What to Know About Design and Layout Projects
The term designer is not synonymous with artist. I don't draw or paint for clients; however, I can alter photos and other images to suit a client's needs. I use a number of image sources and, on occasion, I may photograph material for use in client designs. Clients may also provide noncopyrighted photos and images.
Design and layout are often referenced together. What's the difference?
- Layout generally is text and graphics, provided by a client, that are dropped into an existing format or template. Someone has already designed the format. Think of a newsletter or magazine that has regular features (always two articles, one with a photo, on the front page with a table of contents on the left side and letters to the editor on the bottom of page three, etc.). Most professionals use specific software, such as Adobe's PageMaker or InDesign, that is far more flexible than word processing programs.
- Design is harder to define as it encompasses so many elements: color, texture, fonts, emphasis, etc. I consider design to be the organization of visual information in a balanced and coordinated manner that is consistent with the media, the audience, and the goals of a given project. Again, professionals use a variety of tools, both hardware and software—and creativity! If you'd like to see a partial list of design tools I've used in the past, view the skills portion of my résumé.
Distinctive Detail
Some sites have only specific designs in set colors. The odds are high that other individuals and businesses, competitors, will choose the same design.
I prefer to create designs that are unique and suited to each client's tastes and needs. Image selection tends to be the most time consuming and subjective part of the design process. It can also be the most expensive. There are many considerations, such as whether you will need several versions of a design (e.g., black & white, high and low resolution), that may make an image more or less suitable for a project. I am happy to help clients narrow the options.
Completed Designs
Finished designs are provided in one or more printable file formats. The client is free to choose whatever grade of stock they wish, and to print from their own PC and printer, or provide the design files to their local printing professional. I'm here to advise you on the design considerations that will deliver the most flexible result.
Should you need layout services, I can provide that service or recommend to you other options.
Updates, Revisions and Adaptations
The cost of updates to a design or layout depend on the degree of complexity of the change. An experienced designer should be able to modify the different elements of a project with a fair amount of ease; however, if a client agrees to one approach and then changes design schemes in mid-project, it is customary for the client to pay the designer a "kill" or "quit" fee equal to the amount of time the designer has already invested in the original, agreed upon concept.
The price of adapting a design for other elements of a client's portfolio will also depend on the degree of complexity relative to the original design. For example, if I create a business card design that a client would like altered to become a logo or the banner to a Web site, the request will be treated as a separate project, but likely will be billed at a lower rate since some of the design variables are set.