Polarity Design TeamPolarity Design TeamPolarity Design TeamPolarity Design Team
  • Home
  • Custom Websites
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Custom Websites
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Project Content We Need Before We Can Start

pdtcseo2022-10-25T12:07:18-06:00
Marketing

When you hire a designer for just about anything, they’ll probably ask you for project content. A problem we frequently face is that the phrase “project content” is intimidating to people. They don’t know what we need or want, so they don’t know what to give us. Or they have so much in mind but don’t know where to start. 

So what happens? They don’t give us anything, hoping we’ll (…we don’t know, make stuff up?) and figure it out as we go. After all, it’s much easier to look at something you don’t want and make corrections than it is to pinpoint what it is you do want. 

Unfortunately, we can’t read your mind. And it’s a waste of billable hours (and therefore your money) for us to guess, entering a stream of revisions as we try to make our way through the absolute hardest way imaginable to come up with what you want, with the content you need. 

With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of what we may mean when we ask for project content. 

Keep in mind that not every project will need every one of these, but it should give you a good idea of where to start. 

Brand New Company Project Content

Don’t be intimidated if you’re just starting out and don’t have all the items below. Our complimentary consultation will evaluate where you’re at, what you have, and what we need to get started. If you’re at ground zero, we will help you develop the below items so you have them on hand for future projects, whether or not you continue business with us as you grow. 

General Design Project Content

  • Company Logo/Assets
  • Branding Info/Style Guide

These two items mean: the color codes for your company, fonts used, image of your company, etc. In a dream world, you have a Style Guide to hand us that breaks down your brand to the T. A Style Guide will explain spacing between the content and logos, when to use your main logo vs. a submark, when to use each color, etc. If you’re just starting out, you may not have a style guide and that’s ok. It’s a great idea to work with your designer to put one together to make future projects easier. 

  • Company Info

A typed up ‘About Us’ is great to put on websites, flyers, advertisements, etc. Trust us when we say you want to be the one writing about you, rather than leaving it up to our interpretation. Even if we’re only making a business card, knowing what your company is and what it does is helpful in putting together a design that matches your brand. 

  • Product/Service Info

Obviously no one knows your products and services like you do. If you’re putting together a service menu or list of products offered, give us the title and a little description of each one. We can’t name your services for you, and have no way of knowing the intricacies of each one. Descriptions are helpful because if you offer a “Deluxe Facial,” an “Acne Facial” and a “High Frequency Facial”, your clients want to know what they get with each one and what the differences are. 

  • Pricing

It may seem obvious, but especially in ecommerce sites, product brochures, and service menus, pricing is an important piece of project content that we need from you. 

Project Content Checklist

Website Project Content

If we are building a new website:

  • Domain and Login Information

If you already have a domain, we need to know who it’s with and what the login information is so we can get in there and build the site. The same goes for hosting and maintenance. If you have someone else for hosting/maintenance, we need that information as well. 

If you don’t have these yet (which is great! Don’t sweat it), we’ll get you set up with one that’s available and makes sense.

  • Primary Purpose of Your Site

Think of your website as one of your sales tools. Are we selling product? Capturing leads? Simply providing information? Once we have the primary purpose we can build the site (and the content provided) around that purpose.

  • Logo/Asset/Branding Information

We’ll need vector logo files if they have them. If they only have raster (.jpeg and .png files pixelate when enlarged), it should be fine for web only, but will likely not work for other projects.

  • About Page/Contact Page

It’s ideal to have a vision/mission/culture statement for an About Page. At bare minimum, a blurb about who you are and what you do is needed as part of your project content. 

Do you want to be contacted through a contact form? Email? Phone? Text? Let us know if we need to build a contact form, or if you just need contact information listed for phone calls.

  • Privacy Policy/Cookies Notice

There are templates and plugins we can use to put these on your site if necessary. However, if you have a specific privacy policy or something unique about your cookie use, you’ll need to provide that to us.

  • E-Commerce Policies

If you’re selling products, provide us with your Terms and Conditions. This includes your policies regarding Shipping and Delivery and Returns and Refunds.

If we’re updating your existing website:

We need to know which platform your site was built on (WordPress? Wix? Squarespace?) and the login information to get in so that we can update your site as needed. 

Paying for Project Content Creation

Polarity Design Team offers content writing services for those who are busy, do not want to write it all up, or don’t feel confident in their writing skills. Unfortunately, however, that doesn’t mean we don’t need some participation from you. As stated above, we can’t magically produce project content with no direction. Plus, it’s not our place to name and price services or make up your return and refund policies. We do try to make your participation easy, however.  We’ll have you fill out a simple form telling us about yourself and giving us the relevant information. We’ll use those bullet points to put together the content in a beautiful, professional way for you. 

The Bottom Line

Not all of the above project content will be needed every time. However, it’s good to know which types of information you need so your project is completed quickly and efficiently. The pile of projects waiting on content tends to be where we see projects go to die, to disappointment on both ends. The beautiful part is, if you need something added later on, you only need to ask, so don’t feel the need to have it all perfect before we begin. And, of course, if you have any questions about the kind of information we need, we’re happy to help!

 

Share this post

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google + Email

Related Posts

21JunJune 21, 2022

A One-Stop Shop: Your Marketing Dietician

Polarity Design Team is your one-stop shop for your design and collateral needs. We take jobs that usually take 2,...

Read More
12JanJanuary 12, 2023

The Perfect Client-Designer Relationship

There are 4 key elements to the perfect client-designer relationship that leaves both parties happy with the project. As with...

Read More
20JulJuly 20, 2022

Trusting the Design Process

We have a story about how important it is to trust the design process when you hire a designer. Many...

Read More
30JunJune 30, 2022

Branding Done Right…From the Start

Let’s discuss the importance of branding done right, right from the start. Rebranding is always a possibility when necessary, but...

Read More
15JunJune 15, 2022

7 Red Flags When Finding a Reputable Designer

We have 7 red flags to look out for when you're trying to find a reputable designer. It’s scary to...

Read More
24AugAugust 24, 2022

Design Inspiration in Unexpected Places

You can find design inspiration in unexpected places if you just keep your eyes open. We often get clients in...

Read More
05JanJanuary 5, 2023

What to Expect From Your Complimentary Consultation

The complimentary consultation is an important part of any graphic or web design project. Obviously we can’t speak for all...

Read More
01JunJune 1, 2022

What Is Brand Identity

Your brand identity is composed of all visible elements of your brand—logo, color, design, etc. that identify and distinguish your...

Read More
01JunJune 1, 2022

4 Reasons Your Brand Needs to Look Awesome

There are a bunch of reasons your brand needs to look pretty, but brand recognition is probably at the top...

Read More
16MayMay 16, 2022

Is Hiring A Graphic Designer Worth It?

We could honestly spend hours discussing whether hiring a graphic designer is worth it. In fact, we will probably have...

Read More

Recent Posts

  • Why It’s Cheaper to Hire A Third Party Design Company
  • The Difference Between Illustration and Graphic Design
  • The Great AI Graphic Design Debate
  • SEG Fabric as a Marketing Tool
  • The Ins and Outs of Vinyl Projects

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022

Categories

  • Marketing
Polarity Design Team. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Facebook Instagram
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT