the woes of waiting on client materials while they pressure your for progress reports.  It’s something that everyone learns either the difficult way, or the really difficult way.  I recently read about 35 different types of content interview questionnaires, and even wrote my own content questionnaire from scratch in order to extract information and graphics from all clients in a blissfully easy way in order to promote timely delivery, a pleasant overall experience, and be aware of all needs for project from the beginning.   While some designers find it troublesome to “pester” their clients from the get-go, those who do the pestering do it because they know that doing so will result in the best possible experience for both the client and our design/development team

We all need the following things in order to begin your website project or digital marketing campaign:

1) A budget

Knowing our client’s budget helps us pre-determine available funds so we can maximize your dollar for your needs.  Each project outline and estimate is based on
A) hours of time and necessary resources involved to complete it
B) Resources needed such as stock photography, logo design, and interactive media possibilities.
C) Campaign dollars for pay-per-click advertising
D) Expenses for recurrent services such as blog post creation and creative writing to further improve your website for search engine optimization.

In other words, we recommend a 3 minute informational video for an $850 project if it also requires logo design, copy creation, and photography services – the budget simply won’t allow it, so we’ll instead brainstorm and propose the most COST EFFECTIVE way to promote your business, given your allocated budget.

2) A complete list of the client’s design requirements

The client must make clear at the beginning just how much design work their project calls for, e.g. Tri-fold binder, letterhead, and business card layouts. Occasionally unexpected new design needs emerge and in turn will increase the overall cost.  This is why at Don Wright Designs, we intentionally over-estimate every project so that there are no surprises once our client receives the final invoice.

It is very difficult to estimate a project if very little information about it is provided.  We frequently (along with every other web designer on the planet) get the all-so common phone call:

client: Hi there, I’m calling because I heard you build websites and I’m wondering how much they cost
me: you mean how much website’s cost?
client: right, how much does a website cost? .  . .

This question is usually followed by my analogy:  “a website is like a house, it depends on the size, materials needed, hours of labor, grounds keeping, and price of the Joneses’ next door who you want to out-do . . . ”

3) A clear outline of what the design is intended to accomplish for the client

Whether it’s a print ad–campaign, posters for a flea market stall or a 60-sec video short for Vimeo/Youtube, every design job involves a goal to be fulfilled. It’s important that the client has thoroughly thought through these questions before they begin discussing concepts with the designer. Additionally, it’s critical for the designer to ask questions about the client’s objectives since the client is, after all, hiring the designer to provide the services.

An outline of Your Target Market/Customers and Demographics

From the beginning, we built and tailor all of our services to reach your IDEAL customers.  A website for a new T-shirt company which primarily sells to high school males will need to be developed with the needs and tastes of that market, and will therefore look completely different than a company which sells shawls and blankets to grandmothers and grandfathers.   Our clients need to understand that every aspect of both your VERBAGE and your CONTENT as well as photos and graphics will GREATLY depend on a thorough understanding and perspective of your target demographic.

4) Timeframe and Delivery Expectations

Even if your project isn’t of utmost, time-critical scope – we need to be made aware of any needs related to your release schedule in order to effectively manage our time and our other clients’ timetables to effectively meet the needs of your project.   If you have a tradeshow approaching where you wish to present your website, PLEASE let us know so we can accurately negotiate these delivery times based on your schedule and our current workload.

5) High quality images and graphics

Prior to site design and even MOCKUP design, its YOUR job to provide us with any relevant logos or artwork that you wish to incorporate into your website presentation.  Ideally, any logos or artwork should be provided to us in the proper format (.eps, .pdf, .psd, .ai) so that we may present your final mockup and graphics with branding which coordinates with your current marketing materials

Any photographs you submit to us should be of HIGH resolution (300 dpi and fullsize, not to be confused with web-format or compressed images for email).  Although the FINAL image will be presented and published on the web, if we’re provided the high resolution images we are able to crop and resize accordingly per our needs for your site design.

6) Graphics, Images and Text in FINAL FORM

This is most important.  Clients frequently send us their logo, and a few paragraphs of text about their business and then leave the rest up to us.  This doesn’t work AT ALL.  While the paragraphs of text describing your work certainly help getting us started, it won’t be enough for us to properly build your site from start to finish.  Any text, photographs, illustrations or other material provided by our clients should be received before our work commences. It is a drain on time and resources if we are left waiting for these things halfway through our project and, even worse, causes delays to our other clients who might be waiting in line. All materials provided by the client should be in their final form with no future revisions necessary. Any changes which have to be made after the design work has been done will cost time and money as well as postpone the delivery date.

We ask that you consider what primary NAVIGATION tabs you’d like to feature (Home, About Us, History, Staff Bios, Products, Specials, Contact Us, etc . . . )   Within each of these categories, you might have SUB-CATEGORIES (directions, portfolio, locations, types of products, etc) and we need to be made aware of these SUB-CATEGORIES as well!

Ownership info for third party images and copy/text materials

When you provide us with images and text sourced from an outside party, it’s absolutely critical that you also provide us with permissions from the outside source to use this material on you website or marketing materials.  This applies to text, video, images, graphics or animations, as well as any special fonts or other multimedia.

7) Examples of prior design work or inspirational reference material

If your company or business has published seasonal or campaign specific material SIMILAR to that which we’re designing for you, it helps us greatly to study any past design examples.  This helps us discuss with both you and your target market what did or didn’t work in the past, especially when we can analyze your audience’s response to said material

If a client has a seasonal marketing campaign, or their corporate identity needs to be revised, it will help to provide past design samples to the current designer. It’s useful to discuss what worked or didn’t work for the client last time, particularly in terms of customer/audience response or the direction which the client and/or their organization wishes to take in future.

This article inspired by a recent blog post by Tracey Grady, a designer in Australia.

These past two weeks we’ve shot 7 Virtual tours, built 2 Real Estate Websites, Shot over 6300 College Graduate’s photos, and I personally am really looking forward to getting back into a regular schedule this week since graduation season is over!!

We’ve got a few really important weddings coming up @Kyle Callea @DianneSepe @JayBeebe @StevenSevatah and we can’t wait to start showing off our latest wedding work.  Thanks again everyone for hanging in there with us while we try to get everything caught up.  Tisha Harvey: We are DYING to show you your wedding photos, so let us know when you get back in town from your wonderful honeymoon!

Why do I need this information?? So I can do my best to customize your class based on your needs!! If you want to learn NIGHT photography, my scheduling team needs to know that so we can schedule your lesson, wait for it . .. . . AT NIGHT!!!  Before your lesson, please read and re-read MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE so you’ll know or at least BE FAMILIAR with some of the terms I’ll be using.

Please fill out the form below in order for me to begin scheduling appointments . . . . which will be scheduled in the order received.  Thanks so much and I look forward to working with all of you!!!

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To keep it simple, we’re only offering 3 packages this year (based on last years feedback!)

1) Package A:
- FIVE HOURS of shooting with up to 4 locations

including 1 hour hair/makeup
what you get:
online gallery for friends and family
CD OF ALL IMAGES for your printing pleasure
THIS YEARS PRICE: $525

2) Package B:
- THREE HOURS shooting with 2 locations
- All Photos on CD/DVD to print till your heart’s content
- Online Gallery for facebook/family and custom print ordering
THIS YEARS PRICE:$350

3) Package C:
- THREE hours shooting
- online gallery for a la carte print ordering
- NO CD included with this package
THIS YEARS PRICE: $200

All packages include full color correction and enhancement, additional touch-ups available per request.

Email/Call ahead recommended due to volume – half down reserves the date!

BEGINNER CLASS:  Basic Camera Features (easier than reading giant manual), Lens Choice and Selection based on Subject Matter, Exposure (pictures too dark? too bright?), How and when you use your flash, basic photo composition and what makes interesting pictures.  This class is high-demand and must be scheduled at least 2 weeks ahead of time – $150 for ONE 2 Hr Session including Take-home notes

INTERMEDIATE CLASS: Covers Low Light, Fast Action, Night/Long Exposure and how to shoot in  *cue dramatic drums* MANUAL MODE ($150 for ONE 2 hour lesson + Take Home Notes)

Interested in 2nd follow up lesson?? Anyone who has registered and attended a prior lesson gets a discount on each additional lesson (also applies to Beginner > Intermediate) So if you’ve taken the beginner class, you get to sign up for the intermediate class for only $120

Lighting Workshop: offered Spring 2011

(will cover off camera lighting, advanced post production, RAW format workflow) $400 for 3 hour workshop including a model and lighting equipment

Pre-Register for April Lesson NOW! Make a great GIFT For the Holidays! Call today to reserve your slot! Only 4 people per workshop – tell your photographer buddies!

Private Lessons – Post Production/Digital Workflow

Post Production Classes: Want to learn how to enhance your images using your computer?  Having trouble keeping up with all your images, finding the ones your looking for, and printing them the way you want?  We are currently offering MONTHLY lessons utilizing ADOBE LIGHTROOM and your own personal computer.  I’ll assess your current workflow and help you find your way in the can-be-hectic world of digital imaging.  More information about Adobe Lightroom here