Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Guide to Purchasing Websites, Video, Print & Other Creative Services

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Author Bobbi Balderman has provided readers with a straightforward, practical, eminently useful guide to the often confusing world of creative services. It's an insider's guide written in layman's terms, with helpful tips that have been highlighted on almost every page, and sample checklists and forms for those new to the production process. Whether you are a novice at marketing a nonprofit or a seasoned print pro who's never been involved with video production or website creation before, Balderman walks you through the step-by-step details necessary for getting the job done on time and under budget. As an adjunct professor who teaches public relations at local colleges and universities, I recommend this book to all my students. As a PR and marketing consultant, I also recommend this book to all my clients...

Have you ever wondered why it takes so long to do something when it comes to creating a video or brochure for your organization? That's because there are a lot of steps involved in making sure it comes out right. Bobbi Balderman outlines those actions in her book The Ultimate Guide To Purchasing Website, Video, Print & Other Services. I have a much more healthy respect for the process now...

Contents: The Name of the Game; Getting Started; Defining the Project; Scheduling; Betting a Budget; Selecting the Right Supplier; Working with Your Creative Resources; Creating an In-House Department - The Pros and Cons; Making the Project Go; Bringing Ideas to Life - The Process of Art Production; Getting Ready for the Printer - Pre-press Production; Selecting and Working with Printers; Probing the Printing Process; The World of the Internet; Handling Video Productions; Producing the Video - From Script to Finished Product; Putting it All Together; Glossary; Index

Balderman does this sort of work for a living, and she knows the process well. She quickly destroys the myth of "anyone can produce quality work on their own", then proceeds to show you how things work in the real world. There are reasons why people specialize in this area, so you should take advantage of the skills they bring to the table. From composition to design to printing, there are hundreds of decisions to be made that affect the outcome of the product. Between spending time reading this book and following her forms and checklists, you'd greatly improve your chances of ending up with something that you can be proud of... high quality professional creative material, error-free.

I'll be the first to admit that I've found the whole "creative design" process somewhat overblown and tedious at times. In meetings where I've been with the artistic groups, I tend to zone out during debates about discussions, fonts, paper weights, etc. But I can now see where all that fits in, and how it really needs to happen in order for a quality result to emerge. If everyone settled for "just do something", that's what you'd end up with... a brochure or site that looks like you just did something.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is involved in or is responsible for media creation. It's time and money well-spent.

A great book written in a well organized, easily accessible
manner. The information is not riddled with technical jargon but is
full of important details to help make your project successful. A
great resource for Graphic Design students as well as profressionals purchasing creative services.