In the next couple of blog posts I will be exploring some simple “insider” tips about what to do with your project before it gets sent to design.

Design, put simply, is the presentation of information. And, good design does this in the most pleasing way possible. For the latter to become a reality, designers need to have the project’s “information” in tip-top shape BEFORE the design process gets started. The last thing a designer should be paid for is proofreading! It’s not that designers are incapable; it’s just that we’d rather be DESIGNING.

Ensuring consistency in a project’s details before it goes to design is critical. This means em-dashes versus dashes, initial caps versus title case. We’re not just talking about spelling and run-on sentences. Taking the time with your project and information before it gets to design helps move it along at a more efficient and cost-effective pace.

Stay tuned for my riveting second blog installment, titled, “When it comes to copy, size DOES MATTER—dealing with the more-than-ever-prevalent and scary ‘paragraph-length’ headline (AKA “paragraph-line”).”

photo courtesy: www.flickr.com/photos/Nic’s events