Charitable Graphic Design Guidelines

Scope of Service
Creation Guidelines
Check List
Cancellation
Copyrights
Questions?

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Scope of Service

In order to efficiently minister to multiple "customers" CraigGiven.com focuses on its core competencies. In other words, the customer handles the project pieces that are within the customer's skills and resources. This frees me to provide those unique services that are beyond the grasp of the customer. For example, I would create a T-shirt design and create the graphic files needed by the printer. The customer, on the other hand, would select a printer, negotiate payment, and arrange the pickup and delivery of the finished shirts. Every project requires time from the customer — usually a tad more than they imagined!

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Creation Guidelines

Logos are a difficult beast by their very nature. They're an attempt to take a multifaceted, complex, abstract idea and represent it in a single, simple, concrete form! The final image may take many forms (banners, brochures, T-shirts, etc.), but for simplicity I'll refer to them generically as "logos." Here are some guidelines to keep in mind during logo development:

Logos must survive shrinking. A logo must be distinguishable when scaled down to 1.5", 1", or smaller. Your "audience" will probably see the small versions more than the big versions, since they appear on letterheads, envelopes, brochures, etc.
For the same reasons as above, a logo must look good in black-and-white. When a logo can be either black-and-white or color the color version should contain a minimal number of colors, they should be solid (i.e., no gradients), and they should be simple (e.g., green versus chartreuse). This reduces printing costs and ensures consistency between printing lots since the image can be faithfully reproduced without variation. Blue and red are the most common and most psychologically appealing colors. Upper case acronymns and logos are more memorable.
A logo must be simple. Be wary of "how about if we add . . ." since a complex image is a muddy image. "Say one thing and say it well" is the best approach. When combining elements from different logo proposals you can end up with a visual Frankenstein. I must warn you, I WILL NOT be identified with a visual atrocity. If you insist on creating a bad design, it will be "hands off" on the project and you'll need to find another artist willing to create that design. A logo creates an identity first and foremost. If you're lucky, you might be able to tell a story. Don't try to incorporate your entire organization's philosophy and mission into the logo — create a memorable tag first. For example, picture the logos of Chevy, AT&T, Nabisco, and Target. They're very distinct images, but the images say absolutely nothing about trucks, telephones, cookies, or department store merchandise! But when you see the logo, you instantly know who you're dealing with and what they offer. Let your logo be identifiable, and let your newsletters, pamphlets, presentations, web sites, etc. explain who, what, and why you are.
Let me know how the logo is specifically to be used, if known. A silk-screened T-shirt design can be more detailed than a small embroidered logo on the pocket of a golf shirt, so these details are significant. I can also produce several versions of the same image to suit different needs. For example, I did a logo for a mission conference. The size of the banner determined the layout of the image (5x10 ft). They also used the image for ID badges (2x3 in.), so I created a smaller version without any text. Not only that, but knowing they were going to print these badges themselves allowed me to tailor the badges to their specific printer brand and model. If your logo is to be used in software, let me know the package name, the version, and what file formats it accepts. Also let me know the brand and model of printers you will be using. If you can find out the resolution of the printers, that's even better (i.e., the dpi — the dots per inch). If you're working with a printing firm, let me know what formats they can handle (CDR, EPS, DXF, TIFF, etc.). I prefer vector formats over bitmapped formats. Don't worry — they should know what these terms mean and I'll help you ask the right questions.
A camel is a horse created by a committee. You MUST minimize the number of people making decisions on your logo. Believe me, I've learned this one the hard way. It's natural to work through several "what if" scenarios as logos are combined, tweaked, and brainstormed. With a committee this can turn into an almost endless process as myriads of permutations are tested. If I were charging an hourly fee, then logo design by committee would guarantee an easy living. However, due to time constraints, I must limit the number of "what if" scenarios to five radical design trials. By "radical" I mean adding or changing elements of a logo. Tweaking doesn't count (e.g., size changes, a nudge in element placement, color changes, etc.) unless they get excessive. If a committee must make the final decision, at least narrow down their choices to a maximum of three options. It'll save you a lot of headache!
You must articulate what your organization or conference is all about in a short, single sentence. I would challenge you to pick three words that highlight what you are all about. Of those three words, which is the most important? The least important? Also, if your organization has a slogan, I need to know that as well. For example, the Eleuthera Bible Training Center has the slogan "the truth shall make you free" based on John 8:32. If there are any image suggestions, let me know that as well. For example, a mission trip to Jamaica to visit a school for the deaf wanted to use hands spelling (in sign language) the center's acronym (CCD) for their golf shirt logo.
Be patient. Some logos are harder than others, and even if you don't see any proposed designs right away you can be sure I'm thinking about it. For every design I propose there are at least five really horrid sketches that went into the trash. I also have to work within my regular responsibilities and prior commitments. I will let you know as soon as I have a design ready. If there is a deadline for the logo let me know that as well. Advance notice is always helpful.
It really helps if you have an email address, especially if you can receive attachments. Also let me know all the relevant contact information: name, address, daytime phone, evening phone, fax number, etc. I will also need contact information for anyone else with whom I need to work (print firms, banner painters, in-house staff, etc.). There must be a primary contact through which all decisions must pass.
Your logos will appear on this web site. I will also post the final, downloadable versions here when they are available. You can then refer other people in the project to this web page if they need a copy or if they need to see the designs.
If the logo is to appear on a brochure or other printed item, please send me a copy for my portfolio. If the design is for a T-shirt or hat, I'd like one as well (I like my shirts really big: XXXL or XXL).

Check List

This is a summary of this document — giving you a concise lists of tasks you will need to complete before the initial design meeting:

What color, if any, or two colors must the logo be?
How will the logo be used (T-shirts, banners, stationery, etc.)?
- What, if any, are the specific dimension requirements?
- What, if any, are the specific output requirements (resolution, printer brand/model, etc.)?
- What, if any, software needs to use the image?
Who is the one and only contact person for the logo project?
- List the contact's address, phone, pager, cell phone, email, etc.
- List contact information for support contacts (e.g., a printer, web host, )
Articulate you organization's/conference's idea or purpose
- In one concise sentence.
- In three individual words.
- Number the three words, with #1 being the most important
- What is your entity's name?
- What is your entity's byline, slogan, quote, and/or verse?
- What, if any, specific imagery or symbols do you want to include in the logo?
What deadlines or constraints does the project need to meet?

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Cancellation

What if CraigGiven.com can't create a logo that's satisfactory? What if everything I create looks horrible to your eyes? What if your expectations are beyond my resources to provide? Such things rarely happen, but they do happen. Both partners should be free to cancel the project and try something else. This liberty and expectation can lead to a amicable and respectful parting. Things will only be complicated if either person is hesitant to end a project that's not progressing adequately. If a project is cancelled, remember that all graphics created by CraigGiven.com are copyrighted works. I may need to reuse a rejected idea in someone else's logo. Therefore, you may not use them or use derivatives of those images if the project is cancelled.

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Copyrights

All graphics, logos, images, written works, digital media, etc. created by Craig Edward Given (the "author") are copyrighted works and all rights to those creations are reserved. The author will grant the customer specific reproduction and usage rights. Any reproductions must bear the appropriate and legal copyright notice showing Craig Edward Given as the copyright holder. The author reserves the right to limit or rescind any reproduction rights. An example might be if a non-profit organization radically changed their doctrine, philosophy, mission, or practices which the author feels would reflect negatively on his reputation. He would reserve the right to prohibit the altered organization from using his artwork or any derivative works.

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Questions?

Questions? Contact

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