Interview with Syatt Wtanford

Air France Logo from Solar Decathlon

Wyatt Stanford: So, Wyatt. What did you do this week in public relations publications?

Syatt Wtanford: This week, we created a letterhead based on the similar design elements from the business card we designed last week.

Wyatt Stanford: Excellent. How do you think you did?

Syatt Wtanford: I think I did this assignment very well. I felt like I really had a good grasp on InDesign and the basics of appealing design. This was a quick assignment because of that. I was able to finish the main part of the design in the first class of this week. I did add my letter content on Wednesday, but that was just to see how the letterhead would look in use. I, being a perfectionist, had to write the letter in French.  Other than that, getting the letter itself designed was a very quick process. 

Wyatt Stanford: Great. What was the first step in your process?

Photo from MaxPixel

Syatt Wtanford: I began by looking at my business card and determining which elements I could carry over to keep with the brand identity and to ensure consistency. I decided to keep the tail fin design I incorporated on the back of my business card. I also kept the font I used on my business card, for the letterhead itself and the body copy. The logo with the the wing logo was a must have. 

Wyatt Stanford: What happened next?

Syatt Wtanford: I sketched a few concepts going off several letterhead layouts I found on the web. In class on Tuesday, we all critiqued each others work in a "speed date" way since it was Valentines Day. One side of the room critiqued the other and vice versa. 
I got some very helpful, constructive criticism. I ultimately chose a design with the main logo at the top along with contact information and the tail fin and slogan at the bottom of the page. 

Wyatt Stanford: Wonderful. What happened in the physical design process? 

Syatt Wtanford: I laid out my letterhead. put a place holder at the top where I wanted the

Air France Letterhead

logo and contact info to go. I then imported my tail fin design and slogan from my business card. After playing with the spacing at the top, I was content with the design.

Wyatt Stanford: How did incorporating the body copy go? 

Syatt Wtanford: It went really well. I wrote a letter from the CEO in French, of course, thanking a donor for their contribution in the company's latest fictional campaign of helping people combat malaria and desertification in countries in Subsaharan Africa. After I completed the letter and shifted the text boxes accordingly, I was satisfied with the final product.

Wyatt Stanford: What was the final day of the assignment like?

Syatt Wtanford: Quick and efficient. I changed with my margins a little and fixed other issues. I got some feedback from my instructor and then proceeded to implement the suggested changes. I finally submitted the project.

Wyatt Stanford: Then what?

Syatt Wtanford: I am now having this written conversation with you. On my blog and in my head. We should probably stop before someone notices. 

Wyatt Stanford: Good point. It was nice talking with you. 

Syatt Wtanford: Likewise. A bientôt. 

Wyatt Stanford: A bientôt.