Tag: graphic design

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Fonts Matter

fonts-matter-meme

No matter what you do, project wise, we can all agree that fonts matter. We’ve been talking in our office lately about some of the most insane design fails we’ve seen simply because the font was illegible, unsuitable for the situation, or poorly executed. In talking about this, we also started to realize that some people may not realize why these decisions don’t work. We thought we’d illustrate our thoughts on this with a few examples. Are they necessary? Maybe not. Do we think everyone needs to see them? Definitely.

 

fonts-matter-memeOne thing we’ve all likely seen float around social media (especially if you have friends in design or art) is the meme showing why fonts matter in a message. The image shows the phrase “You’ll always be mine…” in a romantic handwritten font and then in what looks like a font associated with a horror movie. With this message, fonts truly do matter.

 

However, there are real-world instances of spectacular font fails. A big and somewhat recent one was a tote bag by retailer BelleChic. The poor font choice for the bag left the suggestion that one’s favorite color might be Hitler, instead of the intended “glitter.” The company changed the design and offered an apology, but this just proves that you should always ask for honest opinions.

 

Fails like this can be found in many places. Many end up being NSFW fails that we’re not going to mention here, but others are less outrageous. For instance, an establishment called Fast Tacos where the “s” in Fast is too stylized and looks more like the letter r? Combine it with the odd-looking shape above the words and you have something that I’m sure the owners didn’t intend others to see in their name.

 

How about a very famous brand making such an error? In an ad for Chanel, the tagline “I love Coco” is written out in a font meant to resemble handwriting. However, the tagline looks more like the brand is professing their love for cattle (which we can understand… cows are cute).

 

This is all meant to be light-hearted, but the issue is a serious one for businesses. In today’s digital age and where everyone has a camera in their hand, any font fails like this will live forever online. While some are harmless (because we all love cows), others can be much more damaging (such as your favorite color being Hitler). So, today’s design lesson is simple: Feedback is your friend. Your project should always be proofed by more than one set of eyes to prevent problems like those listed above.

 

As a bonus, enjoy this image and remember: If you want your request to be taken seriously, please don’t use Comic Sans…

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Do We (Designers) Hold Projects Hostage?

So, I thought the days of this practice were long gone, but stories about this horror still surface from time to time. We at Washington Media Services thought it might be a good idea to make sure this practice is clear to all you readers so you’ll know what to look for, or ask, before signing a contract with a design firm. Spoilers: Washington Media Services does not participate in this practice.

What exactly is this practice? Holding a project hostage basically means that the client does not own their project when it’s finished. The design agency makes the client pay for their services, then demands another payment (or “ransom”) if the client wishes to have access to the raw files for any reason. As you can imagine, this practice causes more problems than anything else. It is stressful for the client on so many levels.

But, is it legal?

Sadly, yes, if it’s in the agency’s contract. If you sign a binding agreement that includes giving ownership of the project to the agency, then they can hold the project for whatever their release terms are. In some reports I’ve read, clients have stated they had to pay 50% of the design cost (after they already paid off the full design cost) to have the raw files released to them.

That is insane. We wanted to address this for anyone reading our posts, and especially for our current and prospective clients. Washington Media Services will NEVER hold a project hostage. Why? It’s simply not good for anyone. It isn’t a way to build or maintain a healthy working relationship with your clients. Washington Media Services believes that local businesses and organizations should thrive and we pride ourselves in doing everything we can to help you. Anytime we finish a project, and the project has been paid in full, the client owns the files. We will keep a copy of the files in our offices in case of technical difficulties, but we don’t believe in causing distress in our clients. If you partner with us to build a website, we will offer to purchase the domain and host your website, but you still own both.

So, what should you do? When you are looking for an agency, you should make sure to ask them what their policy is on ownership of projects. If the agency doesn’t explicitly say that the client will own the project, then I would say that this is not a partnership you want to jump into. Another thing you should do is read the contract and ask any questions you have (no such thing as a stupid question here). While it’s a good idea to know what you’re signing, anyway, asking questions is healthy and can give you an insight into how willing the agency is to communicate with you as a client. If you don’t get an answer you understand, or one that doesn’t completely answer your question, don’t hesitate to ask again or reform your question!

Remember that, at the end of the day, you’re hiring the design agency to create something for you. Make sure they won’t cause this unneeded headache for you.

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What’s #Trending

I know we all like to see what’s the best new trend in just about any market. We all want the latest in gadgetry, social media, clothes, and more. However, should this spill over into graphic/web design?

Wait! Don’t click away, yet. Let me explain.

In talking with other designers and creatives, in general, we’ve all found that potential clients sometimes want to know what’s the latest trend for their product. Presumably, this is so they can appeal to a younger audience, which is good logic. However, trends shouldn’t always be the determining factor in a business decision.

At WMS, we tend to look at trending designs in this way: Does it fit for you? A construction company doesn’t necessarily want their website to look overly artsy, so they don’t want something that looks more like a photographer’s portfolio (like this). A company providing a necessary service (like a medical institute, fire department, etc.) will need their site navigation to be easily found, thus the trend of making the menu blend with the rest of the site won’t help them.

Let’s look at this in other aspects, shall we? Another thing we’ve recently seen a lot of companies change is their logo and/or branding. Here, too, what’s trendy shouldn’t be the crux of your decision for this change. Example: a law firm doesn’t necessarily need the bright colored gradient in their identity (think of the Instagram branding for that visual). On the flip side, a beauty salon doesn’t want to look too dressed down or overly serious (like, say, the Chase Bank logo or the logotypes often used by law firms).

In reality, a design/media company should suggest designs that benefit your business. Someone should be able to look at your website or printed material and say, “Yes, this has [business name] written all over it.” If there’s too much of a disconnect between what you do and how you present your business, then people might look for alternatives.

So, what was this all about? In short, it’s just a reminder. We just wanted to remind you that trends come and go, especially website design trends. What’s considered trendy one day will be old hat the next. So when you’re looking to refresh your business’ look (whether online or via print), take trends into account, if you like, but focus on getting a good design that fits your identity.

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How to Behave After an Internship Concludes

The time is now coming where your internship is coming to its conclusion. You’ve learned a lot and hopefully made some new friends (*cough cough* References *cough cough* ). Here are some tips to consider just before your last day and beyond.

Part 5: How to behave after an internship concludes:

Be gracious – On your last day before leaving, thank your employer/mentor for their time. Internships usually mean an extra time commitment from your mentor, and sometimes it’s not paid. Look them in the eye, shake their hand, and sincerely thank them (just don’t be creepy about it…).

Ask for constructive criticism – What went well? What didn’t go so well? This is your chance to get some really good last advice. When you finish school you’ll have a leg-up on other graduates who don’t have that professional office experience.

Ask if you can use your boss or co-workers references – It looks great on a resume! Help beat that catch 22 that fresh grads often struggle with. Show potential employers that you do have some professional experience.

Send a thank you letter, or email – Please please please do this! It’s just polite to do so. There’s nothing more professional than an extra thank you. You don’t have to drool over them, but everyone appreciates being thanked and recognized for their time. Remember, they took the time to mentor you… Plus, who knows?! Maybe you’ll have a chance to interview with them for a full time job someday. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks for reading!