Conor Diver Design

Dealing with client communications:
In his career to date, Conor Diver has been the main point of communication with clients – in scoping projects, in project discussion, in ongoing implementation, and at critical path points in project delivery. Conor has an easy communication style, is capable of absorbing client briefs and, with a calm assurance matched by creative ability, is capable of seamlessly delivering exceptional output. Conor is at ease in all levels of client interaction and discussion that affect the design, production or financial areas of a project.

Managing client accounts:
CDD allocates a specific project number to each project in hand. This number facilitates the management of all aspects of project delivery and is used as a reference for design costings, controlling budget spend, for gaining specifications requests from 3rd party suppliers and for invoicing purposes. Each invoice includes a clear detailed breakdown on how the budget is managed and spent. This system has been used effectively and repeatedly with all clients to date and has earned Conor Diver praise for the speedy extraction of specific topics and pertinent information for discussion in project undertakings. Every version of a project update is also numbered to ensure that only current versions are being worked on post any set of corrections.

This system has enabled CDD to deliver, over the past 22 years, projects of small, medium and large scale for the following clients (list is not exhaustive): Bryson Charitable Group, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Education Authority Island Arts Centre Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Playboard Northern Ireland, Strategic Investment Board, Department of Justice (DOJ), Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, National Children’s Bureau NI, Pure Running, McComb’s Coach Tours, Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA), Footprints Women’s Centre, Gaelectric, Jump, Jiggle and Jive, Ulster Rugby Supporters Club, Enisca, Bangor Sure Start, Youthnet, Scouting Ireland, Ferguson Environmental, Molly D Marketing, Shannon Chamber of Commerce, Shannon Chamber Skillnet, SkyCourt Shopping Centre, Cregg Recruitment, Care About You, Women’s Support Network, O’Kanes Funeral Directors and Stepping Stones NI.

Delivering projects and campaigns on budget and on time:
Conor Diver is well practiced in providing quotations and estimates, and agreeing costs and a cost structure before commencing any project. Working to a budget and timeline project management schedule and keeping his clients constantly updated on progress has enabled Conor Diver meet all project schedules, in his capacity as director of Conor Diver Design.

Once a design brief is agreed with a client, Conor Diver Design issues a timeline to the client, highlighting critical key dates from initial meeting to completion of the project. These deadlines must be adhered to, otherwise final delivery cannot be guaranteed. If there is any variation in dates, both parties are informed and updated to suit. 3rd party suppliers (such as lithographic printers) are also informed of the timeline, their interaction points and required delivery deadlines, as they play a critical role in the production process. They advise and keep CDD informed on turnaround time for each publication or piece of work in hand. A minimum of 3 suppliers are asked to tender for the 3rd party element of each project, thus ensuring good value for money.
If the specification for 3rd party supplies changes throughout the duration of the job (for instance an addition of more pages in a report), both parties are informed, updated and agreed before sign off.


Project Management Arrangements:
Conor Diver will act as Key Account Manager and Senior Graphic Designer for clients projects. He can be directly contacted at any time by clients.

Conor’s project management experience includes high-level capability in the following areas:
• In-depth knowledge of Graphic Design and Visual Communication.
• Creativity - able to deliver outstanding, original and creative concepts.
• Project management - ability to administer multiple projects and liaise with all links in the supply chain involving frequent client/design agency discussion and communication,
• A thorough and comprehensive understanding of the production process.
• Ability to manage and smoothly operate and run a design studio.
• Supply regular and accurate information to accounts department for invoicing.

Be it meeting a client for the first time, seeking to create an innovative and exceptional design or liaising with and collecting the completed document at a printers at midnight and delivering it to a remote location, Conor Diver Design works to the premise that all areas of the design and production process, and all levels of client interaction are important. Complacency is not part of his psyche; perfection is the norm.

Conor has project managed thousands of large, medium and small-sized jobs – all delivered with experience, dedication and enthusiasm.
Conor’s Key Account Manager’s Role will include:

• Production of detailed specifications for printing and related works in order to
allow quotes to be sought.
• Researching clients needs and services
• Meeting clients for briefings and presenting proposals to clients for approval
• Implementing the best design solutions for the client
• Ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Meeting clients to discuss strategy and report on progress
• Responding to clients requests as they arise
• Keeping records and handling invoices.

Final artwork files:
Once a piece of marketing collateral or publication has been signed off for print by the client, with all final corrections complete, Conor Diver Design will prepare a print-ready Folder that can be downloaded or emailed. The artwork will be thoroughly checked for spelling, that all associated files processed (JPEGs, Illustrator EPS, PDFs, TIFFs etc...) and that fonts are set up correctly for proofing and final plating on the printing press. The software employed by Conor Diver Design will flag up any errors before creating the folder, and the successful printer will also run a final pre-press programme, just in case there may be any technical problems. This ensures the signed off industry standard artwork will run smoothly from leaving Conor Diver Design to supplying printer and final delivery to the client. The majority of artwork is now supplied as a PDF and emailed directly to a printer. A written specification is used to appoint a printer and will accompany all signed off artwork. This will contain details of document size, quantities, paper stock and weight, proofing requirements, delivery deadlines and delivery address. We will adhere to all clients’ written specification requests.

Electronic Version:
After each project has been signed off for print (if required), an electronic version will be supplied to the client’s Intranet site. An industry standard PDF (Portable Document Format) file will be created to capture all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that can be viewed, navigated, printed, or forwarded to someone else. PDF files will be created using Adobe Acrobat. To view and use the files, clients need a free Acrobat Reader, which can be easily downloaded. Once downloaded, the reader will start automatically whenever clients want to look at a PDF file. For speedy transmission, the size of the PDF file can be minimised by the software package it was created on. Other formats can be supplied upon request. All web content accessibility regulations and guidelines will be adhered to.

Other third party service providers:
Conor Diver Design also works with and manages third party providers including photographers, exhibition design and build, copywriters and Illustrators. Conor Diver keeps in close and regular contact with the supplier base during all contracts and liaises regularly with them via email or phone on matters that affect a project he is working on with any set of suppliers ensuring that each deliverable comes in on time in accordance with the project milestones. Open lines of communication are maintained at all junctures – from initial meetings through to job delivery - to ensure the process will run smoothly from start to finish.

Related Services
Conor Diver Design will ensure best value for money by requesting a minimum of three quotations. Proposals will provide a detailed breakdown of all costings. Where there are less than three service providers for quotations, the client will be informed. Conor Diver Design understands and respects its panel of suppliers and chooses those most suited to specific jobs, based on their specialisation. All sub-contractors to Conor Diver Design, in turn, strive to deliver a quality and guaranteed service.

Additional areas of expertise covered by Conor Diver Design, which may be drawn upon in this instance:

Distribution of printed publications/documents:
Conor Diver Design ensures that part of each printing specification includes a section on delivery and distribution of documents. The printer will be informed on location delivery, packing and labelling under instruction from the client. Sensitive materials will always be boxed for security reasons. We have a good relationship with all third party providers and are confident we can rely on projects being successfully completed.

Sourcing photography:
Either online through Tourism NI photographic website:
www.medialibrary.tourismni.com/asset-bank/action/viewHome or
www.bigstockphoto.com
www.istockphoto.com

Commissioning photography:
From suppliers Donal McCann photography, Sync Imaging (Nick Patterson), Michael McKinley, Conor Diver.

Arranging alternative formats including language translations:
CDD has previously used the skills of FLEX – The Foreign Languages for EXport service that specialises in over 50 languages. Other suppliers which can be called upon include Queen’s University Translation Service.
Braille and Large print can be sourced through local printers who have developed a business relationship with their suppliers over the past 3 years.

Arranging editorial:
CDD works regularly with Dympna O’Callaghan, Director at Molly D Marketing who has worked on a number of projects for Tipperary County Council and Clare County Council.