by Craig Fairley | Oct 22, 2012 | Industry Observations
The selection of environment-friendly paper for printing has become more mainstream than it was in the past. There are now a few options to print buyers. Paper and the forestry industry has responded with a couple of different certification initiatives to ensure you...
by Craig Fairley | Jan 18, 2011 | Industry Observations
A colleague recently pointed me to this blog post by designer David Airey on spec work. I particularly like this post because it perfectly illustrates what spec work by turning the tables on the person asking for it. Spec work is the term applied to doing design work...
by Craig Fairley | Jan 11, 2011 | Industry Observations
I was recently reviewing my business processes and it dawned on me recently that I have not used my fax machine in a very long time. In fact, it’s usually unplugged since it can be temperamental. If a fax is required, I usually use my computer to send and...
by Craig Fairley | Dec 8, 2010 | Brand development, Industry Observations, Marketing Tips
A client, who is a consultant, recently commented that the positioning statement on his letterhead (similar to a tag line, the phrase that describes what you are all about) seemed to be too narrow. He was getting more work in other non-core fields. He told me that he...
by Craig Fairley | Oct 4, 2010 | Brand development, Industry Observations
Here’s a story that really talks to the power of a brand. I was recently part of a conversation where a colleague was horrified to find out that her internet service provider (ISP) subcontracted their e-mail service to Hotmail. Another person chimed in, saying...
by Craig Fairley | Mar 22, 2010 | Industry Observations
When I first entered the design industry, I thought that graphic designers who said disparaging things about word processors for document layout were snobs. I now know better. Having lived through more than one ‘I can do it myself, I just need you to print...
