Components of a Project

In the same way that any one of the many machines you use each day is built from a series of different components - the parts of the 'visual design machine' should be carefully chosen and the 'manufacturing process' put in place to create the final 'product' - your companies public image.

This is a list of the components that may need to be considered before a project should be undertaken - each project has different goals and budgets but this list may help you to think about what is needed:

• Brain Storming, Research and Design - How much initial creative thought and time can you afford to have invested in your project - do not underestimate the value of this process it may save a lot money and aggravation later on down the line. If your project needs to be integrated into staff workflow, ie. the updating of a website, thinking how this is to be done in terms of time and cost effectiveness should be done at this point!
• Media - the types of media to be used for the project - also how they are to tie in together and keep their consistency across the board. For larger projects, where time-based broadcast media are to be used or when a marketing campaign is to be run across a variety of media concurrently, scheduling in both production and implementation needs to be considered
  
  • Print - Stationary (full suite - custom suite) - Leaflets and Posters - Brochures - Catalogues - Postcards
  • New Media & Web Technologies - Websites (intranets or internet), Applications (small programs), CD/DVD production, Interfaces/Animations for screen projections
  • Broadcast Media - Radio and TV advertising, Narrowcasting online using video technology
  • Custom Media - Many marketing companies now use anything from T-Shirts to massive public events to create a buzz about a product or service - this may involve anything from umbrellas to 20 meter high posters and large video display screens - if you need this - we need to know early!
• Resources - You need to think about ALL the resources that may be needed to realise your project, to be placed within the framework of the media listed above - this can encompass anything from sourcing/buying a particular font with a full selection of typeface variations, employing a photographer to photograph your catalogue product range or writing the copy needed to populate a brochure or web site.
• Providers - Making sure that you have the correct companies to do the work for you - sometimes we are expected to do things that are out of our technical abilities - do not ask us to design packaging or develop consumer products, take fashion photos or investigate industrial processes - these are not the things we can deal with realistically!
• Your Time - Make sure you have made time to manage your project -a project cannot be completed successfully without the client making enough time to check work at various stages of completion. We will set up a schedule for both research/development, realisation and signing-off of the stages and for implementation - for a small project this may not entail very much but for larger projects we will put in place a procedure that covers all the processes
  

This list should cover most of the important 'components' to be considered when committing to a design project undertaken using our services.

PLEASE NOTE: We ask that clients understand that designing is very similar to the process of manufacturing - if you, through whatever reason, and it is usually a cost factor, decide you need more or less added to your product, you will pay for the work incurred - whether it is used or not. We are unable to cover the costs to us incurred by client decisions made outside of the agreed contract and schedules - whether that be materials or labour costs. We will hold to our quoted prices and contracts but will notify the client as soon as it is apparent that we need to renegotiate for extra work or materials.