Design Tips

The Media Design Center (MDC) is a multimedia production environment, and a resource for the faculty, students, and staff of Teachers College. Visit the center to learn about utilizing our unique resources. We are located on the Fifth Floor of the Gottesman Libraries (Russell Hall). For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact us.

Things To Consider About Design

The process of design will probably take longer than you think. Even though technology has made design significantly easier and faster, it still remains a rather complex and time-consuming process. If your project involves design and production of graphics, first consult a designer about how much time it would be required for design and then, plan accordingly.

Design develops as a dialogue between a client and a designer. Most likely the designerŐs first attempt to interpret your ideas will not be exactly what you envisioned. Unless you are willing to trust the designerŐs judgment unconditionally, you will have to engage in the design process with the designer, and through a process of design-feedback-redesign you will finally arrive at a satisfactory result. For a great final product it is important that you allocate enough time for this process to unfold.

Making changes to finished products can be time-consuming. A design project typically involves complex processes and working with more than one application. This means that, even to make a small change like a spelling correction might entail opening and re-saving several files, making changes in structure (maybe the correct spelling makes the word longer and disrupts the flow of graphic objects on a page), etc. In order to save time please use final, approved versions of all content (text, titles, images, etc.).

Media Design Center Services

MDC also offers a range of design services that are available for a modest fee. Send us an email with information about your job and we will send you a job quote. Once approved, we complete most small jobs in 7-10 business days. MDC staff specialize in providing the following services.