ctComputer

FAQs

• What types of customers have you worked with?

  Website & Online: WordPress Websites | Web Graphics Branding: Logo Design | Brand Development | Business Cards/Letterhead Print: Brochures | Print Ads | Catalog Design | Magazine Layout | Direct Mail | Invitation Design | Media Kits Packaging Design: Label Design | Box/Bag Packaging Design | Private Label | Food Packaging | Beauty Skin Care Bath Body Packaging | Candle Packaging | In-Store POP & Signage. Because the right graphic designer makes all the difference. ctComputer has a combination of good design skills and good business skills. Committed to designing for the success of your brand. Always. Working with honesty and transparency… I will tell you whether a design idea will work or not. ctComputer does more than just design… for every project, I research the market, look at strategies and consider budget. quality work at non-agency prices. True experience and knowledge. I have worked with many, many clients and produced countless designs. responds to all emails/calls the same day or next day… My clients are everything to me and I value their time.

• What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

  How do I choose a graphic designer? Communicate with your prospective freelance graphic designer a few times via email and phone to see how promptly they return emails and calls. If the designer is local, meet them! Look at their portfolio. If you want labels designed for your vitamins line, but don’t see any previous vitamin clients in the portfolio, don’t worry. Look for overall versatility and style. A good designer will be able to adapt to most styles. Look for how they present themselves and general business practices/etiquette– were you given a business card? What about knowledge? General attitude of the designer? Ask the designer about their current workload and share your timeline for the project. - if your thinking about buying Adobe Creative Suite yourself and saving the money of hiring a designer. This can work if you answer Yes to the following: 1. Do you have LOTS of time to spare to learn this new software (Illustrator, In-Design and Photoshop are all very different). 2. Are you very computer savvy? 3. Do you have the creative skills to think like a right-brainer and create design-oriented solutions? 4. Can you create a simple and effective message while combining creativity and language skills? HOT TIP- Focus on what you are best at and leave the branding, design and visual communications to an expert. Does it matter whether my designer is in the same city? Not at all. It depends on your comfort zone and how good the designer is about responding to you in a timely manner. I have done projects with many clients outside of Dallas, like Houston, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and even Dubai. I only meet 50% of my clients face-to-face; all the work is sent in a file they can download or that I email to their printer directly. I chat with them over the phone or Skype as needed. and they have my website to keep track of the entire process, and remote desktop sharing. What can I expect with logo design? I like a few logos like the Nike and Chanel logo, other than that I am clueless. It’s the simple things that take the most thought. Nike and Chanel are fantastic “marks” or logos, but they were not created overnight. There was a team behind the building of those logos. A good logo must be simple and strong. Preferably not redundant in any way (for example, if your company name is Lightning Bolt Movies it would be redundant to have an icon of a lightning bolt and a movie clapper; perhaps a stylized bolt or a combination of those elements, or just a nice font would be better options. A logo must be easy to remember (think in terms of being a “mark” of some sort). Sometimes a logo originates from the essence of the company. For example, a restaurant wouldn’t necessary need a “logo” A restaurant could just use a beautiful font for the name and that itself sets them apart from everyone else– it creates a feeling, an atmosphere and speaks to the essence of the brand. When working with a designer in developing a logo provide plenty of examples of ones you like AND don’t like. Keep in mind the first round of logos may not hit the jackpot. Be patient and provide constructive feedback. HOT TIP- Sometimes a logo may not be exactly what you want, but it might be the perfect fit for your business. Remember it’s about what is right for your business and customer. What kind of website should I get? Depends on your business goals, what kind of service or product you are selling and budget. Standard 5-page static website- This is best for small businesses wanting a nice informational website without added features like shopping cart and control over back-end. You will still get a good contact form feature and social media links if needed. E-Commerce website with CMS- This is best if you are selling various products and would like to be able to add/delete products, prices and such yourself. This kind of website will be a little more of an investment initially, but it will save you tons of money down the line because you will have control over many aspects. E-Commerce site without CMS- Great option if you are selling products but will not need frequent updating. Wordpress Blog or Website- This is best if you have a business that creates buzz (for example, boutique PR firm, event planning, wedding planner etc). This will allow you to post photos and blog posts, but still have standard website pages like “about” and “contact.” How do I get good search engine rankings, good search engine optimization (SEO) for my site? Your designer/developer must use good SEO practices when programming your site, like using good tags, keywords, page titles and more. Additionally, a website with a blog feed or a website (like a wordpress website) where you have back-end access to add articles, photos, titles etc. is an excellent way to keep content fresh. Offer a FAQ page, newsletter sign-up, and useful resources page. HOT TIP- Search engines love content-rich websites full of relevant information. Make sure you change articles and keep your content fresh. SEO is an on-going effort, not a one-time deal.