What we do

Graphic design

Good design means putting together ideas, words and images in a way that gives the client what they need. There’s a lot more to graphic design than just making things look pretty. ‘Pretty’ has its place, as does Serious, Sophisticated, or Really Wild, but if anything confuses the message, out it goes. We always try to put ourselves into the shoes of the end-user, whether they’re a council worker in York or a health volunteer in Nairobi.

Over the years we’ve designed everything from magazines, books, leaflets and posters to logos, websites and campaign banners. Whether you’re looking for a one-off piece of print or a rebranding to last the next ten years, we will seek out the right creative solution for your particular situation.

Take a look through our gallery for examples covering the full range of our recent work. For a taste of our creative process, read this case study on the development of a logo, or this one on designing a website. And if you’d like to get Wingfinger involved, call us now and we can talk through your project together.

Web design

We’ve been working in web design for many years, and aim to build good-looking and accessible sites that get you where you want to go with the minimum of fuss. We do in-house web development and from time to time work collaboratively with other web specialists on visuals and style sheets.

Web considerations

Nowhere do the goalposts move faster than in the field of web development. Here’s a checklist of things we think about before starting a new web project.

• Compatibility: There are so many browsers and platforms out there that it’s essential to keep closely to best practice guidelines, ensuring that all visitors to the site will see more or less the same thing.
• Accessibility: We like sites that work for most people, and that degrade gracefully when the site visitor lacks any of the technologies required.
• Database: Where data is to be stored and processed online, we’ll design a system that provides the level of security and flexibility that suits the job in hand, usually using MySQL/PHP.
• Content management: Most clients have the need to update sections of their websites themselves. We provide a Wordpress based Content Management Systems adapted to our clients’ requirements. Check out our CMS web package deal here.
• Ease of use: Above all, we keep in mind the experience of the end-user. This rates above originality when it comes to letting site visitors know where they are and what they can do next. If they have to think about the navigation, we’ve failed: it should be predictable, consistent and intuitive.

You can learn more about our web development process in this case study.

Languages

Wingfinger has a great history of designing literature that appears in several language versions. We work regularly with French, Spanish and Portuguese (with occasional excursions into Russian, Welsh, Zande and Lusoga), and each has its own particular challenges. Translations tend to take up more space that their original English versions, so we’ve developed flexible design systems to anticipate overflow. And they all have different grammar and punctuation rules, of course.

Working in languages is tricky, but we’re good at it – and we’ve been doing it long enough even to be able to query our clients on translation oddities. All our language work is handled carefully and systematically, and with the same diligence that our English design receives.

There’s more detail of how we handle language work in this case study on our relationship with development charity Tearfund.

Images

Images come in all shapes, sizes and media – part of the craft is choosing images to complement and enhance text. Computer graphics, cartoons, technical drawing and photography are all used. Even boot prints and tea-bag stains.

Wingfinger has access to good sources of stock photography, and we will go all-out to find the images that will bring your document or website to life. And we’ll occasionally venture out with a camera or a sketchpad in search of that all-important visual.

Custom illustration

You can find examples of our illustrative work in our gallery, and throughout this site. The Wingfinger team are a diverse bunch, and we are happy to take on illustration commissions unconnected to print and web projects – just get in touch and tell us what you are looking for. We’re always excited to get back to our arty Wingfinger roots and produce some custom, handcrafted imagery that will create a unique impact for your job.

Print

It’s ink on paper, we hear you say – what’s so hard about that? Not much, really, unless you want us to tell you about trapping, or dot gain, or creep …

Wingfinger has an extensive knowledge of how print works and can produce work that makes it dead easy for printers to do their bit. We have long-standing and strong working relationships with a number of printers, all of whom have delivered excellent results.

We are able to advise clients on every aspect of printing – from paper quality through to delivery – and many appreciate our all-in-one design and print service. We’ll always try and find the printer who will do the best for your particular job, and at a reasonable price. Some clients have used us as a print consultant to monitor quality, source quotations and troubleshoot production issues on their behalf.

Words

At Wingfinger we’ve always liked words, even the long ones. From huge academic volumes to handout leaflets, all the text receives the same care and attention – and we don’t just mean spelling. We look for clarity, sense, and ensuring that the content is appropriate for its audience. Unlike some design studios, we’ll actually read the copy you give us…

At Wingfinger, the golden rule is: make sure you understand it before you try to design it. So as well as all the usual proofreading checks we like to have a separate read through for understanding. The subject might be completely new to us, but this can work to the client’s advantage. The designer is often better placed to see whether new concepts are explained fully and clearly.