my wish for digiscrap designers

Dear Friends,

I have spent a busy week cleaning, prepping for the holidays, and doing a little self reflection.  I would be lying if I did not tell you that I have been more than surprised at what I found lurking there.  (both in my home – YUCK! – and in my Self)

It is newly apparent to me that in my older age, I am 21 again this year – for the 16th time… anyway, it’s clear to me that as I become older: I become harder and harder to impress; and easier and easier to piss off.  What’s that about?  I think I’m going to be one of those senile little old bitches that beat strangers down with their walking sticks as they walk by, just for breathing some of MY air.  Future strangers in my life, take note!  lol…

now, about todays post…

I was lucky enough to receive a few “raks” this week from some digiscrap friends.  Some are new designers and some are, well, we wont say old we’ll call them Designing Elders.  haha!  After my 20 minute download spree, complete with squeals of delight (because I love giftys!) I then spent over 2, TWO, hours reorganizing, deleting, renaming, etc etc.  YIKES.  Digiscrapping may be cheaper but it sure isnt less time consuming!  So, with that in mind I thought I would share with you my wishlist for digiscrap designers.  Or as I like to call it: Shit I wish digiscrap designers would f***’in do for ME.  LOL…  As if I am the person they need to be pleasing in the world, kwim? haha!

Ok here we go.

* DROP SHADOWS:
If you are going to put drop shadows on your elements, please ALSO include an unshadowed version.  Also please, on the ones with shadows, if the alpha all have the light source upper right, please please make sure the shadows on the buttons and other elements also fall in that direction.  Mostly though just please please include the UNSHADOWED version for me.  Lets face it, YOU may think your shadows are great.  But I may think Not So Much.  LOL… Im not saying the ones with shadows are un-neccessary, new people will love them.  People in a hurry will love them.  I will even love them, if you take the time to do then RIGHT.   PS: the default setting is not RIGHT.  Every single element should have a 1 inch shadow either!  Tweak, tinker, perfect!  But mostly just give ME something I can do myself.  🙂

* ZIP FOLDERS :
Dont just zip the shit.  Zip it into a folder please!  PLEASE. 

* INCLUDE YOUR TOUS!
Man this is a loaded topic right here.  I have to say though, I want a TOU for each ZIP FILE.  WHY?  Because I may put the papers on my laptop and head off to my dads with the family and scrap during that 9 hour car ride.  Its nice to have the TOU there if I need it.  Not to mention if you get pirated or the files get the names all changed atleast the TOU is there.   Now, with that said… If I unzip your stuff and a ton of shit explodes all over my computer Im going to be PISSED.  Put the TOU in a folder all on its own inside each folder you zip.  That way, I can have it, neatly and its not cluttering up the kit files.  What all I like in there – TOU, a clicky link to your BLOG not your store.  Why would you put a link to the store if designers HOP around all the time?!  That doesn’t make good business sense to me.  If you put your blog, then no matter WHERE you are selling at – I can find you!  Also please PLEASE make sure your email address is in the TOU somewhere.  Preferably at the TOP so I don’t have to look for it for an hour.  I may want to show you what I made, or let you know I found you pirated, or or  just tell you YOU SUCK, or YOU ROCK.  Who knows but I WANT YOU TO INCLUDE IT! Dammit!

* DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CREATIONS/USE YOUR CT – Listen, everyone makes mistakes.  Everyone.  BUT you can stop those mistakes from ending up on our (your customers) computers by actually checking your files.  Most designers have CT’s so why not make one of their requirements be QUALITY CHECKING your products!  You’re already giving the shit to them.  BEFORE you give it to the public.  They, technically, are working for you in exchange for the product.  Why not make one of their duties be to help ensure the product is GOOD!  They benefit from it TOO by making sure they end up with GREAT shit to scrap with.  If you don’t have a ct, have a friend do it.  I mean, you surely know SOMEONE who scraps or you wouldn’t have gotten into doing this to begin with.  Find someone you trust and ask them to nit-pick the shit out of your stuff for you.  In exchange they get it free.  And WE ALL (your customers) benefit by not ending up with useless shit with your name on it.  KWIM?  Before you shrug this off and say I don’t need someone else to check it… umm.. we ALL benefit from a second set of eyes.  TRUST ME.  Not to mention that there are so many designers out there now, that I’m only going to fix YOUR shit one time before I move on and don’t think about your products again because I’d rather be scrapping then fixing YOUR shit.  REALLY.  That’s one of the reason I let my designers go.  I’d rather be scrapping!  So, get your shit together.  Get a team together.  Get a workflow together.  and Get us some good shit to play with!  I’m just sayin!

* YOUR PREVIEWS-
Please, please.  Spend a little time on your previews.  Digi isn’t like the real world.  I cant pick it up and touch it, smell it, rub it all over my bo…. oooo wait that’s something eles…  scrapping.. oh yea…  What Im trying to say is->  the more the better!  I want to see what’s in there!  And it needs to not be tiny, pixelated, blurry, and cluttered with shit not even in there.  SHOW ME WHAT I’M BUYING, and MAKE IT PRETTY DAMMIT!   If the preview looks like shit why would that buy the kit?   Also make sure your NAME is on the preview somewhere, and CU or PU.  I wanna know just by looking at the folder preview!

* ADVERITISING –
I know this is important, but if I want an email from you, I’ll join your mail list!  If I friend you on face book, you’ve already got me, don’t f**** it up by PMing me or constantly tagging me.  I see your shit you put on your wall in my feed, I don’t need the extra effort.  I already see it.  Everything ‘extra” gets ANNOYING!

*GRATITUDE-
Listen, this is important.  If I take the time to send you something I made (a layout or card or whatever) using your products, you could..nay SHOULD take a second to comment on it.  the whole “Walmart doesn’t say thank you to you every time you cook dinner” idea doesn’t hold water with me.  I don’t take the time to email Walmart and show them wtf I cooked for dinner.  I did think enough of YOU and your skills to not only buy your shit and use it, but to want YOU to see it.  So take a second and say something back.  Tell me “you love it”  tell me “it SUCKS”.  At least acknowledge the shit.  PS: before you say it, I AM a fellow designer.  I know what you’re thinking.  “Look at all the freebies you give and don’t get thanks”.  That blows, I agree!  But I tell you what TWO shits dont make a pie, you feel me?  Maybe if YOU take the time to say thanks, more will take the time to say thanks when they download, and then everyone is being polite and saying thanks and we’re all feeling a little pink of “I’m important to them too!”.  Its important!  I want to like you!  My money is tight and I want to feel like its ok to give it to YOU because you are a good person!  Otherwise, I’m going to go find someone who IS a good person.    And I’ll probably flip you the bird on my way out!  That’s just how I am, that’s me.  Ya know?

ok, I feel better now.  Thanks for listening.  Even if you don’t care what I think, I feel better just having said it.

{hugs}

ps – ALL RAKS WELCOME, SEND THEM TO ME.  SHOW ME HOW GREAT YOU ARE!  heheehe…