The origin of the “fold” concept in web design is a holdover from newspaper design patterns. Originally, important news headlines or visually appealing images were relegated to the upper half of the front page of a newspaper so information was still visible even when the newspaper was folded.

Moving forward into the Internet era, the idea that essential website content needed to be “above the fold” of a website persisted and it was believed that users would not scan/read all the way to the bottom.

Today we know that this concept does not apply to the Web for a number of reasons:

• Scrolling is the primary mechanism for reading pages within websites and everyone who is familiar with the web knows how this works – its’ standard, maybe even instinctive.

• Each medium, print or interactive, utilizes a navigation method specific to that medium.

• Putting all of your best content in the top half of your site is wasteful; reward your visitors for scrolling. Good content should be a payoff for doing what comes naturally – scrolling.

You want to create a sense of balance – both from a content strategy standpoint and a design standpoint.

Make it easy for visitors to discover “below the fold” content by avoiding heavy, horizontal design elements that don’t have some sort of “teaser” or lead-in to additional content below (this mentally creates a barrier to scrolling). Also, try adding additional visual cues to subtly indicate that there is additional content below.

Breaking away from the concept of page folds in Web design is not to suggest that your best content should be hidden at the bottom of your site – the main takeaway is that if your best content doesn’t fit at the top of your site, there’s no need for concern. By all means, lead off with your strongest content, but finish strong, too.

Example site: www.thereisnopagefold.com

I’ve been getting that question a lot lately from our clients. After some phone calls, research, and direct involvement with projects, I’m able to provide a basic list of costs. There a lot of variables to consider in this endeavor and so I’m just going to keep it as simple as possible!

You will need to consider the pre-costs of the design/conversion of the existing issues into the layouts needed for the iPad. This is a highly variable amount, and will be based on the quality of design, the number of pages, the level of rich media (links, video, etc.), among other costs. You will need to have the designer or agency generate this estimate based on your needs. Let’s just say in this case we’re looking at $6-8K.

The layout/interactive program used to make the magazine iPad App, Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), incurs an annual fee of $6K for Professional Level, unless you are anticipating an excess of 500,000 downloads, in which case, there is a higher level and price point (Enterprise Level for $48K annually, for the big leaguers). Note that a design agency has the ability to purchase the DPS for themselves and use it for multiple clients. In this situation, the design agency absorbs the annual $6K fee, but will resell to you the per-download feesat whatever price point they determine.

The DPS annual fee includes a one-time 5000 download package that expires 1 year from purchase, and is not renewed with the annual subscription. The 5000 downloads will only apply if you are planning on having multiple issues – especially within a year timeframe – referred to as having a “library” of issues (hosted by Adobe servers) and the App acts only as “reader” that allows you access to the multiple issues. Once you approach or exceed 5000 downloads of issues pulled from the library, you will have to purchase more downloads. They start in packages of 10K at $3000.

However, if you think you may only do 1 issue a year, the issue can be self-contained within the App and the per-issue downloads do not apply, since there are not multiple issues housed in the library. You can then “update” the App or release a new App altogether and still not worry about the number of downloads from the library.

From Apple/iTunes, you would need to purchase a iOS Developers License for $99 to allow you to upload/distribute/sell Apps on iTunes. Note that it can take anywhere from 7 days to a few weeks to have an App “approved” by Apple before it is actually available on iTunes.

You can decide whether and what you want to charge for your App, or issues from your library. Apple will take a 30% cut of any sales you make. You will need to consider what people may be willing to pay, and how you will market the App to let people know it is available.

Based on all of the above, to create a single self-contained issue App using your own DPS account, you’re looking somewhere around $12K-$14K  upfront costs, with some of that cost being recouped based on whether  you charge for the App.

It’s no small potatoes, and you should definitely have a strategy for “why” you’re producing the App and a marketing plan for once you commit.

(*Article originally published on Earnest Media Blog)

Flight Training magazine, the official publication of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, is one of our proudest portfolio pieces for magazine redesign. When redesigning then handing off to a new team, it’s often challenging to keep the magazine’s integrity consistent through future issues. Our experience working with Flight Training magazine is a great example of how to structure a redesign so the transition from one creative team to another is simple and smooth.

In the June 2011 issue of FOLIO: magazine, Stefanie Botelho talks with Flight Training Design Director, Mike Kline, to discuss the magazine’s recent redesign, and specifically the May 2011 cover.

According to Botelho’s article, “Kline says that the challenge of the redesign was to strike a balance that not only appealed to current readers, but to reach out to potential audiences as well.”

To address this challenge, Bates Creative Group designers pushed for a more modern treatment in everything from the masthead to the content hierarchy. To ensure this new design and structure did not turn off current readers and also engaged with future subscribers, the content strategy and organization was updated to match the more contemporary visuals.

Kline continues, “Aside from the streamlined cover art, fonts were chosen to have a more minimalist feel. Tweaks that rendered an increased readability were also a primary focus of the redesign. From the reader’s satisfaction standpoint, I think we’ve met and exceeded the objectives.”

Botelho also elicited feedback from a few seasoned designers to hear what the gurus of publication design had to say about the May 2011 issue:

The beauty of this cover lies within its simplicity. The all- black cover, with the touches of yellow, is gorgeous. The notches on the word ‘Flight’ are a cool tweak to what would have been a rather straight-forward typeface. The three dimensional yellow band in the roofline with the quote is a nice, colorful accent. – Chris Hercik, Creative Director for the Sports Illustrated Group

This is a cool, smart cover that is very stylish and attention-getting. I love the Flight Training logo, and the way the angle of the airplane wing mimics the slant of the italic type. – Robert Newman, Consulting Creative Director for Reader’s Digest and JCK magazine

Since the April 2010 redesign, Flight Training magazine has won multiple design awards including two 2011 EXCEL Awards, a silver for most improved magazine and a bronze for magazine redesign, presented by the Association Media & Publishing.

“This story proved Bates Creative Group can do impeccable magazine branding and redesign work that, with the right client team, is easy for editorial staff to keep it going and deliver exceptional publications,” says Debra Bates-Schrott, president of Bates Creative Group.

Tips for a successful “design and dash” experience:

Communication

From the launch meeting to the last hand-off, keeping open communication lines with decision makers on both sides is essential. Listening is a huge reason why Bates Creative Group has succeeded in this industry. Understanding the previous landscape and future goals are incredibly important to reaching a successful redesign transition.

Equal Voices

Creative teams on both ends need to have equal voices and respect for the process it takes to collaborate, create and then step back. Each party is in it for the same reason, to make the publication better, and it’s important to remember this throughout the process.

Think First, Design Later

Before defining hierarchy, transitional elements, or typographical settings, designers must remember that this is a template to be handed off to an entirely new team, with different methods and ideas of design. The publication is more likely to be successful in future issues if the template is easily transferable and has clearly communicated guidelines, as well as a certain amount of flexibility for customization and creative freedom.

To read the entire FOLIO: magazine blog post, visit: http://www.foliomag.com/2011/face-flight-training

To learn more about Flight Training magazine and AOPA, visit: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/

Within seconds of visiting a website, we can usually get a sense of whether the site was designed well, or designed poorly. Thanks to the tireless efforts of web designers and front-end developers everywhere, the general quality of website design is improving — but it could be even better with just a little attention to the basics.

Will a website that’s just “good enough” work in an online landscape where competition for attention is everything? Probably not. Businesses want to stand out from competitors, entrepreneurs want to make a big splash with their new product or service, and every organization wants a website that is visually fantastic and ridiculously easy to navigate.

Designing a great website isn’t a secret, it’s a process that requires attention to detail and an understanding of how specific design elements work together. When evaluating your own website, use the following tips to help you discover which core design elements to enhance, add or delete to transform your website from passable to notably impressive.

Essentials of Great Websites:

• A clear theme or idea is communicated throughout
• Visual and conceptual clutter is kept to a minimum
• The theme or idea is sincere and appeals so to users

Back to Basics:

Line – Lines are one of the strongest and most influential design elements because they help to establish mood (energetic, streamlined, structured, etc.), and when used repeatedly, they can establish a specific visual rhythm.

Example: http://benthebodyguard.com/

Shape – Pay particular attention to shapes used in a website design, as they are the primary identifiers of content areas. Recognize the shapes a site uses, and how they fit together – not just from an aesthetic standpoint, but from a strategic one as well.

Example: http://unfold.no/#/people

Form – Although a website’s form begins with two-dimensional shapes, the subtle application of light and shadow can convey depth. When implemented correctly, form complements the site’s texture for a more tactile experience.

Example: http://foundationsix.com/

Texture – People respond to texture in an immediate, visceral way. Even more so than shape or form, the skillful application light and shadow is essential element to texture. Don’t be afraid to experiment with combining different textures as a way to make a flat site vibrant and dynamic.

Example: http://www.tnvacation.com/

Pattern – Repeating lines and shapes establish patterns, and provide a sense of visual rhythm to a website design. Patterns inherently build a sense of expectation; strategically interrupting a pattern can add a sense of dynamism.

Example: http://wingcheng.com/

Color – Although the use of color is an essential way to instantly communicate a range of emotional meanings and messages, consider initially designing in grayscale. This keeps the previously discussed design elements consistently at the forefront of your design, and can ultimately result in a stronger layout. Once your layout is ready, then add color for an additional emotional punch.

Example: http://www.polyesterstudio.com/

Recognizing the basic elements of design, and using them thoughtfully can transform basic websites into energetic and vibrant ones. When taking an in-depth look at your own website, take a step back and consider its individual elements; skillful execution of basic design elements can come together in a way that elicits greater emotional response and enhance the user experience.

If you decide you need additional assistance with your “good to great” web transition, give us a call, exceptional designers are standing by…

It’s funny to think back about how our parents or grandparents had envisioned the future of communications. Vintage advertising and sci-fi movies depicted the evolution of the telephone to include a camera/television monitor so we could not only hear but also see our friends and family. It seemed like such a spectacular and logical development. And now here we are: The Future! Being inundated with so many types of personal-use technologies (think: laptops, cell phones, mp3 players, tablets, etc.) has in a way diminished our marveling at webcams and applications such as Skype, that have helped to bridge people in distant locations. However, it has not reduced their usefulness.

“Hi Care-Bear.”
“Hello, darlin’ – I can hear you but not see… Oh there you are!”
“Technology!” I sing in a patronizing tone, and we laugh.

Karen “Care-Bear” is my eagle-eyed friend living in San Francisco, and is also my on-location stand-in for the press check of a very important postcard being printed just outside of San Francisco. Karen is armed with her laptop (with built-in webcam) and a list of criteria that I have provided, for which she is to inspect in my physical absence. I am sitting in front of an iMac in Silver Spring, Maryland. We are using Skype to allow me to have virtual presence.

“Hi fellas,” I greet the account reps and pressmen standing behind Karen.
“Do you ever age?” jokes one of them. This is the third year we’ve used a virtual press check, so we’ve all become familiar.
“Hey, you’ve already been awarded the job! Or are you working an angle for next year?” I laugh back to them.

It’s great to have the process well-established, and to be comfortable with the present company. After the final postcard files were handed off via FTP to the printer a week prior, I had requested two sets of Contract Color Proofs: one for me to keep in-hand to reference, and the other for me to sign-off and return to Karen for comparison during the press check.

Karen and I catch up a little more before we jump into the business at hand. She has an acute eye for color and recommends a “bee’s breath” adjustment (a very slight tweak) and the pressmen are off to fine-tune the color. Karen’s vast experience in the art industry dealing with photo shoots to the sale of fine art solidifies my trust in her judgment, and I would not recommend using just anybody for this type of detail work. Karen confirms the rest of my provided specs are correct: dimensions, paper stock, text, the FSC logo has been added – and then we log-off to await for the pressmen to return with the revised press sheets.

About 45 minutes later, I hear the Skype video ring, and pop back on to see Karen and the pressmen again. We confirm the postcard color is now top-notch and give the okay to begin printing. I’m thankful Karen is able to help with this project. The client is able to cut in half the typical budget of travel and lodging for a cross-country press check; a friend of mine is able offer and charge for her consulting services; and I can remain on the East Coast with minimal disruption to my everyday life and work (which my boss appreciates, too). To throw in the time saved and “green” factor for good measure validates the win-win of a virtual press check.

“So are you heading home now, Care-Bear?” I ask.
“No, they’re taking me to lunch! Where’s a good steakhouse?” Karen winks to the account rep.
We laugh, exchange good-byes, and log-off from The Future.

When you see the iconic Coca-Cola logo, you see red. When you see your local UPS truck drive by, you see brown. But what, exactly, are the implications of these bold color choices?

Think of how you’re currently choosing color schemes and what you want them to do. Are you trying to instill an energetic vibe? Convey trust? Inspire people to take action? How does one go about choosing colors that send precisely the right message?

When facing the initial stages of a brand identity campaign, designers and marketing gurus alike should consult the Dewey Color system, the world’s first statistically valid color test.

For more than 25 years, Dewey Sadka ran Temp Force, one of America’s largest and most successful staffing companies. In an effort to better place his clients, Sadka developed the Dewey Color System. With more than 80 correlations, it ranks even higher than the respected Myers-Briggs test and has been patented several times over. The Dewey Color Career Indicator test takes only minutes to complete and, without relying on language, it accurately predicts the most appropriate occupations in all five global personalities.

More recently, Neenah Paper and Dewey Sadka joined forces to provide another level educational benefits. With the Neenah Paper book “Olive is Not Drab: Classic Crest Text and the Dewey Color System,” designers now have a tool to help them choose colors to communicate specific brand attributes.

From Neenah Paper and Sadka, the following examples explain color implications when applied to branding campaigns:

GREEN says nurturing in an understanding kind of way. Incorporating green into the identity of a company indicates social and cultural diversity. Green paired with yellow also helps to encourage self-assured, worry-free market acceptance of products and services.

BLUE is about future-based planning. Making blue central to a brand identity communicates the exchange of insightful and creative viewpoints. Blue, together with shades of teal, signifies a company that leads with seriousness, restraint and self-control. It also indicates efficient and disciplined observations and conveys unsuspecting trust and acceptance.

INDIGO exemplifies creating a plan. Indigo is a high-energy color, so its use will generate attention-getting immediacy.

PURPLE is about seeing possibilities. It appeals to the impulsive, reactive and emotional consumers.

RED expresses the nature of directing resources. Red is a good choice for companies that are risk-adverse and leave nothing to chance.

ORANGE is about finding out what’s not working. Companies that seek to possess an aura of skeptical, critical and truthful awareness should brand themselves to this color.

YELLOW typifies the search for a realistic perspective. Yellow is the best primary color for communicating warmth and comfort, and is further enhanced when paired with shades of purple; it’s a smart choice for campaigns where sensitivity is paramount.

Relying on personal preferences or your peer’s opinions can produce a pretty logo, but not necessarily the end result you or your client is seeking. Consulting the Dewey Color System takes your work to the next level. No more gut instincts or speculation. By selecting color schemes and carefully considering the meaning they communicate, you automatically enhance the opportunity for your message to be appropriately received.  Now you can inform clients, bosses and colleagues that your specific color choices are scientifically proven to get the reaction you’re aiming for. If you want to stand behind your color choice for a brand identity, there’s no reason not to consult Dewey Sadka, the color scientist.

To learn more or to take the Dewey Color Test, visit http://deweycolorsystem.com. Or check out Sadka’s various books, including “The Dewey Color System—Choose Your Colors,” “Change Your Life,” “The Dewey Color System for Relationships, Hue Are U?” and “Mix, Match, or Clash?”

Information for this blog post was also taken from the book “Olive is Not Drab: Classic Crest Text and the Dewey Color System” by Neenah Paper. To learn more about Neenah Paper and its various promotional materials, visit http://www.neenahpaper.com.

With a fresh, well-targeted design for your publication now in place you are ready to take the steps to make the ongoing implementation consistent and streamlined. If you have been following my four-phased process for developing the design strategy for your magazine, don’t stop yet. The fourth phase is critical to the ongoing success of your publication.

Many organizations skip the development and documentation of the style guide. Don’t do it. I promise you, you will regret it later. It may be when a new designer has to take over or when your boss tells you to make the type smaller to fit in more content. At any rate, take the time to build the style guide and use it as your manual, road-map, bible, or whatever you would like to call it.

Why? The style guide is your road-map for keeping ongoing consistency in your publication. It will serve as a judge to keep the editorial and design teams working well together. Since it will be important to keep the document up-to-date, making changes to it should take more thought and be really worth it. Hopefully this will cut down on making changes on a whim to the structure of your magazine. The style guide will become a key tool and trusted source for new team member training.  Making the document as detailed as possible covering all styles and concepts for the magazine will make it a very valuable asset to have.

In some cases the style guide is not final until the first new issue is complete. If you wait to finalize the style guide until then, it can include all of the smallest details of the magazine.

The first new issue is a very important one. If possible, have the designer who did the redesign complete the entire first new issue. Make sure it has exceptional content and a compelling cover. Plan on taking extra time on this first issue. You will be working out the kinks and getting used to all of the new requirements and styles. It is ok to need to make a few adjustments to the style guide after the first couple of issues.

I would also recommend getting a written critique from a reputable outside source after a few issues to see if you are staying on track.

The final style guide and master template document should be shared with the entire team. Consider having the creative team hold a walk-through presentation. This is an opportunity for the creative and editorial teams to ask questions and really understand the power that is in the details of publishing a great magazine.

I hope you have finished with your definition phase by the time you are reading this article. With the definition phase completed it’s now time to engage a designer… But how does on do that?

A question frequently put to me is “How do I find a designer?” There’s plenty of listings available, so the ‘how’ is pretty simple. The real important question is ‘How do I engage with and select a designer?’

First you’ll need to determine if your organization requires bids or has a Request For Proposals process. If you are seeking a seasoned publication professional, the RFP process can act as a barrier. Many may not be willing to respond to a lengthy RFP process, especially when the bid price is a large determining factor.

When seeking a designer, there are a lot of cons to the traditional RFP system. You may be judging the designer on their ability to write a proposal, and not their design skills. What appears to be a good fit on a written page may be a terrible match in reality.

If you are constrained by the RFP process, and it’s possible, I suggest you ‘seek the fit’ when it’s comes to hiring a designer. Getting estimates will still be a part of the process, but it will place more emphasis on the fit of the designers’ personality, communication style, design skills, and ability to integrate with your existing workflow.

In this scenario you meet with candidates and review their work and talk with them before there is any start on the formal RFP process. Meeting the designers will help you narrow the field that you ask to respond with a proposal – basically you are interviewing them for the job of writing a proposal. During this pre-RFP stage it’s also good to openly discuss fees and budget. This discussion at the beginning will also act as a filter, and in some cases, may be enlightening as to the actual cost of quality design work.

These portfolio reviews and open discussions have a number of benefits including fostering a good, open working relationship from the outset and also can significantly reduce the amount of time invested, on both sides, as part of the RFP process.

Once the RFP process is concluded and a design team is selected, be sure to have what you need to build a (re)design process with the necessary checks and balances. This will give the entire project team the tools they need to do their job properly.

Assuming your project is a redesign or the launch of a new magazine, I suggest you ask for three design concepts to initially choose from. Each concept should include enough pages designs to clearly define the overall identity. A fully formed concept will illustrate the voice, navigational elements and rhythm from section to section.

A short list of pages that would illustrate the look of the magazine are: the cover, table of contents, two department types, a feature and a supplemental or news page. With these key elements clearly developed an overall impression of the magazine is easy to gather.

Once all the deliverables have been agreed upon, it’s time for the design kickoff meeting. The meeting should be structured as a workshop for open collaboration and information gathering. Be sure that everyone has the mission statement, issue map, background information, production specs as well as samples of competitors’ publications and other publications for review and discussion.

The meeting discussions should start as a broad look at the process and work towards the details of schedule, responsibilities and goals for the project.

Use this meeting as the opportunity to be clear and honest with the design team about your vision of the perfect magazine. Of course, this vision needs to reflect your mission, content strategy and audience. As part of the discussion it’s important to be open about what you feel isn’t working from the current design, if there is one, and disclose any taboo items. Taboos can be as simple as: ‘The boss hates green, so avoid it as much as possible’, to more complex cultural issues when selecting images – big or small, that need to be brought to light.

Share your favorite magazines with the team, and discuss why you like them. Look at the structure, typography, design and flow. Beyond these general design items, cover strategy including art sourcing should be discussed in this phase as well. What is it in that magazine that is working for you? What isn’t? This is your opportunity to speak on a visual level with the design team. It’s cliché but in this discussion a picture’s worth at least 1000 words.

Armed with this information and strategy the design team is ready to being their design concepts. When the concept presentation does comes be sure to provide clear feed back with reasoning behind it. ‘I don’t like that image.’ is a valid comment, but the design concept can only progress when you can deliver a reason why. Without a reason the design team is left to guess at your desires. Be sure to evaluate the concepts based on the readers’ perspective, and not just personal tastes. And last, be honest with the design team. Constructive criticism, be it positive or negative, is a key part of the development of a design. As long as the criticisms are constructive, you won’t hurt anyone’s feelings.

Once the design concept has been finalized, you are ready for implementation. The 4th article of the series will focus on final design handoff, and the ongoing design and production post handoff.

As I continue the design strategy discussion from my previous post we move on to the Define phase. This phase can only take place successfully if you have completed deep analysis and can begin to draw solid conclusions.

The first step to defining your strategy is creating or refining a mission statement. You can read more about how to write a mission statement in my previous post Magazine Mission Statements. The most basic reason to have a mission statement is that it is a stake in the ground to define your publication. It should be used to measure all content and decisions. If it doesn’t align with the mission, it doesn’t go in the publication.

Defining the content strategy is the next critical step. With a clearly defined content strategy you can leverage resources, feed additional media channels and drive consistent design. This approach will help you create more targeted and engaging publications. The following are some basic questions that should be answered by your content strategy:

• What content can be leveraged cross media? (print, web, video, webinar, etc)

• How much content?

• Where will the content come from?

• How will you manage the editorial process?

• Do you have signature content?

• How will you consistently deliver to your audience segments to meet their needs?

• What is the lens through which your readers view your content?

Once you have a content strategy in place, it is time to create an issue map. The issue map is important to ensure there is the right mix and length of content for your reader. It defines the content structure of the magazine. How many pages will each section be? What is the best order and flow for the content? How long will each article or section be?

With these questions answered, a final issue map can be created. This issue map gives the designer a strategy to guide their work in developing a structure for your magazine that works now and will need less rework or redesign in the future. Beyond the design phase, a tight issue map makes the gathering and creation of content easier and more streamlined.

With your editorial strategy in place, you are ready to define the redesign or design process. This includes mapping out a reasonable timeline for the redesign and the regular production schedule. A redesign should be given about 3-4 months to effectively engage in a collaborative process with solid results. This is also the time to clearly define the roles and responsibilities for sharing information or providing feedback. Taking care of this upfront will avoid a lot of stress or awkward communication during the working process.

An important step of the design/redesign phase is to define a list of pages that will be comped by the designers and deliverables you will be receiving for a redesign. What unique pages will you need to see to show the structure and tone of the magazine? Will there be a final brand guide created along with the templates, master pages and style sheets?

Other critical items to define before the design phase beings in earnest include due dates and a feedback process for proofs, art selection and mission/brand guide alignment.

If you take a strategic approach and clearly define these critical components the next phase, Design, will flow more smoothly and create a more successful final product.

In today’s tumultuous times it is more important than ever to take a strategic approach to your publishing efforts. Whether you are launching a new magazine or Web site, or rethinking an already established one, a strategic thought process should rule all creative development. I like to think of this strategic approach in two parts: audience-driven content and content-driven design.

To follow this line of thinking, you would first study your audience. Who is the reader? What do they want and need from your magazine and Web site? How will you deliver to meet those needs? Almost everything you do should start with answering these questions to work towards solidifying your content strategy. It is important to include the creative team when analyzing the magazine’s content and its goals.

Keep in mind that content refers not only to text, but graphics, audio, and video, too. You can read more on content strategy from Lou Ann Sabatier in her articles for Align.

An appropriate content strategy creates a distinct lens through which the reader will view your publication. Carefully planning your editorial and visual elements to frame this lens is very important.  It means establishing and adhering to guidelines to ensure quality, on-target content for every issue. If an item does not fit the strategy or the established structure, it does not go in the magazine or on the Web site.

For example, cramming a long article into a small space for no reason other than lack of control or laziness often results in sacrificing visuals, ultimately undermining the impact of the piece. Allowing deviation from your core strategy can quickly become common practice, and before you know it, the structure and flow of your publication could fall apart. Remember that more is not always better — striking a balance between text and image is one of the simplest ways to draw the reader in.

Once you’ve done the work to ensure that your content satisfies the needs of your audience, apply the same rationale of interconnectivity to take a targeted approach to your design strategy. Let the direction of the planned content drive the structure and design of the publication.

The process for developing your design strategy can be broken into four phases:

1. Analyze
2. Define
3. Design
4. Implement

These four process phases work together, and each step should drive the next. Over the next several weeks I will go into detail on each phase. We will start by discussing the first step, the Analyze phase.

Gain a clear overall picture of your publishing initiatives through focused analysis of where you are now and where you would like to be. Review surveys and research to see what information can be shared with the designer about what is working and what is not. Be sure to share this analysis with the creative team. Can you learn anything from your competitors? Is there anything you can do to further differentiate your product from theirs? If there is no competition in the space, why is that?

Next, review your internal processes and workflow. Make sure the design team understands the editorial goals and strategy and is involved early in the process to have creative input.

The design and editorial teams need to work in unison to create an engaging publication that fulfills the readers’ needs. Simply handing off content to the designer with no background or collaboration is not part of a strategic process.

Finally, if it’s an established publication, analyze the existing design and structure. Is it organized and easy to navigate? Is it engaging to the reader? Do the design elements, like typography and artwork, further the message of the story or work against it? Is it cost-efficient to produce? Are the designers using tools like style sheets and master pages to streamline production?

Once the analysis is complete, you will be ready to move into the Define phase, where you will hone your strategy by developing a clear mission and plan for success. Because this step includes identifying what you are, as well as what you are not, defining can be the most difficult step in creating the strategy.

Check back for articles highlighting each of the remaining phases: Define, Design and Implement.