Usage rights and licensing can understandably be confusing for organizations to navigate. In our experience, many people simply are not aware that fonts, websites, illustrations, music and photos can all be subject to licensing and copyrights. Social media, with all of its content sharing, has helped foster a false impression that all media is up for grabs, which is just not the case—that’s where the right design firm comes in.

It’s no surprise that unanticipated situations can arise, catching the uninformed off guard.

Story 1: A client shared with us that they had purchased the rights to a photo, but only for one-time use. When their colleague mistakenly used the photo in another piece within the campaign, a major stock photography agency sued them for fraudulent use of an image.

An experienced design firm attuned to usage rights and the ownership of creative works can serve as a guide for their clients—asking them the right questions, providing them with a sense of awareness and simply anticipating potential problems before they arise. For example, if you’re providing artwork to your design firm, be sure your organization has secured the rights for the images and that you’ll be using them in a way that is consistent with your agreement. If you haven’t secured the rights, your firm can help you find similar, suitable artwork.

We know most firms do not intentionally set out to infringe on copyrights, but violations do occur.

Story 2: Another client experiencing functionality issues with their website decided to update it. When they requested a complete copy of the site from the company that had built it, the company refused. The client was stunned to learn that proprietary software coding was embedded throughout their website—effectively holding them hostage to that vendor or forcing them to rebuild it from scratch with someone else.

So how can your organization be proactive?

• Talk with your design firm about copyright issues
• Be aware enough to ask informed questions
• Choose a design firm that is transparent and will help protect your company
• Respect the usage rights of others’ work
• Spread the word—share what you learn within your organization

Have additional questions? We have the expertise to chart the right course for your organization. Visit us at deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812.

On our survey at the ASAE MM&C Conference this year, we asked what the biggest pet peeves are in working with designers. We thought the results were worth sharing. Let’s count down the top 5 most common concerns and how we aim to avoid them here at Dever Designs.

5. Lack of attention to detail

We make every effort to meet or exceed your expectations by listening, verifying, and reviewing at every stage. Our practice of anticipating next-steps and being proactive when managing vendors makes your life easier throughout each project. We even have a second designer review every job that goes out the door for quality control.

4. Prices are too expensive

Our goal is to make your investment go further by looking for ways to save you money throughout each project. For example, when designing an exhibit display, we’ll recommend hardware that could be rented or purchased and resold, depending on your needs. Our estimates reflect the time it takes to design and produce a project, based on past experiences. If the project goes more quickly than estimated, we’ll give you a credit for the unused time.

3. Lack of listening and understanding our organization

At the beginning of each project, we make it a point to gather all of the stakeholders together and establish clear goals for the job. This creates an environment in which we can fully understand your organization’s needs. With consensus achieved, we propose solutions that integrate the input of those involved.

2. Lack of creativity and quality design

Using the information that we gather by listening to all of the stakeholders, we consider what unique approach would best serve your audience. With our experienced team of designers, we propose multiple concepts in order to create a quality solution that’s right for your organization.

And now for your top pet peeve…

1. Slow responses and missed deadlines

Each of our designers is also a project manager, which means that clients get to work directly with those producing their project—no account executives acting as middle-men to slow things down. At the start of each project, the designers will lay out a realistic schedule that works backwards from your deadline.

Interested in talking with us about how we can solve your design pet peeves? Just get in touch and start the conversation.

My wife, Kay Rosburg, and I are going on vacation this summer, and from the moment we started planning, we knew she would handle the logistics. After 30 years of being married, there is a level of communication and trust you develop where you just know what works. Kay and I can agree and that booking flights and making hotel reservations are best left to her.

Kay’s management and organizational skills also extend to her work as a principal at Dever Designs. She truly complements my efforts as the creative director, and our level of trust and communication make us a great team. Much like in marriage, communication and trust also play a role in our relationships with clients.

To serve a client well, we feel it’s important to take into consideration these five factors:

1. Good communication/Trust. They say there’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth. It’s because we’re meant to listen twice as much as we speak. One of the things we do right from the get-go is to listen carefully and deeply to clients to help them collaboratively reach their goals. Communicating honestly and accurately helps build a trust-based relationship.
2. Proactive Project Management. On our end and yours, it’s important to be proactive. Come to us as early as possible with a project. Make sure your key stakeholders are involved in the planning process so everyone is on the same page from the start. On our end, we have an excellent project management team in place to guide you through the process. By proactively managing the project, things can run smoothly and there will be fewer changes along the way.
3. Valuing the Process. We have come up with specific steps to ensure a project’s success. This is based on decades of experience in the design field, working with hundreds of clients. It’s important that clients believe in and respect our process and see us as a partner working toward the same goal. If we don’t go through the proper steps, the project can break down and we can’t deliver the quality of work you deserve.
4. Organization. We help keep clients on task, reminding them of important deadlines and milestones in their schedule. It also helps us to work with a client who is equally responsive and organized.
5. A good fit. For any of these pieces to work, it’s important that from the very inception, we are a good fit with the client. Is our expertise, our skill set, a fit for what you’re trying to achieve and the scope of your project and your budget? We want our clients to feel we are invested in their success and to create that level of trust with them.

Interested in working with us on your next project? Visit us at deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812.

What do the International Association of the Chiefs of Police and the National Aeronautics and Space Museum have in common? How about Psychotherapy Networker and the Library of Congress?

As it turns out, all of these organizations have been served by Dever Designs. One might wonder, how can you go from working with one client that operates a museum to another who is a resource for therapists, counselors and social workers? On the surface, that might seem difficult. For us, though, the answer is simple—it’s about the process.

At Dever Designs, we go through an intake process that raises the right questions with clients to help define the project, no matter who the client may be. Our goal is to be the creative that illuminates their brand. To do that, we facilitate a discussion with a specific set of questions that will provide us with the right information to successfully move forward.

Some of the questions we ask might be:
• Who is your audience?
• What are your goals?
• What are the project components—will your project entail print, digital or a hybrid of both?
• What are your existing brand guidelines?

One of the most important things we do during this intake process is listen. By really listening to our client’s responses and dialoguing, we are able to bring our expertise and passion for design to an array of clients and their project’s specific needs.

It is important to note that while our design team is invigorated by working with a variety of clients, we are not what you would consider a “one-stop shop” with services appropriate for any and all clients. We feel some design firms today can be too narrowly focused, unable to meet clients’ evolving needs or, conversely, too broad, without any focus or degree of expertise in any one area.

Diversity keeps us challenged, and new clients present a unique set of problems that we thrive on helping them to solve. At Dever Designs, our portfolio features a variety of projects for a diverse range of clients. But, we specialize in non-profits and organizations with a service-oriented take on the world.

Take a look at our portfolio to see the types of clients we have helped. Have a project you need help with? We’re ready to lend our expertise! Visit deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812.

As you begin any design project, whether it be a simple brochure or a trade show booth, it can be helpful to keep in mind this quote from Benjamin Franklin:

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Ensuring a successful project that is delivered on time and on budget requires being proactive and making a plan. As a senior designer and project manager at Dever Designs with experience handling a wide variety of projects, I’ve outlined some tips below to help you stay on track.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

It’s best to involve your design firm as early as possible. Keep in mind that the time needed for planning, design, and production is directly related to the scope of the project. Designing a single brochure can have a fairly quick turnaround, whereas developing branding and exhibit pieces for a large conference could take over a year. So start the conversation with your design firm in advance so that they can help you outline, conceive and manage the project.

Outline the Parameters of Your Project Up Front
We try to make sure we slow a client down and help them to define the project parameters up front. If clients decide to change direction halfway through, it can quickly blow the budget. Because, after all, time is money.

Make Sure All Major Stakeholders are Involved at the Get-Go
A big part of a project’s success lies in making sure all the major stakeholders are involved from the start. Is everyone on board with the project goals? Have all of the major players reviewed and approved the copy? If everyone on the train is not aligned from the start, it can lead to a major project derailment farther down the tracks.

Create a Realistic Timeline
To help keep the project moving along, it’s important to create a realistic timeline that you’ll follow from beginning to end. Inevitably, you’ll run into hiccups along the way, so try to build in a little padding anywhere you can. For example, if the printer needs 10 days to deliver a piece, schedule at least 14 days, just in case it comes down to the wire.

Stop and Think
Your project is going to involve many pieces, and while you don’t have to have the specifics, we help you clarify the project’s parameters and gather all the necessary elements. For example, have you thought about what type of photography and/or illustration will be incorporated? If you are using photos, are they of a high enough quality to translate well to print? If your project incorporates outside advertisers, do they have their artwork prepared and is it usable? It’s good to have as much of this lined up as you can at the start of the project.

Have Regularly Scheduled Updates
It’s important that both the client and the design firm know where they are with the project timeline at all times. To conduct these updates, it’s best to have one point of contact on the design side and one contact on the client side who regularly interact. Ongoing, constant communication will be a key factor in your project’s success.

Interested in talking to Dever Designs about your upcoming project? We have so many more tips and feedback to offer from our decades of experience in the field. Feel free to visit us at deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812 to speak with a designer.

It’s just ink on paper. What could be so hard about that?

As a senior graphic designer and project manager with years of experience under my belt, let me be the first to tell you that nothing about the printing process and choosing the right printer is quite that simple.

The good news is that whether you allow Dever Designs to select one of our trusted vendors for your project or you choose your own printer, being prepared and proactively planning ahead will make the process easier and increase your likelihood for success.

Figure out what you want
Step one in determining the best vendor for your print project involves determining exactly what it is you’re looking for. By defining and outlining the parameters of your project up front, you’ll be that much closer to selecting the right printer for the job.

As you think about the specifics of your job, these are some questions you may want to ask:

• How many copies will be printed?
• When do they need to be distributed?
• How will your content be distributed? Will it be mailed, or handed out at a trade show?
• Is this a one-time piece, or does it require a shelf life?
• How complex is the project? Does it require special techniques such as foil stamping or a die cut? Hint: if your project is more complex in nature, you will want it to go to a higher-end printer to ensure a successful outcome.
• How sophisticated is your audience? If your collateral is for a board of directors or an advocate on Capitol Hill, quality will be essential.

All paper is not created equal
Choosing the right paper sets the appropriate tone for your project. Since you’ve already outlined the parameters of your project, you’ll know whether you’re creating a media kit that needs to be able to endure some wear and tear or a postcard that won’t have a long shelf life. Depending on your needs, you may want a heavier paper stock for an evergreen piece. You’ll also need to determine if you want coated or uncoated paper. Uncoated paper is easy to write on and can convey an eco-friendly feel, while coated paper will make your photos pop. The prices and options for paper stock vary greatly, so you’ll want to do your research and see samples.

There’s no such thing as too much lead time
If there’s anything I can emphasize that will help make sure you end up with a beautifully printed piece, it is to allow as much lead time as possible. Whether you’re looking to design and print a piece or it’s ready for press, advance notice is essential. We recommend a minimum of one month’s notice to design and print a simple piece, but planning early gives us time to consider more options, offer better solutions to meet your needs and helps to avoid costly errors or omissions. If you have an annual event, you are advised to come to us as much as a year in advance to set the wheels in motion. Printers are busy folks, and they need to have lead time to set up their presses and staff to run your job.

For the DIYers
If you are selecting a printer on your own, we offer the following advice:

• We recommend obtaining three quotes. Make sure each printer is presented with exactly the same project specifications.
• Do your homework—get samples and recommendations from those you trust.
• Look for an atmosphere of customer service. Are they happy to work with you and make necessary tweaks for the benefit of your project?
• You get what you pay for. Cheaper doesn’t always mean the best value. It’s all about choosing the right vendor.

At Dever Designs, we know the printing process inside and out and have established successful relationships with a variety of vendors. Don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions or to talk to us about your next project! To see some of our work, click here. Visit us at deverdesigns.com or call us at 301-776-2812.