What would you like to see as USEFUL self-promotion??

[Nikki_Mancs]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and finding it quite useful in a number of areas. I'm currently in my third year at Staffordshire University studying Electronic Graphics, and in the process of designing my own self-promotional material.

I would like to know what 3 pieces of material / equipment do you use most around your desk/Mac in order to help you carry out your work thoughout the day, or provides some form of inspiration??

Many thanks,

Nikki http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/thumbsup.gif

[morea]

I'm quite fond of my stapler and have a nifty little dispenser for paper clips. I also like the little jobbies that hold standard sized post it notes and a pen. Those things are always on my desk... does this help?

Welcome to the forum /emoticons/cheers.gif

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[Broacher]

Student interns. Especially the disposable kind. Man, there's nothing like 'em for cleaning the crud out of your workpile schedule, or honing your ego abuse skills, or just levelling wobbly office furniture. Yessir.

You know what I think would be a big hit? 'Clueless Client' dolls. Kinda like Scott Adams came up with in his 'Pointy-head Boss' dolls. Imagine the thrill of being able to whack or stick pins in a little stuffed effigy of your favourite designer abuser convenientally located at just the top of your monitor?

You could have them all wearing little shirts that say 'Clueless Client' on the front, and on the back, something like: "Haven't a clue on how to handle the extra work generated by your unappreciative clients? For professional appreciation, and well-trained help, just call Nikki at ......."

[defjoe]

I have Michael Myers (from Halloween) standing over my phone.


then i have a shelf with Star Wars figures from the Clone wars Cartton and also the Playskool Falcon and XWing.

Oh and my Frank Miller Dark Knight figure.

On my wall is my homer Simpson poster.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'
'I'm the damn designer, bitches!'

Check out my indie comic book!
www.assassinsguild.net/ (http://www.assassinsguild.net/)

[Kink]

Post it Notes, Post it notes!!!!

calculators are good too.

I have a desk calendar (the big ones) and it's from a supplier of ours... I usually call them first just cus they are right in my face, everyday!

You can sell advertising spaces along the bottom for the cash. (of course, non competitive clients)
Like Tim Hortons or McDonalds

Don't dunk the cat in the water!

[Broacher]

Something I once used that was popular was a little one inch strip of card, about 10 inches long. On it were printed the ALT-0XXX codes for the most popularly used characters from the extended character set. One side PC, one side Mac. Stick it on the side of your monitor. And you use the top and bottom to plug your logo, contact info and a catchline like, "Looking for some real character in graphic design? Call Studio Nikki today!"

[PrintDriver]

I used to have output percentage wheels from all kinds of print vendors. Man times have changed.
Dingbat charts and decimal equivalent charts have taken their place.

Broacher, I'll trade you a wheel for a slightly used intern...
Feelin the need for a step-n-fetchit.

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[ControlZ]

A Fraction and Decimal Equivalents Chart!! I post right were I can see it so I don't have to look up decimal when some job calls for 7/16".


I also keep a little doll on top of my monitor that, when squeezed, utters humorous littlejabs regarding spouses. It makes me laugh and that's all that's important. I'm not sure how amused my spouse is, however.


Hope that helps,
ControlZ


"I run the show and I'm a whole theater in myself"
Mary Ellen Pleasant

[redboxer]

I have a very attractive rubber cow.

And a picture of Daniel Bedingfield in a neckbrace to remind me of the fragility of human existence.

And my cheap rolling tobacco...ironic after the Daniel Bedingfield pic - one of them has to go now /emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

all we are saying is give peas a chance...

[Wonder Woman]

I have a chart that tells me the measurements of all the ISO paper sizes (cos they are much better than Imperial measurements /emoticons/bootyshake.gif ). I can never remember them exactly, so it helps a lot.

I also have a colleague, who is prone to abuse at regular intervals, and who abuses me back. This way we keep our feet on the ground and all of our ideas have a sharp witty look to them /emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif . So he is quite useful.

But I don't suppose that either of them are useful promotional items. My colleague is a good designer, or so he tells me all the time, so you could try sitting next to the people who you want to hear you?!!

Searching for creative juices

Post Edited (Wonder Woman) : 11/16/2004 2:46:49 PM GMT

[morea]

^ lmao @ 'searching for creative juices'

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[Nikki_Mancs]

lol.. That is kind funny..


Thanks for the answers peeps - keep them coming http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif


Wonder woman - what exactly does this ISO measurements sheet look like? u got a pic?

[Nikki_Mancs]

Oh and the same goes for Broacher - what did this strip of card look like just so I have an idea of what u mean exactly? Your first suggestion was well funny - really amusing http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/tongue.gif

[Wonder Woman]

Nikki - it's just something I knocked up myself, it's just a table of numbers really.

But you could adapt it for designers I suppose. Especially if you were advertising as a supplier or printer - stick your logo and phone number on it. Mine is taped to my monitor, so I see it every hour of every day, so that's a lot of promotional hours when you count it up, for the price of an A6 piece of paper laminated basically. You could also tailor them to specific people/groups of people ie Imperial measurements for all those damn Yanks (hehe!!) or CD cover sizes for people who design for music etc etc etc. Or take the numbers out and put somehting else on it. I'm forever looking up the CMYK values for my comanies corporate ID, so you could somehow adapt that idea?

Good luck.

Morea - I'm still searching! I'm starting to get desperate and I'm worrying that my morals will collapse soon!!

Searching for creative juices

[PrintDriver]

Knocked up??? LOL! Freudian slip there Wonder Woman?

Hmmm.
We have a rubber rock we like to throw around that one of our design clients gave us.
There is also the little 3D plexiglass christmas tree from our plastics vendor with his name laser etched into the base.
Calendars all over the place. One for each of the main substrate vendors we use (just to keep the phone numbers handy)
Another vendor keeps sending us these silly magnets on that really thin printable stuff. We give those away to whoever walks in the door first (who needs magnets in the digital department?????)
Nice pens (the gel ink ones) are very popular.
Scale rulers in nifty metallic colors.
Cool postcards from designers (interesting image on face, info on back) hanging on bulletin board.
Coffee mugs are very useful as containers for the pens and scale rules.
Postit notepads
Regular paper mini-notepads
Yes our office is cluttered.

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[Wonder Woman]

Hardyhar PD! The chance would be a fine thing!

Why do topics here always turn to one of 3 conversations: sex, alcohol or PC vs Mac? LOL!

Searching for creative juices

[morea]

yeah! Who needs PC or Mac?

We should stick to sex and alcohol!

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[Broacher]

One idea I had mused over years ago was this:

You buy a bunch of attractively designed little bottles of high quality tobasco, or some other kind of premium hot sauce, soak off the labels, and put your own on with something like: 'Feel the heat. Nikki Studio graphics: staying power.'

See, the nice thing about this is it can work with both lovers of hot sauce, and the 'casual user'. In the former case, if your selection of sauce was good, it connects you very strongly with this small, but fiercely loyal tribe of masochists (count me in). If the latter, it really will have 'staying power'. I've known bottles of tobasco sauce in some people's homes that have outlasted their marriages. So either way you make an impression.

Food, even condiments to food, almost always out-trump anything else in promotionals. (Do I get a 'Free Beer' for my suggestions?)

The only risk in this plan, is that in many places, it is illegal to tamper with food labels, and with the heightened sense of fear of strangers that seems to pervade everything these days, not everyone is willing to trust foodstuff as a gift. (Hmm... might be one way to reduce your competition...)

Heh-heh. Now that would be an interesting gift: gift packs of razor blades with candy hidden in them.