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.
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.
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.
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.
A successful design theme will be consistent, which can be a challenge when the layout and placement of elements are diverse. A good example is this lovely design for Orlando photographer Mike Richards. Note that none of the spreads repeat. Image position, graphic use, and placement of theme elements vary throughout. The page color certainly helps to tie it all together, but we never want the color to be predominant after the first impression. Once recognized, it should fade into the background, so to speak, as the eyes select the images page to page, quietly led by the design elements. At least this is our goal with each design!
In this design, there are several things that serve to maintain consistency: image frame size and groupings that do repeat, consistency with borders, strokes and opacity effects, the single graphic (which loosely relates to the lakeside environment), and the images themselves, of course. And with a beautiful image collection, such as these provided by Mike, design work becomes that much easier.
White House Custom Color is a favorite of many photographers. They offer great quality products, outstanding service, and continue to introduce new products that cater to the needs of photographers in various markets. One nice, new addition is their Premium Packaging. In this new What’s in the Box, we provide a quick look at this packaging and how it can enhance the presentation and delivery of your client’s professional prints.
WHCC always impresses us with their great products and services Overall:Quality: Finishing: Customer Service: Innovation:
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