Bringing Graphic Design In-House

Do you have what it takes to bring design in-house? Let the folks at OrangeSeed Design help you make the decision. Bringing Graphic Design In-House not only guides you through the process of creating your own logo, letterhead, business card, brochure, newsletter and website, it also assists you to determine whether to outsource or go for it. If you decided to hire a design firm, the book also provides tips to select the right agency to fit your needs and budget.

The first section of the book breaks down the pros and cons of bringing design in-house including managing the projects, buying appropriate software programs, working with design agencies, and so on. Even though this section is short, it contains valuable resources to help you evaluate whether is it feasible or not to handle in-house.

Once you have decided to go in-house, Section 2 will walk you through the fundamentals of design such as: layout, color, typography, and much more to help you achieve your goal. Pay close attention to the Project Management piece, it is also an important part of design basics.

After you have grabbed the basic concepts, Section 3 provides case studies to show you how the basic concepts in Section 2 applied into the real world projects. Section 3 fills with in-house design examples with brief explanations to feed your hungry mind.

Now that you have understood the basic concepts and seen real world case studies, let’s move into Section 4 where you will find creative solutions to your projects. The book discusses 10 useful “Design Systems” to help you make the connection across the board from print to online materials. The book then devoted each segment delving into the studies of logos, stationary, brochures, newsletters, and websites to help you visualize the creative process behind each design.

OrangeSeed Designs has done an exceptional job of explaining basic graphic design for non-designers and beginners. Although the book covers web design as well, it only focuses the visual elements and web design is much more involved than just the appearence. If you are thinking of bringing graphic design in-house, this book is definitely your best friend; however, if you are also thinking of bringing web design in-house to save money, you need to pick up Carrie Bickner’s Web Design on a Shoestring as well. In fact, I highly recommend both of these precious books to in-house designers and beginners. They will make your job more pleasant and successful.