Video Suppliers - can't live with them, can't live without them (Part 2)

At the end of the day it is the look and feel of any of your company's graphic or visual material that will draw the eye of the current or prospective client, and if any of this material looks cheap, un-professional, rushed or just plain bad, this is how your company may be perceived. Look and feel doesn't only apply to printed media but includes web based media and video.

The challenge any designer faces is getting all these forms of media to work together harmoniously, and create the kind of image for the client that he/ she can be proud of. It is a process that draws not only on the physical skill, but also on the subconscious intuition of the designer.

The process begins at the briefing, where a client relays his/ her vision to the team in as clear a fashion as possible, at this point the role of each person in the partnership (client and supplier) is clearly defined. It is essential that both client and designer understand each other and have a similar understanding of the basic concept. Once all conceptualising is out of the way, the visuals need to be created. The visual creation process is a series of development phases that start with perhaps conceptual sketches, hand drawn images, drawn roughly on a page that suggest the layout of the final product.

The next step involves the collecting and creating of the raw materials that may be needed. This process may include setting up photo shoots, sourcing, collecting and compiling of photographs, video clips, and other such activities that in their own right are a time consuming activity.

Only once all these aspects have been covered can the designer start the process of layout and design. By using collective knowledge of composition, the use of colour and the concept of positive and negative space, the designer uses his/ her own intuition to judge what they feel is an artistically sound design.

Geniuses are people too
Never forget to take into consideration the factor of human limitation. As the client it may seem to be a reasonable request when you ask to see three versions of a job in a day or two's time. It's NOT! Creativity cannot be overly rushed, and due to the process of computer generation, certain functions need a certain amount of time and this cannot be altered to a whim. Likewise, with too much intervention from various parties, the job may never reach completion, or at least not in the way that anyone involved would have envisioned, and the end result may leave all parties bitter and resentful.

Changes to the visuals of a job are not as simple as they may seem, and in the unlikely event that they are, the client's requested change may not be the best solution to the desired look and feel.
As with any relationship, if it is not built on trust it cannot flourish. And with this trust comes a confidence that the person executing the work is completely capable, if not excellent at what he/ she is doing, and given enough time to go through the appropriate motions, the fruit of the union will be a beautiful result.

Tips for an optimal result and friendly partnership

• Allow for all phases of the project to be signed off. At conception, a plan must be shown and input received from the client.

• All authorising parties should be involved throughout the production, so as to avoid the necessity for "author's corrections". ' i.e. additional cost.

• Allow the designer to do what he/she does best and put more trust into his/her artistic intuition.