Graphic Design and the real world

When in school studying graphic design, we learned all the standard graphic design programs, including; Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, and some Corel Draw.  Please remember, it was about ten years ago when we were in school so we understand some of these programs have changed, and some are obsolete.  The point is, in two years you can only learn so much.  It would be safe to say that a college graphic design program is a brief introduction to these programs, and becoming a real designer. 

So why are we really saying all this?

We are not bashing on school we believe that schooling IS very important; however we feel it is also very important to find a job working for a company after school.  Many students are eager to begin working for themselves immediately following school, and from what we’ve learned, this would be a mistake.  If you get a job working for a company, you as a designer can continue to grow.  We learned more in the first 3 months of working, than we did in the 2 years of school. If you can, find a company that has a broad range of clients.  It will help you grow in more than one style of design.

Over the years the project diversity continued as did the growth of our skills.  We continued to work with some of the biggest and smallest clients in Toronto. Teaching us how to manage projects and cater to every client.  Every client is unique and has their own sets of demands and challenges for the graphic designer to navigate. You can imagine how different designing the Legend’s Hockey Hall of Fame book was from a toilet puck ad. 

These few reasons and more are why Dragon Creative is the best solution for your business.  We will provide you with the best service possible and guarantee your satisfaction with our work. Dragon Creative Graphic Design and Print would love to hear from you. Give us a call!

Dragon Creative Graphic Design we make your infographics

Dragon Creative was surprised last week when we learned that some people don’t know that graphic designers make infographics.   We are the people who take that three page word document and make it something easy and convenient for people to understand what you’re saying with just a glance.  Did you know that 40% of people respond to visual information better than plain text, additionally that 90% of information processed by the brain is visual.   So what does this all mean?

Let us do your infographics!

We have been designing for almost ten years now and know how to make your marketing material interesting. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to help determine if you should be using infographics.

• How do you know if you should be using infographics?
• Do we have more than a few sentences of facts we want to convey?
• Are we trying to capture people’s attention quickly?
• Is your marketing information in need of an update?

These are just a few good examples of questions you should ask yourself, or at least bring up at the next meeting.

Dragon Creative would like talk about to some online communities that are providing free infographics services to the public.  We are elated that this type of marketing tool has become more recognized, to the point where Google is even offering it for free, but a free web application or service will never compare to a designers skill and craftsmanship.   It is sort of like saying I own a camera and now I can do wedding photography.  It’s not likely a bride is going to let you capture her big day with your brand new Sony SLR 8 megapixel.

Next time you are thinking of conveying a lot of information why not try Dragon Creative Graphic Design and print for your first infographic.   Below is an infographic we really like for you to enjoy.  tell us what you think!

What should your Graphic Designer be asking you

What should your Graphic Design Company be asking you before they start work on your project?  This week we are would like to cover some of the various questions you should be able to answer for the best possible outcome of your creative work.  

Well, truth is there are lots of questions to properly qualify exactly what you (the customer) are looking for from your creative.  One that seems extremely simple but often not asked is what the purpose of the project is.  Obviously we would drastically change the layout of an ad if it is for let’s say a direct mailing vs. a conference pamphlet.  

Another simple one would be the timeline you would like your project completed by.  Are there time restraints that you need your material for?  This way if there is a rush perhaps your designer can work on some of your material for you in a timelier manner or even bump you up in the lineup.

 

Other less obvious but very important questions would be things like, Have they asked for a creative brief, or a sample of similar work done in the past.  These types of things can really help your graphic designer know the direction you want the material to go based on past work.  Of course assuming that is what you’re looking for. 

Finally one major thing we believe at Dragon Creative is repeating or paraphrasing what our customers has just finished telling us.   We are not robots and neither are our customers but repeating back to them so that everyone has a clear and decisive idea of exactly what is expected goes a long way. 

These few things (and more) are exactly why Dragon Creative Graphic Design and Print is the only standard.  The Dragon Standard.  Give us a call today to make your marketing materials stand out from the rest!

Dragon Creative Graphic Design and Print-what you buy from us.

When you hire Dragon Creative Graphic Design and Print you’re getting a lot more than what you think you are.  In previous posts we have talked about the Dragon Standard.  Well, we got a call based on our blog from a customer who actually requested/mentioned the Dragon Standard.  You can imagine our delight!  Not only is our blog generating customers, but the Dragon Standard is the above bar service they know they will get.

 The Dragon Standard is far more than just a phrase or some attempt at SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It is our culture and a MAJOR part of our brand.  It is our believe and mission that every customer has to be more than just happy when doing business with us. 

We are committed to make every possible accommodation we can. We will get your work done in the most timely and efficient manner possible. We promise that your ideas will be listened to and valued.  We dedicate our time to making your brand the most important thing in our day when you hire us to help you.  We will never put out material that we would not want to represent us.  Because our customers are the most important people to us.

We feel our customer’s brands also represent us and we are always proud of our finished product.  We promise you will be too!  So now you know that when you hire Dragon Creative Graphic Design and Print you ARE getting a lot more than just a graphic design company, you are getting the Dragon Standard.