Graphic Design Blog - An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers

Dealing with Client Objections & Rejections

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Author Name: Jodi Salisbury

Post Category: General Graphic Design

One of the things that entrepreneurs learn in their ventures is that they must learn how to deal with objections. I can say from experience that it is very easy to get discouraged when the product or service we hope to impress upon others does quite the opposite of our intentions.

As a freelance artist, I tend to wonder if it is easier to take objections personally, because, at that point it isn’t so much about persevering in our efforts as it is taking a loss or starting from scratch. Still, objections are something that a contracted artist must overcome. It doesn’t matter how skilled or creative we are; we are bound to have our few clients whose creative tastes and expectations differ from our own.

Though I try hard to avoid this issue by interviewing and getting to know my clients before the start of a project, there have been very few times where creative expectations and outcomes just don’t line up. And in this, I have observed a very narrow range of how clients present objections, or flat rejection. Here is a short list of popular scenarios I collected from colleagues and my own experiences:

1 - MIA (missing-in-action) – The client receives the mockup(s) and is never heard from again, forfeiting the down-payment and right to a change-of-direction when presented in a contract

2 – client doesn’t respond for at least a couple weeks, apologizes for being “so busy”, and proceeds with a very diplomatic list of objections

3 – client responds with a friendly request to pay the “kill” fee with no explanation and no request for a change-of-direction

4 – client presents positives before negatives, hoping to ease the blow

Scenario #4 is obviously the most desirable way listed to receive a client’s objection. It presents both what a client likes and dislikes and helps us to proceed in a more desirable direction. But regardless of how a client presents objections, take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. We artists all experience it and must receive all objections as opportunities for growth.

I’d be interested in knowing what experiences you’ve had with client objections. Please share your stories here.

DESIGN> 14 ‘The Creative Economy’

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Author Name: Anri

Post Category: Design Inspiration

We’d like to share our latest edition with you, DESIGN> 14 ‘The Creative Economy’, 280 pages packed with great content and interviews. We’d love to hear what you think so leave us a comment.

DESIGN> is a subscription free online magazine based in South Africa. We cover design in every discipline imaginable and like to think of the magazine as a place where all that is creative, innovative and inspiring converge.

Other publications include DESIGN> in technology and DESIGN> in living

Many thanks for your support and happy reading* 
DESIGN>

DESIGN> 14 ‘The Creative Economy’ issuu.com/DESIGNinformation/docs/design_14

DESIGN>’s ISSUU PROFILE

issuu.com/designinformation

How to Create Shiny Metal Text in Photoshop (Easy)

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Author Name: Stephen Kui

Post Category: Tips for Graphic Designers

The "metallic" effect seems to be rather popular, so here’s a simple 7-step method for a very easy approach to that effect.

The PSD source file is available if you subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Step 1.

Start with some text of any color on any background, it doesn’t have to be black.

Step 2.

Select the text layer and enter "Blending Options." Now head over to "Bevel and Emboss" and choose that. Many people like to use a bevel, but I like an emboss, and here are the settings. Remember to adapt them to your size.

Step 3.

Now choose gradient overlay, which will cover the text’s color. This should ideally be a silvery color, so use a dark gray on both sides, and then add a lighter gray in the middle. I also find lightening the upper (dark) gray adds a nice touch to it. Here are the settings:

Step 4.

Once that’s done, I find it makes the text look more interesting if you add a 1 pixel gray stroke to the outside.

Step 5.

Now control+click the [T] in the text layer to retrieve its selection, and paint in some light, light gray near the center of the top, and darker gray or black around the bottom edges. A 300px soft brush works great for this.

Step 6.

Some people like to add a reflection to the bottom. Personally, I don’t think it looks all that great, but I’ll cover it anyways.

Create a new layer, and apply the image. Then perform an edit -> transform -> flip vertical. Next, use the rectangle tool to delete most of the excess empty color (for cleanliness) and move it beneath the bottom of the text. Lower the opacity so it looks "reflected." (I used 20 as the opacity).

There’s your simple, easy approach to creating some metallic text. Of course, this method can be refined for those who want to make it more realistic, but this is just a basic way to get that "metallic" effect a lot of people are after.

And you’re all done! Like this tutorial or want the PSD? Visit me at http://stephenkui.com

How to Use Flash Effectively

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Author Name: Stephen Kui

Post Category: Tips for Graphic Designers

Flash can be an exciting, interactive element to a web site, or it can be a viewer’s worst nightmare. Using flash effectively depends on how you utilize the content and how obtrusive to the rest of the site it is. Here’s how to make the most of flash if you must use it, and why not to use flash in some cases. What Flash Does for Users No doubt about it. Flash is… flashy. But while it can be helpful for making your site’s appearance pop, it can also be distracting to users. Take note of kriesi.at, which features a flash navigation. While it has a nice design as cosmetics go, the navigation moves when you hover over it. While it may not seem annoying to you, especially as the designer, it can be a major annoyance to some visitors. There are some sites, such as the Transformers site, which require the user to have flash, or they cannot access the site at all. As cool as it is to see, it’s lacking in usability. Aside from the fact that it is completely unusable to people who don’t have flash, this site is distracting and hard to work with anyways. When Flash is Useful Although flash can be a viable replacement for HTML and CSS, it’s only useful if used in the right sites, such as:

• Portfolios
• Interactive demonstrations
• Displaying videos

Portfolios are often best displayed in flash, because they can really highlight images. Flash has become one of the most popular avenues for photographers and oftentimes graphic designers. Flash let’s these people provide their images in a way that presents them to the audience and let’s them really get into the image gallery. Jeremy Cowart has a great implementation of flash that highlights his images while keeping everything nicely organized and easy to use. The simple interface keeps all the content accessible and isn’t confusing, which makes the site work excellently as a portfolio. Interactive demonstrations can also be best suited in flash for certain niches. The sites, however, must be exclusively specialized so that flash is necessary for them to be effective. Don’t Click It exemplifies this by providing a test for users: To see if they can use a page without having to click it. The entire interface is flash-based and will instantly alert you if you click anything anywhere on the page. Can you navigate without clicking? Videos are also a good reason to use flash. While flash intros can be annoying or flat-out murderers of SEO, when used properly, can add a great dynamic for viewers. If the site is centered around an idea, such as The Girl Effect, a well-constructed video can be both awe-inspiring and moving. That’s our simple introduction to some of flash’s uses. Want to learn more about flash? Visit stephenkui.com so you can stay updated for the upcoming parts for the rest of this flash series.

Create an Elegant Logo in 7 Easy Steps

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Author Name: Stephen Kui

Post Category: Tips for Graphic Designers

Text-based logos aren’t a bad idea at all, and as a matter of fact are much easier to make. They can also brand your name better than most vector or image-based logos. So here’s an easy tutorial for a fantastic logo in 7 steps.

We will be making this logo:

Step 1. Start the logo with an elegant font. In this case, we’ll be using the Rage Italic font, because it’s clear enough to read easily but also adds some flair.

Step 2. Now we need a tag line, or another statement, which brands your tag line and also adds another dynamic to the logo with flow.

Step 3. Now that we’ve got a nice text logo already, we’ll go and add an easy vector as well. Start with the pen paths tool and make a slight curve under the first part of the text. The “g” makes a good division point in this particular logo.

Step 4. Now we need to extend the path across to the other side of the logo. Be sure to make sure the curve looks smooth and natural.

Step 5. Now click back close to the middle point (but not on), and make the curve flow with the original one. Think of the points as a ribbon, as it has to be visible enough and match the curve of the upper line.

Step 6. Now complete the line over the top of the first half, so it looks like a twisted ribbon.

Step 7. Now with the pen tool, right click and choose “Make Selection.” This will transform your path into a selection, so take a color, in this case I used #009cff, and fill in the shape.

Which becomes:

There you have it! A fantastic logo in just a few minutes. View the original tutorial at stephenkui.com