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Our Process: Design
Below is an interview with Eye Catch Signs’ Lead Designer, Tim Stott. Tim graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1992 with a Diploma in graphic design. He has studied sculpture, life drawing and photography. Tim joined the Eye Catch Team in 1994.
Tim works with clients, sales team members and top management to ensure that each project reaches its maximum potential.
Q:How does the design team get involved in a project?
A: Orders are processed through the sales team. After a quote has been accepted, the information is bundled and assigned to one of the senior design staff as a work order. Detailed shop drawings, once created and reviewed internally, are passed to the client for approval. The designer then plans for production, orders materials and passes the specifications to the production team. We remain available for consultation, inspection and troubleshooting throughout the life of the project.
Q: How is it decided which designer works on a particular project
A: All of our design staff are capable of handling any job that gets passed their way. Our ISO procedures ensure the same level of excellence is applied to each job, regardless of who is doing the work.
Q: How is a design decided upon for a project?
A: The majority have been designed by graphic designers, wayfinding specialists or architects. We evaluate the production methods/materials and coordinate the manufacturing, as well as suggesting alternate methods. Other times, we design from the ground up. We can meet with clients and visit the job site, work from building plans to do a wayfinding audit, or present design concepts and fully finished design drawings.
Q: How much time elapses, roughly, between starting and handing off a project to production?
A: The design team produces presentation drawings in about three days. After approval, it can take anywhere from one to five days to put everything in place, depending on the complexity of the job and the volume of work in our system.
Q: What are the biggest rewards and challenges of working in the design department?
A: Every job is a welcomed challenge. We are receiving design specifications from all over the world, and have done signs for clients ranging from Disney to Heathrow Airport. We regularly produce signs for major sports stadiums such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a huge reward is having the opportunity to see our designs produced as a high-end product.
Q: Tim, tell us a little bit about your design team.
A: The design team is comprised of people with a variety of backgrounds. They all have some form of formal design training and work experience in pre-production computer aided design. We hire staff based on their problem solving ability, technical knowledge and organization skills.
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