However we are back on the ball again and to kick start this blog we are having a Q&A session with one of our designers Jake.

Jacob Dollery, Designer

Jake is the newest member to join our team, he joined back in the cold month of Feburary. He is a highly creative individual and many of our clients have already been impressed with some of the new ideas he has contributed. Outside of work Jake’s passion is mountain biking and by all accounts he is as talented at that as he is at design!

Anyway I have managed to corner him and “persuade” him to answer some of these questions.

So let us beginning…

How long have you been working for DSM?

Since Febuary 2011.

What appeals to you most about being a designer?

The satisfaction of knowing a client is pleased and excited about my work.

What gives you inspiration?

Google.

*laughs*

I find inspiration everywhere, I usually brainstorm the idea and then research the words from my brainstorm. I will try to find an image from one of those words that inspires me. It could be from a magazine, or an online library.

Whats your favourite kinda of fruit?

Apples, crushed to cider.

If you were a star wars character which one would you be?

Jedi, so I can bend clients minds to my will.

Most importance piece of advice for a client?

Give a clear brief as to what you are trying to achieve. Just for when my Jedi powers are not working.

Finally one last question for you, PC or Mac?

Mac

New technology in prints, materials and inks enables print designers to be more creative and offers opportunities to be really original in delivering the message. Everything from the paper weight, texture, material and printing process is just another expression of design and style. Having knowledge of how different papers absorb and utilise the ink again is an art and can drastically change the overall effect of the print project.

Printed media is effective for all sorts’ different types of projects where its purpose is to inspire and provide a tangible experience. The permutations and combinations of inks, varnishes, foils and finishes give the well-informed designer a huge range of expression.

For example printing black on black or white on white sounds crazy but using a spot UV and Matt laminate finish can instantly dress up a front cover to be an exceptionally well designed piece. In addition using embosses and foil can offer an element of pure class, though whilst it’s cost has come down it is still a luxurious method for printing.

We’ve seen designers creating custom business cards out of scrap bits of textured card and using a press to imprint their contact details. Not only is this unique, it’s memorable, what more do you want from a business card? I guess the key here is to not be afraid to be different and try out different techniques with different samples until you fall across something that ‘just works’.

Three technologies in print design that I feel particularly compelled to talk about are dimensional printing, remote proofing and QR codes.

1. Feel that texture with dimensional printing

Dimensional printing is a print technology that is used to simulate a texture or add a new dimension to digital printing. This effect can be used to imitate a texture in an image, on the paper or to simply raise a part of the piece to enhance the design. Think of the texture of snakeskin, an orange or a fingerprint, its subtle enough not to be noticed until you touch it.

This technique is best when you put the dimensional coating on the edges of your publication as opposed to in the middle, this way you really feel it.

New technology for classic effects

Dimensional printing is a similar process to thermography, however you can now take advantage of print on demand. To create the process files effectively you can use either Illustrator or Photoshop and finish it in InDesign.

The effect is embedded in the PDF and acts as a spot colour for the Kodak NexPress. To get the maximum effect, you can put the dimensional toner over CMYK for the most dramatic relief. In this instance a little coating goes a very long way in delivering ‘The effect’.

You can even create your own patterns through a screening process. This works on a variety of different papers too. In addition the process can be quite cost effective because it is an inline process and requires a minimal amount of additional prepress time. The ink is also completely recyclable and is approved for publishing and packaging.

The visual impact is actually all in the ‘feel’.

2. Remote Proofing

How many times have you given a file to your printer and watched it travel the chain of command? Firstly the sales rep, then the planner, then to prep and finally gets approved before you get to see your proofs.

What if you’ve 5 or 6 different people that have to approve your media and they are scattered all over the country? You’re stuffed if you want to make that end of November deadline.

Alternatively if you send emails to each individual you’ll end up with multiple versions of amendments and zero time to change the artwork.

Virtual remote proofing however saves the day by enabling designers, printers and clients to review the proofs that help speed up the workflow as well as ease the communication.

Software provided by the printer enables the uploading of a PDF for everyone to review and amend as necessary throughout the entire process. Eventually the idea is to remove hard proofs from the print process entirely because you will trust the remote proofing so much the actual printing and finishes is the easy bit. Samples can be sent prior to the proofs even being made.

3. Engage readers with a QR code

Taken from the page of digital marketers Quick Response (QR) codes are becoming increasingly popular in modern print design. These little black and white digital squares are cousins of the bar code and carry data that could contain a URL to a website with video, animation or graphics.

The user responds to the QR code by opening a QR reader app of the mobile device and takes a picture which directs the user to result, whether it is a URL, video, PDF or other media.

Calvin Klein had a successful campaign using a billboard in New York which simply had a giant QR code printed on it. Users took snaps of it and they accessed a promotional video for marketing some jeans.

Links of London are currently using QR codes in their promotional material and with the London 2012 games not long a way now I’m sure we’ll see a lot more QR codes out and about.

Wallpaper magazine used QR codes that allowed readers to manipulate graphics and create their own magazine covers. The codes could be attached to stuffed animals that invite children into a larger cartoon world. This effect is also known as Augmented Reality (AR).

AR has been adopted by a variety of different developers who have created apps for mobile devices and advertising and again adds a further element to being able to take print into a new level of experience.

As mobile devices improve, the QR codes will get smaller and be able to do more and more transactions with more information.

All three of these technologies are still in the early stages of service to consumers, however  all of them have unlimited potential.

For more information on different print processes and terminology see this rather handy printer jargon glossary.

It’s bitterly cold in Dorset this morning, but a nice warm cuppa tea and the promise of cookie Joe reluctantly kindly agrees to answer my questions.

So without further adue…who is Joe ‘Danger’ Strong?…

Joe Strong, Web Developer/Designer

The official blurb from the website: “Joe is responsible for building our websites. Drawing on his vast knowledge in web design and associated web technologies makes Joe a key member of the team. Outside of work Joe enjoys playing with apps on his iPhone, Pwning noobs on his PS3 and looking after his LOLcats, LOL.”

Joe is a highly creative individual that brings a lot of fun, but also a lot of technical web coding knowledge to the DSM Design studio. Joe’s creative and technical knowledge makes him a valuable member of the team that helps drive our passion for excellence. Even outside of work Joe enjoys developing apps and creating web based solutions to his lifestyle…in a word he is a genius…ahhh enough of the sobering comments, let’s get to the nitty gritty stuff!

So…Joe, got a few questions for you:

Q1. What made you want to be a web designer?

A1: I was passionate about using computers and being creative from a young age.

Q2. What have you learnt in your career to date that you wish you could tell yourself starting out?

A2: Aim high and never doubt your own ability.

Q3. What is more important for your role, self-taught skills or formal qualifications? Or a good mix of both?

A3: From my own experience I would say self-taught skills.

Q4. How do you feel about the way you were taught/learnt web design/development?

A4: I enjoyed the way I learned because I taught myself, on my own terms. You don’t learn web design/development from a young age at school.

Q5. What’s the favourite part of your job?

A5: Making a flat design come to life in a web browser.

Q6. What’s your worst part of your job?

Any trivial work where I can’t express my true abilities.

Q7. One word answers

HTML 5 – Misunderstood

Web Design – Varied

Flash – Misused

.NET – Rapid

Katy Perry – Hot

Q8. As a web developer, what is most important to you?

A8: That I can produce quality work and that I can strive to push the boundaries

Q9. What aspect of web development do you specialise in, do best at, or do most of at DSM Design?

A9: I would say I specialise and do most of Frontend web technologies. (HTML/CSS/Javascript)

Q10. Three words to describe your life at DSM?

A10: Varied, Creative, Inspiring

***Now for something completely different***

Trigonometry or algebra ? Trigonometry

Protons or Neutrons? Protons

Japanese or Chinese? Japanese

French fries or chips? Chips

Favourite game console? PS3

Favourite game? Gran Turismo 5

Apple or Android? Apple

Are you a mac or a pc? Either/Both

Your best quality? Passionate about my work

Your worst quality? Business knowledge is not my forte

Favourite thing? Freedom

Favourite book? The Dictionary

Favourite TV show? Dexter

Facebook or Twitter? Twitter

***Almost there now***

Q: Why do people call you Joe ‘Danger’ Strong?

A: Because Danger is my middle name duh!!!

Q: Finally, if there was one thing you could change in the world today what would it be?

A: Help those in poverty

Personally shopping online is far easier as you can easily research and find what you’re looking for and compare prices, brands and reviews. Though I do admit shopping in shops adds a tangible element which can help with your buying decision as you can easily see the quality of the product and perhaps see other products you didn’t know existed. Plus, it’s usually the only way to take your purchase home the same day.

However the line between online and offline shopping is starting to blur: According to a study by Forrester while 93 percent of retail purchases today happen in a store, more than 46 percent of those in-store purchases are influenced by online research. Not to mention that shoppers can access the web from anywhere at any time—including from their mobile phones when browsing the aisles of a local store.

This got the guys at Google shopping thinking and they have been very busy lately to try and find a way of bridging the gap between online and offline. They have developed a range of new product search aspects that will enhance the online user experience.

However this update is only available in the US, “We don’t currently have any partnerships with retailers in the UK,” said Google’s Clara Armand-Delille.

The US update includes “several new features”, such as a 1.3 version of the Google Shopper mobile app and the arrival of ‘popular products’ and aisles, as well as the brand partnerships as detailed below:

Local availability on Google Product Search: Google has partnered with more than 70 retail brands to connect shoppers searching online with local stores that have the actual items they’re looking for in-stock. If you’re looking online to get your son that new Wii video game he’s been wanting, you can click on the “nearby stores” link to see where it’s in stock nearby.

Google Shopper 1.3: The Google mobile shopping app helps shoppers on the go research items and find the best place to buy them either online or in a nearby store. It includes new search filters like “price” and “brand” to help refine searches. It even features Local Availability, voice search and rapid continuous barcode scanning (so you can point your phone at a product and get information from the web).

“Popular products” and “aisles”: An idea borrowed from successful brick and mortar store in the US are two new features called “popular products” and “aisles” to help people learn about and discover new products. By searching for a category of products such as “camera lenses,” the new popular products feature shows the top camera lenses other people are viewing online. “Aisles” helps users browse and discover products by organising results into sub-categories that others have found helpful.

For example, if you’re looking for a new TV, you can choose between display types like LCD and plasma. If you’re interested in camera lenses for that brand new SLR, you can shop by the aperture of the lens. Pretty slick we think!

Hopefully these features will make it easier to get shopping done this Xmas—whether it’s online or offline.

We like the new updates, but as of yet there are no details whether or not this will be coming to the UK shores. Fingers crossed I guess!

This new service allows the user to preview the webpage before they click on a search result. Initially this was available on every hover on every result. However it has now been refined so that the user has to click on a small magnifying glass at the end of the result list string. By clicking this once the user can view all previews on that results page by hovering over the title of each result.

The Benefits

Allows users to quickly compare results
A visual comparison of search results helps you pick which result is right for you. It is proven already that users that click on a certain result are 5% more likely to convert because of the Google Instant Previews.

Pinpoint Relevant Content
Text call outs highlight where your search term appears on the web page so you can evaluate if it’s what you’re looking for.

Interact with the Results Page
Page previews let you see the layout of a web page before clicking the search result.

What this means for online businesses is that the web design is now even more of an important part of the customers decision making process for making the initial click to view your website.

Because users can preview what they are potentially going to see there is even more opportunity for competition to get the clicks if there is more aesthetic appeal. Just another important reason to get your web design right which bear greatly on the ability to convert traffic into sales.

Looking to review your web design? Talk to DSM Design today and let us do the hard work of getting it right.

Watch this video on: Introducing Instant Previews