Blog in a Red Can

I'll pay you when we start using it: responses to common (wrong) thoughts about graphic design

2012-01-15T16:59:00.014+11:00

A lot of creatives are increasingly frustrated by clients who have little or no experience with the industry. Hence sites like clientsfromhell.net. I wanted to write a few responses to common client statements that may help clear up some issues.

1. Thanks for this awesome new brand and logo you helped us create. We'll pay you when we start using it.

If you bought a new car, you wouldn't say to the dealership, "I'm going away for 3 months so I'll start paying for the car when I start driving it". It's important to think of design in terms of tangibles like this. It will help you understand that time is money. A great example of the work that goes into making a brand is here.

2. If you do it for free, it will lead to great exposure and paid jobs down the line.

Recently I had a very large record label contact me after I placed an ad on Craig's List. My rates were clearly listed in the ad, yet they still proposed I do it for free. They then explained that they had gotten someone to do it for free previously who had ruined the job, so now they wanted a professional to do it....for free. You get what you pay for. I've also NEVER FOUND THE ABOVE STATEMENT TO BE TRUE. No job I've ever done for free has led to any paid work. I've gotten a couple of gems for my portfolio but I could have obtained them by doing personal projects. I'm more than happy to do pro-bono work for legitimate charities, but if you have a business, you have no excuses.

3. Your rates are too high. I'll get my nephew/cousin/son to do it in Photoshop.

It's like a murderer waiving his right to a defense attorney and representing himself. There is so much that goes into a logo, not to mention an entire corporate identity, from conception to printing various materials, that little Mikey isn't going to know. Again, click here for an example of a logo process. If you own a small cafe and decide you would like a clean, professional brand and logo, you should be looking at it as an investment into your business. Great design suggests trust and longevity and will result in more sales. I wouldn't go to your store and say, "Why would I buy this muffin when I could just make it myself"? Because if I make it myself it won't be as tasty, as pretty and as easy. You're an expert at making muffins so why would I think I could do the same thing at home with little or no experience?

4. I don't like it, so I'm not paying.

For this one, I tend to use the example of landscape gardening. They come to your home, spend a few weeks designing and renovating your yard. At the end, you walk out, say you don't like it, then refuse to pay. Despite the fact that everything they've done to your yard has been at your bequest and you've constantly communicated. They have worked hours researching, planning, buying, planting and trimming. Yet, you refuse to pay. This simply would not happen, unless I suppose the client was an exceptionally horrible person willing to be sued by a landscaping company.

5. I'm not signing a contract just to get a logo.

Contracts can be a bit scary but almost no one does business without one. Every time you upgrade something on your computer/phone/game system you must 'agree to the terms and conditions'. Telecom companies sell mobile phones on contracts. A lot of electronics stores make you sign a contract if you are purchasing something where you pay it out over time. You sign a contract to get a bank account or a driver's license. Hiring a graphic designer is a business to business situation. Contracts are inevitable. Don't be scared and ask lots of questions. I myself have a plain language legal contract that takes a lot of the fear out. Nevertheless, this is where people tend to halt proceedings. The contract is to protect us both. It also binds me to doing the work for you under the agreed-upon terms. If you try to hire a freelancer, firm or enlist someone from a website to do your design work who doesn't have a contract of some sort, you should be a little nervous about hiring them.

6. I don't need a logo. I made this myself in Word.

Then your logo likely ends up in places like this: http://yourlogomakesmebarf.com/.

Sometimes, a person with no design experience can knock up a great design that actually helps their business. However, they almost never create that logo, or use it, correctly. A bad logo or bad application of one can harm your business. I once refused to go into a cafe because it had the world's ugliest logo. One of my friends made me go in with her and I ended up being a regular. I thought, based on the logo, that the quality of the food inside must be terrible. It turned out the food was great and the owners and I became friends. Nevertheless, this is a good example of how a logo can create a bad image for your business. A great logo suggests you care about what you're doing and about the products or services you are putting out to the public. A good first impression is vital.

7. I'll just go to one of those $99 logo sites.

Once again, you get what you pay for. What they don't tell you at these sites is that your logo is not your own. Many other people could be using the same logo, under a different name. They also use clip-art (common images that are free to use but are of low quality) to create your 'logo'. You might get something you're happy with but that could cause problems down the line. Especially if your logo ends up being a stolen design, one that could lead to big financial heartache in the future. Be careful about using sights like Freelancer.com as well, for the above reasons and more.

I hope this will help you understand why hiring a proper graphic designer is important. Your business is likely your dream, so why short change it?

You can get a basic logo package for around $1000 from reasonably experienced freelance designers. Logos cost from around $1000 to $500,000+ for big brands (Pepsi's re-branding cost around $1 million while ANZ splashed out paying $15 million for theirs). A lot of designers will negotiate with you. However, be cautious when haggling for a cheaper rate. Remember to think about it in terms of your own business. You wouldn't want someone to offer you an insultingly low price for your product or service either. Design or advertising firms almost always cost more, but they also have a lot more resources. The most important thing to remember is, it's not one size fits all. Shop around and find the best fit. Good luck!

For more info, read this great article from Smashing Magazine.

Examples of really well designed logos.

/tweet

2012-01-02T11:15:00.002+11:00

What is your next big 2012 design project? I have so many ideas I don't know where to start!
— Jen (@inaredcan) December 28, 2011

/hire me

2012-01-02T11:06:00.002+11:00

I'm moving back to Australia for a while, but I'll be available to work from Feb 1. Please email me jen [at] inaredcan.com. :D

/logo

2011-11-05T06:58:00.000+11:00

A logo I'm working on for a new company.

/Halloween

2011-11-05T02:07:00.001+11:00

I used Infinicam. The better but less known photo app. Sorry Hipsta-fans.

I was a 'Hipster Zombie OWS protestor'.

Hire me! Now looking for work in East Texas (Conroe, Woodlands, Houston and surrounds)

2011-10-28T01:56:00.001+11:00

I just moved back to Texas. I really need a job!

I can use the Adobe suite. Write HTML or XHTML and am learning CSS and Java.

I have experience with:

Print - banners of all kind, flyers, newsletters, advertising

Merchandise - bags, water bottles, shirts, hats, keychains, etc.

Web - layout design, banner ads, content, social networking
Branding - creation, strategy, logos, marketing

Illustration - digital and hand-drawn

Let's talk! Send me a message to: jenni_klaus [at] hotmail.com.

/MONA

2011-05-30T12:02:00.001+10:00

Just a brief note about MONA - Museum of Old and New Art.

I visited on Saturday. It was one of the most inspiring days of my creative life. I think anyone who has the opportunity to visit MONA must. You need at least 4 hours for the exhibits and I would include extra time to sample the local wine and beer from the attached Moorilla.

/corporate

2011-05-19T10:13:00.000+10:00

Posters I designed for work using free vectors. The logo is mine.

/poster

2011-04-12T12:52:00.000+10:00

this is a poster i did for work

it's used for strategic planning and management

strategy and chess...get it?

huh? huh? :)

/discarded

2011-01-18T11:31:00.000+11:00

I like this 80's style propoganda poster I created for work.

It was fun to do but sadly it's not being used.

I've removed the words for privacy reasons.

/logo

2010-11-09T14:46:00.002+11:00

I haven't done many logos, but this was fun.

For a friend's band.

Check 'em out
Comment on this logo at Logopond.

/sadness

2010-09-23T15:41:00.007+10:00

The Tasmanian Printing Industry lost an icon in Jim Atkinson, whose funeral I attended today.

Though I was highly unfortunate to have never met Jim, he once believed in me when it mattered.

It is due in part to him that I won my first design award and I'll always credit him with that.

Rest in peace Jim.
We'll help look after your Annie for you.

Article on the passing of Jim Atkinson

/bannertastic

2010-09-22T10:40:00.000+10:00

This is a banner I created which is 3metres long to hang outside the Museum on a fence.

I had to use the style of the Tas Seniors Week which already existed but I think I coped ok with some restrictions.

I'll try to get a photo of it hanging. I get a kick out of designing BIG things. :)

/article

2010-09-02T07:50:00.003+10:00

The New Curators by Jenni Klaus

We all spend countless hours these days on the internet. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, almost every human being in the Western world now logs on to something, somewhere. The Internet has taken our world into a new age. Not only an age of social media and endless information, of LOLCats and double rainbows. This is the time of the new curators.

One of my favorite things about the natural growth of social networking is how human beings continue to develop and grow their presence and ideas across various websites. I noticed the other day that my Uncle in Texas, who doesn’t really use Facebook the way we young folks do, had started posting nothing but music videos from Youtube on his page. He would do a series on German Folk Artists, then move on to Country Music of the 1960’s and 1970’s and at the moment, he’s into good old Rock n’Roll of the 80’s and 90’s. What I realized was this: my Uncle was curating an online exhibition of music. With just some copy and pasting, he had created entire collections of songs complete with commentary or memories associated with them. Once the idea sprung inside my head, I began to realize that there were many more online curators in my networks.

A friend of mine who is heavily involved with community radio, and a great presenter, started a “Song of the Day” collective on his personal Facebook page. It opened me up to an entire new world of music and artists I would have never discovered otherwise. His research, dedication and pure taste in the tracks he posts are a real treat.

Tons of people have Twitter streams or Digg accounts where they curate links on an huge range of topics. Tumblr is a photo communal. Blogger, and other blog sites, showcase not only people’s online journals and musings, but house digital mini-museums full of great material sourced from all over the web. Myspace boasts various obsessive and eclectic collectors of all ages and backgrounds. Flickr is a constant source of wonder to me, and there are many online collections to peruse. In fact, there are people who use Flickr simply to curate groups of beloved finds. Etsy is a brilliant website where creatives sell handmade goods in their own personal shops and those items are added to collections by staff and users. They even have a link on the side of the page to their Treasury (curated lists).

A journalist I know harbors a somewhat secret obsession with Zooanthropomorphism, a fantasy condition where creatures have human bodies and animal heads. This photo album is stunning and haunting. She’s sourced images from a large range of creatives to build her online exhibition, which constantly grows and changes. I’m always surprised at the appeal it has across the varied list of friends who view it.

I suppose in a way, no matter what we do online, we’re curating our own lives. Facebook is an online cabinet of curiosities, containing bits and pieces of your life including all your friends, family, info, photos, mementos, etc. Add all your other networks to that, and it’s one hell of an exhibition. Make it a good one!

Here are some of my favorite online curators and collections:

Images with impact – www.ffffound.com

Fashion - http://helloworldsaysmimi.blogspot.com/

Important and interesting letters from history - http://www.lettersofnote.com/

Amazing vintage letterheads - http://www.letterheady.com/

A bit of everything from a young, hipster, actor/comedian/writer/rapper - http://www.iamdonald.com/

Impossibly cool - http://theimpossiblecool.tumblr.com/

The Etsy Treasury - http://www.etsy.com/treasury/?ref=fp_nav_treasury

Flickr Galleries - http://www.flickr.com/galleries/

This is a copy of an article I wrote for another site.

I won!

2010-08-09T10:06:00.003+10:00

Remember that portfolio I designed for Savour Tasmania?

Well the printers nominated it for an award and it WON!

I'm an 'award winning designer'.

Holy crap...how shall I live up to this??? :)

/new

2010-07-07T10:51:00.002+10:00

Here's a poster I designed for Edge Radio, a not for profit awesome
youth community radio station in Hobart, Tasmania.
They needed something "funky and fresh" which I hope I captured here.

Sure I went with the obvious imagery but why not?

I kinda love how it turned out.

V1 - Intro poster V2 - with blank space for updating dates and dj's.

/update

2010-02-18T11:17:00.001+11:00

I created two panels for an expo to fill a blank space and help tie all the elements of the existing stand design together. It was a simple design but the result was so clean and nice I wanted to share it.

This is a sketch for a blog banner I'm working on for a friend. She has a new blog, Julie's Sweet Shack. where she shares her expert baking tips and adventures! The brief is to create something fun, bright and inviting. The colour direction was PINK! Not my usual style but a challenge I'm keen to take on. I'm also helping Julie with a background and overall blog look. I'm no programmer but I'll do my best!

/identity

2009-11-23T23:16:00.004+11:00

I offered to design a new look for a friend's blog and social networking identities.
He needed a banner for the blog, icons for twitter and facebook and an image to represent his podcasts. I created a colour scheme and selected some fonts that I thought would go well with the new look. I used old typewriter keys to create the logo since I think of Jonathan as a writer first, critic second.
I had a lot of fun doing this!

The Film Brief is an amazing blog about movies and you can check it out here.
Follow Jonathan on twitter here.

/update

2009-11-16T10:52:00.004+11:00

The first picture is a screenshot of my first financial piece of work. That is to say, it was sold! The design was for a charity fundraiser (which you can read about in an earlier post here) and it earned $275 to go directly to medical research in my community. Very exciting!

The second two images are of posters I designed for a work event. I tried to find actors who have been involved in stage, film and television and are well-known Australians. Luckily we have a few in Oz and it was difficult to decide. I think I picked the right ones.

/commercial

2009-10-11T19:08:00.006+11:00

I was asked to design a portfolio for the 2009 Savour Tasmania event, in which famous chefs from Australia and around the world gathered to share cooking with professionals and laymen alike.

The book was easy to design with a set of colours/fonts/logo already laid out by another designer. Not to mention there were some of the best photos I've ever seen to use in various ways within the portfolio. The use of these items was my idea and I wanted it to have a magazine look.

I was limited in my design for the contents page, a favourite page of mine in any publication, so that was a bit disappointing. However, most of the book I was able to finish without much design commentary from others. I'm still in the process of trying to get it printed correctly but here are some shots of the book in proof form.

I'll post better images soon created from the design file rather than photographed.

***Update: I was able to have this reprinted and the disappointments in the first printing were all corrected. Apart from the document not having a silver foil cover due to budgeting issues, it's perfect!

/sketchbook

2009-09-18T21:37:00.003+10:00

Rarely do I get time to draw these days but I like to for fun. Egypt is one of my obsessions.

Here I was attempting to draw the boy King Tutankhamen. I drew him too old however. Maybe it could be how he might have looked had fate given him more time.

It's unfinished, but I kind of like that. It almost looks on purpose.

/poster - work social club event

2009-09-15T10:53:00.005+10:00

This was a fun project. I was asked to design a poster for our work social club's annual art competition. Humourus and junky works of art are put together with a theme and people compete for a prize. The art is judged and it's a fun event people look forward to every year.

The theme this year was "Food Bowl", something topical at the moment where I work. I cut out pictures of fruit and created Fruity Miranda to promote the event. This is the final version but I blacked out an email address for privacy purposes.

/charity part 2

2009-09-09T22:29:00.005+10:00

Here is the second card being considered for inclusion. See previous post for more info.

ps sis, note watermark on images x

/expo: 2008 New Orleans Maritime Event

2009-09-08T11:31:00.003+10:00

The Pacific International Maritime Exposition is a major international maritime, naval and defence-related event that brings together key industry, defence and government decision makers from South East Asia and around the world.

This brief required the client, in this case Martime Tasmania and The Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts , to be able to stand out amongst many others at a large expo in New Orleans, Louisiana USA.

I designed some backlit panels to fit the stands as well as a large hanging banner to help people locate Maritime Tasmania.

A curious problem was solved with the printers' first ever giant zipper which seperates the top half of the logo banner with the bottom half consisting of words that may need to be replaced at a later date. This ensures the re-usability of the expensive and large banner.

The original logo for Maritime Tasmania was not created by me.

/fun

2009-09-07T23:12:00.003+10:00

Just a magazine template for fun...

/poster

2009-09-07T23:09:00.002+10:00

/poster

This is a poster created for an annual concert with two private schools participating.

I created several stock images to use on the poster by delving into the school's excellent archives for old notebooks, music sheets and other goodies.

/charity

2009-09-07T22:57:00.010+10:00

de-constructed

I was asked to contribute a piece to the 2009 Royal Hobart Hospital and Menzies Research Institute annual Christmas fundraiser.

Artists donate a piece to be auctioned off to raise much needed funds for important medical research.

I created a piece entitled de-constructed which represents what happened in my life when I discovered someone close to me had terminal cancer. This is one of two pieces being considered.

This was created using a photo from a few years ago of the Family Christmas tree. I took it through several processes in photoshop and illustrator to get the exact type of outline I needed.

It looks much better printed (you'll just have to believe me).

The RHH Research Foundation
The Menzies Research Institution
/give

printing by kwik kopy

/logo: All Star Cast

2009-09-07T22:54:00.006+10:00

/logo

The podcast for Jen Reviews Movies needed its own logo. The radio station it's attached too uses a vibrant red along with the black and white style chosen for the creator's personal site. A mix of the two led to this play on images. Bright, fun and playful like the podcast itself.

/listen

/corporate identity: Jen Reviews Movies

2009-09-07T22:45:00.009+10:00

/logo element /twitter identity /profile image

/twitter background

/blogger banner

My most demanding client (me) needed a whole new look and feel for an online presence.

A logo, color and font scheme was needed to visually link the client's website, blog, twitter, facebook and various other identities spread across the internet. Even an email signature was created to match the new identity.

In the end I used the KISS principle and kept it simple...stupid.

twitter/jenmovies
jen reviews movies

/hi

2009-09-07T22:05:00.002+10:00

////////////////////thanks for coming to see my work