So in my Analytics I track what people are looking for in order to get to my site. In this blog post I'm going to address some of them.

First off is

copyright law displaying client work
Now in all reality copyright gives you the power to display (and only the copyright holder). There are exclusions to these but not for client work (generally it's educational use only - the technical term for legal display and use is "fair use").

In detail they can be found in Section 107 of the copyright code which also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
Now personally I think if you display work on your website it's with the idea you will get more work from it which would make it of a commercial nature (and therefore, not fair use).

I have a clause in my contract which allows me to display client works, copyrighted to them or not, on my site.

Now to another keyword
cost to give clients original design files

I don't ever give my clients original design files unless they purchase the copyright from me (+100% of design cost). If they wanted original files (assuming they would want to edit it and make more versions which is less business for me) they can just buy the copyright from me. I do give flattened artwork and in the case of web design - editable support files such as headers or templates for photos (like a border).

logo design copyright transfer contracts

This is another one that comes up a lot. My transfer form is very basic.

FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged April Sadowski ("Assignor"), located at ______________, hereby irrevocably transfers and assigns to ____________ ("Assignee), located at ___________________ its successors and assigns, in perpetuity, all right (whether now known or hereinafter invented), title, and interest, throughout the world, including any copyrights and renewals or extensions thereto, in _______________ (“Design”. Assignor is permitted to display Design as specified in contract (self promotional/portfolio display).

IN WITNESS THEREOF, Assignor has duly executed this Agreement.


April M. Sadowski


By:_______________________

Title:____________________

Date: ____________________


It's pretty basic.

That's all folks. Stay tuned for more later!

Let's say you are using some web-based software and it's not running right, you know the company that develops it has a twitter account so you tweet the issue using their name (with the @ so they see it in their twitter page). Within minutes you get a reply and within hours the issue is fixed. This is one of the reasons I love CurdBee (billing) so much, they actually list their twitter in customer support.

I noticed a bunch of people laughing at the Dayton Daily News for saying the Newport Aquarium was an attraction in Cincinnati. I figured I'd twitter that using both @daytondailynews and @newportaquarium. Sure enough, I get a reply two hours later from DDN thanking me for the catch and noting they will correct it shortly. I think it slightly comical however, that Newport has in their twitter the location listed as "Newport, Kentucky (Cincinnati)"

Just being on twitter to connect to clients or customers can be integral to your success. You can get instant feedback.


Twitter me @aibreanstudio or @ladyaibrean

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Help me get one and you could get one. I've done this before and it works! Netflix is the quickest and easiest.

Logo: a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition.

Someone had made a post on a forum I frequent about wanting a logo done (for free). My comment was to put together some text that reflected their style. They came back and said "but I want a logo". That got me thinking. What really defines a logo?

Obviously you want the logo to reflect yourself or your company or your product in some way or form. This does not have to be done with a fancy graphical illustration. If you notice, FedEx's logo for instance makes use of white space to form an arrow. If you are working with the environment you could have the text a green or blue. If you are working in the food industry then a brown, yellow, or red might due as they often are associated together. If you are working with technology it wouldn't make sense to use a frilly font.

Here are some things I consider when designing a logo:

Your personal style - you are more likely to like what I design when it reflects what you like and what defines you. If you aren't a fan of swooshes because they are overused then I shouldn't be using them!

Icon/Type - sometimes a logo is fine in just type by itself, but sometimes it needs a graphical representation to go along with it. A logo can be a combination of type and a graphic (logotype and logo icon).

Simplicity - you want to make sure that your logo reads well scaled down for things such as business cards and promotional materials. I make sure that illustrations if used (and I illustrate them myself) are not too highly detailed but are detailed enough to be able to understand quickly their meaning/use.

Vector base - you also want to make sure that your logo doesn't look pixelated when scaled up for large format printing and signage or vehicle decals. I work in Illustrator to make sure all work is deliverable in a format you can use on any medium. If you want Photoshop effects, you need to understand the limitations of raster-based graphics which is primarily conformed to the original designed size. There are some instances where this might work such as a blog or web-based use where the design will never be used elsewhere or needed in a higher resolution for printing.

Black and White - I always make sure that the logo can be easily transitioned to black and white and now deliver files with a black and white version. You might not think you need it, but if you are sending a fax then if you have a color logo it will most likely be lost as faxes do not perform in anything other than black and white (no grayscale).

Trendiness - I try and not look at current trends because they can easily date a logo (swooshes, gradients such as in web 2.0 logos, transparency, etc). You want to pay for something that is timeless like a Rolex where it looks good at any age. Obviously, there are times when certain things are required in order to define your company and that takes an exception, but being trendy for trendiness' sake is not necessary.

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Are you trying to skim off some extra dollars from your budget? Try doing some exercise before getting a quote! One of the biggest pitfalls is expecting the designer to come up with "everything". You can save money by doing some minor legwork yourself. Sometimes there are clients that want a website but don't have a logo or copy. I can make a logo, sure, but it's going to cost you. I can put in copy, sure, but it's going to cost you.

Here are some bits of advice.

1. Ideally you want to start from the bottom up. Work out your marketing plan and available budget before even trying to go and get a quote from a designer. Plan on getting your logo first rather than at the same time as another project. It will save you in the long run because while I'm working on the website and logo, you could already be handing out business cards with the logo on them. A web presence is good, but your whole company "brand" is going to revolve around the logo, not the website.
2. When getting a budget put together, realize that anything you don't have (photos, text, existing collateral) is going to make the design process longer and more expensive. I have to scout photos that you have to approve and purchase. I do check out micro-stock sites (more semi-pro level at cheaper costs). If I do writing, I have to do research and you have to approve it. If you have existing collateral you want the design to reflect, it speeds up the design process as I can mimic style and keep your brand consistent.
3. If you are wanting design done, have examples of other styles and designs you like ready to show me. This will get me an idea of your design style and also keeps my concepts in line with what you would approve of.
4. It's not always good to jump ahead and purchase a website domain before anything else. Sometimes, web hosts offer free domains within their hosting packages (like 1and1 which I use). Keep that in mind when you are getting ready to have web design done.
5. When thinking about your website, keep in mind that additional pages cost more money to quote so think ahead. When you want a product page, do you also want subpages for different product categories?
6. Make sure your designer is proficient on the spot and keep with that same designer (why ditch someone that works well with you and produces results that work?). The designer should be someone you feel comfortable working with and can trust. The designer should be good at what they do. So many times I get a client that had a previous designer work on the project and they were unfamiliar with proper design techniques in that medium. A logo created in Photoshop is going to looked pixelated and blurry on a billboard. Make sure your designer knows what they are doing. Look into their clients, references, educational background, etc. Your design is an investment, and you want to make sure the most able person is working on it. You don't want to invest into a designer that can't do the job and then have to pay someone else to recreate it.

So you may notice that even through all your exercise, you are still gaining weight. Remember, muscle is heaver than fat so it might take a while to notice results but it's going to make your company stronger, more attractive, and will cost less for design in the future!