I think we’re all trying to keep our sanity in the credit crunch, or more depressingly known as the recession. Everywhere is all doom and gloom at the moment and it’s reflected in everything you read, see and hear. It’s probably the one common thing that everyone can relate to…in a morbid kinda way.

For companies 2009 is a year for taking stock and getting rid of some of the stuff that is no longer needed. Everyone seems to be in the midst of tightening their purse strings and this can be a good thing for you and for clients. If existing clients have tightened their budgets then see this as a challenge. For graphic designers it’s time to be a bit more creative in coming up with flexible and practical solutions. How can we do this for less while still keeping the creativity? Affordable does not equal shoddy. There are means and ways of working around budgets. Some of the best projects come from working to tight budgets. Money can detract from the creative process. 

Five things to help keep within a client’s budget

• Think 2 colour rather than 4 colour. Think of creative ways of colour usage
• A powerful idea and a clear message can outshine the item is is printed on
• Ditch the extravagant dye cutting and embossing. Stripping the design down can lead to more experimentation
• Drop the size down from A4 to A5 and see what happens
• Search for different paper and understand how different stocks can effect the overall message