DoodleDo will soon be switching to an all new, easier, online ordering system, and part of this change will be a re-classification of the design styles we offer. Along with our Basic and Graphic Design styles will be the new Enhanced Design. In conjunction with these changes, we thought it would be very helpful to take a look at each of these so that you will better understand what each offers, the various options and possibilities, and be well equipped to make your selections when placing your orders.
In this post we are featuring the Basic Design theme. It is very important to keep in mind that what we call a theme is not a template. Every design we create is custom. However, some of our clients want their albums to have a consistent theme, so we will reuse elements from their previous designs in new ones. While not containing graphic enhancements or embellishments, there is still a great deal of variety possible in a Basic Design, as shown in the three examples below.
This first design is a style often requested – single color pages, an ample amount of negative space, and fine strokes and borders to complement the image collection. It allows the beautiful photographs by Lisa Richmond to really stand out. When ordering a Basic Design you have the option of choosing any page color or colors, stroke and border colors, text treatments, and a number of other design preferences. You may also leave it completely up to us to create what we think best compliments your images.
In this next example, perhaps our second most popular style, you will notice that the primary difference from the above design is placement of elements and page color. It is less symmetrical and includes large, bold images contrasted with smaller images, resulting in less negative space. The gorgeous photographs, again by Lisa Richmond, dominate the spreads in an arrangement that is flowing and pleasing to the eye. Images with lower opacity allow other images to stand out and help spreads appear less busy.
This final example, created for photographer Tim Park, is a slight variation of the themes shown in both designs above. In this we are back to symmetry, simple borders and strokes, but with a more consistent placement of images from spread to spread. This design is accented with opening and closing full-spread panos, and one near the middle to break up the pattern. Note the font and text treatments used in all three of these designs. You are welcome to choose any font for your design. When we choose, we always select a font we believe matches the overall aesthetic of the image collection and design theme, along with any treatments that will blend the text into the design. Again, there should be no conflict between the images, the design, and the text.
We hope this article helps you to better understand the DoodleDo Basic Design theme. We will soon have our design galleries reorganized to better show the three options: Basic, Enhanced, and Graphic. In our next post we will take a look at the Graphic Design theme and describe what sets it apart. If you have an account with us, you will soon receive an email about the new ordering process.
In our latest What’s in the Box we took a good look at the excellent, upgraded White House Custom Colour press-printed book. The design for this engagement album is a gorgeous graphic style design showing off the exceptional images photographed by our very own Robin, and her partner Brenda, who together form the outstanding wedding photography biz, Bellissima Photographic Artistry.
We’ve always been a fan of White House Custom Colour service and products, and have first-hand experience with the progress of their press-printed books. The newest upgrade to this line is all the more impressive with new sizes, improved printing, excellent cover and page materials, and the very well made hinged pages. In this What’s in the Box, we take a good look at a beautiful 10×10 engagement book on the gorgeous pearl paper. To see it and learn more, and view the outstanding engagement book design, click on the image below.
Known primarily for our album and book designs, we also create other graphic design works. Most are single pieces ranging from covers to cards to advertisements. When producing multiple items, having a clear, cohesive theme will boost your identity, viewer recall, and customer confidence. A simple yet good example is a recent studio sample album that developed from a print ad DoodleDo created for photographer Summer Hopkins of Summer Dawn Photography.
Summer first approached us requesting we design a new print ad for magazine placement in her local market. The result is shown below on the right. Summer then placed a new album design order and we recommended she allow us to use the same design theme from the ad to emphasize her studio branding in a new studio sample album. This particular wedding was a good choice – unique, stylish, and fun. The color, swirls and dots, used by Summer in past ads and marketing pieces, work well with the wedding images. Summer’s client receives a beautiful wedding album, and Summer gets a lovely studio sample that showcases her design tastes and branding while matching the magazine ad. It’s a very good strategy, especially this time of year when many newly engaged couples are searching for their wedding vendors.
DoodleDo specializes in design work for photographers. If you already have a well-defined brand and marketing campaign, we can create new studio sample designs that incorporate your style while showcasing your photography. If you feel your branding is lacking, needs a freshening up, or is non-existent, we would be happy to produce a unique theme for your 2010 strategy.
Click on the album spread below to view Summer’s sample design.
Our first What’s in the Box for 2010 highlights the new Rave Book from Finao. This one features the same design as the beautiful Finao One album featured in our last review, but in the little 3×3 Rave Book format. These press-printed books will make nice companions to your primary album, as well as surprise gifts that your clients can easily carry about to show off their pics, especially if complimented by a fabulous DoodleDo design!
Finao products and service are consistently tops! Overall:Quality: Finishing: Customer Service: Innovation:
A simple, unencumbered design using lots of negative space is often preferable when you just want the images to tell the story without embellishments. We create many designs, and quite a number of these are elaborate layouts. We always keep the images central, making sure that additional colors and lines, graphics and effects, enhance the presentation of the all-important photography. Yet when given the opportunity, we love a design that goes back to the basics of a well-structured layout and effective use of space.
In our latest What’s in the Box we featured a well-crafted primary album from Finao. The design for this album utilizes these simpler elements, with a graphic added for emphasis at various places throughout. It was mistakenly described as a 60 page design in the video, but is actually a 46 page design.
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