These Gift Guru’s were a pleasure to work with. They knew exactly who their target market was and believed in the power of a strong corporate identity to get their customers attention. When choosing a final logo design they didn’t fall into the trap of choosing the safe option, such as an emblem with a bow or a gift box. They chose the most unique emblem which will serve them well. www.giftguru.ie
Category: Graphic DesignTags: Cork Designers, Cork Graphic Designers, DMdesign, Gift Guru, giftguru.ie, Graphic Designers Cork, http://www.giftguru.ie/, logo design | Comments (2)
Ballymaloe Country Relish was one of the most enjoyable brochures I’ve worked on in a long time. All the photographs were taken especially for the brochure and the client was happy for me to come along to the photo-shoot. It’s refreshing not to have to rely on stock shots when designing a 20 page brochure. The brochure contains recipes showing how easy it is to make a simple meal delicious when you add Ballymaloe Country Relish products. Not only does it contain recipes for life but all the original photographs are a recipe for a great brochure!
Category: Graphic DesignTags: Ballymaloe Country Relish, Brochure Design, Designers in Cork, DMdesign, Graphic Design | Comments (1)
The Importance of Creative Photography
One of the most important elements for an effective PR campaign is good photography. I constantly tell my clients this and encourage them to book my photographers of choice. We are lucky to have some really talented photographers in Cork who can follow a brief and come up with their own creative ideas just the same. This is priceless in the hunt for a great photographer.
Eyecatching photographs can turn a ‘maybe’ story in to a “we have to use this” story. I always like to come up with some creative concepts for photocalls rather than portray the usual model shots or the corporate ones of the subject looking in to the distance with their arms folded. It is all part of the job to present the client with something really different and by building good relationships with photographers, it ensures that an idea can be brought to life.
Announcement of CSO's 1812 Concert (Miki Barlok)
One should never skimp on photography either for their corporate literature or website as you will be stuck looking at it along with the rest of the world every time you open your brochure or log on to your site. It pays to spend a little extra for what you want rather than just make do with it for now as it can save you a lot in the long term.
For newsdesks it is extremely important to ensure that the photographer you choose has a good relationship with the target publications, that they will embed the captions, distribute to the correct picturedesk addresses and follow up on them for you – most picturedesk editors don’t like or have the time to speak to anyone who isn’t in the know!
Donncha O' Connor and Colm Cooper pull together to support the resumption of the Cork Swansea Ferry as the West Cork Tourism Co-Op battle to raise €3m for the cause. (Don MacMonagle Photography)
Sometimes you may have to try a little harder to land the pics so if you can be flexible with a release date it usually helps and many photographers are able to guide you as to what day may not be as busy.
Overall, the more creative the better – don’t be afraid to do something a little different. You need to stand out from the hundreds of other pictures that editors must trawl through every day – if not for yourself, then at least give them something exciting to look at for a few seconds – you might just put a smile on their face and they’ll put your face on their pages…which is the name of the game!
Launch of the Grandmother's Recipe Competition in conjunction with A Taste of West Cork and Ballymaloe. (GMC Photography)
Here are some of my favourite pictures from photocalls and assignments I have worked on in the past while – with thanks to Miki Barlok (Cork Symphony Orchestra photo), Gerard McCarthy/GMC Photography (Darina Allen and West Cork Tourism photos), and Don MacMonagle (footballers photo). Each of these stories achieved incredible media coverage across the national and regional papers, due in no small part to the eye catching pictures. These guys are always great to work with and more of their amazing work can be seen on their sites;
http://www.corksymphonyorchestra.com/
Arrival of the MV Julia to Cork as she sails past Blackrock Castle. (GMC Photography)
Category: DMprTags: A Taste of West Cork, Christine Duggan, Cork Photographer, Cork PR, Cork Swansea Ferry, Cork Symphony Orchestra, DM, DMdesign, DMpr, Don MacMonagle, Gerard McCarthy Photography, Miki Barlok, West Cork | Comments (0)
This country is well known for passionate producers of fine food and at DMdesign we are very lucky to work with many of them. Most of these producers start out at the farmers market and eventually make the big transition to the supermarket shelf. This is the route Pâtisserie Régale decided to take. A huge step for any company and a big risk also, as it is no longer possible for them to stand beside their product and sell to the passers by at market. This is when good package design is crucial – the new packaged product must stand out from its competition on the shelf and entice that initial impulse buy.
Susan and I met with Richard and Jane Graham Leigh of Pâtisserie Regale last year at their bakery in Dunmanway. Their confectionery bakery is a hidden treasure tucked away in the hills above Dunmanway. They produce the most amazingly delicious French patisserie and biscuits. In fact Darina Allen has described Pâtisserie Régale as “the best bought confectionary you are ever likely to find”. A deserving compliment I might add!.
Cookies of Character is the first of Pâtisserie Regale products to be designed and packaged in the way that supermarkets demand. The brief was to create a suitable design to house their mouth watering Chocolate Chip and Oat and Raisin cookies, a design that reflected the quality of the baking and the rewarding treat that no two cookies are the same. As with any good package design, photography plays a vital role in the success of the final look and with this in mind we briefed the very talented photographer, Jörg Koster, on how we envisioned the product to look. Good photography combined with thoughtful design = an attractive product that reflects the taste and quality of its contents…it will entice the impulse buy and the quality of the content will definitely lead to plenty repeat purchases!!
Category: Graphic Design, Package DesignTags: Cookies, DMdesign, Jorg Koster, Package Design, Patisserie Regale, Unique Design | Comments (0)
DMdesign do not design wedding invitations….but when you are a graphic designer and your sister is the bride-to-be (and owner of DMpr, our sister company!!), and you’re asked to design an unusual wedding invitation it’s a different story. In fact it was an honour to do it. Christine and her smashing husband to be, Kenny, will marry 2 weeks from today. The easiest clients in the world gave me a blank canvas to design their wedding invitations. It was a dream to work with photographs taken by Keith and Evelyn Woodard from Killarney with concept and direction of shoot by the bride-to-be. It’s amazing what can be done with a €30 wedding dress from a vintage store, a net curtain for a veil, a pair of wellingtons, a rowing boat and a handsome couple. And the setting….the lakes of Killarney on a sunny day (a rare sight you might say). Tourists gathered around during the shoot and congratulated Christine and Kenny on their wedding day!! “Oh, you guys look so cute” (spoken in your best American accent). I’m sure they went home to tell their friends about the Irish bride in wellingtons at the lakes of Killarney.
It was an engagement shoot with a difference. Kenny is a rower and the concept was to have Christine pulling him ashore in time for the wedding – after years of coming up with creative concepts for her clients, it was easy for Christine to pull one together for herself. So with these amazing results to work with, the first thing I did was change the colour pictures to sepia to give a classic old world style. Colours and type were chosen carefully. The suite included a wedding invitation, DL size with a folding flap in the front to hold the RSVP and a card with directions and accomodation details and a DL evening invitation similar to the wedding invitation. Over many years of trial and error I have managed to create a CMYK gold, this avoids printing a spot gold (printing spot gold increases the print costs). The printing was beautifully finished by Allied Print on Challenger offset and sealed in a gorgeous conqueror envelope….divine.
Christine and Kenny told me they were inundated with compliments on the wedding stationery….some commented they ‘were out of this world’, and unlike anything else they had ever seen. As I am a perfectionist it’s rare to complete a design that I am 100% happy with but I loved this project and it proves when a designer is left to do what they do best, the results are always better.
A successful wedding project and not a bridezilla in sight!
Email designerstationery@gmail.com for more information on unique wedding stationery!
Category: Graphic DesignTags: clever invitation, DMdesign, invitations, personal invites, Unique Design, unique invitations, wedding invitations, wedding stationery, weddings | Comments (0)
Working in the business for years I have met many business people who are at their wits end with a designer or design agency and desperately need the advice of a competent designer. They no longer have time to spoonfeed their existing agency and need good advice and direction for their brand.
A good graphic designer must have the ability to tell a story visually. Having some knowledge of Photoshop doesn’t make someone a designer. A qualified and experienced graphic designer, will understand precisely the requirement of his/her clients and their business. While some projects demand a serious approach, others can be expressed best in a light hearted manner. A good designer will decide the best way for effectively communicating your message to your target audience.
If you haven’t already experienced it yourself, then you’ve probably heard some of the nightmare stories about trying to find or work with a suitable graphic designer. It can be difficult, time consuming and frustrating to say the least.
So, what do you look for?
• A strong portfolio
Do the projects look professional and eye-catching? The imagery should be compatible with the content and designs should be unique.
• A strong sense of marketing
Pretty images are a dime a dozen. The designer should be able to clearly explain the goal of each piece and how effective it was for their client
• Excellent business skills
A good designer stays on top of all the details of your project and makes the best use of your time and money.
• Formal education in graphic design, not just software skills
Graphic design is a creative process with foundational principles that have a direct impact on the effectiveness of printed communication. A designer’s software skills have little impact on their ability to translate your brand.
• Personable and professional demeanor
Work with someone you’ll enjoy working with and who provides a professional service.
• Great Problem Solvers
All graphic design projects have obstacles, knowing how to overcome them is crucial. Ask them to show samples of work where they solved a significant design problem for a client.
• Handling Deadlines
Make sure that the designer has proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Ask them for references or testimonials from their existing clients.
We recommend that after you’ve done your homework and chosen a competent graphic designer, let them do their job. Graphic design is a lot more than just making something look good. There are a lot of technical details that have scientific backing that you may not know about. In most cases it’s in your best interest to focus on what you are an expert in and let them focus on what they are an expert in. You will see far better results that way.
Remember finding the right designer can be a tough job, but once found he or she can do wonders for your business!
Category: Graphic DesignTags: choosing a designer, DMdesign, Graphic Design | Comments (0)
