The Proofing Process

[Col]

I would like to ask all my fellow in-house graphic designers out there a few questions. A particularly challenging part of my job is the number of proofs returned to me to amend from the original copy. The number of amended proofs regularly runs into double figures. I suspect this would not happen to an design agency due to the financial implications.

So, the questions are, does this happen to you? Have you found a method to minimise the number of amendments or you have a different approach? Is this acceptable?

Thanks, hope this make sense!

 

[@GCarlD]

I wouldn't say running into double figures of having to amend your work is acceptable at all, unless you are charging them for the amendments. I guess it also depends on the reason they are asking for changes; is it they have changed their minds about what they have asked for, or are you not delivering what they expected from the brief? Only you would really know the answer. You may already do this but you could send a couple drafts along the way, to check that you are going in the right direction if you are unsure of anything. I guess communication is key.

 

[Katedesign]

Most people will allow for a number of author's corrections in the design/artwork price (normally about 3/5). Anything over this is excessive and means that they haven't thought about what they want before giving you the work. Tell them that you will do a number of author's corrections (in the price and that after that you will be charging them at an hourly or part thereof rate). You need to control 'your client' on this. Get them to brief you properly. Doh! just read that you are in-house... so pricing isn't an issue. Rest of it is. Tell your boss how much time/money this wastes and that the brief needs to be sorted. Presumably you have other things to do?

 

[Col]

Thanks for the replies. The problem is not with the artwork/design. The text supplied to me is amended on multiple occasions. This varies from a few words to adding or removing paragraph/s which invariably involves adjusting the design. I’m assured the text is proofed and ready for design when it lands on my desk, I now just accept it with a wry smile knowing it will change at some point.

As a result, where possible, I attempt to add a degree of flexibility to the design to compensate – not always possible. I have commented regularly on how the text should be correct prior to it landing on my desk. This unfortunately falls on deaf ears. I’m now at the point of moving jobs however, I'm loathe to move companies to find a similar situation elsewhere.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[LovesPrint]

oOOooo I really hate it when this happens. It happens to us a fair bit (text amends) and we're not in-house. I think it's just the sheer amount of people that look at the proof tbh - I always find the more people that look at it, the more amends their are as they all want to put their two pennies in.

 

[voxnbaker]

I have that t-shirt. Unfortunately you're now in a situation where the 'cooks' expect a final design that they can now meddle with without repercussion. There's no way out because you can't say "I'm not touching it until the text is signed off" unless you know the person who has the final say. My only suggestion is to either mock up and not care too much about typesetting and if anyone moans, point at the evidence of the last 5 projects and say "it takes me X hours/days to get to sign off which pushes back everyone else's projects, and this is a wholly inefficient use of company time". ie blame the 'cooks' for wasting precious productivity time. It's amazing how managers hate people wasting company time!