The Design Process Your exciting new project or business venture lacks visual identity and needs snappy, effective graphics to send the right message to the world. You figure - correctly - a good designer can help you spread that message, so you pick up the phone or dash off an e-mail. You and your designer check your schedules and set an appointment. At Emerald Twilight Design, there's no charge for this initial meeting. With nothing to lose, why not see if we can help you? You detail your goals, ideas, and needs to the designer, who in turn asks questions to reveal the project's "feel." You brainstorm together. Note: It helps if you show examples of items with design features similar to what you'd like for your finished product. Come equipped with words or phrases that describe the image you hope to project. It's also a good time to ask questions and make sure we have - or can find - the answer! Next, you agree to a contract, and make the first payment. The designer gets to work thinking, researching, associating, and developing symbolism. Ideas get sketched and sorted. Good ideas are developed further and digitized in a suitable format. Note:(For software & media used, click here to see that part of my resume.) Two to four of these digitized ideas (known as "comps") are presented to you for critique. You choose one to use as it is or pick elements you like from more than one. The designer revises and refines. When you are satisfied with the finished design, the designer is paid, and your project is given to you on CD-ROM, delivered to a printer of your choice, or uploaded to whatever internet location you specify. Note: Emerald Twilight specializes in small, fast webpages. If you are unsure how to obtain domains and hosting or what type of package you need, we can coach you through the process, free of charge. Potential customers ooh & ahh - and begin to recognize you! If you have any further questions, please contact us at 541.471.7210 or info@emeraldtwilight.com. Quote of the Week (or so): "Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Few have excellence thrust upon them...They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by doing what comes naturally and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose." John William Gardner (1912-2002) Psychologist, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Recipe of the Month: Caramel Apple Bars You know you have a can of sweetened condensed milk lurking in the back of your kitchen cupboard. It got shoved there when you didn't get around to making that Thanksgiving pumpkin pie or Christmas fudge. Here (drumroll, please) is the yummiest apple recipe I ever tasted. Even beats Grandma's apple pie. And it's even a little healthy...well, at least oats have a lot of fiber. Click the link to try it.