XV. Read Text III, be ready with the annotation.

TEXT III

LOGO AND WEBSITE DESIGN

Logos: to create a “brand” for a company is to create their image, and to promote that image with campaigns and visuals. Working in branding allows a graphic designer or design firm to get involved with many aspects of the industry, from logo design to advertising to copywriting and slogans. The goal of a brand is to make a company unique and recognizable, and to project a desired image. Over time, a brand can make a company a household name, and identifiable by a simple shape or color. To create a brand for a company, a designer needs to fully understand the goals of the organization, the industry as a whole, and working with design to create the appropriate materials to represent that company.

When working in branding, a designer can expect to work in:

· Logo design.

· Business card design.

· Letterhead design.

· Packaging.

· Copywriting.

· Writing slogans.

· Advertising design.

· Typeface design.

· Research.

· Marketing.

Examples of branding are all around us. The NBC peacock, the UPS brown truck and Nike’s “just do it” are some of the most famous examples. They are so recognizable that we don’t need to hear a company name to know what they are. Online brands such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube are more recently developed but now just as recognizable. Logos on your favorite products, the packaging they come in, and the slogans that represent them are all examples of branding.

Website design, while a relatively new industry, is now an essential part of a company’s image, brand, and advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns. The side of web design that would be considered graphic design is the creation of the actual look and feel of a website. Many web designers are also involved in web development, creating the functionality behind a working website. Even if someone wants to just focus on the design side, an understanding of the technology behind websites is essential to create designs that are both attractive and functional.

Work for web designers can include:

· Designing websites to hand off to developers.

· Designing web banner ads.

· Creating animated flash websites.

· Creating mockups and site wireframes.

· Understanding web technologies.

· Understanding browser and operating system differences.

· Working closely with web programmers.

For someone working on the design side of website, Photoshop is the most popular software. Often a designer will create one or several layouts in Photoshop and hand them off to a developer, who will create a working site based on them. For those continuing into the development side, products such as Dreamweaver, GoLive, and countless HTML and CSS editing programs can be used.

There are often differences between web designers and programmers, each with their own goals in mind. Web designers are looking to create the most beautiful site possible, while programmers want something fast and functional. Being a great web designer means understanding both sides, and creating websites that look good and that are designed with function in mind (therefore avoiding these differences). While the ability to code by hand may not be necessary, it is important to know what types of layouts are feasible, how they will appear in different browsers, and what typefaces and color combinations work well on screen rather than on paper. These types of questions make web design an interesting and challenging profession.

XVI. Give your opinion about creating logos and websites in our country. Discuss your ideas with your partners using the active vocabulary and the phrases of expressing opinion in the Appendix.

XVII. Read Text IV and give a brief summary of it.

TEXT IV

BUSINESS CARDS DESIGN

Whether you are a freelancer or you own your own design firm, it is crucial to have business cards for your graphic design business. First we are going to look at the advantages of having a card, and then move on to the decisions that have to be made and the actual design process.

The most obvious reason for having a graphic design business card is to be able to easily provide your contact information to potential clients and employers. You don’t want to be left in a situation where you are promoting your business, and then searching for a scrap of paper to jot down your phone number, email address and website. Having your card on you at all times will insure that you are providing people with clear and accurate information. It is important to look professional and legitimate, and a business card is the first step.

A business card serves as a mini portfolio. It is the first example of your design work that you are showing potential clients. The design and message of the card itself can make it stick in people’s minds and convince them to contact you for their next big project. The card should reflect your own personal style, so people have a tiny glimpse into your work that makes them want to see more. This is not to say a simple card cannot do the trick, but even a basic design can have the small touches that impress your next client.

Before working on the actual design of the card, decide what you want to include on it. Most commonly, a graphic design business card will include any of the following:

· Company Name.

· Logo.

· Slogan.

· Your Name (if different from company name).

· Title or Description of Work Provided (i.e. Web and Print Design).

· Phone Number.

· Fax Number.

· Email Address.

· Website Portfolio Address.

· Mailing Address.

Having all of these content items on your card would most likely be overwhelming and crowded on the small space of a card. Only include what is essential. Along with these items, consider including a message that will speak to your target audience.

You don’t necessarily need to choose a printer before you design the card. However, it may be helpful in that you can see the size, paper and other printing options early on in the design process. Which printer you choose may be based on their costs or options such as papers and sizes. Perhaps one of the easiest options is to go with an online printer. Online printers often offer low-cost options for business card printing. Most will send free samples at your request, so be sure the quality is what you are looking for at your budget. Most will also provide templates for popular graphics software such as Illustrator, making the design process easier.

The standard business card is 2 inches tall by 3.5 inches wide. This is often the best choice, as it will fit in business card holders and match up with other business cards, and will often have the lowest printing cost. Perhaps you have a design in mind that will work best on a square or round card. Most printers do provide a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as custom die-cuts. Just remember that while you may want to make a statement with a fancy shape, a card should be convenient, both for you to carry and for others to take, and hopefully keep. Don’t make the mistake of choosing form over function. Choosing the standard size but with rounded or angled corners can be a nice touch and compromise. At this point, you should also decide if the card will be one or two-sided. With the low costs of online printers, it is possible to get a full-color, two-sided card at a good rate.

Before completing your business card project, you will also have to choose a paper. This decision will often be limited by what your printer of choice provides. Common choices are glossy and matte finish at different weights such as 14pt. Again, getting samples from printers can help with this decision.

Treat this design as you would a project for your top client. Now that you’ve collected your content and determined the document size, move on to some preliminary sketches. Figure out where each element will appear on the card. Do you want one side to be just your logo, with contact information on the back? Do you want a clever marketing message on one side and all company information on the other? Sketch out your ideas to help make these important decisions.

Once you have a concept or two that you like, it’s time to create the actual design. Adobe Illustrator is one of the best software tools for business card design, because of how well it handles type and other design elements. Check with your printer to see what file formats they accept, and use their templates whenever possible to insure the process goes smoothly. Be sure your document layout is properly prepared for printing. Once the design is complete, the files must be delivered to your printer. While there may be an extra cost, it may pay to get a proof of your design, which allows you to see the layout and quality before going ahead with the full print job.

XVIII. Render the following text into English:

Обычно визитная карточка выполняется в виде прямоугольника из достаточно плотного картона или бумаги стандартным размером 50´90 мм, по этикету женская карточка может быть меньше – 40´80 мм.

Большая часть правил, однако, относится к размещению текста. Классическим вариантом считается следующий: по центру наверху – название компании, в которой работает владелец визитки, ниже и тоже по центру – его фамилия, имя и отчество, еще ниже – должность, которую он занимает. Здесь же вполне уместно указывать звание или ученую степень. В левом нижнем углу печатается адрес компании, в которой работает хозяин карточки. А остальные сведения (это могут быть номера контактных телефонов, электронная почта, адрес веб-сайта компании или собственной странички в Интернете) должны находиться в правом нижнем углу. Такое размещение информации выбрано исключительно из соображений удобства. Обычно визитку держат левой рукой, а правой - набирают телефонный номер, указанный в визитке.

При размещении всех указанных элементов требуется соблюдать горизонтальное равновесие, для этого часть информации можно перемещать, например, в левый угол.

На визитные карточки государственных служащих обязательно должен наноситься государственный герб и флаг. По этикету официальный адрес должен быть на всех визитках, за исключением карточек дипломатов и высших должностных лиц государства.

Что касается шрифта, то он никакими правилами этикета не регламентируется. Однако, с учетом предназначения визитной карточки, он должен легко читаться, то есть быть достаточно крупным и не вычурным. Имя и фамилию владельца выделяют полужирным шрифтом, чуть большего размера, чем остальная информация на визитной карточке.

Обычно рекомендуют применять не более двух разных шрифтов и не более трех цветов для одной визитки.

Деловые визитные карточки должны выглядеть элегантно и сдержанно. Классический вариант – это темный текст на каком-либо светлом фоне. Дизайн должен быть строгим, без росчерков и завитушек. Бумага должна быть качественной, плотной, может быть матовой или глянцевой, белой. Она должна быть хорошего качества, может быть слегка тонирована (допускаются голубой, розовый, бежевый фон).

В общем, несмотря на самый широкий спектр предлагаемых цветовых решений, предпочтительнее остановиться на черно-белом варианте (в крайнем случае, трехцветном).

При разработке фирменного стиля важно помнить, что визитка будет выглядеть дорого и солидно за счет эффектной работы дизайнера и качественной бумаги, а не за счет количества используемых цветов. Лаконичность и простота – вот основные качества хорошей визитной карточки.

Выразительность даже самой простой карточке придадут методы современной полиграфии – это рельефное тиснение, фольгирование, термоподъем и прочие технологии.

И последнее: перевод текста визитной карточки на иностранный язык. Этот вопрос надо тщательно проработать. В соответствии с западными стандартами, надо писать только имя и фамилию, причем инициалы не допускаются. Отчество писать не принято (в крайнем случае, его можно обозначить заглавной буквой). Также неприемлемо переведенный текст печатать с обратной стороны визитки. В случае работы с зарубежными партнерами, по правилам этикета, необходимо разработать два комплекта карточек – на родном языке и иностранном.

Визитная карточка дает представление о вас и вашей фирме, работает так же, как и обычная реклама, а значит и относиться к ее дизайну и содержанию надо очень ответственно.