Press Release

As the semester has progressed, one of my classes, Professional Practice, has broadened my appreciation for professionals. I have learned an abundance of information and one of them was learning how to write a press release. A group in my class is devoted to writing the press release but even though I am not writing the release it is important for me to understand the basics. So the basics… what is a press release? The purpose of a press release is to give journalist, editors, or reporter’s information that is interesting, accurate, and useful. A press release can be tricky because journalists receive a lot of releases in a day and they have set standards in order to have the release read. If it does not conform to the standards then the releases are sometimes thrown out. A release should be written in third person about a particular event, service, or product. They are usually sent by email, fax or the old fashion way by the postal service.

 

So what does a press release look like? There is a simple format to follow, first at the top of the page in the left hand corner is the contact information, name, telephone, and email. In the top right hand corner usually sits the statement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Skip one or two lines and the main title of the press release are in all upper case then the subtitle goes under with title case. The main title is very important because the reporter is not interested in helping you make money he/she is looking for an interesting story for his readers and for his editor. In the headline, you want to state the most exciting news with as few words as possible. Next is the subhead, this is where you can further hook the reporter. All elements of the press release are important and should not be overlooked. This is only a quick look at press release; there is more information on this websites:

http://www.lunareclipse.net/pressrelease.htm

A New Adventure

In my process and Materials class, we got to embark on a surprise field trip to Paper Plus in Chattanooga, TN. I have never been to a printing/paper company and so I did not know what to expect, but it was the most interesting and intriguing experience. Upon arrival, the company had over 20 sample books of paper products sold in there store and the company was more than willing to give out the books. This was like Christmas… first, I love paper. At home I have boxes from childhood of paper still stored away. I love every quality of paper from the smell to the uniqueness of the paper; there seems to be no two alike. After I acquired enough paper samples, I was brought back to reality and was greeted by Alex Brock, a sales assistant. He was kind enough to give us almost an hour of his time and explain the printing process and the different kinds of paper in there store. The store was filled with many different kinds of paper, some made across seas and some made in the United States. Each paper comes in different weights, sizes, and colors. I was soaking up all this information and it was very intriguing. One enlightening experience was when he explained the grain direction in paper. This plays a significant role in the printing process. Grain direction comes in two types, long grain and the short grain.  The long grain is the grain direction of the paper and this runs in the same direction as the longest length of the paper. The short grain refers to the direction of the paper that runs in the same direction as the shortest length. For example, if you have a paper that is 8 ½ by 11, then the grain length would run the distance of 11.

 

In all the field trip was very interesting and informative. I came away with a better understand of paper and the printing process. I appreciate Paper Plus in Chattanooga for taking time out of their day and enlightening young designers.

 

For more information on Paper Plus visit them at http://www.paperplus.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Client Presentations

So what makes a successful client presentation? This has been one of my main thoughts today because one is coming up for me. This Tuesday I will be presnting my design to a room full of clients. I have made presentation before to clients in Interior Design but not for Graphic Design. I was before a panel of judges and I had to present a architecture blue print that I had been working on for 2 months. It was intense and I was nervous. But those experiences are good because they prepare you for what’s next. So back to the question, what makes a good presentation? In my opinion and this is backed up from research I compiled. First, the first impressions are critical. Not to be judgmental, but how one dresses does make an impact. The clients will take the designer serious if the designer takes herself/himself seriously.  How one uses their language is critical. It is important to think before you talk and not say “um” too many times.

 

It is important to give the information needed and not to overload the client with details. If the client is being presented with a new logo then they do not want to hear the designer ramble on about unnecessary details. It is also key for the designer to know their clients very well. To be able to read them and give them what they want.

 

As one site said that I came across in my research said to look at each presentation as a opportunity and not a threat. Be confident in yourself and in the product/design you are selling.

 

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/04/23/45542/how-to-make-great-presentations.html

Printing Process

The printing process has exploded into something huge.  Printing has evolved from handwriting to letterpress done by Guttenberg all the way to the present age of offset lithography. To my understanding, offset lithography is done by almost every commercial printer. The printing process is sometimes hard to understand but there are areas which are easier to comprehend. So how does offset lithography work? Well words and art are placed on plates which are then dampened first by water and then by ink. The ink will adhere to the area where the image is and the water adheres to the non-image area. Next, the image is transferred onto a rubber blanket and then onto the paper. Even though this process is done by a large majority of printers, there are still lots of different options for printing. Here is a list of just a few:

                -engraving

                -thermograph

                -reprographics

                -digital printing

                -letterpress

                -screen

                -flexography

                -gravure

In my years as a Graphic Design student, I have seen a few of these processes done in person. Each printer is an amazing machine which can reproduce something from the computer to your hand. Some of the machines for the printing process are enormous, especially the offset printer. The paper that is fed through this printer can be up to 2000 pounds (1 ton) but after the printing the paper is cut to size. Each roll can supply 72,000 printed pages. This would blow Guttenberg’s mind and it is truly a work of art. (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/offset-printing4.htm)

A hit or a miss

What makes a good logo? For my professional practice class, each student is designing a logo for an up and coming project. There are a lot of dynamics that can make a logo look horribly wrong but there are designs which are very successful. A logo is a defining source of identity for companies and in order to have a successful one it must be powerful and memorable. In the beginning logos are usually associated and put with a companies name but once the symbol/logo becomes popular or highly used then the symbol/logo can stand alone. For example, take the company Nike. It has been around for awhile and has become very successful in the shoe/clothing industry. At one time the swoosh symbol was used with the text NIKE but once the symbol became identified and could stand alone then if anyone saw a swoosh symbol there thoughts automatically went to Nike. Logos for business can take months to create. There are a lot of roughs, revisions, and going back to the drawing board to create a successful logo. If the logo is successful, then the company can make a good profit and if the logo is unsuccessful the company can become second best or worse. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and logos are imperative and need to be a top priority for companies. For example, the project I am working on right now, I have made over 100 different versions and ideas for a logo. It’s a rewarding process and I realized how much I enjoy creating logos.

Color…a powerful tool

For the next project in Process and Materials for Graphic design, I was assigned a word pair, Old/New, and from the word pair pictures were to be taken to depict the words.  I am supposed to have two different sets of pictures to depict the word pair relationships. For my first set, I decide that my subject would be light bulbs. I took an up-close picture of an old light bulb with the light off then I turned the light on and switched the light out for a compact fluorescent bulb.  In my mind, when I think about old and new I associate the past and present. So in defense of my composition, I chose a subject that had a past and a present. I relate the light bulb being turned off with something in the past that has already happened/ passed and a light bulb being on with something new and happening that instant.  

 

After the pictures were taken, I put the pictures in a 5×5 picture plan and created six different variations of the picture. I used different colors in my variations such as grayscale, duotone; color compliments, and adjusted the colors using curves and levels. Changing the colors within the pictures can dramatically alter an images meaning. Once I changed the original image from color to a duotone, a sepia look appeared. It allowed the image to become a whole different creature.  Color is a powerful tool and needs to be used carefully or else things can go wrong. 

Buttons/Postcards

Once I heard about the new project for Process and Materials for Graphic Design, I was excited. The project was to create a button and postcard for Netdiver’s 10 years anniversary. Netdiver is a design magazine that uncovers reviews and publishes work from the community. The company explains that they “love everything design and promote its values worldwide”. The company will be ten years old and to celebrate they wanted a party… but not just any party… a web party. My assignment was to design buttons and postcards to celebrate the 10 year mark. Each artist could submit up to three designs and then the designs are voted on. I have had my work in galleries but I have not put my work on the internet before. So here it goes… my first attempt. I decided to create three different designs since there were no guidelines/concept for the designs submitted. My designs were abstract and my goal was to create an atmosphere within the buttons and postcards that were lively and exciting. I had a lot of fun with this project because it was open ended and I was able to explore different options. I get relaxed when I am in the zone designing and I highly enjoy it. As of right now, there are at most 30 different buttons/postcards submitted for the competition so there is a good chance someone from our class will win. In all, this project was a thrill and creative. 

Team:Print

For the project I am working on in my Professional Practice class, I am on the print team. The class is divided up into different teams because in the real work world teams are common. For the print team, we will be focusing on sending postcards, decals, brochures, and etcetera. In order to make a successful postcard here are some tips I have accumulated from sources…

-First, be sure the postcards arrive at there destination on a Tuesday or Wednesday because those are the days in which the volume of mail declines. This means there is a better possibility the receiver will  see the postcard verses the postcard getting lost among their mail.

-Second, get right to the point and capture the reader’s attention. Focus on the important areas you which to communicate. A good theory is less is more.

-Third, do not try to write in big four-syllable words, just write the way you talk and it will appeal to more people.

Forth, Keep the reader constantly moving and keep the readers attention

(http://hostlibrary.com/7TipsforSuccessfulPostcardMarketing-web-hosting.html)

 

Postcards are a very easy way to communicate to the consumer. But the size and color are also equally important. If the postcard does not catch the reader’s attention then it will get thrown in the trash without another glance. The size needs to stand out among the mail but does not need to become too expensive. Also, the color needs to relate to the product/concept your business is trying to promote. But it also needs to be creative and enticing.