Articles: planning

The last quarter of the year looks the same every time: at first there seems to be plenty of time, then everything has to happen at once. Yet most of the work on end-of-year materials can be done early, because it does not depend on anything still to come.

An order of work that helps

Rather than starting with the design, put the slowest tasks first.

• The recipient list - the longest and dullest part, and it needs no finished design at all.
• Deciding what to send - cards alone, cards with a gift, or perhaps a calendar.
• The wording - separate versions for clients and for the team, written calmly.
• The design - the quickest stage once the points above are settled.
• Ordering and posting - with room to check everything and sign the cards.

Earlier means calmer

Seasonal material has one feature ordinary print does not: the deadline is fixed. A card that arrives after the holidays loses its point, and a calendar for the coming year stops being a gift halfway through January. So it helps to count backwards from the day the parcel should reach the recipient, through posting, signing, printing and design. Doing that also makes it obvious that some tasks - the address list, the wording - can be finished as early as you like.

If you are planning your end of year, start with the text on the order of work, then look at the article on cards for advice on mailing lists and delivery.