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Graphic Design FAQ

What kinds of graphic design do you do?

What would you say your design philosophy is?

Do you have examples that I can see?

What do you charge?

I do web design, book typesetting, illustration, as well as traditional print media design (stationery, brochures, advertising design, corporate ID).

Setting up a web site for a client is satisfying because I get to use the full range of my skills.

I especially enjoy doing logo design for clients because having a good logo can help make a good first impression and promote name recognition. Here's an example:

This is the logo for the University of Georgia's Artificial Intelligence Center (UGa AI). I like the clean, clear quality it has — it brings to mind clarity of thought, scientific study, precision — and yet blends the organic quality of a tree (the science imitating the real-life structure of a tree, much as the AI students strive to model aspects of human intelligence).

What would you say your design philosophy is?

Graphic design is communication. The designer's job is to organize the information effectively and present it so that the reader/viewer can get the message. We can use color, humor, rhetoric, and images to meet this goal. Sometimes there are arbitrary limits placed on the design process (perhaps only using black plus one spot color for a brochure in order to save money), but I like to view these conditions as creative challenges.

Do you have examples that I can see?

Sure! I'm reworking my portfolio page right now, but it should be back up shortly.

For right now, take a look at The Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms sample pages. That's my magnum opus!

What do you charge?

I usually charge by the job. Each project requires a consultation with my client (usually by e-mail) and, based on that information, I prepare a quote for them. I'm sorry that I can't provide a rate-sheet; there are too many variables involved to be able to publish a fixed rate for a job.

Let's take the example of a tri-fold brochure. A 1-color brochure on plain or pre-printed stock could be produced very quickly if my client has already drafted the copy, is providing the art or photos, and can identify the target audience. I can do this type of brochure layout for $50 to $100.

However, if my client needs for me to help focus their message, identify the target audience, provide multiple comprehensives, use full-color production, depend on me to be a liaison with the printer, and supervise the brochure's production, the charges will mount quickly. This one looks like a $700 to $1000 job!

If the job is open-ended, it may be fairer to both myself and my client to go to a hourly rate. My rates vary slightly (mathematics typesetting or HTML programming is more expensive than simple design work), but I usually charge between $40 and $75 per hour.

New clients are expected to remit a retainer equal to 30% of the estimated costs of the job. The balance is due within 30 days of the delivery of the completed project.

Overdue accounts are charged 1.5% per month after 30 days.

The answer is Maybe. Please call immediately to see if I can rework my obligations to my other clients and my family. If I can take on your rush job, please don't be shocked — I'm going to add a 20 to 25% rush charge to my usual rates.

(This is my way of encouraging clients to not have crises. I tend to have enough of them myself...)

Now, I don't want to leave anyone in the lurch. If I can't help you, I'll try to put you in touch with someone who can.

Fair enough?

More bang for the buck. The PC runs the software I want to use, and costs less than a comparable Macintosh.

Let me say that I do not participate in what I call the "Mac-PC holy war." Macintoshes are good computers, and, yes, I do use one from time to time. Mac OS and Windows have really been converging over the last few years. Since most of the major graphics software runs on both platforms, I can sit down at either one and do productive work. And that's what it's all about, right?

LaTeX is a markup language used for typesetting. It excels at setting texts with unusual characters, like mathematics or phonetics. I take the author's manuscript, insert the proper codes for formulas, special characters, the book's structural elements (e.g., chapters, section heads), and process the file with a custom stylesheet that sets the book in the correct format. I can program custom stylesheets to use any Type 1 font and conform to virtually any specification.

So, LaTeX is my tool of choice for typesetting mathematics books. It's not the best tool for all jobs, however (see the next question).

If you want to learn more about LaTeX, see our introductory document, What You Should Know About TeX and LaTeX (requires Adobe Reader). Or, search the Internet for latex leslie lamport or tex donald knuth. (Guaranteed to keep you busy for a while.)

Yes, I do. Just as you don't use a hammer to drive screws, I don't recommend LaTeX for all page layout and typesetting. Small jobs are handled with CorelDraw. For a book with lots of color, sidebars, and runarounds, I recommend Adobe's InDesign.

I do not currently have a current version of InDesign running here at Covington Innovations. However, I'm very familiar with InDesign's predecessor, PageMaker, and upgrading would be a very quick transition for me. If you need a designer to work with InDesign, please call me. Just give me, oh, about 24 hours to rifle through the manual.

Designing the overall site structure and information flow. The information has to be packaged so that visitors can find what they're looking for. To achieve this, I have to develop a design that allows the viewer to navigate the site how they want to. For example, you can get to Covington Innovations Home by clicking the image at the top of the page, through the jump menu, the dark blue navigation buttons, the sidebar and the breadcrumb menu. This carefully constructed web of links helps our viewers stay oriented and gives them easy ways to get where they want to go. The goal is to fit the web site to the visitor's mind, rather than requiring the visitor to figure out how my mind works, or yours.

This takes time to do right, but it's well worth it.

Look, I have to be blunt here: If you're designing webpages that are viewable only by this week's version of Internet Explorer, you're not designing for the World Wide Web. When I set up a web site, I'm careful to cross-check my work on as many browsers and platforms as I can.

Remember, the goal is communication!

Do you do search engine submissions for your clients?

Not normally. My reason why may surprise you — I don't think it's strictly necessary. I always set keywords into the HTML headers of my webpages. (Take a look at the source code for this page.) This is usually all that's needed to get the major search engines to notice your web site.

If you need help locating appropriate professional directories or specialized search engines, I can help.

I do whatever will best communicate your message to your audience. This often involves some use of scripting languages, but as far as possible, I design the web site to be nearly 100% functional even without scripting, because some visitors will have scripting turned off in their browsers.

I never use scripting languages merely to show off the unusual effects that they can produce. That usually just annoys viewers so much that they just go away. If they go away, they don't see what you have to say. Communication comes first. (Boy, I'm beating that to death, aren't I?)

Do you develop e-commerce or database sites (ASP, PHP, etc.)?

No, but I will be glad to work with your programmer to develop the graphical and artistic aspects of the site and the overall information architecture.

I have this teeny, tiny little thing, probably wouldn't take you ten minutes to do sort of thing. Could you possibly...?

Bring it on! No job too small!

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