Terragenesis Online from Barry Harley on Vimeo.

First things first this was by no meanings the client’s fault, I broke my own cardinal rule “Set the right expectation”. The client wanted a good, fast  and cheap website, that was my cue to say “pick one” but I didn’t. That was the begin of the end.

There was now design brief, big mistake and I did not explain that must of the work is before the design stage, then my programmer became increasingly unreliable and he could not seem to make the deadlines which he promised me and I promised the client.

Long and short of the story I did not finish the site. I failed to communicated the process of developing a good site.

In Jamaica we have a saying  “Long cut draw sweat; shortcut draw blood” – Meaning the long way will result in sweat but the short way most likely will require blood.

Can you get it good, fast and cheap, not in my world.

Plan the work and work the plan

Long live project management.

Here is what it looks like

Terragenesis has been selected as a winner in the 2009 American Graphic Design Awards.
Always among the largest design competitions, this year saw 8,000+ entries. Of these, highly selective 15 percent are recognized with an Award Certificate of Excellence

Cost: Price depends on several circumstances: quantity purchased, timing of purchase, and the client-supplier relationship. Having said that, PCR paper is available at or close to price parity with virgin paper. You just have to shop around. Ask your usual suppliers (your printers, the mills, distributors), and let them know you’ll be asking some new suppliers as well. After all, this is a new initiative for most publishers. It pays to step outside the usual circle of suppliers so as to ensure your publishing organization gets the best deal on recycled. Where differences exist, many purchasers report that negotiations with existing suppliers frequently result in any historical premium for recycled paper being dropped.

Quality: Technological advances in production over the past 10 years have created PCR papers with quality identical—I repeat, identical—to that of virgin paper. You’ll find the same smoothness, strength, brilliance, and opacity. Also, many printers I know tell me that PCR paper performs no differently on their presses than virgin paper. They also say PCR can withstand the stress of modern high-speed presses. If your printers are telling you otherwise, again, have some chats with some new printers. It won’t take many phone calls to find a few who have experience with PCR.
Availability: Magazine grade PCR paper is widely available. It does not require any special effort on behalf of the purchaser, other than requesting PCR paper. More than 500 recycled paper grades (types) are available in the U.S. and Canada. Most major paper suppliers offer at least one recycled product for each specified weight and grade.
The real difference with PCR content paper: it has a much smaller impact on the environment. Yet under 5% of all magazine paper produced today is post- consumer recycled paper. And what PCR paper is being produced is being used by an even smaller percentage of magazine publishers overall.
Why is it that over 95% of all magazine paper is exclusively virgin fiber? Part of the reason might be simply that publishers aren’t fully aware of the environmental consequences of buying virgin papers. Consequences such as 35 million trees felled annually (that’s one tree per second), annual carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the exhaust of 1.2 million automobiles, and a demand for more water per ton of product manufactured than any other industry.
With over 95% of print buyers at publications ordering virgin papers to keep their magazines rolling, demand for virgin papers is high. The mills, distributors, and printers naturally want to satisfy this demand. We can’t expect virgin paper suppliers to champion the use of recycled alternatives, although growing numbers do.
The small (compared to world population) but influential fraternity of publishers and print buyers, however, can relatively easily drive a seismic change from virgin to recycled papers.
The obstacles to switching magazines over are not as great as many say or believe. Today’s paper market can work to a publisher’s advantage in price negotiations. The only requirement a publisher and print buyer needs is the will to change, the will to be an industry leader.
Recently, the publisher of Ms. magazine made just such a switch. Publishers of other magazines, such as Discover, Outside, Organic Style, Mother Jones, and the Utne Reader are also using PCR paper.
These publishers have the same financial, quality, and availability concerns as the publishers who use 100% virgin fiber paper. None would make irrational decisions that would jeopardize their business. The only difference between these publishers and over 95% of the rest of the industry is in their commitment to PCR papers.
It is the rare individual today who is not, at some level, concerned about the quality and health of our environment. Magazine executives at publications of all sizes, stature, and topics are no different; they tell me they share these concerns.
Some have prioritized a switch to PCR papers; one that fits their unique business circumstances, and supports their market position. Others (most, unfortunately) have yet to move.
The public lauds companies that demonstrate strong environmental and social responsibility. And a switch to PCR paper is an important component of a publisher’s commitment to corporate responsibility.
Promoting such a switch would make the day of any public relations or consumer marketing team; it’s the kind of genuine feel-good story consumers and the media respond to.
The auto industry overcame its reservations about air bags and seat belts (albeit forcibly, through legislation). But then they profitably positioned themselves around safety concerns in the marketplace.
Likewise, magazine publishers can overcome their fears about using PCR papers. In doing so, they can maintain or even increase their brand’s value. That’s a solid business case for making the switch to PCR paper.

The cost of excessive virgin fiber paper production to our health and environment is high. The cost of switching to PCR paper is low. And that’s a cost/benefit analysis that should resonate with any publisher.
Frank Locantore is program director for Green America’s WoodWise/PAPER Project, Washington, D.C. He can be reached at FrankLocantore@greenamericatoday.org.
Printed from the Web site of PrintMedia.

Copryight © 2003 North American Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner is strictly prohibited.

Please contact Todd Larsen by email
or by phone at 202-872-5307.

BARRY: Tell me about Earthcolor and what makes them special?

BILL: EarthColor is leading the print industry with regards to Environmental Initiatives.  We are a national private company with owners who truly care about the customer.

BARRY: How long has Earthcolor been in business?

BILL: Since 1982

BARRY: Do you have any advice for you clients or potential clients on how to make their marketing sustainable/eco-friendly?

BILL: We are trying to convey the importance of this to all of our clients.  One way is to use FSC / SFI / PEFC Chain of custody printers.  We have taken it one step further with a Carbon Neutral EarthColor branded sheet known as EarthAware.

BARRY: Are there any concerns about HP’s MarketSplash?

BILL: We are not in this arena or printing.  We are a high end commercial printer with 40” Presses Both Sheetfed and Web and use the Xerox IGEN for our digital print.  We are after larger customers than the HP product can service.  Fortune 500 companies.

BARRY: The micoblog twitter tool has become a new way for customers to interact with companies. Are you using twitter or any other social media. like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and others? What are your favorites?

BILL: The company is not currently using these tools, but I use all of them in both business and personal life.  My favorite is LinkedIn for business, Facebook for friends and YouTube for anything.  I also like Twitter, but am not using it religiously.

The Little Green Handbook - 145 Simple Steps to Save the Planet

For the next 6 months, every Friday we will be giving away a book/gift. One person will be chosen from those who answer a question on my blog or participate in some way on my blog. The winner will be announced after 4pm every Friday. Looking forward to your comments.

This Friday, April 3rd 2009, we will give away “The Little Green Handbook – 145 Simple Steps to Save the Planet.”

We will only ship to the US and Canada.