents), storage effectiveness (for warehouses and transport transit), eliminating damage processes (handling and distribution), and refining each process to the final stage.

Design doesn’t only include creating leaflets and brochures or products and packaging, the process of getting them out to the customer is just as important. That’s where Complete Packaging Ltd comes in, should you need help in the next stage with your publicity material.

Does your home-cooked marketing still taste good?

I attended my first NRG networking session and one requirement is to make a 2 minute elevator pitch, using their ‘meeting aid-memoire’ as a guide to content. As well as stating your name and business, think about a typical client, the problems they may have and what solution you can provide for them. Adapt it into a story about one of your successful clients: describe their symptoms before they worked with you and how this affected their business, then elaborate on what you did to help and the effect it produced. Try and relate an actual scenario, it comes across better and is probably more realistic.

This is my example: A friend of mine recently bought a franchise, and realised he needed to have some stationery done. He got himself a new laptop and a reasonable printer and started to experiment with creating his own. His first brave attempts certainly saved his bacon at networking events, but he soon realised that his competitors had better quality business cards, snazzy brochures promoting their wares, and were stealing a march with their leaflet drops. He really needed to have better quality and properly printed publications. So after working with me, he then hit the networking circuit armed with a box of professional business cards sporting a polished logo, a modern colour scheme highlighting his corporate identity with matching business stationery, a wodge of well-designed leaflets containing relevant pictures and catchy headlines, and a pile of punchy postcards displaying special offers and call to actions. We’re now working on his new website to further his publicity.

This true-life story has already convinced one person that her self-produced publicity has now passed its sell-by-date. Perhaps yours could do with a pick-me-up too?

Is all junk mail bin-fodder?

More junk mail plops through my letterbox this morning, but two leaflets catch my eye:

One is promoting a furniture store – acres of brown background with tiny, indiscriminate photos that would require a magnifying glass to study what they contained in any detail, plus whited-out text in tiny letters crammed into the corners as if they are an afterthought and you’re not really meant to read them at all. The same hideous design continues inside the brochure, except that some pages have butterscotch backgrounds which means the white text blends in nicely and illegibly like cream. If there are any headlines I can’t see them, the benefits or incentives are non-existent, and the whole effect is a 1970s look which I haven’t decided is meant to be retro or terribly out of date.

Alternatively, the other leaflet is wild and whacky! It folds out into a cube-net (a cross of six squares) and each side provides a benefit/feature of the product, plus excellent pictures for recognition and tear-off discount vouchers for your next purchase. The images are simple, colourful and fill each square brilliantly, the main message is clearly put across with legible, concise text in a readable font, and because it’s different you want to explore the whole product to see what’s next or on the other side. There isn’t a beginning or end, but that doesn’t really matter, as the product is presented smack bang in the middle so you can’t miss it! The whole leaflet is just fun, and such a breath of fresh air!

Conceptual Considerations

More ideas gained through networking! Discussing what you do with all those business cards and leaflets you pick up at these events, my friend suggested promotional literature that is already hole-punched for storing in files, and the information could be designed around the holes. Also, why not have a tag on the side that sticks out further than the rest of the paperwork which contains recognisable details for instantly accessibility. Trouble is, this could be more expensive to produce; I will let you know my thoughts on this later after some try-outs.

Simple Soup Solutions

We’ve all heard the saying “too many cooks spoil the broth”, so does that mean the broth contains too many ingredients? If your stew-pot had all your favourite foods mixed together, do you think it would taste nice? Could you define any of the individual foods from the concoction?

Usually simple procedures are the most effective. Soup made from mushrooms with a hint of garlic and a sprig of fresh parsley is extremely tasty, and you can appreciate that it is mushroom soup and not a disgusting mess.

Now take a look at your promotional material. Is it easily digestible? Does your message present itself effectively? Would an alien from outer-space understand exactly what your company is all about? Is the meaning of your literature obvious at a quick glance? Are the contact details easily accessible? Is your logo clear and your strapline relevant and punchy? Are the benefits of your product/service instantly desirable?

Select your ingredients with care, because the proof of the pudding (or soup) is in the eating.

Separating Subject Matter

I’m always collecting leaflets for research purposes. I had to get my spare tyre replaced (the car’s, not mine!), and while I waited, I noticed the literature the garage had on display. Two factors were brought to my attention: the first was a repeat of the concept stated in a previous blog about cluttered versus simple information, in this case tiny dense writing in wide columns compared with clear diagrams of tyres with appropriate explanations and guides.

The second concept was something I had learned from a recent marketing course, which had spawned from the idea of headings and well laid-out details beneath: separate topics presented on individual leaflets and displayed together as a set. This series of A5 glossy sheets were collated within a tiered-leaflet-holder, each exhibiting their subject in clear, concise and uncluttered terms using the corporate colours and corresponding imagery to best show off their contents. These were suitable both as a group or individually, as customers were able to choose which were the most useful to them.

This concept of separate leaflets enables you to focus on individual benefits for customers and how best to present your solutions in an easily digestible form. Appropriate incentives can then be displayed to entice the public in, each relevant to the subject concerned and updated on a regular basis. Jumbling them up into one 3-fold leaflet may not enable you to adequately get your message across, and is far less likely to get read and understood.

Kicking into Touch

I am always pleased when I come across great design, especially when it’s an upgrade from an existing product. I would like to draw attention to Karen Skidmore’s Kick-Ass Blog, which has been most successfully redesigned by Claire Raikes of the Business Blog Angel. I particularly like the snazzy logo-links that direct the reader to other parts of Karen’s website, large, bright, bold and very inviting - you just want to click on them to see where they go.

Having just totally redesigned my own website, it now looks very bland compared to Karen’s blog. I’ve noticed other sites with brightly coloured links that entice you to take action - you certainly can’t miss them and curiosity always wins in the end. Another ingenious way to get your customers past the index page!

Spacious versus Squashed

I picked up two leaflets from my local gym, both advertising beauty therapies. The difference between the two was not what they did, but how they were presented.

One was crammed full of all kinds of treatments, listing all her services from manicures to makeup sessions, waxing to massage, eye-lash tinting to collagen treatment – busy, busy, busy. She obviously felt she needed to list everything with her prices, but the result was very difficult to focus on. The titles were the same size as the descriptions, with no line-spaces between, and used a difficult colour to see against a white background. Very small pictures were dotted around filling any spaces there were left. It was difficult to navigate to the next section, and the concertina folded effect added to the confusion.

By contrast, the other didn’t have so many options to choose from, so she was able to space them out with little explanations and proper headings so you could find your way around her leaflet. There were definite themes, prices were properly laid out (not mingled in with the text), and careful folding defined the package and incentive page to tempt her potential customers. Her choice of colour contrasted nicely with the white space, and her logo was simple and modern (the other didn’t have a logo). Even though she didn’t have so many treatments on offer, I had more confidence in her as a therapist.

Two factors here: one is, obviously, not to bombard your customers with too much information in your publicity material, as it can be off-putting; and two, be more selective in what you advertise so to present a more professional approach. The second therapist may offer just as much as the first, but her customers will find that out once they pass through her doors…

Corkily Clear

Last month I attended a seminar on how to present yourself properly. A speech therapist gave a thoroughly humorous talk on how to use your voice, and at one point he produced a load of corks, which he handed out to us.

Well, the mind boggles on what to do with your cork, but apparently we had to put them in our mouths, hold them with our teeth, and then read out from a sheet. After sounding very silly for a while (this exercise certainly sorted out the more self-conscience in the audience) we then removed out corks and repeated our speeches. Wow, what a difference! Freed from the hindrance of the cork, our annunciation had greatly improved, especially for me, as I usually get my words all in a muddle when reading out loud.

The moral is, if you need to speak more clearly, keep a cork in your handbag! Now, how does this relate to creating publicity material…?

Clear logos – fashionable versus concise

Logos are difficult things to create. Yeah, anyone can make a logo, but is it effective? Does it send the correct message? Do your customers ‘get’ it? Does it truly reflect your corporate image? What is its target audience?

And above all, is it clear? Logos in the past were fussy, old fashioned things, following tradition and spawned off coats of arms, etc. Now they have to be instantly recognisable, snazzy, fashionable, easy to produce, look good in black and white, powerful yet unassuming. That’s why logos are difficult things to create.

Everyone’s talking about the new London Olympics logo. And above all, how much it cost. Does it do anything for you? It certainly has benefited from the ‘yuk’ factor, as bad press can create good publicity. But is that a good thing? Is it sending us the right message? Do you ‘get’ it? Is it clear, concise and uncluttered?

Take a good look at your logo and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Consider if it could be made clearer, more recognisable, simpler even. Are the colours right? Is the font fashionable? Does it consist of meaningless initials, or would an image be more appropriate? And, for photocopying purposes, does it still look good in monochrome?

And then all logos should be accompanied with a catchy strapline, but then that’s a subject for another blog…

Branding - some thoughts

Branding is not what I do, as it’s not the same as graphic design, so I would rather leave that to the professionals! But I always sigh when I hear of how some companies have had the wool pulled over their eyes regarding branding.

One lady asked at a networking forum for ideas of how her firm could receive more recognition. They were just a step below the most popular companies yet were of the same callibre.

The first thing, which nothing could be done about, is the name of her firm, which was longwinded because it changed accordingly to its location, but the most recognisable and consistent element consisted of initials within a very boring design. I asked if her firm had a strapline - to which the answer was in the negative. What had they got that was memorable? If you consider all the companies we can remember, it’s either a clever logo, a personality associated with it, images like a nodding dog or very pink ladies, or a catchy strapline, in either 3, 5 or 7 words, that succinctly describes the product or service.

The alternative to a strapline is to get the representatives noticed when out networking - making them stand out with their personalities, networking pitch, information attack, incentive and gift presentations, colour of uniforms, or whatever.

The lady’s firm had recently hired a branding company to raise up their image, which resulted in a large advert in a relevant national newspaper (at great expense) and adverts placed on the sides of taxis. I wilted inside, as I expected the wording on that newspaper advert was probably inadequately stressed towards gaining publicity - banging on about their features and how brilliant they are, whereas they should have concentrated on their benefits for their customers, offering a solution to their pain to help them towards a better life. The taxi idea was a complete farce, as who has the ability to recognise a boring logo (and no strapline) on a fast-moving vehicle, or even bother to absorb it during a traffic-jam.

Recognition is gaining relationships, creating memorable images and straplines, getting brilliant PR in the relevant press, publicising all the benefits your company has with stories of how they have helped your customers – I’m sure there are lots more, but they certainly don’t include fancy ads and taxi-paint!

Postcards and clear presentation

At a recent networking meeting, someone showed me their quick sketches for some postcards they wanted to produce. In spite of the fact that they were going to see someone else about getting them designed and printed, I gave them some small pointers to consider during their meeting.

First, the pictures on the front. Each had an obvious subject which I felt was not highlighted enough. The eye of the reader should be drawn unconditionally towards that subject, which should either be placed centrally and largely within the space provided, or slightly to one side with the ratio of 3:5 if the background is important. Avoid irrelevant background or white space which detracts the eye from the matter at hand. Wording should be carefully placed so to not obstruct the content, and should be in a colour and style that is legible. If the picture is strong enough then words will not be needed, and can be saved for the reverse.

On the reverse of the postcard, there isn’t a lot of space for copy or text, so the reader should not be bombarded with irrelevant material. First thing to think of is a really good headline, which could make or break your promotion. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of your customer, and consider exactly what their needs are. Try forming a question so that the answer will be yes, and put the most important words at the beginning and the end.

Then work out what the benefits, not features, are of what you’re trying to say. Analyse your customer’s pain, and then focus your benefits as the solution to their pain. Avoid any jargon - use ordinary English. Present them as a series of bullet points, as these are much easier to read, especially for a busy person scanning your postcard. Again they should make your customer say yes.

Next should be a call to action. Not only should you tell them to go to your website or whatever, with a given time to respond, you can offer them an incentive or vouchers; people like gifts or something for nothing. By driving them to your website you can then gather their details so you can form a relationship with them in the future.

And don’t forget to make your contact details clear and placed in an obvious position, and there’s nothing wrong with repetition. If a customer can’t see how to respond, what is the point of the postcard in the first place?

Backgrounds - how can they be made clearer?

During half term my parents treated my family to a London activity, which issued specially designed tickets for entry. While enjoying a cream bun in the café, we examined these tickets within a graphics point of view.

The first thing which struck us was that it wasn’t easy to read. OK, the wording was reduced in size to fit the ticket’s dimensions, but the combination of the black background and white writing decreased the legibility factor, especially for the more mature audience whose eyesite isn’t as good as it once was. This trait seems quite popular at the moment, as I can think of one programme of events that is totally black with white text – I suppose it’s considered trendy (especially amongst male designers) and is designed to make the pictures stand out more.

Background colours should be carefully chosen so not to swamp any wording (for example a pale grey background and white writing) or make other colours ‘jump’ (put red and green together and see what happens). White is certainly safe, but it can also be boring, and sometimes a nice neutral colour will highlight the contents or design. Also be careful with some colours on a white background, red or yellow for example, as they can make words illegible.

Background images shouldn’t be stronger than the foreground or main content, therefore diverting the reader from the purpose of the publication. Logos or pictures can be ‘greyed out’ or made more faded, with a strongly coloured and catchy title ‘pinging’ out in front. Be careful of intricate backgrounds that distract or confuse the eye, especially with a frequently repeated pattern.

And moving backgrounds (as in websites) are a complete no-no!

Spacing - can this be cluttered?

Another concept of ‘clear, concise and uncluttered graphic design’ is the subject of spacing.

But I would like you to consider whether a piece of designed work is ‘cluttered’ or not by taking a look at the amount of ‘white space’ in it.

There are mainly two kinds of design to consider: those who don’t have enough, and those who use too much!

OK, perhaps there is a lot of material that needs to be crammed onto a small sized page. Sort out what are the most important areas that need to be highlighted to grab the reader’s attention (like headlines and dates), either through colour, shapes or banners, and and slot the corresponding material beneath. Using columns can create white space and a format to force the eye to go in the right direction, as shorter lines enable quicker reading, like as in a ‘newsletter’ scenario. Pictures, although extremely useful, must not overlap, obscure or fall behind the text, and a fancy background accompanying a lot of information, especially if it needs to be absorbed, can be distracting.

Now white space also is important between lines in the text and before and after headings. Neither should be too close to each other, and it takes an ‘eye’ to visualise how much is needed. A great tip I was told was to hold the page in front of you and screw up your eyes. This will show what merges together as a grey (or coloured) haze. If there is too much, then everything is too close.

Some designs have masses of white space, absolutely blinding you on the page. But then where is your content? Is it presented in a tiny font, ‘cleverly’ positioned in a corner somewhere, either with a huge or equally tiny picture or image, and you have to hunt to find the information you crave? If a reader has to ‘work’ to receive the message, then you’ve lost them.

Design should make it easy for the recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say in a legible and easily readable format, eye catching and instantly recognisable. Never mind about fancy imagery, leave that to those who have more money than sense.

Newsletters - unclutter the corrections

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

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

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