Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can I do myself and what needs to go through Marketing?
2. What sort of ideas should I come to Marketing with?
3. How long does the design process take?
4. Why do I have to sign off the artwork?
5. Why is image quality so important?
What can I do myself and what needs to go through Marketing?
The simple answer is that if it is going in front of students then it must come through Marketing.
So for things that will only be seen by a small group of internal staff or volunteers, you can certainly take care of them yourself. However, that’s not to say we won’t polish it up a bit if you’d like our help!
What sort of ideas should I come to Marketing with?
Bring your thoughts about colour, bring concepts and sketches, bring your ideas! But please don’t bring us working computer files.
We understand that people get enthusiastic and to try and help by spending time and effort developing their ideas in Adobe. But that doesn't leave a lot of room for collaboration and creativity... and we will still have to re-create the file to make it print or web ready.
No one knows your department as well as you do, so we need your vision and expertise. But we are also a marketing department, and we can collaborate with you - and contribute our creativity, our design skills, and our marketing knowledge - to get you the best possible finished product.
How long does the design process take?
We have a very good idea of how long things take in the design world: adding a new name to a list of business cards that are being printed only takes a few minutes; creating a logo might 30 hours.
So we would simply say: get your material to us as early as you can, because the more time you give us, the more flexibility we have.
We’ll never turn you away, but if you give us a very tight timeline you might not get everything you wanted. You might have to cut back your campaign to just a single poster and social media. You might have to give up having something professionally printed, so no fancy inks, cutouts or folds. You might have to pass on that custom illustration in favour of a stock photo, and you’ll definitely have to be on the ball when responding to our emails or approving work in progress.
We’ll do our best to meet your requirements whatever your timeline, but the more time you give us, the better our work will be.
Why do I have to sign off the artwork?
When we design something for a client, we typically ask them to sign off on what we call a "proof". A sample of the sign-off form is shown below. We do this because we want you - the owner of the artwork - to look over the design to ensure that it's what you want. In particular we want you to proofread the content. Are the dates correct? Are the phone numbers and email addresses right? Is the URL up-to-date?
This is particularly important with printing that is being done outside, or in large volumes, because if an error is made, reprinting will be expensive.
Obviously, if we spot a typo we will correct it, and if we have questions about something, we will ask. But it is not the designers do not have the time, nor is it their responsibility, to proofread the client's content.
Why is image quality so important?
The question of image quality - whether of a photograph or an illustration - is important because we live in a highly digital age. Every day we see images that look great, whether on our mobile devices or on a large desktop screen, and the resolution of our screens is getting better all the time. And that's great for digital images.
But if you want something printed, those images typically aren't good enough.
What about Copyright?
The issue of copyright - and in broader terms, intellectual property - has become more complex because of the Internet. It is all too easy to find something on the web - like an image or a font - and assume that it is OK to use it yourself because the web is such a “public” place.
Generally it is not OK. But until governments update existing copyright laws to reflect the “digital age”, this is only going to get more complicated. With that in mind, here are some answers to some frequently asked questions about copyright.
Where can I got to get royalty-free photos?
There are many sites where you can get photos - often called stock photography - and other images at no charge. Usually they have been uploaded by their creators so that other people can use them: you won't have to pay to use them (they are "royalty-free"), but some sites put restrictions on how some images can be used, and the owner may ask to be given a photo credit. One good site for photos (it used to be know as the StockXchange) is called Freeimages.
Do you have any advice about copyright?
Don't use an image (or anything else) at work that you've downloaded from the Internet if you have any doubt at all about who owns the copyright.
And come and talk to us: we can help in lots of ways! For example, if you have a poster that you hope will have the feel of a recent movie, we might be able to design something similar - but different! If you have found a copyrighted image that you really like, perhaps we can find something that will do the trick that is royalty-free.
You can learn more about copyright at the Canada Intellectual Property Office web site here.
Can I license your fonts?
We discuss the broad issue of copyright above, but the issue of font licensing is worth dealing with separately.
Our clients sometimes ask if they can have copies of the fonts we use so that they can have the fonts on their computer, and in most cases the answer has to be no. This is mainly for intellectual property reasons, but it might be helpful if we answer a couple of questions about fonts.
Why can’t I get the fonts you use when you design something for my department?
Marketing has purchased a number of fonts families that it uses for the much of the work it does. Companies that design and sell fonts (traditionally called type foundries) are in business to make money, and when we buy their fonts, they are licensed for use on a specific number of computers. So we cannot share them.
Are the fonts that came with my computer copyrighted?
Yes, they usually are, but because the manufacturer has licensed the right to use them, that right is extended to the user when we purchase the computer.
Phone
780-492-4241
Students' Union Executive and Administrative Offices
Room 2-900
Students' Union Building
University of Alberta
8900 - 114 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
T6G 2J7
