Design Matters: Version Control
June 2, 2009 by aoelof · Leave a Comment
In the last few years, we have seen how Adobe Creative Suite had been upgraded from CS to CS 2. It took a while for the CS 3 version to come out but within weeks of its launch, CS 4 surfaced on earth.
There are some people who had been on the relentless pursuit of upgrade. Each version offers some newer options which are very valuable that the older version will not be able to achieve. In TILT, we have been on a slow and constant upgrade. In fact, we have Adobe CS 2 on 1 computer, Adobe CS 4 also on 1 computer and the rest of our computers are on Adobe CS 3.
So when this happens, how can our workflow be such that it can still be seamless and be inter-changeable such that everyone in TILT can work hand-in-hand to complete a massive project?
Below are 2 examples using Adobe Indesign as the software (since that is the software which TILT uses for almost all our work):
Work was done in the lower version of CS
Voila! Your worries are solved as Adobe CS, like many other software, is backward compatible. This means that work which was done in Adobe CS 2 can definitely be opened in Adobe CS 3 or 4 and all of you can still work together (provided the first piece of work is done in the lowest version).
Work was done in the latest version of CS
There had been many instances of this situation happening, not only at TILT but in other companies as well (as far as we know). This is a quick tip such that work can still be completed across all the different platforms.
1. Go to File > Export.
2. Set the format to InDesign Interchange. (This will make a .inx file.)
3. Older versions of InDesign can open that .inx file.
4. Open the .inx file in the older version of Adobe CS.
And with this, you can continue working as 1 company!
Design Matters: Let your fingers do the walking
November 3, 2008 by aoelof · Leave a Comment
Yellow Pages, in our opinion, tried to draw the gap between the 2 media, print design and web design, to be much closer. Though we cannot confirm this, from TILT’s perspective, “Let your fingers do the walking” was the tagline which Yellow Pages developed to bridge the gap.
Some may argue that of course, the tagline itself is very apt as they are encouraging the end users to browse the hardcopy Yellow Pages. We argue that they try to bridge this gap simply because of the fundamental difference between print design and web design and we say that Yellow Pages understands that!
Print design is about letting your eyes walk over the information, selectively looking at key messages and using spatial justaposition of every element on that page / product to enhance and further explain themselves. Just remember, the very last time a brochure / poster caught your attention, was it a case where your eyes had “walked” to the information? Or was it your hands?
Web design functions by letting the hands walk to the information. This can be achieved either through scrolling or clicking. This relationship of information release is part of the interaction with the human body. Do you remember the details of a webpage? More often than not, you will find yourself bookmarking a webpage so that you can “walk” back to that page one day when you need the information.
If you understand this key difference, you will understand why TILT has an alternative view to “Let your fingers do the walking!”
Design Matters: Designing for a web design compared to a print design
November 2, 2008 by aoelof · Leave a Comment
After we had shared on our previous experience in the fundamental difference between a website design and a print design, in this issue of design matters, we will be touching on the difference in designing for these 2 very different media.
First and foremost, you will need to understand their differences. We will touch on 2 of the key areas that differs between website design and print design can be compared in some major areas.
Types of Media
As simple as it may sound, TILT decided not to leave any tables unturn and just elaborate a little bit more on the above.
As a print designer, projects which you will handle can be:
While as a web designer, projects which you will handle can be:
The softwares which you use will be fundamentally different as well. As a print designer, you will realised you are constantly opening up Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Freehand and of course Adobe Photoshop. As a web designer, the softwares are largely Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop. Some may use text pad, note pad, sharepoint designer or perhaps even microsoft frontpage.
Audience
Typically, when you attend a project design brief, you will find yourself asking your client, “Who is the target audience?”. This is where you will find that the difference begins.
In print design, the marketing message is the king! Faced with a very limited area, it is important for you to capture your audience in the shortest amount of time for the message to stay for the longest period. Of course, physical property such as texture, shape (remember when we mentioned form in our previous post), will assist you in achieving your goal. However, on the web, you need to try to keep your audience within your website for the longest possible time. You find that you constantly tease your audience with snippets of content to get them to navigate them around. Animation, navigation, sound and interactivity all play a part in this area. The key difference? You have unlimited number of pages to play with!
The fact is that anything that is a great print design is likely to be a lousy web design. Understanding the limitation and playing to the strength will allow you to come up with better design.
“Know the rules, then break them!”
Sounds familiar?
Design Matters: Web Design vs Print Design
October 30, 2008 by aoelof · Leave a Comment
In this next edition of design matters, TILT will be touching briefly on the difference between web design and print design. In fact, we decided to write this post also due to a very recent incident that happened to us.
Very often, there are companies who had requested for a print media design to follow that of a web design or vice versa. Though this can be done to a large extent, companies need to be aware of 1 simple point. For print media design, permanence and stability can be achieved with ease. However, this simply cannot be done on the web.
The Web Design World Is Just Different from the Print Design Media
With CSS, it is possible to get very precise layout. However, no matter how precise the web design layout is, it can never be as precise as print design. This is something that is, unfortunately, a fact which companies need to accept.
The web design can follow the print design by breaking the grid, having specific layout, font and other design elements. But are the tradeoffs worth it? Have you considered the download speed and maintenance issues?
It looks different!
In addition, in the web design world, it is so easy to build a web page and test it on your browser and you get it looking exactly the way you want it to be. However, the moment you test it on a different browser, it looks different. Not to mention about moving it on to another platform. It can look differently again!
At times, we hear from clients that they have staff who view the web site using a specific browser and it does not show up properly. Upon checking, very often, we realise that these users typically belong to 0.5% of the world’s web browser users. Is it worth then to make a perfectly working site look that way just to cater to that 0.5% and then risk ruining it for the remaining 99.5%? Simple mathematics. You decide.
VersionCue!
In print, it is very easy to export under another file name or overwrite the original file. So long as you path the fonts, the end user will definitely see the file as it is. However, for web, it is dependent on cache as well. Especially if you are working on CSS, it caches longer on the servers and it can take a long time to be cleared for you to see the updated version.
In fact, recently, one of our clients insisted that we had not made any of the changes simply because they cannot see the changes. They even went to the extent of copying out the source codes and sending it to us to show us that the source codes are wrong. We explained politely to them that if you are viewing the wrong page on the server, naturally, the source codes which you extract will definitely be wrong. Time is what is needed by you. Give it a bit of time and the right web site will show up soon. The end result was that 4 hours later, the client called us to ask us to make more minor changes and they said that they finally can see the updated changes and reminded us not to take so long to make the new changes. We politely informed them that since our last email correspondence with them, we had not worked on the website and the fact that they can view the website correctly now is simply due to the cache being cleared.
This few key differences between print design and web design is something which TILT seek for all companies to understand. If you can understand the difference and optimise it such that your workflow can be better, we are sure you can have a good relationship with your design company and your web design can then be truly optimise to be like a print design.
Design Matters: Is Your Brochure Design up to it?
October 26, 2008 by aoelof · Leave a Comment
We have been discussing about brochure design in our past few posts. We certainly hope our readers have beneffited from it. As we all know, you usually get only one chance to make an impression with your brochure design. The stakes are high and you definitely need to ensure it is a favourable impression.
As a recap of all the things which we had discussed previously, an effective brochure design is not about spending your entire budegt on it, which is the way TILT functions as well.
Regardless of the size of your company, we will like you to take a step back and look at your most current brochure design and put your brochure design to this test for effectiveness. As you go through each point, score your brochure with a “+1″ or “-1″. If you have more than 3 “-1″s, perhaps you can drop us an email at enquiry@tilt.com.sg and we can do a makeover for your brochure.
Emotional Appeal
Does your brochure design strike an emotional chord with your prospects? If you can touch the heart of your prospects and connect with their pains or desires, chances are, they will not take your brochure and throw it into the rubbish chute. With the emotional connection, the logical justification will happen.
Professionalism
Does your brochure design look professional? When we talk about professionalism, we are not referring to the brochure design feel but rather more with regards to form. Are the graphics of poor quality? Do you make use of clip art? These will put you on the fast track to downgrade your brochure design.
Personalise
Does your brochure refer to the situation from the prospect’s perspective? With this, we are referring more to copy. If your copy is such that it spends more time talking about your business and not connecting personally with your prospect (from their perspective), then your brochure design is in trouble.
Readability
Is your layout neat and readable? This is with reference in terms of the actual designing. Your brochure design should be pleasing to the eye and where necessary, include bullet points, arrows, boxes or any other graphics. This will guide the prospect to the information which you want them to read.
Say It Their Way!
Does your brochure design include technical language / jargons which your prospect will not understand? We all know that sometimes, it is impossible not to include technical language or jargons but it is vital to remove as much of it as possible. You need to talk in a manner in which your prospect can understand. The simpler the usage of language, the easier it is to connect with your prospects.
Be Focus!
Does your brochure design have only a single message? It is tempting for companies to try to include as much information as possible. Again, this will put your brochure design on the fast track of being thrown away. Packing it with a multitude of messages usually confuses the market and the end result? A waste of money by your company.
Action!
Does your brochure require the prospect to take an action? This is the key item which most brochure designs missed out on. Your brochure design should always be able to direct the prospect to take specific actions (perhaps to email you, make a phone call to enquire or to visit your website).
Vital Statistics
Does your brochure design include vital information such as contact details? This is something which is very obvious and yet is sometimes left out.
The Marathon!
Is your brochure design worth keeping? Sometimes, your prospect may not need your services / products at that particular moment. Make sure when doing the brochure design, there is a reason for the prospect to keep your brochure design.
Brochure designs can really help to brand your company and is a good and effective marketing tool. We hope that through these series of design matters, your or your company have benefitted from it.
Design Matters: Optimising Your Brochure Design
In this next edition of design matters, we will discuss more on optimising your brochure design.
As discussed earlier in Brochure design results with just 3 simple steps, there are elements which can make or break your brochure design.
Optimising Your Brochure Design
Here at TILT, we do hear from clients pretty often that “We need to design a brochure.” When we probe further to ask for the materials, very often, we find that the information (especially copy) is not ready yet. To add on, the clients will usually ask for sample designs. There are several times where we will advise the client that the design of the brochure cannot be done unless we have sample copy.
Know Your Objective or Intention
The fact is, to optimise your brochure design, the objective or intention of the brochure needs to be determine first. Having said that, this does not imply that by knowing the target audience, the brochure design objective or intention is known. Of course, knowing the target audience is a must but knowing whether the brochure should be one of an advertising nature or informative nature will bear a huge significance.
Brochure Design Copy
Next up, the copy which will be used is of great importance as well. Should it be written in a formal manner or perhaps in an informal manner? Can we do it in an interview style? How long should the text be? All these are of great importance. This is where copywriters come in. Don’t save the money. Pay for the copywriters as they can better represent your company with the copy which they come up with. With better branding, it is a better representation of your company!
Look Good!
Elaborating from our previous post, Let The Brochure Cover Out, the use of images are also of utmost importance. This can be done through a photoshoot, purchase of stock photographs or usage of high resolution photographs from your stock library. If all things fail, we can always rely on illustration as well. The choice (whichever of the above it may be) can be complicated. Again, on numerous occasions, TILT get requests from clients to
In the former case, this is an infringement of copyrights. While for the latter scenarion, these will result in the loss of resolution. We could say that choosing an image or picture is more complicated than writing the text for the brochure.
The text and images have to be ready before starting with the brochure design.
Brochure Design Form
In the previous section, What’s in a Brochure, we had given some examples of form. To optimise your brochure design, this is one which has utmost importance as well. When your target audience receive the brochure, the sense of sight and touch is activiated. All that we had discussed previously was based on the sense of sight. In holding the physical brochure, we are now touching on the sense of touch.
The type of paper, format and size holds just as much importance as the concept. In using, for example, recycled paper, the design can be very different from designing based on a gloss artpaper. To illlustrate this, perhaps you can imagine a brochure that is to be printed on gloss artpaper to be very colourful. The material allows the colours to be brought out in a vibrant manner. Whereas for recycled paper, perhaps the design can then be more pastal to bring about a more rustic feel to it. Though in the marketing area, there has still not been a thorough investigation about the importance of senses, but through our experience, we do see the trend where a successful brochure usually has the abovementioned elements.
If you ever need a brochure design, do feel free to drop us an email at enquiry@tilt.com.sg. We will be glad to have a chat with you such that the brochure design for your company can be optimised in the end and you can have a successful marketing tool.
Design Matters: What’s in a brochure
Typically used as a small, lightweight and cost-effective measure by companies, do you know that a brochure can be more than just that? A brochure can be a powerful and an impactful, yet informational and promotional tool for branding your business and thus in the process increase your exposure for your company, be it in Singapore or anywhere in the world.
Here at TILT, our cilents had requested at differing times to ask us to design corporate brochure, product brochure, product update brochure, event brochrues, sales brochure and others.
Most clients prefer their brochures to be of DL size, simply for the logical reason of easy letter-shopping. The truth is, your brochure can be in any size and comprising any number of pages. What is the most important is that the brochure carries the correct message and is able to catch the attention of the target audience. This can be achieved through form, design and copy.
At TILT, we specialised in advising the clients the unique forms at an affordable budget for the clients such that at the end of it, the brochure is something that can reach out to the target audience. This, afterall, is the primary aim.
Touching on the form of the design, below are some of the common forms.
Less common designs
Depending on the information available, purpose of the brochure, each of the brochure design has its own strength and weaknesses. To hear our professional advice, just drop us a note at enquiry@tilt.com.sg anytime and we will be more than glad to advise you on what’s in a brochure.
I want a New Annual Report
July 25, 2008 by kimo · Leave a Comment
The same statement that is transmitted to all staff of various levels. At the receiving end, all staff gets the same message. However, the message might be interpreted differently at each level, from marketing officers to managers and higher management.
To a {en:marketing|marketing} officer, this might mean looking at a new design that will “not look the same as previous years“. A design with high impact to match its importance and to show to their manager that they are doing a good job.
For the manager, it could be a design that has no mistakes and that the cost is minimised and the work of the design company maximised. They can then report budget savings and a lot of different versions where they can present to the higher management to show how they can get the most value out of a decreased budget. After all, they are project managers and this is a good way to demonstrate their project management skills.
For the higher management, they probably just want to get it over and done with.
Read more
Design Matters: Good looking Custodia!
July 3, 2008 by kimo · Leave a Comment
Came across this font that looks really classy to me. Its called Custodia as you probably might have guessed. I am pretty sure it will look as great carrying a brand name with it.
Doesn’t need much dressing up nor design work for it to look good.
Might fit in very well on an {en:Annual report|Annual Report} cover too… hmm, can’t wait to grab this font under TILT ’s wing …
Oh, and while you are admiring the screen capture, you will love to check out its website at http://www.ourtype.be, the flash interface is fun to mess around with.
Ciao!
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