Paying A Graph Designer, Well, Paid Off
Paying A Graph Designer, Well, Paid Off
Launching The New 1LD Graphics
So it’s been a week.
Let’s catch you up.
I was overly expecting to make this announcement today, but when good things come to you before you're ready, it’s best to not look a gift horse in the mouth.
Do you remember telling you about the new graphics I was getting? If you don’t, no stress; here’s what happened:
It turns out I hired the right person, who did an amazing and masterful job of creating the 1 Lovelock Drive graphics for me, and was also fast. Not super fast. It wasn’t like AI fast. But I anticipated giving this graphic designer process months before I had anything I was comfortable using. This time frame was one I plucked out of thin air, by the way. It was my first time outsourcing something like this.
Then I find myself with the graphics and unable to sit still with them. I couldn’t let a moment pass holding onto them and not using them. It doesn’t really make sense to me.
Here I am dropping them, showing them off and using them straight away. You could say I’m a little too excited about presenting them to the world.
Graphics Reveal
Andie
Recap: This is the current Andie image and the core design influencing all the new designs. It’s a Canva image, which I love. As soon as I saw it, I felt so connected with this design. It’s going to be part of this image, but I know the next image will be worth it.
The new Anide:
James
Recap: This is the current James image. It’s always been fine, but I don’t think it quite captures his personality. Nor does it quite match the Andie image and the way it’s drawn.
The new James:
GG
Recap: I’ve always loved this image but it’s a polarising image to work with. With the pose, you can only do so much. It’s also blocking one entire half of her face. I can’t see this working in the long term or providing me with multiple ways of utilising the GG image.
The new GG:
Sophia
Sophia’s picture is fine but it could be better. I’ve never loved the hands on the left, nor do I believe this captures what Sophia is meant to look like.
The new Sophia
Taylor and Douglas
I don’t have an image for the Gallo brothers, something that I wanted for a long time, but never explored. I have them pictured in my head, which makes it exciting to see them visually come to life.
The new Douglas:
The new Taylor:
Characters coming soon - Cooper and Annabella (who you’ve met by now!)
And now, let’s see them all together!
Process Review
If you’re a writer or anyone working on taking an idea to a realisation, you could say I’ve done some hard learning for you with this mini-launch journey. It’s not that it was a disaster, but now it’s all happened, it’s not what I envisaged in my mind.
If I was doing this again, I would probably:
Set me a time frame from hiring a designer to the launch date of the graphics - I told the designer I didn’t have a set time frame. Which was true. But that hasn’t allowed me to plan anything as a follow-up to getting the new graphics. Dates would have helped him and me.
Plan a better launch for the graphics - Give them the moment they fully deserve. Once they arrived, I would have a set format for how I would launch them and give them a build-up, like launching a product
Structure my expectations with milestones - I let the designer drive how this process worked and what would happen when, next, etc. It’s not that I had any issues with the process. Yet, if this designer had been someone out to take my money and run, or manipulate me in some way, I was primed for this to happen. Relinquishing control isn’t something I suggest anyone do.
What’s coming next
What I have coming in the pipeline is huge for 1LD. But I want to know what you want to see and what processes you want me to share. And if you’re reading this and do want to see it, please let me know. Hit the like button, that’s enough to let me know.
I have stored up and am ready to go with:
The checklist of the new 1LD book coming in October - The checklist, or should say I epic list of things to do, is huge. This is everything I have planned to go from internet series to a fully published book. Of course, it’s a process, so it’s more of a series than a one-off instalment.
The behind-the-scenes, step-by-step of the new graphics - I have a list of rejected designs to show you, as well as concept art that truly shows you how these new graphics came to life.
Let me know you guys! Until next time… xx
You’re reading the latest from Ellen Lives Here, behind the scenes of 1 Lovelock Drive, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
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