So do you remember the game Operator? Not the creepy Hasbro board game Operation which, by the way, has given untold millions of children the false sense of confidence to become surgeons and ultimately confused our nation's entire healthcare system. $150 for Water on the Knee? Come on Obama!
Operator was another childhood game we played, sans the electronics and politics. A line of children would be organized and the teacher would whisper a random word to the first child in line. The word was then whispered from one child to the next and by the end you would have a completely abstract outcome. So you start with, say, 'Democrat' and you end up with 'Jackass'.
Okay, some politics were involved at my kindergarten and I'm pretty sure our teacher was right-wing.
So this breakdown in translation happens with small children whispering words and, as I see time and again, it also happens with adults and electronic artwork.
A recent logo I created was wrapped up, bow tied, and delivered to my customer. Within a week I was receiving emails from print shops asking if what they had was the proper artwork. One inquiry in particular was disheartening, disturbing, disgruntled, and disAmerican. I made that last one up, but it was that bad. I wondered how this high-res image could be so quickly turned into what looked like a finger-painted version of its former self. Then it hit me - Microsoft Office...and humans. Programs like Office don't interpret, manipulate, or save electronic artwork files like the Adobe software I use. Mix that with a pinch of human error and that print shop would have had no choice but to deliver my client with a vinyl print that was, but wasn't their new logo. Luckily, my colleague checked in with me and I was able to send out the proper files for print.
Long story short, the benefit of using my services is the continued support I offer after product delivery. Now, this client could have easily hired someone from Craigslist to create their new logo and I'm sure he/she would have done a great job. Introduce a problem, as described earlier, and good luck hunting down AnonymousDesigner69 to remedy the issue.
So, when shopping for a graphic artist to handle something as important as your logo - the face of your business - or any design work you invest in, choose someone who will be there a week, a month, or even years later to pick up the pieces where others may have fallen off.
Luke Hillegas
Owner, Rusty Dog Studio
412-874-1039
RustyDogStudio.com