The Graphic Designer's Guide to Better Business Writing

by Ruth Cash-Smith, Barbara Janoff

Overview

Visual-thinking graphic designers sometimes struggle to express themselves clearly and effectively in writing. Now there’s help! The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Better Business Writing teaches graphic designers how to write compelling business communications. Created especially to address the needs of graphic designers, this handy guide breaks the writing process down into simple, easy-to-understand stages and offers practical writing and presentation models that designers can put to use immediately. Real-life examples cover an array of essential topics: writing winning resumes and cover letters, landing accounts, writing polished letters and reports, creating design briefs, and much more. As a bonus, the authors include time-saving insider tricks of the trade, gleaned from interviews with design professionals and creative directors from across the country.

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581154726
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	05/15/2007
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Barbara Janoff is the writing coordinator for Fashion Institute of Technology, where she developed and teaches specialized business writing courses for graphic designers, photographers, and interior designers. She lives in New York City. Ruth Cash-Smith has published more than 70 articles in trade magazines and written several award-winning handbooks for organizations. She lives in Downeast, Maine

Table of Contents

Graphic Designers On Writing Well     xiii
Boosting Your Design Career Through Improved Communication Skills
Tuning in to Business Communications
The Communication Cycle     5
Nonverbal Communications     6
Active Listening     9
Oral Communications     11
Applying Design Concepts to Writing
Analyze Your Audience     14
Bring Order from Chaos     16
Create a High-Impact Effect     20
Spotlight On: Eric Karjaluoto/smashLAB: Designers Must Write
Understanding Business Writing Basics
Letters     23
E-Mails     28
Memos     30
Faxes     33
Building Up Your Research Skills
The Stages of Research     35
Libraries     38
Bookstores and Publishers     39
The Internet     39
Launching Your Career
Spotlight On: Andrea Costa/Time Magazine: Advice to Designers Just Starting Out
Look Before You Leap
What's Your Bottom Line?     45
Researching the Marketplace     46
Network Your Way In     48
Temping     50
Interning     50
Portfolio Reviews     51
Informational Interviews     51
Packaging Yourself for Employers
Resumes     53
Application Letters     67
Reference Sheets     71
Portfolios     73
Leave-Behinds     74
Secrets to Successful Interviewing
Before the Interview     76
At the Interview     80
After-Interview Communication     82
Setting Up Your Own Shop
Figuring Out Your Positioning     88
Identifying Target Markets     89
Writing a Marketing Plan     90
Writing a Business Plan     93
Building Your Initial Buzz
Professional Identity Package     95
Mailing Lists     95
Promotional Mailings     97
Courting Clients
Initial Meeting with the Client     111
Proposals     113
Sales Presentations     127
Spotlight On: Chase Design Group/The Art of Presentations
Building a Bigger Buzz
Advertising     133
Publicity     134
Personal Selling     136
Newsletters     141
Networking     142
Pro bono Work     144
Competitions     146
Keeping Your Business
Spotlight On: Cathy Teal/FireBrand Design: Putting Clients at Ease
Working Out Agreements with Your Clients
Negotiations     151
Written Agreements     153
Contracts     153
Letter Contracts     154
Project Confirmation Agreements     154
Signed Proposals     155
Design Briefs     155
Usage Agreements     159
Providing Quality Service
Speak Your Client's Language     161
Explain Design Processes     163
Define Design Jargon in Clear, Everyday English     164
Tell Them Something They Don't Know     165
Interviews     166
Site Visits     168
Questionnaires, Surveys, and Focus Groups     168
Working Through Client Conflict
Three Keys to Finessing     171
Direct Versus Indirect Organization     171
Active Versus Passive Voice     172
Put Your Reader First     173
Responses to Claims and Complaints     174
Refusals     175
Collections     175
Maintaining Client Relationships
Stay in Touch     179
Updates     179
Status Reports     180
Capture Work Changes     181
Debrief     183
Respond to Negative Feedback     183
Conduct Client Surveys     185
Investigate Disappearances     186
Working with Freelancers and Other Specialists
Sourcing     189
Work Plans     189
Written Agreements     189
Monitoring     190
Meeting Notes     191
Disputes     194
Working at a Distance
Spotlight On: Christy White/Alpha Marketing: Working Virtually
Business Telephone     198
E-Mail     200
E-Files     201
Working Across Cultures
Respecting Cultural Differences     208
Writing Across Cultures     210
Growing Your Business
Spotlight On: Steffanie Lorig/Art with Heart: Design As an Instrument of Change
Planning for Growth
Re-Visioning     219
Crunching the Numbers     220
Mission Statements     220
Business Growth Plans     222
Becoming the Boss
Spotlight On: Bob Wages/Wages Design: Do What You Love
Rethinking Your Role     226
Coping with Paperwork     228
The Basics of Employment Law     229
Employee Orientation     230
Noncompete Agreements     230
Employee Records     232
Employee Performance Evaluations     233
Warnings and Terminations     233
Rewarding Client Loyalty
Advance Notice of Expansion     237
Personal Notes     238
Gifts     239
Special Offers     241
Promotional Items     241
Stepping Into the Spotlight
Increasing Publicity     243
News Releases     243
Sponsorships     245
Enhancing Your Public Image     245
Presentations and Lectures     246
Seminars and Workshops     251
Panel Discussions     252
Granting Interviews     254
Writing for Publication     254
Conclusion
Spotlight On: Michael Bierut/Pentagram: Be Ready for Anything
Lessons for Work (and Life)     258
Graphic Designers On Staying Limber     259
About the Authors     260
Contributors     261
Selected Bibliography     263
Index     267