To best leverage resources, most projects we support follow this standard production process.
Not sure if this will work for your request? Contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Step 1—Submit a Project Request Form
The Creative Services project request form is the best way to request a new project. Please provide as much detail as possible about your project, including the audience, your goals with the piece, time or budget constraints, and other key considerations. Complete and submit the form, and you will receive a confirmation email that your form was received. The Creative Services team will review your request, and one of our production staff will be in touch with next steps within three business days.
Unfortunately, demand for our services often exceeds our capacity, and we are unable to assist with every job. If we decline to take on your request, we can help connect you with freelancers and consultants who are in the state's network.
Step 2—Attend a Discovery Meeting
Key stakeholders from your team will be invited to discuss your project request with our team. This meeting is your opportunity to share more information about your job request, as well as a chance for creative brainstorming and collaboration.
A typical meeting will touch on
- Goals of the project
- Content and format of the deliverables
- Key contacts and stakeholders
- Timing and due dates
You don't need to have your content ready at the time of the meeting, but if you have a draft, samples, or examples, please share in advance of the meeting by emailing your materials to creative@gmu.edu.
Step 3—Send Us Your Content
Once you have your content together (copy, images, etc.), please email creative@gmu.edu and attach your text and images. Have large files? Let us know and we can provide you with a file transfer link.
Content submitted to us should be:
- Finalized and approved—Please provide us with copy that is clear, free of errors, and has been reviewed and approved by key stakeholders. We are unable to accept draft or placeholder copy.
- Approved for use by Mason—Does Mason have permission to use the content you submitted? If you are unsure, please contact us for more guidance.
For larger projects, we’ll schedule an intake meeting with you a few days after you've sent us your content. At the meeting, members of our team will review your submitted content as a group with members of your team.
Once you submit your content, we will officially open your job. Our production team will provide you with a detailed schedule that includes milestone dates for each step of the production process, as well as time for you to review or make changes.
Step 4—The Creative Process
Using the information provided in the discovery and intake meetings, our team will take your content and bring it to life. We can help with a large variety of print and digital projects including:
- Brochures, flyers, postcards
- Magazines and digital publications
- Marketing materials, including email, social media, and ads
- Photography and video
Step 5—Review and Provide Feedback
Why do things always look different in layout?
We understand you may need to make tweaks once you see your project designed. Please keep in mind that to best serve our campus community
- Clients are limited to three rounds of changes
- If multiple stakeholders review, consolidate edits into one document and resolve any conflicting feedback
- For most projects, we ask clients to deliver their edits as marked-up PDFs. Adobe Pro has tools enabling you to mark up your pdf and is free to all Mason faculty and staff through ITS.
Despite our best efforts, projects don't always stay on schedule. Please let us know as soon as possible if you anticipate missing a deadline, and we will do the same. Revised schedules will be dependent on the other jobs in the queue, and your final project delivery dates may be impacted.
Step 6—Approve and Publish
Creative Services supports multiple distribution options:
- Print—We can help get bids from multiple state-approved vendors, write purchase orders, upload and approve art, and facilitate bulk delivery or mailing services.
- Digital—We work closely with Mason's Assistant Technology Initiative (ATI) to ensure final files are accessible and meet the university's standards. We can provide files in multiple digital formats and make recommendations on the best way to present your piece online.
- Something new? We are excited to grow our offerings to align with the goals of the university. Connect with us to discuss your unique project.