Coordinating a marketing effort using all available tools (commercial printing, the Internet, and a telephone) would seem to be straightforward, but I think it is not often done effectively or with finesse. Or at least you could say that it is a supremely challenging assignment worthy of note when it succeeds.
I believe the term is “critical path” in project management speak. What this really means is that certain processes within the flow of production will take the most time, and everything else that depends on this critical sequence of events must conform and take this into account.
I discussed logo design in a PIE Blog posting last week. Jim Krause makes a number of suggestions on this topic in Design Basics Index. He suggests starting with an image, transforming it into an icon, and then presenting it along with the business name in a dramatic way that reflects the essence of the company.
I mentioned in a recent PIE Blog article that a client of mine is producing a set of 6” x 9” booklets that will be inserted into a printed, corrugated box sleeve. Getting them to fit in the box is crucial (not too tight, and not too loose), and this challenge has been compounded by my client's not having a firm page count for the print books.
One of my favorite and most useful design books is Design Basics Index by Jim Kruse. I've discussed various suggestions from Krause's book in prior PIE Blog articles, but I am always surprised and pleased at how helpful this print book can be.
A print brokering client of mine has been asked to take on a job from another designer. The job comprises two saddle-stitched booklets that have been provided in PDF format. My client has only these PDF files from the prior year's printing. She does not have an InDesign file. Today my client came to me to discuss printer's specs for a bid as well as some workflow considerations.