The end product of this process looks so simple and the amount of effort the goes into it tend to get underestimated by someone who has not worked with a design agency before. The same process applies to an annual report or any booklet.

 

People Involved

Project manager – Emails, phone calls and meetings

Copywriter – Content writing or proofreading

Designer – Person that actually designs the business profile

Creative Director – Quality control

 

Project Management

When a project starts it needs to have some responsible for its completion. A project manager is assigned to it.

 

A project manager is there so that the client can feel like they will be taken care of. They bridge the gap between the designers and the clients which is crucial when it comes to designing for the clients’ objectives.

 

Examples different deliverables created by Project manager

 

  • Get brief from client,
  • Double theck that all the require information or supplied is supplied by client
  • Follow up by phone or email for outstanding content or information
  • To obtain all written approval of the different stages of the project.
  • Be present in all meetings, and take notes and share with all parties
  • Status reporting

 

Copywriting/Proofreading

 

Option 1:  Co-writing, editing and proof-reading of business profile or annual report

  1. Client’s internal project manager lines up all interviews for copywriter with business heads over a period of two to three consecutive days to kick-start the project.
  2. Business heads are advised in advance to bring all relevant information and documentation along to the interviews to ensure these sessions are constructive.
  3. The interviews are recorded so that our copywriter can listen to it again and transcribe it afterwards.
  4. Copywriter develops the first draft of the content, within the pre-determined agreed and set timelines.
  5. The first draft of the content is sent to the client’s internal project manager, who distributes it to the relevant business heads and ensures that feedback is given and changes are made and tracked on the documents, within a predetermined and agreed timeline. At the same time, the client’s Project Manager ensures that the financial section as approved by Client, is provided.
  6. The copywriter incorporates the business heads’ changes and sends the documents back for approval by the various business heads.
  7. As soon as the documents are returned from the various business heads, the copywriter proof-reads it again before it is sent to the design team for layout and design, together with the financials. It is important to note, for the sake of time efficiency, that all major changes must be made before the document goes to design.
  8. As soon as the document has been designed, the copywriter proof-reads it for the third time, to check that the content and index aligns, that numbering and formatting, etc, are in order. As soon as all errors have been rectified, it is sent to the client.
  9. The client either:
    1. Makes minor inputs for changes, in which case our copywriter will check these changes again to make sure no errors creep in; or
    2. Approves it and signs it off to go to design studio.

 

Option 2: Editing and proof-reading of annual report

  1. The copywriter proof-reads and edits the document according to the predetermined guidelines discussed with client. To streamline the process, all changes are tracked, so that the client can go directly to the changes made and either accept or reject them, and/or make additional input.
  2. As soon as the document returns from the client, the copywriter incorporates the suggested changes by the client and gives the document another proof-read and edit before sending it back for approval by client.
  3. As soon as the documents are returned from the client, the copywriter proof-reads it again before it is sent to the design team for layout and design, together with the financials. It is important to note, for the sake of time efficiency, that all major changes must be made before the document goes to design.
  4. As soon as the document has been designed, the copywriter proof-reads it for the third time, to check that the content and index aligns, that numbering and formatting, etc, are in order. As soon as all errors have been rectified, it is sent to the client.
  5. The client either:
    1. Makes minor inputs for changes, in which case our copywriter will check these changes again, to make sure no errors creep in; or
    2. Approves it and signs it off to go to design studio.

 

Designing

The designer is the person that makes bring everything together. The writing, fonts, colours images, theme, etc. We written our design process here

 

Quality control

Creative director just makes sure that the quality of the work done by the designer is of a very high level.  If the quality of the work is not good enough then Creative director and designer would have a meeting to discuss how best to fix the quality of the designs.

 

Printing

If printing is included we start off by doing test prints at the office to check for issues. The take the artwork to printer for more test prints. After the project manager is satisfied with the test print, then we would take the ‘print proof’ to copywriter for final checking. After the copywriter has checked then it would be delivered to client for review and sign-off.