David Airey, graphic designer

The past seven days

David Airey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:19:36 +0000

What’s been happening with me in the past seven days.

Book tweaks
I’m currently tying up the final details of my design book, working closely with my copy editor to iron out any kinks. It’s looking much better than I hoped, and although the last-minute addition of an extra chapter created more work, that’s good news for anyone wanting to buy a copy. The cover design has been passed to the publisher for feedback. Once ready I’ll share it here (my internal design was settled at the start of the project).

Teaching in Mexico
Out of the blue, I was offered a position teaching corporate identity at Cedim University in Mexico, during the January to May 2010 semester. Some nights were spent laying awake longer than normal, thinking over a possible move, but I eventually declined in order to focus on other things. A big thanks to Miguel Fuentes for his time, and to those of you who offered advice.

Judging the Chip Shop Awards
For new subscribers, I’ve previously featured the Chip Shop Awards on my blog. Event manager Katy Thomson gave me a nice surprise with an invitation to judge the 2010 awards in London. Entry is open.

Wedding plans
Some of you will know already that in June next year I’m tying the knot in Cyprus. It’ll be a small ceremony in a beach-front gazebo. Family and close friends. One to look forward to alright.

Synecdoche, New York
I took a little time-out to watch Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York (2008). Philip Seymour Hoffman doing what he does best, in a strange and incredibly detailed film. 7/10. On a similar note, I give The Men Who Stare at Goats a disappointing 4/10. Expected more from a top cast.

Christmas
Every year I say the same, “I won’t leave it until the last minute.” It rarely works that way, but with just six weeks to go I’m doing well to get a few online purchases made. I can’t stand shopping in sardine can stores.

Fielding email
If you’ve sent an email and I haven’t replied, please bear with me. It’s head down for the next two weeks.

What’s next?
Once my book’s wrapped up I’ll be working with clients again. I didn’t think I’d be looking forward to it as much as I am, so the time has just about arrived when I stop directing potential work to other designers.

That’s pretty much it. I hope things are going great for you.

Viagra is 10

David Airey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:58:20 +0000

That little blue pill from Pfizer is celebrating its 10th birthday. Let’s reminisce together about the flood of Viagra spam we’ve each deleted.

Watch on YouTube if you can’t see ad above. The video, developed by French agency BDDP & Fils is being shown to the Pfizer’s European staff as part of the 10 year celebrations.

Via I Believe in Advertising.

The design responsibility

David Airey — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:21:27 +0000

Image courtesy of net efekt

How will design shape our future? How are we, as designers, taking responsibility for the products we help put to market?

The following TED talk by architect and designer William McDonough was filmed in 2005, and posted to the TED website in 2007, so there’s a fair chance you might’ve seen it. But if you haven’t, and if there’s just one thing you watch today, spend 20 minutes listening to what McDonough has to say about design and the world in which we all live.

(There’s a full-screen icon in the top-right of the video panel you should see below — it’s not high quality, but it’s good enough.)

Watch on TED if you can’t see the video above.

A few points from the talk include how design is the first signal of human intention, and we’re asked to consider our intentions are as the dominant species on earth. McDonough talks about design humility, and how it took us 5000 years to put wheels on our luggage. He asks when will we see the end of the age of oil? And mentions how the stone age didn’t end because we ran out of stones.

McDonough expands on these issues in his book Cradle to Cradle — another for the to-read list.

You might be wondering how this translates to your day job. Jennifer Seeley helps explain in a comment she left on a previous post of mine:

Our goal is to make people aware to the point they will always check where the products were made and if there are any warnings on them. I came upon that issue years ago with Gold Paint on mugs. I was designing mugs for some corporate branding. The decision — have shiny gold that looks impressive yet causes cancer (through the materials used), or be morally just and pick the next best option.

Obviously, I chose the safer color.

And here’s a particularly telling quote from McDonough’s talk:

What we need is “…something that makes oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, accrues solar energy as fuel, makes complex sugars into food, creates micro climates, changes colors with the seasons and self replicates,” said McDonough.

“Why don’t we knock that down and write on it.”

Are you taking design responsibility at work?

New not improved

David Airey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:01:48 +0000

Just because something is new, doesn’t mean it’s better.

Business cards from a keyring?

David Airey — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:28:30 +0000

I was sent an email last month from Ben Hamey of Squiz Cards — a new project specialising in unique mini cards (53 x 28mm with round corners). He said he’d offer some free sets to you guys, and I thought it looked like a nice idea, telling him I’d need to try the service first.

So I spent about five minutes creating a simple card showing my logo and two main web addresses. I uploaded a TIFF to the Squiz site, went through checkout, then entered the gift code Ben gave to waive the cost (usually £11.95 for 50 cards + keyring dispenser with first order).

It took exactly one month from the date of order to receipt of the card set. I’m sure the postal strike had something to do with the delay (should’ve arrived within two weeks).

I like the result, and even though the on-screen card preview looked pixellated, Ben assured me the print would turn out fine. That it did.

The dispenser is spring loaded, and cards go in the same way they come out. I nearly pulled off a nail attaching the silver keyring to the holder, but other than that, nicely packaged and presented. I managed to push 16 cards inside, and you could probably squeeze another one or two on top. I always carry two or three of my standard business cards around with me, but I’ll attach this to my set of car keys for a while, too.

I read the cards are waterproof, so dropped mine in a glass of water, and true enough after a quick dry it was good as new. Never again worry about dancing in the rain, or you could stuff a couple in your swimmers in case you meet a potential client at the pool.

My only grudge (and quite a biggie) is how there’s no option to remove the advertising from the reverse. I’d pay extra for that, or for the option to print your own design on two sides.

Update: 26 October 2009
I’ve just heard from Ben who tells me the option to remove the logo will be live within a couple of weeks.

20 sets of Squiz Cards to give away

Update: 02 November 2009
I’ve drawn the 20 winners and notified them via direct message on Twitter. Thanks very much to everyone who retweeted.

Fancy a set? I’ve got 20 free sets for Twitter users. All you need to do is post any tweet that includes both @DavidAirey and Squiz Cards e.g.

RT @DavidAirey 20 free sets of Squiz Cards: http://bit.ly/3OUyim

Next Monday (02 November) I’ll Twitter Search for anyone mentioning @DavidAirey with Squiz Cards (with or without spaces) picking 20 winners at random. You’ll receive your gift code via direct message (you’ll need to follow me so I can send the DM).

Visit Squiz Cards here.

Prepress tips for graphic designers

David Airey — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:02:16 +0000

Photo courtesy of Cybjorg

When you design artwork for print, standard practice is to send a PDF to your printer. But are you 100% sure you got the settings right? Are you confident the size is correct? Have the colours been set to print standards or client brand guidelines? What about font usage?

So many things can go wrong, costing you and your client money. So to help, Sigurdur Armannsson — art director at the Icelandic Ad Agency — has prepared these 16 prepress tips that cover the major aspects for correction in your artwork. By checking each tip as you go your file will be in excellent shape for sending to the printery.

Photo courtesy of Cybjorg

01. File the job into a tracking or accounting system

Every business needs a tracking system where information about the client and his or her jobs are filed. Systems range from high-end business software to simply using FileMaker or similar to store information. Freelancers should also use something that takes care of this. I use iBiz.

02. Use files and folders that bear the job number

Tracking systems create running numbers. You should use them for your files and folders too. The running numbers act as keys to further information about every project and client, and save you from creating new files and folders for every job. You could use abbreviations or codes for your client and then the number and a short descriptive name, e.g. ABC 12345 Brochure Spring 2010

03. Stamp the artwork

Put information inside the artwork. If the client does not object, put a short line in small type 4-4.5 pt., inside the artwork, on the back of a brochure. Include your companies name, the job number and a date. MyCompany ABC 12345 10/09. The name of the printery would be a good addition too. This will help identify the work later.

04. Make it clear who is responsible for the design

Before you start, make sure you have a design brief. What is the main purpose of the design? What are the clients motivations? Who is responsible for the job? An art director? You?

05. Proofread

The odd thing is that clients can be calm about minor errors in the design, like lines not being of same thickness or such. But errors in text are fatal. Use a good proofreader. If the client wants to proofread himself, be sure to have that in writing. An email is great confirmation.

06. Make the artwork the correct size

Does the design brief specify the size? Have you checked Document Setup again? Or the outmost frame in Illustrator? Is everyone using 210×297 as Width by Height? Did the client say an A4 because it looks like an A4 or is it 220×286? For ads, contact the magazine or website. They will love to hear from you. Always double check if you aren’t sure.

07. Define bleed and trim marks in the file

Bleeding — the distance the artwork needs to extend beyond the final size of the artwork — can vary. 3mm is most common. In some cases it may not be needed at all, nor the trim marks. Clarify before you create your PDF, and open the PDF afterward to check inclusion.

08. Ensure the typeface(s) used correlates to the clients corporate identity manual

Are you using the correct typeface for your client? Are there any unnecessary fonts that shouldn’t be included the file? In Illustrator check Document Info or Find Font… and in InDesign Find Font… under Type in the menu. When delivering artwork as a PDF there is normally no reason to outline the fonts.

09. Ensure logo usage correlates to the corporate identity manual

The client loves her logo and usually wants it bigger than we want it to be. Stick to the size in the manual or the size used for recent works. If she wants it bigger have that in writing and be sure to tell her if it’s overshadowing other information.

10. Keep the colour of the logo in the right format for the media used

For print, use the logo in vector format if possible. Logos sent to you inside Word documents are no good unless the design is for web or a PowerPoint presentation. Make sure the colours of the logo are in accordance with the corporate identity manual. For print, the format should be CMYK, not Pantone unless the work is going to be printed with spot colours.

11. Keep the colour of the artwork in accordance with the media used

Now, this depends on what kind of colour workflow you will use. For CMYK workflow, all colours should be in CMYK. Pictures should be in CMYK, colour separated for the paper used. No colour profiles should be attached to the pictures. If you are still using pictures as EPS it’s time to switch over to using native Photoshop files. The reason: If you are using transparency in your artwork, like drop shadows or transparent type or colours, your PDF will most likely have torn the photos into strips. This can be avoided by using the pictures as native PSD.

For RGB workflow, you can still use CMYK colours, except you should have all photos in RGB. It’s important to have all photos in RGB and they should have a colour profile attached. Use native PSD — it’s great, and has options not available to other formats.

If you are including Pantone colours, make sure only the colours used are in the file. In InDesign and Illustrator, go to the Swatch panel and in the fly-out menu choose: Select all unused and delete those colours. If in doubt, contact your printer. He will love to help you and he will most likely send you the correct settings for Photoshop that fits the jobs going to his printery.

12. Colour correct your monitor every four weeks

There is no way you can use either CMYK or RGB workflow with confidence if your monitor is not colour corrected at least every month. Colour correction software like iOne has a reminder built in.

13. Ensure all pictures are the actual size shown

Pay close attention to the resolution of the pictures used. Most common resolution is 250-300ppi. You should try not to enlarge or minimise pictures by more than 20% of the original size. This is just a thumb rule. When you change the size inside your document you will change the output resolution too. A 300ppi picture will be 600ppi if you minimise it by 50%. Way too high a resolution. Enlarging too much might get the resolution below what is needed to pass the printery’s preflight.

14. Preflight the artwork

Preflighting the artwork before sending to the print shop is a must. If you have done all the things mentioned above, you have manually preflighted a great deal of what is needed. Using a preflight program like FlightCheck from Markzware or similar will help further. It’s most annoying to discover just before you deliver your work that it’s not in line with necessary printing standards. If you don’t have a program like FlightCheck you can go far by using the built in document info and preflights.

In Illustrator you have Document Info. Turn off the default Selection Only and browse through the items in the list, one by one to see what’s inside your file.

InDesign has a preflight feature. In CS4 it has been moved over to Window > Output > Preflight. There you can see an overview of the document, check fonts, links etc. Also, in CS4 you can see the red or green dots at the bottom of the window that indicates various errors you may have in your file. Great help but it doesn’t beat a professional application like FlightCheck.

15. Ensure the final PDF is high resolution

Did you send your client a low resolution PDF earlier in the day? Did you remember to switch over to a high resolution output? Are you using the built in PDF settings of InDesign or Illustrator? Ask your printer for PDF job settings. The built in settings are usually not what is used for professional PDF output. Or at least know which of the built in settings you are supposed to use.

High Quality Print and Press Quality settings are tempting to use if you want quality (because of the names), but in most cases you will have to use PDF/X-1a:2001. Consult your printer here. They will love you.

16. Have artwork approved as final

Get in writing (preferably email) a client approval before the job is sent to the printery. Or in bigger agencies the approval has to come from an art director or account manager. Verbal communication cannot be relied upon if something goes wrong.

These 16 pointers may seem overwhelming at first. Don’t fret, because when you’ve worked through the steps a few times they’ll become a part of your prepress routine. You’ll be able to quickly run through the list and discover that you’ve covered almost every one while working on your design. Once again: Talk to your printer to get the best results.

And finally, here are the 16 tips without the above explanations — you can keep this handy since you already know what they mean:

File the job into a tracking or accounting system
Use files and folders that bear the job number
Stamp the artwork
Make it clear who is responsible for the design
Proofread
Make the artwork the correct size
Define bleed and trim marks in the file
Ensure the typeface(s) used correlates to the clients corporate identity manual
Ensure logo usage correlates to the corporate identity manual
Keep the colour of the logo in the right format for the media used
Keep the colour of the artwork in accordance with the media used
Colour correct your monitor every four weeks
Ensure all pictures are the actual size shown
Preflight the artwork
Ensure the final PDF is high resolution
Have artwork approved as final

From David:
As well as his art director position, Sigurdur Armannsson teaches at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts and carries out font related freelance work. He blogs about design at Font.is and is on Twitter @sigurarm.

Sigurdur’s 16 tips are based on a document he developed at his work, and he teaches a course at the Academy on the matter — preparing young design students for the real world (and stopping them from clogging the Academy printers).

If you find value in the advice shared, please let Sigurdur know. He’d love to hear from you, and equally, I’m always interested in how guest posts go down with you.

Graphic design bookstore

David Airey — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:16:59 +0000

I’m often asked what graphic design books I recommend, so to save a little time in future I’ve launched a graphic design bookstore.

The books are divided into seven categories:

I’ve read about half the books listed, and those that I haven’t come recommended by other designers. Where available, each book is shown alongside its Amazon rating and customer reviews.

Here are a few I’ve had a chance to feature on my blogs:

Do you have any design book recommendations, or any thoughts on the books I’ve picked? Tips or preferences much appreciated.

Visit the design bookstore

Logo Design Love book available for pre-order

David Airey — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:34:08 +0000

Back in March I told you I signed a book deal with Peachpit. The copy deadline is October 23rd, which is scarily close, and the book is now available for pre-order. So no pressure, David.

How’s it going? It’s not easy, but I wasn’t expecting it to be. And while there’s still a bit to go with the content, I’m hopeful of hitting the deadline—thanks to some amazing help in the shape of Jill Marts Lodwig, Nikki McDonald, and Robin Drake.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that three years of blog authoring has taught me about writing. But when you’re scrutinized by three professional editors it’s a different ball game entirely. As Eric says, “Writing is easy. Editing is hard.”

Once the project’s wrapped up, I’ll share the steps involved here on my blog, from negotiating payment and forming a plan, to writing and designing a 200-page book.

In the meantime, the Logo Design Love book website gives a brief intro and lists some of the graphic designers who have kindly contributed.

Social Media World Forum

David Airey — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:07:39 +0000

Image courtesy of Nimages DR

Fancy going to the Social Media World Forum? I’ve got a two-day conference pass worth $850 that needs an owner.

There’ll be speakers from Google, Ford, Coca-Cola, Ogilvy, Starbucks, GM, Walmart, Kodak, Technorati, LinkedIn, and plenty more.

The two-day pass includes:

Entry to the conference and presentations
Access to the pre-event online meeting planner Conference Materials
Refreshments throughout each day including full buffet lunch
Entry to networking drinks reception
Post show digital access to speaker presentations

For a chance to win just leave a comment saying something you’d change about my blog (the design, topics of chat, frequency of posts—anything really). I’ll list a randomly chosen winner on my Twitter page this Friday (October 9th), along with collection info.

You’ll obviously need to be in California in November (I can’t unfortunately), and there’s more event info here.

Oh, and if you can’t make it, but still have a suggestion, I’d love to know. Just remember to tell me not to include you in the draw.

Logos: the fossil fuel of design?

David Airey — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:25:57 +0000

License plate photo courtesy of sixes & sevens

Earlier today I received a comment on one of my blog posts that got me thinking. It was from Douglas Bonneville, and he said:

I’ve seen quite a few takes on the Families logo. When I see something this simple, I always wonder 1) how no one saw it before and 2) if we are going to run out of obvious icons buried inside of words in the next few years.

Is good logo design a bit like peak oil? How much more can we continue before we run out and all revert to simply using Courier for everything?

And I thought, with iconic identities having a memorable, simple, adaptable shape, won’t there come a time when every supposedly “new” idea has been exhausted in some previous incarnation? Or indeed, has this time already come and gone?

It’s just one of the challenges we face in identity design—to move projects in new directions, and to not settle for what’s “cool” in this fledgling profession of ours.

David Airey, graphic designer

The past seven days

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Viagra is 10

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The design responsibility

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New not improved

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Business cards from a keyring?

20 sets of Squiz Cards to give away

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Prepress tips for graphic designers

01. File the job into a tracking or accounting system

02. Use files and folders that bear the job number

03. Stamp the artwork

04. Make it clear who is responsible for the design

05. Proofread

06. Make the artwork the correct size

07. Define bleed and trim marks in the file

08. Ensure the typeface(s) used correlates to the clients corporate identity manual

09. Ensure logo usage correlates to the corporate identity manual

10. Keep the colour of the logo in the right format for the media used

11. Keep the colour of the artwork in accordance with the media used

12. Colour correct your monitor every four weeks

13. Ensure all pictures are the actual size shown

14. Preflight the artwork

15. Ensure the final PDF is high resolution

16. Have artwork approved as final

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Graphic design bookstore

Visit the design bookstore

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Logo Design Love book available for pre-order

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Social Media World Forum

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Logos: the fossil fuel of design?

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