Design Service’s mission is to conceptualize, design, and produce solutions that communicate Valdosta State’s message in the most effective and creative method for mediums of all types. We will work closely with you to ensure that your marketing materials are eye-catching and tailored to your intended audience, while also supporting the mission and visual identity standards of Valdosta State.

SERVICES

  • Graphic Design
    • Brochures
    • Magazines
    • Advertisements
    • Flyers & Postcards
    • Invitations
    • Business Cards
    • Name Tags
  • Logo Creation
  • Brand Consulting

THE CREATIVE PROCESS 

1. Creative Requests
Requests for ads, brochures, flyers, posters, social media graphics, etc. come directly to our Design Team through the Print Shop Pro (PSP) Webdesk online ordering system.
• Printed Projects: Submit a Print Order and be sure to check the Graphic Design Needed box during the process. This will create a linked Graphic Order after the Print Order is complete.
• Digital Only Projects: Skip the Print Order and just submit a Graphic Order.

2. Consultation
If you have a custom or major project, or you just don’t know what you need, your first step is to contact Design Services via the website Contact Page or email (design@valdosta.edu) for an initial consultation — before entering anything into the online ordering system. This will help us determine if you need to complete a Project Request Form (Creative Brief) and schedule a face-to-face consultation or if you can go directly to PSP Webdesk to submit an Order. If we determine you need to complete a Project Request Form (PRF) and schedule a consultation, we will meet with you to discuss your project needs, time frame, and budget; explore your options for production and/or delivery; and complete the Order details. The end goal is to create a final product that is specific to your needs in a timely fashion.

3. Creation
Once an Order has been received, our Design Team will outline the creative process. At this point, your Order will be reviewed by our Marketing Team to be sure it meets all University branding standards, and if any changes need to be made, you will be contacted to discuss those. You will receive updates on when your project has started, when drafts and revisions are ready for review, and so on until your project is complete. By sticking closely to the timeline created, the design process will be more efficient and clients can rest easy as they receive updates on the status of their order.

4. Completion
After the final design has been approved by you and given the green light by our Marketing Team, your project will be ready to be printed, uploaded online, and/or sent out through the appropriate channels as detailed by you, the client. The creative team will receive and proof any printed materials from printers to ensure the University’s highest standards are met.

5. Client Feedback
Once your project is complete, you will receive a request for feedback. Our Design Services Team wants to hear about your experience, your overall satisfaction, and any other information you wish to provide. This information helps us ensure that we are providing excellent customer service and a quality product.

CREATIVE CONTENT

Our preferred format for content to be sent to us is in a Word Document. We will also accept PDF files that the text can be copied and pasted from. We do not accept Microsoft Publisher files. Remember to keep your audience in mind when writing your content for external marketing. For help and tips on improving your marketing message contact our Marketing Services department. Any photos you are submitting to be used within your publication must not be copyrighted (most likely if downloaded from the web) and also be 300 dpi for printing and 72 dpi if being used on the web for appropriate image size and quality. In addition, we cannot use photos that have been embedded in documents. We will need the original images sent to us via email, dropping off a jump drive by our office, or sending through a Dropbox link or through www.wetransfer.com. We can assist you in finding images from the university’s stock image account or from our catalog of photos kept on file. High resolution images are also available for download and use through the university's Flickr account. If you would like our university photographer to take new photos for your project, please complete our Photo Request Form.

SIZE NEEDED

For certain items like posters, postcards, etc., we can help you choose the best size for your project, but for other jobs, such as magazine ads, billboards, and web ads, we will need the specific size required. Smaller projects, such as stationery, flyers, and web graphics, can take around 3+ weeks for completion, and larger projects, such as brochures, booklets, etc., can take up to 6+ weeks. Keep in mind if you need new photos taken, your project may take longer to complete. Get a head start and submit a Photo Request Form in advance for any new photos needed for your publication. We have a work flow based on the order we receive design requests, but our first priority for the university is marketing to potential students.

ON-CAMPUS PRINTING

Stay in-house and get your projects designed and printed on campus. We can help you set-up artwork needed for your project with the industry standards for printing such as CMYK with crops and bleed. All design work requested by any campus office must be submitted to Creative Services for approval before printing only if going to an external audience. Please contact Creative Services first before designing and laying out your publication if it’s going out to an external market. If your publication does not meet the university’s visual identity standards when you submit your project for approval, it will need to be re-designed by our office and may push back your timeline for project completion. See the university’s Visual Identity Guide for publication guidelines. Also, in accordance with university procedures, all printing must be submitted to our on-campus Print Shop. If our Print Shop is unable to print your project because of the needed date or size restrictions, the Print Shop will select an external vendor to help complete your project. These conditions must be met regardless of funding source.

DESIGN EXAMPLES