Office of Marketing and Communications

If you’re interested in working with Integrated Design, please complete the online project proposal form. Your request will be reviewed by someone on our staff within 24 hours.

If your project fits within the scope of what we do, Integrated Design — which includes production management, copywriting/editing and design — will work with you. If Integrated Design can’t take on the project, we can direct you to other resources.

The production manager, who serves as your main point of contact throughout your project, will schedule an initial meeting for you and the creative team. At this first meeting we will discuss the goal of your project, the audience, budget and delivery dates.

The length of the schedule depends upon the complexity of the project and our availability.

• Viewbooks and annual reports take 3-5 months.*
• Magazines take 3-4 months.*
• Campaign with print (e.g., postcards) and digital assets (e.g., email header, social media) take 6-8 weeks.*
• Templated projects or revisions of existing designs take 4-6 weeks.*

When we send you the project schedule, please review it carefully. It will include a number of review rounds. If it doesn’t align well with your availability, the production manager can adjust the dates.

Remember that once the schedule is in place, it is important that you meet all identified response dates so the Integrated Design team can meet your target timeframe for delivery.

*These estimates are approximate and include printing time. Mail processing (2-5 days) and postal routing will add time.

After the project’s scope has been determined, the production manager will solicit estimates and send you pricing for approval. We will work to gather estimates within your identified budget, but if the projected cost exceeds your budget, you can meet with the production manager and the designer to explore ways of reconceiving the project to reduce expenses.

If your project needs images, we will work with you to determine the ideal plan for your project. This may include a photoshoot, hiring an illustrator or researching stock photography. You will approve any cost before we proceed.

Depending on the project scope, your project could include editing and/or copywriting.

Text will be edited for grammar, accuracy and style (Integrated Design follows Associated Press style guidelines and Brandeis style). See the Integrated Design Resources editorial section for style guidelines. You’ll have an opportunity to review edited copy during your review rounds.

Throughout the production process, the mechs (drafts) will come to you in PDF format. You will indicate your edits and feedback using the comment tools in Adobe Acrobat. The editor/writer and/or the designer may send you queries during this process.

For digital-only projects, once you give final approval on a PDF mech, we will send you final files in the proper format for the platform you’re using.

For print projects, you will be asked to proofread and approve printer’s PDF and/or hard copy proofs. The editor/writer and designer will also review every proof stage. Please read all proofs carefully, with an eye toward spotting and correcting any inaccuracies and mistakes, then return your edits or approval to the production manager. Any edits made at this stage may incur additional charges and could delay final delivery of your project.

We work with a group of preferred printers that have been vetted by Integrated Design and Procurement. This ensures high-quality printing at a competitive price. Please be aware that there are strict rules around print buying. For details, click on the preferred printers link above and navigate to Print>Process Requirements. If you have any questions, please reach out to our production manager.

We are part of a paper-buying consortium for universities which gives us access to high-quality paper at discounted rates.

If your project includes mailing, Integrated Design will design it accordingly and coordinate with a printer’s in-house mail service or a full-service mail vendor.

To reprint an existing project without making any changes, or to make revisions, complete and submit the online project proposal form. Please review your piece carefully for any obsolete text or unwanted design elements from the original version so they are not inadvertently included in the reprint or revision. We will do the same.

If your project requires significant updates to the design or text, Integrated Design will schedule a meeting with you.