We have been hard at work on some exciting new developments for DoodleDo. I need to stay hush-hush for now, but everything is changing in the way we offer custom designs. So check back often for the launch of the new DoodleDo!
DoodleDo is currently not accepting new clients for design orders. If you would like to be placed on a waiting list, email us with a request. We will notify interested photographers as soon as we are able to take new clients and new design orders. Thank you for your interest in DoodleDo!
For the past several years we have been using a merchant service to process credit card payments. This required us to keep client credit card information in our database. Since we like to keep things as simple and convenient as possible, we’ve been considering various alternatives. We finally decided on a new ordering system that works with how we like to manage such things.
Effective immediately, all payments will be processed through PayPal. We decided on PayPal because of it’s simplicity, convenience, and security features. Plus, we will no longer require or keep client credit card information. Here is how the new system will work:
That’s it! In fact, the only notable change is, under this new system, you will make payment yourself before the design is scheduled for production. Balances due for additional pages and added services will also be invoiced and paid through PayPal before release of the final design files. Another great advantage is that now you will have ready access to your invoices and payment records. Plus, you now have broader options for making payments, including e-checks, bank transfer, and just about all credit and debit cards.
We trust you will appreciate these new changes. You are welcome to contact us with any questions or need for further information.
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.
Love abounds in February, and so do engagements. Thus starts the season of new wedding inquiries and bookings, and a great way to succeed in consultations is with a new set of custom-designed sample albums. Albums are perfect for presenting your photographic style and album options together. Couples will see your work and the product you include or hope to sell in addition to your event coverage. It’s very difficult to sell what they don’t see!
We want to spread the love with a special offer. Order a sample album design during the month of February and receive 15% off your next Graphic or Enhanced Design order. Enhanced designs are a new style we are offering and will be featured in our next post (they are the same price as a Graphic Design). All you have to do is place the word “Sample” in the “Enter Special Offer Code” window at the bottom of our Design Order & Preferences Form. If you don’t have access to the Form, please sign-up through our Contact page.
When couples see your beautiful new sample albums designed by DoodleDo, it will be love at first sight.
We wish all our wonderful friends and dedicated clients a very Merry Christmas! DoodleDo is blessed to have so many fine photographers and artists trusting us to provide for their design needs. We appreciate you all and look forward to continuing this special relationship in 2010. We have some valuable new services and events in the works.
Peace and joy!