The design workload—marketing materials, flyers, brochures, conference materials, books, websites, not to mention the main publication—can be negotiated in a number of ways. While it is unusual for the art director of a publication to be hands on with anything beyond the scope of the magazine itself, this is not so for designers at associations, where the scope of work tends to include other materials. Some associations have a Renaissance designer who is able to do it all, while others opt for working with an outside designer or design firm. Which is the best solution for your association? This can only be answered by evaluating your design needs, budget, and availability of talent.

First, it is important to look at the big picture of your annual workload, taking into consideration busy and slow times. It is doubtful that workflow will be even for the year, but when it is busy, can the flow be handled in-house? When it’s slow, are in-house designers using the time to tweak any issues with the visuals and the brand? Are they taking professional development classes, fine-tuning templates, and preparing for upcoming projects? Just be aware that if the slow period stretches too long, you may not have enough workflow during the year to justify a staff position and may decide to outsource all or part of the work.

The single biggest factor in deciding how to accomplish your workload is your budget. With economic times still being tough, you cannot afford to waste money. Look closely at the workflow and the job descriptions to ensure you have the best solution for your situation. This is important as there is such a wide range of responsibilities at associations.

Once you have a comprehensive overview of your project flow and worker capabilities, you may still be undecided on approach. Working in-house and outsourcing both have their pros and cons: When you have an in-house designer, you can walk over and discuss changes face to face, but mission creep and workflow can become a concern. If you’re working with a design firm, while a team will be dedicated to your publication, they will not be across the hall, or may not be as familiar with your association as a staff member would be. Create your own list of pros and cons to help you decide which situation is best for your association.

This article is an adaptation of “The D-Team,” published in Association Publishing.

Also, in a time of quick information, especially in health care, the prominence of the word “quarterly” in the logo feels overstated. The space would be better served by emphasizing the organization name, not the distribution schedule.

If you’re interested in having your cover critiqued for the next issue, please email us a PDF. First come, first served.

If your organization does not have the budget for a redesign, but your publication is in need of review, consider a publication critique. We will review Identity (color, typography, imagery); Structure (grid, hierarchy, and pagination); Packaging (the relationship between editorial and design); and Experience (the overall reader experience). We will provide feedback in a written document, a marked-up copy of your publication, and a one-hour phone consultation. Contact us if you would like more information.

The image of the child is cute, and the cover has a nice composition, but my first impression is that the image feels forced. A child with glasses for an article about reading looks contrived—do only children with glasses read? When it comes to the structure of the cover information, there are some issues. The box for the insert feels like it’s floating and would have been more successful if it was tucked into a corner. The remaining cover lines are organized to give the impression that they are related articles instead of unique stories. Finally, all of the information surrounding the logo needs to be better resolved. The tagline, date, and website treatments are busy, while the four small sunbursts are overkill. One, at a legible size, would have been enough.

If you’re interested in having your cover critiqued for the next issue, please email us a PDF. First come, first served.

1. Design. The design vision should be maintained as you translate the publication from print to web. Hold true to the type, color, and image directions. Resist the temptation to use new colors just because you can. Stay away from all those “shiny new web 2.0 toys” if they are not part of your original design strategy.

2. Content. It is crucial to present content in a manner that is accessible and takes advantage of the digital medium. Since reading onscreen is not the preferred choice for most readers, text should be written succinctly. Multiple images in print should be converted to a slideshow with text captions or a video.

3. Usability. The experience of reading a magazine is well defined. Readers either go through in a sequential manner or flip through the pages, stopping when something catches their interest. Reading online is a very different experience. The sequence of the reading order is determined by the user, not the designer or editor as in a print publication. Clear navigation is crucial to the success of the user experience. The readability of the type and the clarity of the images are also major factors. Sound design principles, whether it’s for print or web, are essential.

Attend the PPA conference in New Orleans to learn more about design strategies for print and web. Creative directors Kelly McMurray and Chris St. Cyr will lead the session titled “Implementing a Design Strategy.”