What is graphic design?
What do graphic designers do?
What is good design?
What are your prices?
Why is a logo so important?

What is graphic design?
Graphic design is the art of developing ideas. Graphic design combines the creativity of fine art with the results-focused concepts of marketing to create effective communication materials. Where graphic design differs from fine art is in its pursuit of fulfilling the client's goals. Whether convincing the public to support a social issue, helping a business attract clients, or simply teaching employees how to operate new computer software, when done effectively, every element of the design is calculated to achieve that goal.

What do graphic designers do?
By drawing on their individual creativity, methods of fine art and market research, they use a visual vocabulary; colour, shape, concept, photography, layout, illustration, and typeface, to produce a broad range of communication projects that express messages, inform, persuade, and motivate audiences to action. These projects can include logo creation, brochures, business cards, corporate stationery, advertising, annual reports, newsletters, publications, packaging, promotional items, websites, sales materials, signs, training/educational materials, and much more. In essence, graphic designers organize the information and develop the "look and feel" for the communication materials that surround us.

Effective graphic designers also possess an extensive amount of technical knowledge regarding printing techniques and limitations, paper stocks, colour theory, digital and electronic presentations, and special production processes such as die-cutting, foil-stamping, and embossing.

What is good design?
Although the answer to this question is quite subjective, it can be answered quite simply by stating; good design is created to evoke a specific response. That response might be an individual making a decision to purchase a new product, or something a little harder to measure like brand recognition. It may be an emotional response, such as laughter, or even shock, but it could also be a renewed awareness of an important social issue.

Every client and every project is unique, however, simply put "good design" communicates the intended message effectively.

What are your prices?
The costs associated with the development of different materials vary greatly depending on the complexity of the piece and the production requirements involved. All of our clients are provided with a price estimate, which includes a break-down of the design time and the printing/production costs. If a project requires less than 1 hour of time, we bill accordingly. Contact Sherri Appleby for more pricing information and a free estimate.

Why is a logo so important?
While you should never judge a book by its cover, a person by their face, or a company by their logo, if we are truly honest, we all do this in some small way. At least initially, when we have no other information from which to form an opinion, our vision, and our impressions of what we see, makes up a big part of how we form that first impression. Certainly, impressions can change (once you start to read the first page, engage in conversation with someone, or after you've purchased your first widget), but it's usually appearances that start helping us form an opinion.

Your logo is the face of your company. A well-designed logo can go a long way in forming a favourable first impression. Critical to your company's identity, your logo can boost your public image and give you an advantage against your competition. A professionally designed logo can help establish credibility, convey your company's philosophy, and help customers remember you.

For non-profit associations and community-based groups the theory is the same. Although their mission may be focused on a specific social issue, community-based organizations need the same competitive edge when designing a logo as they are competing with other organizations for a small part of the public consciousness, as well as public and private-sector funding.