[Hidden-tech] Visual brainstorming service?

[Kristen Sund]

Hi Marcia, 

Brainstorming is step one (which should involve talking with you and reading parts of the book), but you'll also want to find someone who excels at stock photo research (if this is the route you are going) to avoid generic images, and from there the ideas can be refined. I don't think you need to have the same person looking for images as is designing, but be prepared for that search and brainstorm to be more of a process than "tossing off in a half-hour" :) I'd be happy to talk about it some more privately. 

Best,

Kristen









sund studio 
245 russell street 
suite 2
hadley, ma 

413.387.0031
sundstudio.com

On Sep 16, 2012, at 10:16 PM, Linda Taylor wrote:

>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with Rita. The brainstorming usually also involves some back and forth with concepts and sketches. You are asking one designer to act as an art director and the other as the designer who executes this concept but without being able to work together. Very tricky. I wouldn't take it on. And it probably takes more than a half hour (although I get my best ideas in the shower). Also, originality is more expensive than using a stock photo. When he asked what you wanted I assume you mentioned that you want something unique. Maybe you would prefer to work with a larger design team or house.
> 
> 
> 
> Linda Taylor
> Taylor Graphics
> 413-628-3959
> lintaylor at verizon.net
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 16, 2012, at 9:06 PM, Rita Muncie wrote:
> 
>>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>> 
>> 
>> I would be surprised if you find someone who could offer this. Coming up with the core idea is frequently the hardest part of a design project. Then what would you do with the "core of something" once you had it?
>> <ritacrop.gif>
>> Rita Muncie
>> No Left Turn
>> www.noleftturn.biz
>> 203-981-6588 (cell)
>> 203-838-4033
>> 
>> On Sep 14, 2012, at 6:57 PM, Marcia Yudkin wrote:
>> 
>>>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>>>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> 
>>> I have a dilemma that I wonder if any design-oriented people on the list can help with.
>>> 
>>> I have a book cover designer who does great work if I give her a concept to work with.  I am working on a new book that needs a cover and I don't have a good idea of how to illustrate its central idea in a way that avoids cliches.  
>>> 
>>> So I hired a different cover designer (cheaper) who had a terrific portfolio, thinking that if he created something I liked I could have her flesh it out and I'd pay both and give them both credit.  (I hope there's nothing unethical there, but if so I'm sure someone will let me know about that.)  However, this guy's concepts were all disappointing.  From our ensuing discussion, I learned that what he did was go hunting on Shutterstock, using the most obvious keyword, and chose three images categorized under that keyword and combined each with the book title and byline, in three separate design ideas, to show me.  
>>> 
>>> Jeez, I could have done that myself!  I was really disappointed.  What I hoped he would do would be to brainstorm ideas and then find stock images and combine or use them in unobvious ways.  In addition, I was appalled at the possibility that I might have ended up using an image on my cover that a million other people had used in much the same way - because it was listed under the core keyword.  Worst of all, when he found I wasn't happy with his concepts, he asked me to tell him what I wanted... which was why I had hired him in the first place, because I didn't have a good visual idea.  (Images are not my strong point.)
>>> 
>>> So I am wondering if there are designers who offer a service of brainstorming visual ideas that can form the core of something like a book cover, without actually executing the actual cover in detail.  For someone with the right kind of creativity, this is something they could toss off in half an hour, I imagine.  
>>> 
>>> Any suggestions?
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> Marcia Yudkin
>>> www.yudkin.com
>>> Goshen
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