Understanding Twitter

GREENer design solutions

Email Campaigns, Not Postcard Campaigns

One of the best ways to help the environment overall, is to create less trash. Direct mail campaigns may be effective, but they’re also costly. Furthermore, having a 7% response rate, on average, is considered “doing well.” That means 93% of the postcards or direct mail pieces create little or no response at all.

If You Have To Print, Print This Way
Print the quantity the client will really need; not a ton of extras. Talk to your printer about paper options that are created from post-consumer content; options that also won’t hinder your design or the project objective. Find out if your printer can use soy or vegetable-based inks.

Better Banners
If your producing designs for a trade show, the most typical signage pieces are banners. There are some printers out there that specialize in printing with environmentally-friendly inks and on eco-friendly, durable banner materials as well. Greenbanners.com is a nice example.

Put Catalogs Online
E-commerce websites can be pricey and time-consuming to initialize, but once they’re up and the products are listed, it will take less time to manage and advertise them, than it would to redesign and print them however often.

E-Coupons, Not Paper Coupons
Regular coupons create work for the customer (cutting) and of course trash. Feature coupons on the client’s website or in an email campaign with a promotional code.

Make the Commitment
If you’re really finding that green design is a new passion for you, there are several organizations you can join to mingle with your Green Designer counterparts.

Going "green" in graphic design!

Paper

Start by evaluating how much paper you use versus how much paper you really should be using. Printing out endless mock-ups for client approval is not the most tree-friendly option. Send your proofs and invoices via pdf in an email.

Save sheets of paper that have been only used on one side. Reprint on the back-side and you’ve just gotten twice the amount of printing paper for your buck.

Lighting
Designers need adequate lighting when it comes to looking over those Pantone swatch books. On sunny days, use absolutely no electricity, allow natural light to flow in. Don’t have a window? Try investing in Compact Fluorescent day-light light bulbs. They require far less energy.

Recycling
Did you know that “for every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months”? Try to be better about recycling old mock-ups, client print-outs, and even mail. Nothing is a greater distraction than flipping through those beautiful full-color stock-photo catalogues, but at 20 pages a piece, a lot of trash can be created.

Website Hosting
Most designers and design firms have websites. Some provide web design services and offer hosting as a service to their clients. Move to an eco-friendly hosting company next time your contract is up for review, if you can. Some run entirely on solar and wind energy while others buy carbon credits and “pay back” the carbon emissions they create.

http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/content/WhyGoGreen/

Internet marketing

Why everyone thinks they are a designer.

Mummy’s little designer…
Everyone is told by their parents as a child (and sometimes as an adult) that their glitter / poster paint /chalk drawings / models / creations are fantastic and that they are ‘ever so clever’. So if you are constantly told this by the people who mean the most to you, you are going to think you have a heightened sense of design which may be hard to shrug off.

24/7 Advertising
Everyone is constantly bombarded by a range of advertising, promotion and branding which unless you head to the hills you cannot escape. We are all media trained from an early age and are subconsciously absorbing design left, right and centre.

“Design” Software
It is very easy for everyone now a days to open up Microsoft office and play around with clip art, word art and various templates to create some sort of design. This in my eyes doesn’t necessarily make that person a ‘designer’, but giving people instant access to this kind of software makes people believe that could hold a graphic design title if they want.

Training
Whether it’s self taught or through University or college, a true graphic designer should be able to navigate through their tools (whatever they maybe) with ease and grace and not rely on cheap and overused filters and effects to create their work.

Constant Creativity
A graphic designer has trouble turning their creativity off! As truly creative beings graphic designers eat sleep and drink design and relish wallowing in this creative lifestyle.

Marketing
Anyone can create a logo or design but will that concept be right for the intended market? Graphic designers are able to choose the right concept and convey those messages in a clear and concise way.

Full article http://www.eightyonedesign.co.uk/why-does-everyone-think-they-are-a-graphic-designer/

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A little more about social media

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