Transform your print or online work from weak to wow!

To get noticed in today’s crowded marketplace, your message cannot be boring. The “special sauce” that makes it stand out from other messages is good use of clean, graphic design, says Chad Wagner.

Two approaches to make your proposal, marketing materials or website stand out are to hire a good graphic designer or design it yourself, employing tested and true design tricks.

Wagner, owner of chad wagner design, provided an overview of good design in a session with the Kansas City IABC IndyComm group.

3 factors in hiring a graphic designer: Portfolio, experience, rate

Expect to see 8-10 pieces in a designer’s portfolio that relate to your particular needs. Ideally, have another creative involved in the discussion. Ask the designer’s specific role in the portfolio samples and in the positions the designer previously held. Set job requirements and expectations up front, in order to preclude misunderstandings.

Establish if the designer charges by the hour or by the project. If design work is to be ongoing, ask if the designer will offer a reduced rate if you guarantee a certain number of hours per week or month. For hourly work, expect to pay between $50 and $100 per hour in Kansas City.

The do-it-yourself approach: Rock your visuals

• Tool box method

Collect all of your materials before you start designing – copy, logos, photos and other graphics. You’re a collector first, an editor later. Delegate this task to another team member if you can. Depositphotos.com and shutterfly.com are good sources for affordable, royalty-free stock photos. 

• Grid structure

It’s hard to go terribly wrong when you lay out your work on a well-designed grid. Grids add structure to a design and help maintain good proportions among the elements on a page. Google “print design grids” for examples you can download.

• Visual hierarch

Size matters. Emphasize your central point with larger text set in a pleasing arrangement. 

Shape counts, too. Set your key element in an eye-catching shape, say a circle, for emphasis.

A pop of color helps. Draw attention to your key message with a single spot of color in an otherwise black and white layout.

Consider your client’s style

When designing a piece that will go to a particular client, mirror the client’s look and feel as much as you can with colors and text. Larger companies often publish their standards on their website. In early meetings with a client, bring your design partners – photographer, writer, videographer, etc. – with you.

Top trends

Wagner recommends the following for further research on design trends and examples of good design:

How

Fast Company

Inc.

The Royals’ Mike Swanson shares candid personal and professional highlights

When Mike Swanson returned to the Kansas City Royals in 2006, the team was suffering from dismal years of losses resulting in a nearly empty stadium, a pessimistic public and just a few signed players wearing Royals jerseys. Swanson’s now in his 11^th year as Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting for the team, and proudly wearing a KC Royals World Series Championship ring.

Deciding to head communications for the recumbent Royals wasn’t a difficult decision for Swanson. He started in communications with the Royals when he was a teenager, working six consecutive summers as an intern. Following college, Swanson left Kansas City to begin his career in professional sports communications for college and professional football and basketball teams, before returning to the MLB 38 years ago.

When the Royals’ call came, Swanson couldn’t turn down an offer to return to his home town. Plus, Dayton Moore had just taken over as General Manager, and Swanson believed in a better future for the Royals. The slow painful climb from the cellar of Major League Baseball to the top in 2014 and 2015 consisted of years of concerted effort by team executives, managers and players to earn their World Series rings.

Swanson shared professional and personal highlights of his career in a lively session with the Freelance Exchange of Kansas City:

• Swanson was with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the World Series in 2001, seven weeks after the 9/11 bombing. The ruins of the World Trade Center still smoldered as the team toured Ground Zero, calling victims’ families on their cell phones. President George H.W. Bush threw out the first ball at the game at Yankee Stadium amid intensive security that included snipers positioned around the stadium and even a heavily armed security guard, masquerading as an umpire. The team lost all three games in New York before returning to Arizona to win the trophy.
• Swanson’s football career included six trips to the Super Bowl and 14 high-profile college bowl games. His heart remained in baseball, however. “It’s a lot more exciting than football. Plus, in baseball, you can lose four games in a row and still have three left that week to recover.” 
• The call from the Royals came as Swanson was interviewing to join the Cubs’ organization. He had no idea the grapevine was working so quickly, but in a phone call that same day, he was offered the job in Kansas City. 
• The 1994 baseball strike had one positive outcome for Swanson: He met his wife Renee that summer, when he was at a bar with friends. After a long visit with Renee, Swanson turned to a friend while leaving the bar, saying, “I’m going to marry that girl.” He and Renee celebrated their 21^st anniversary on Feb. 3. 
• Social media has created a 24/7 news cycle where a hastily posted comment from a player can quickly turn into a national news headline. “We have to be very diligent with our athletes in training them to be accountable with the media,” Swanson said. “Before they hit the ‘send’ button, they need to understand that it’s like a bullet leaving a gun. You can’t take it back. Once posted, it’s out there, and no matter how quickly you might delete the comment, there’s a record.” 
• The recent tragic death of Yordano Ventura was the lowest point in Swanson’s career. “As a team, we still don’t have answers yet on how to deal with it. This is one situation you can’t just Google search what to do.” Swanson first met Ventura when the future Royals Ace was just 17 years old. He and Ventura shared a mostly easy-going relationship. “Swanee, one time!” Ventura called out to Swanson on a game day, as they were preparing for the field. “One time, what?” was Swanson’s response. “One time, don’t make me talk to the press!”