1 Managing your communications How to design, produce and commission print and online materials Kaisa Puustinen National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM)

2 Structure of talk 1.Design and communication management principles 2.Commissioning print and online materials 3.Producing your own print and online materials 4.Presentation of content

3 1.1 Design management principles Project management Aims of the project Budget Schedules Team Approval processes Constructive feedback

4 1.2 Communications management principles Organisation’s identity (brand) guidelinesidentity (brand) guidelines Target audience: PhD students, civil servants, market researchers, nurses etc. Format: print advertisement, poster, glossy brochure, HTML newsletter, blog, webpage etc. Dissemination channel: Direct mail, specific event, other organisation’s publication, , website etc. Tip: Include communications/dissemination plan into your research project from the very beginning. At what stages can/should you engage with your audience? What would be the best way to engage (events, blogging, press?). Think of comms as a part of the research project rather than “the bit you do at the end”. It will improve the chances of your research having impact.

5 2.1 Commissioning print Preparation Prepare a project brief and schedule Request quotations from 3-4 approved graphic design companies (if designed by an external company) Meet with the designers to discuss your requirements Give the designers your brand guidelines: exact CMYK/Pantone colour codes and fonts & sizes, how to use your logo, what images to use For high quality print materials you need images with 300 pixels/inch resolution. Note: Make sure you are allowed to use the images (copyright & licenses). Do not copy&paste images from webpages!!! Decide the paper quality with designers: matt, silk or glossy finish, weight of the paper (cover vs. inside pages) Make sure the designers have the content (text, photos, graphs etc.) on time

6 2.2 Commissioning online materials Preparation Prepare a project brief and schedule Be aware of usability & accessibility issues and legal requirements Be aware of your organisation’s IT infrastructure/requirements: what server you use, what scripting language should be used, do you need new software or licenses, who will update and maintain the website/blog/archive etc. Request quotations from 3-4 approved web design companies (if designed by an external company) Give the designers your web brand guidelines: exact RGB/HEX colour codes and fonts & sizes, how to use your logo, what images to useweb brand guidelines Make sure the designers have the content (text, photos, graphs etc.) on time. Examples: Concept1, Concept2, Concept3, Current websiteConcept1Concept2Concept3Current website

7 2.3 Pitfalls of commissioning You keep changing your mind about what you want -> annoys the designers, increases the cost of the job and throws out the schedule You don’t give constructive feedback but are not happy with results You want the website or brochure to reflect your own individuality -> comes across unprofessional and not credible You don’t talk to your IT staff and end up commissioning something that is incompatible with infrastructure You have underestimated the time it takes to produce content and don’t meet your own deadlines

8 3.1 Producing print Preparation Prepare a project brief and schedule for yourself Make sure you have the content (text, photos, graphs etc.) on time. Stick to your brand guidelines Search for inspiration from other organisations’ similar purpose print materials Schedule the print job with the print centre that you use, so that they can plan their workload and will be able to deliver by your deadline

9 3.2 Producing print Process Select publishing software: (a) Microsoft Publisher is a standard MS Office package, (b) Adobe InDesign is a professional publishing software Choose paper: matt, silk or glossy finish, weight of the paper (cover vs. inside pages) Pick the elements you like (layout, use of images, use of lines etc.) from other organisations’ materials -> combine them into a new design for yourself, but stick to your brand guidelines (colours, fonts etc.) Produce the publication file in it’s intended size (A5, A4, A3, custom, etc.) Remember the resolution of print images: 300 pixels/inch! Convert the publication file into a high quality print PDF file and send it to the print centre with directions for what paper to use, how many copies you need and by what date. If you use “bleed” in the design (images/colours come all the way to the edges of paper), remember to include crop marks. Tip: Aim to be “green”. Paper and print colours can be environmentally sound: Request recycled paper or from a sustainable source and vegetable based inks. Design can also minimise waste of paper (no bleed). Content can be planned in a way that it does not go out of date quickly, which increases its “shelf life” e.g. avoid including personal contact details for administrative staff.

Producing online Stick to your web brand guidelines: exact HEX colour codes and fonts & sizes, use of logo, images, grids. Note: images online do not need to be as high resolution as in print. Make sure your output is compatible with your organisation’s IT infrastructure Think carefully what content and features your audiences will want and need. Is it necessary to have an online discussion forum? Why? Should you use Twitter and Facebook just because they exists? Plan how to promote the existence of your online materials: being online is not enough. You will need to actively promote it -> How? Think of the sustainability of your online presence: Who will update and maintain it? Is the web host reliable? What will happen to it after your project ends?

11 4. Presentation of content Text on online platforms has to be concise and quick to read -> Avoid using long sentences and aim to express one idea/point in one paragraph. Title, first sentence and subheadings help readers to grasp the idea quickly and decide if it is worth reading -> make them informative and engaging When writing news-style items for online, only use images/graphs that add to the story and communicate something. Use attractive and informative images in print: Use graphs and charts to illustrate your research, bullet points and framed information boxes to highlight most important points and photos to make the story more “concrete” Choose your point carefully: What is the message?

12 Thank you!