RESOURCES · E-NEWSLETTERS · THINK · APRIL 2007

GOOD DESIGN TELLS A STORY

"I don't start with a design objective. I start with a communications objective. I feel a project is successful if it communicates what it is supposed to communicate."
Mike Davidson, CEO, Newsvine

Reached by cell phone at a photo shoot in Madras, Oregon, HMH design director Danielle Saxman, who is passionate about good print design, was happy to talk about one of her favorite subjects.

Q: What elements do you consider when you're evaluating a design?

The organization of the information. Balance. Emotion. How type is handled.

Good design helps tell a story, offering information in an organized, accessible form.

Balance is all about composition, ensuring that your eye goes where it needs to, that nothing is overwhelming or distracting.

How the piece speaks emotionally—the character of a piece—is brought out through photography, the choice of typefaces, color and style.

And of course people need to be able to read the type. Beyond the rules for typesetting regarding widows and orphans, the rag on the right, alignment, leading and kerning, the choice of typeface creates a particular character for the piece and, of course, some type faces are easier to read than others.

Q: What are the secrets to successful projects?

Complete input from account service from the beginning.

A lot of face time for the client and the designer.

Research. The more information, the better.

Time. When there's not enough time in the schedule, it's a disservice to quality.

And an appropriate budget, of course.

Q: What is the most effective way clients can offer creative input?

Face to face. In person, with the designer, which allows collaboration between designers and clients. And that collaboration can create solutions that are better than either of us could come up with on our own. We have no egos about the source of good ideas.

Q: How do you determine if the design is on strategy?

We base our designs on a deep understanding of our clients' customers, of their language, their personalities and their needs. We review creative briefs, look at the style guide, the client's logo, etc., to consider the personality of the piece in the broader context of audience and brand.

Q: What has experience taught you about helping a design project run smoothly and on target?

The more face time the better to review layouts, discuss optional layouts, and discuss ideas. Shoving things under the door or sending a PDF just isn't as effective. The designer needs to present the designs, in person, to hear the feedback.

If the conversation drifts into personal taste, I try to redirect it to the target audience. What matters is what communicates best to that audience. We consider the design through the lens of the creative brief, focusing on logic and not on personal taste. The piece is not for us or even for our clients. It's for their customers.

Q. Describe the design process.

The process begins with a kickoff meeting with the team, to review the creative brief.

A lot of times designers will look to other sources for inspiration: the library, an art museum, industrial design. A good designer is always thinking about design. Then the designer will draw thumbnails, or sketch how something comes together. Maybe it folds interestingly or binds in a unique way. Paper is selected.

Sometimes we show comps in a rough form, a dummy or a mock up for client approval. Other times the project moves straight to layout. Virtually all design is done on computers and good designers are technologically very sophisticated, so this isn't about sketch pads or drawing tables. Today it's computers and the latest new design software.

Then the designer selects photographers and illustrators, and works with them to art direct visuals for the piece. And designers collaborate with writers in developing major concepts, headlines and determining the amount of body copy that's needed.

The designer also meets in advance of printing with the printer's pre-press department to discuss technical issues, special printing techniques and other considerations in file preparation.

The piece then may go through rounds of revisions—sometimes many rounds—but when it's ultimately approved and finished it goes to the printer, who assembles the file and prepares composed proofs for approval.

When it goes on press the designer goes to the press checks to make sure every element is correct and to adjust color as necessary.

Every piece of design work is a collaboration involving account service, production, design and our clients. That collaboration is successful when organization, balance, emotion and type all come together to tell the story in the printed piece.

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