Apparently as of the release of CS5, Adobe decided to add (or at least make us more aware of) a feature called Background Tasks.

Basically what Background Tasks does, for example, is it allows you to export a PDF file in the background while still being able to work on your InDesign file in the “foreground”. Pretty cool huh?

Well, if you’re not using Adobe InDesign CS5 or newer, here’s a screenshot of what it looks like when you have a PDF exporting in the background with the Background Tasks feature.

In itself, this new feature is a great addition for when you’re working on a small file, like a business card design or a 5 page brochure. However, I found that “trouble strikes” when you try to export large PDF documents and such – like a 100+ page document that I was trying to export!

What happens is, the progress bar keeps moving, but it really just hangs there and doesn’t seem to do anything – I even waited for about half an hour one time! Ridiculous!

This issue may not happen to everyone, but after doing a bit of Google’ing and research, I found that I wasn’t alone. I tried a couple of the solutions that I found which did the trick and disabled the background tasks, but I wanted the option of being able to turn it back on.

Well I was in luck! Apparently the new Background Tasks feature had annoyed a few too many people, that one smart guy, Marijan Tompa, created a cool startup script which adds a menu item to the File menu in InDesign that gives you the option switch Background Tasks on and off.

Basically what the script does, is when toggled on, it created an empty “DisableAsyncExports.txt” file in the same directory as the Adobe InDesign executable file:

• PC/Win: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\
• Mac: /Applications/Adobe InDesign CS5.5/Adobe InDesign CS5.5.app/Contents/MacOS/

For some auto-magical reason, that’s all that’s required to disabled the background exporting of any file in InDesign. Then when you toggle off the Background Export from the File menu, it removes the DisableAsyncExports.txt file which then enables the Background Tasks feature again.

To download this handy little startup script, click on the following link:
Marijan Tompa’s Background Export Toggle Script

Once you’ve download the ZIP file, you’ll need to unzip and move the controlBackgroundExport.jsx file into your startup scripts folder and then restart InDesign:

• PC/Win: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\Scripts\Startup Scripts\
• Mac: /Applications/Adobe InDesign CS5.5/Scripts/startup scripts/

Vale Australia is Vale’s global coal headquarters which is based in Brisbane, and across Australia they employ more than 1,300 people. You can find out more about Vale Australia here.

Working on the SAP Health and Safety Pocket Book project and being a part of creating a resource that hadn’t been done before to this level of complexity was an honour in itself. I had the privilege of working with some great people and opportunity of designing this powerful tool for the important purpose of providing Vale staff with a handy, quick reference book of information and processes that they need on a daily basis.

Projects

• SAP Health and Safety Pocket Book (101 pages)

Services Provided

• Graphic Design
• Instructional & Technical Design

DJ Brad is a mobile disco DJ, servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast areas among other regional areas. With brilliant sound, advanced lighting effects, friendly expert service and advice for all your entertainment needs, DJ Brad provides his services for all occasions.

Client Testimonial

“Geoff and I have been friends for a while now, and when he told me about his EXIST ONLINE business, he showed me some of his work.
I was really impressed by the level of detail Geoff puts into his work – that I decided to get him to re-design my site. I knew exactly what I wanted and through examples and illustrations to Geoff – he managed to create something that was really unique and different to set me apart from the rest. He took care of all the functionality, the design and even added suggestions along the way to enhance other areas.
I am now really glad that I got Geoff to design my website, because now everyone comments on what an amazing website I have and the services & functionality it offers.
Thanks so much Geoff for all your hard work, it is really appreciated.
Keep up the good work!”
- Bradley Kjeldsen, DJ Brad

Projects

• Website

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.dj-brad.com.au

East Coast Bitumen & Roadsweeping Pty Ltd are a company based in QLD who travel from the Gold Coast to Brisbane and up to Childers, providing road sweeping, carpark sweeping and bitumen services.

Client Testimonial

“We put quite a bit of research into finding someone to design our website and then had Geoff from Exist online recommended to us. We couldn’t be more happy with the result. From the initial chat to the end everything went off perfect. Great communication throughout the process. We are so happy with the finished website. Big Thank You Geoff!”
- Rob Parry & Vicki Pacher, East Coast Bitumen & Roadsweeping Pty Ltd

Projects

• Website
• Social Media

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.eastcoastroadsweeping.com.au

Bunker Media is a digital media production company providing services ranging from corporate productions to documentaries. Bunker Media has recently completed a music video for an upcoming Australian band called Adventureland, as well as a television commercial for the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach QLD Australia.

Client Testimonial

“I can honestly say that this website has exceeded my expectations and Exist Online has proven to me that they can take on ambitious and heavily customised projects like this one. Already I have had clients comment on the professional look and feel that the website gives off. Most importantly though people are staying on the website and are viewing the content. This is because of the easy to use navigation and layout which Exist Online designed. From the beginning to the end of this project Exist Online was professional in their approach and addressed any concerns or questions that I had during the process. Because of this approach I will be using Exist Online for future projects and I certainly will be recommending them to other potential clients.”
- Daniel Bunker, Director of Bunker Media

Projects

• Website

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.bunkermedia.com.au

Lagoon Creek Cafe & Function Room is an exciting new social enterprise that was established by local people to provide a form of employment for people with a disability and/or mental illness who live in the Caboolture area who have in the past had mixed experiences finding and maintaining work.

Client Testimonial

“How to describe our new website – well I will use our customers’ first comments: “Wow, who did your website – it is amazing!”
Lagoon Creek Cafe and Function Room is an exciting new social enterprise that aims to support people who have had negative to no experience of employment, particularly people with a disability or mental illness, to have meaningful paid employment.
We wanted a website that was stunning and inspiring, got our purpose across while advertising our high-tech venue in conjunction with being located within the beautiful natural bushlands of Caboolture’s Lagoon Creek.
Geoff achieved everything we wanted and much, much more. Our website is auditory, visually dynamic, animated, interactive and linked to other social medias (which Geoff also set up for us).
What we liked best – Geoff really listened – not just to what we wanted, but also our stories, dreams and visions that make Lagoon Creek Cafe and Function Room the wonderful venue it is. Then he bent over backwards to ensure that we had a website that reflected that.
We would highly recommend Exist Online to anyone and everyone. Thank you so much Geoff. We look forward to a long partnership with you.”
- Donna Duncan and Steve Butler, Lagoon Creek Cafe & Function Room

Projects

• Logo
• Website
• Flash Animation
• Social Media

Services Provided

• Graphic Design
• Multimedia
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.lagooncreekcafe.com.au

Kids Review is a website designed for kids to gain practise and experience in writing for an audience as well as building computer skills. It enables them to see and read their words and characters displayed onscreen. In time, Kids Review aims to become a tool for parents, family members and friends to read to get children’s opinions on the latest toys and activities, and helps to get a child’s perspective on what is current and trendy.

Client Testimonial

“Working with Exist Online was a great experience. Geoff was always extremely professional and a wealth of information with fantastic ideas. It was as if he was reading my mind and the images I was seeing in my mind Geoff would turn into a reality. I was so impressed with his grasp and understanding of what I was looking for. Geoff was always professional, helpful and friendly. I think he did an absolutely amazing job and would recommend him to anyone. Thank you so much Geoff.”
- Janell Saverin, Founding Owner, Kids Review

Projects

• Website
• Blog
• Social Media

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.kidsreview.com.au

Antibling.org is a movement opposing ostentation. They believe advertising and media has us indoctrinated with “bling”. Antibling are that silent reminder that there are things way more important than “bling”. Simplicity is the utmost sophistication and it is only when people start wanting what they really need, they will free themselves from this obsession.

Client Testimonial

“We were trying to find a way to intergrate our already operating sites and Facebook page to create our own branded welcome page for our movement. Our movement is very much brand driven and thankfully Exist Online were able to embrace our concept and create a uniquely branded website for our movement.  We were very fortunate to find a talented web developer who could also engage their artistic expression in design and create an asthetically pleasing but functional website for us. We recommend Geoff to everyone looking to create a uniquely branded website. We are currently working on our next project with Exist Online. Need we say more? Just look at it…!”
- Richard Makura, Antibling.org

Projects

• Website

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.antibling.org

Matt Taylor is a tracking and mixing engineer who works from one of Brisbane’s premier recording facilities at Black Box Recording in the Brisbane CBD. He has worked with highly respected and current producer/engineers, as well as with a vast array of bands and styles of music both as an engineer and as a bass player within the studio and live scenarios. Matt’s primary services are record production, tracking, through to mix. He’s a big believer in having fun and enjoying the creative process.

Client Testimonial

“I had initially worked with Geoff from Exist Online when putting together ideas and quotes for business cards, he was clear, concise and communicated excellently from the get go. So when it came time to put together a website he was the first person I emailed based on my previous experiences. There is a ton of graphic designers about everywhere but what sets Geoff aside from the rest is his great attitude and patience. Throughout the entire process he was always keen to make sure you were happy and that the project was heading in the right direction. At any point, If I needed something changed it was never an issue. Geoff was great to work with and should definitely be considered next time you need a graphic designer for print or web design.” - Matt Taylor

Projects

• Business Card
• Website
• Blog

Services Provided

• Graphic Design
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.matttaylorrecording.com

Laura Tuton is a contemporary, enthusiastic, freelance photographer from Brisbane, Australia. Laura provides her photography services from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane to the Gold Coast. For all other locations, prices and information, be sure to contact Laura Tuton.

Projects

• Business Card
• Flash Animation
• Website
• Blog

Services Provided

• Graphic Design
• Multimedia
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.lauratuton.com

B.F.P. Engineering Pty Ltd are one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of Road Making, Road Maintenance and Transport vehicles for Bitumen, Emulsion and Stone Spreading products.

Client Testimonial

“Our company B.F.P. Engineering needed an updated website quickly due to upcoming business interest and through a few sources I found Geoff from Exist Online. He had by far the best looking portfolio I had seen while searching for a Web Designer. We needed a new look, interactive website that looked great and was full of info, but very easy to navigate. He personally came out to our workshop with layout ideas and all we needed to do was pick one and tell him our company colour scheme and the finished product was exactly what we could have hoped for. Quick, easy and the finished product, truly amazing. Great communication to make sure the development process flowed smoothly. The end result speaks for its self. Will be recommending to all our customers and suppliers in Brisbane. Proud to have Exist Online’s name on our website.”
- Robert Smith, B.F.P. Engineering Pty Ltd

Projects

• Logo
• Website
• Blog

Services Provided

• Graphic Design
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.bfpengineering.com.au

“Tied together with a charm that is uniquely her own, Georgia’s music is a moody mix of deep rock, dark neo-soul and psychedelic yet crafted songwriting that occasionally echoes the likes of Karen O, Janis Joplin, Bertie Blackman or Florence & the Machine… with the addition of a solid backbeat. Her muse is humanity and in its endearingly revolting complexity, she finds deep fascination.” To read more, click here.

Client Testimonial

“Working with Exist Online was excellent because the team (??? Or just Geoff) worked hard to understand the purpose my website serves before designing it. This meant that from the preliminary designs, the site was close to what I wanted already. Super friendly, professional and very patient with my artistic indecisiveness, Exist Online were a dream to work with.” - Georgia Potter

Projects

• Website
• Blog

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.georgiapotter.com

One of the most popular ways people communicate today is via email. When it comes to writing business-related emails, we need to understand that we’re all at different skill levels and have different educational backgrounds, and not everyone writes the same way.

Sometimes the way someone speaks in person can be totally different to the way they come across in writing, and therefore there can be confusion between parties at times, especially when people read and take things out of context.

I’ve put together a few tips which can help to clarify things when it comes to writing business-related emails and understanding them and their context accordingly.

1. Watch Your Words and Be Polite

No matter how heated the situation may get, or whatever it is that is going on between all involved – you need to be professional and keep your cool.

Remember that people can’t always tell what the tone of your voice was or is intended to be in an email. So there’s no use arguing about something if you don’t understand or like what someone has said or if there’s a problem.

Here are some effective and efficient ways to resolve any misunderstandings and issues you may have when working and communicating with others.

• Take a deep breath and count to 10. Then pick up the phone and give them a call. Sometimes a short 5 minute call can be all it takes to fix the problem.
• Either way, discuss what the current situation is between the parties involved, and agree verbally and in writing upon what needs to be done to resolve the situation. You can even write up an agreement that all parties must abide by in order for a smooth transition through the situation, and have all necessary parties act accordingly at their ends to help resolve the situation.
• Formally and appropriately cut your losses and move on. If you find that the issue has gone too far out of hand to resolve, sometimes it’s best for all parties involved to agree on some sort of a “project termination agreement”, which could be a certain percentage of the project cost refunded that the client has already paid, along with any documentation you feel necessary to officially end the project. It’s really up to you and what you feel is the best way to end things.

2. Keep it Real but Keep it Professional

Try to use words and phrases that you’d normally use in everyday conversation and that make sense to you. You don’t have to use “big words” and think of complicated ways of saying things to try and “sound smart”.

Sometimes that can make you come across as being intimidating, or like you’re trying too hard to impress the other person. You only need to be as informative as you need to be to get the main point across of whatever it is you’re trying to say.

The way you communicate can also depend on the person you’re emailing as well. If you’re both liaising on a more corporate-type level, then feel free to communicate that way and use “big words”, elaborate explanations and what not, but who’s to say you can’t chuck in a casual “smiley” here and there too – it’s not a crime, right? :)

3. The Subject field is Important too

Always enter something relevant into the Subject field of the email that you’re sending. Not just for the recipient’s sake, but for yours as well.

Having something like “Howdy” or “Read this” as the subject won’t necessarily mean anything to the person receiving the email. Especially if they realise a week later that they need some important information from that email, and they find themselves digging through their Inbox to try and find it – I think we’ve all been there!

It can be an even more frustrating process when the Search feature of their email application only bases its search on the Subject field because it isn’t “intelligent enough” to search through the body contents of emails to find what they’re looking for.

So be sure to add a meaningful title into the Subject field of your emails. For example, if you’re touching base with someone regarding a logo design for your business, you could make the Subject something like, “Update on My Logo Design”.

4. Review your Email before you Send it

You may find yourself accidentally clicking the Send button before you got a chance to proof your email. Most email applications and software don’t give you the option to easily “undo” the sending of an email that you just sent with something like a simple “Ctrl+Z” – now that would be handy!

Always read over your emails to make sure you’ve addressed everything that you wanted to, and everything that the person you’re emailing has asked of you, like any questions that they may have asked.

To be extra safe, leave the “To” field empty until you’re absolutely sure your email is finished and you’re ready to send it. Then you can enter in the email address of the recipient(s) and click the Send button – smooth sailing!

5. Reply as Promptly as Possible

When you have received an email and have read it, it’s good practice to reply as soon as you can. A good guide to go by is to reply within 24-48 hours of receiving and reading an email, to keep things moving along.

Sometimes you may receive an email that is quite long and detailed, so you might need more time to go over it. If that’s the case, just be sure to send through a quick, short email to the sender to let them know that you’ve received their elaborate email, and that you’re in the processing of reviewing it and that you will reply shortly within the next couple of days.

Not replying to emails is almost just as impolite as not saying “hello” back to someone when they say hello to you. So whenever you’re liaising with someone via email, say if you’re getting a quote from someone to do a particular job, even if you choose not to go through with their quote, it’s courteous to just reply to their email and say that you’ve decided to go with someone else. It’s okay to say “no”!

6. Some General Things to Keep in Mind

• MAKE SURE YOUR CAPS LOCK IS OFF. (Woops!) Sometimes people can think that you’re yelling at them, even when you’re not. Use the Caps Lock key when necessary though, like if you wanted to emphasise the title of something in the email.
• If you have an email signature – use it. If you don’t – make one. Depending on the email client software that you’re using, you should be able to find basic tutorials online to teach you how to make an email signature.

Please Share Your Thoughts

I may decide to write another article about email etiquette another time. But if you didn’t know about some of the things I talked about in this article, hopefully they come of some use to you down the track. Feel free to post any other tips that you may have below.

Transit Lounge Caboolture (TLC) is a support service for young creative people living in the Moreton Bay Region. TLC’s regular services include workshops, fortnightly e-updates, and one-on-one career pathways advice. Read more about TLC here.

National Youth Week is Australia’s largest celebration of young people in their communities. The Moreton Bay region is gearing up for Youth Week with a new theme, “OWN IT”. It’s your time to “OWN IT” and get involved with a range of events, activities and comps happening throughout the region.

These posters and brochure were created to help promote Youth Week within the Moreton Bay Region for 2011.

Client Testimonial

“We engaged the services of Geoff Franklin (Exist Online) to design and layout the brochure and posters for the Moreton Bay Council’s 2011 Youth Week campaign. From his very first draft, he was on-brief, creating a look that required no alterations. Everyone involved was delighted with the results and we know that quality of the work has set a new benchmark for Youth Week promotions, not just in our region, but beyond. You know a project has been done well when people start talking excitedly about next year’s campaign as soon as the current one has gone off to print! Geoff was always polite, thorough and clear in his communications with us, an important, under-recognised trait in quality designers. We would certainly use his services again and recommend him to others.” - Lisa Burnett, Transit Lounge Regional Manager – Caboolture, Moreton Bay Regional Council

Projects

• Youth Week “OWN IT” Brochure (20 pages)
• Youth Week “OWN IT” Posters (4 posters)

Services Provided

• Graphic Design

Marley Hammond is a professional mobile beauty stylist based in Toowoomba, Queensland. She is a professionally trained makeup artist, nail technician, spray tannest and hair stylist, who is highly qualified with over 5 years of experience in the beauty industry.

Client Testimonial

“I knew when I first saw Geoff’s work that I wanted him to design my website! Geoff has done an incredible job and has made my business look so professional. I was so lucky to come across Geoff, he made the whole experience so easy and I cannot believe the value for money you get from Exist Online. I’d be more than happy in referring anyone looking to get a website done or updated by Exist Online. The whole experience all round was defiantly an A++, thanks again Geoff!” - Marley Hammond

Projects

• Website

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.marleyhammond.com

Okay – I’m jumping a little ahead of myself here. Initially, my services were recommended to MSY by a friend of mine, Letitia Surdonjic, who is also a Graphic Designer. She already had too much work on her plate at the time, which is why she referred MSY to me.

I was then contacted by the Business Development Manager of MSY, Alex Surdonjic (Letitia’s uncle), asking me to provide them with a quote to design an 8 page catalog for their 2010 Christmas sale. This was going to be MSY Technology’s first official catalog to be printed and distributed all around Australia, and they were very happy with what I proposed, and here we are – obviously I got the job!

With 26 stores Australia-wide (at the time of printing the catalog), I instantly knew that this was going to be the biggest print design job that I’d ever had the opportunity of taking on. I was both excited and nervous about the thought of the 1,000,000 copies being distributed all around Australia – that’s right – one million copies!

The only catch was – we had 2 weeks to get it all done and distributed! This included:

1. Creating preliminary concepts and planning out the general layout and design of the catalog.
2. Contacting vendors and suppliers of all the products on sale in the catalog, and organising all of the assets that were needed from them for the catalog design.
3. Creating and designing all 8 pages of the catalog.
4. Submitting the catalog design to the necessary parties for reviewal and carrying out any necessary revisions.
5. Sending the catalog design to the printer to get proofs done and carrying out any more changes if required.
6. Printing out all 1,000,000 copies of the catalog, and
7. Distributing all of the catalogs to their necessary locations to be delivered all over Australia… oh boy!

With some late nights, perseverance, and a big helping hand from Alex with sourcing most of the assets – believe it or not – we did it!

We were all very pleased with the end result of the printed catalog and looked forward to seeing how the MSY Christmas sale would go.

You can visit the MSY Technology website today to check out the great deals they have on offer, and place your order via their online store.

Share Your Story

If you’re a designer of some sort, perhaps you’d like to comment and share your first big design job experience below – I’d love to hear how it all went!

I rebuilt this new website from scratch – new design and new code. I had designed and created the previous website around early 2009 – so I think a new design was well overdue!

Other than the usual updates to my Portfolio section, it had been quite a while since I’d made any major updates to my previous website, so creating the new one was an interesting, exciting and educational journey for me.

I had learned a lot of new web technologies and skills since I had first built my website in early 2009, so it was great to finally use some of my new found skills for myself, and not just for my clients. I also tried out some new techniques on my new website, which I potentially plan to use for some of my client projects too – so I guess you could say that my new website was a bit of a “guinea pig”.

Nonetheless, I believe my new website is a big improvement on my previous website:

• with the obvious addition of the Blog section from which you’re reading this article now,
• the better structuring and layout of the Portfolio section,
• the improved Get a Quote form and individual quote forms accessible via the Home page.
• and naturally, the more attractive website design overall.

Along with the release of my new website, I look forward to taking on new projects, challenging myself, meeting and helping new people and businesses succeed, along with whatever the future holds for me and Exist Online.

MSY Technology Pty Ltd sell computer packages, parts, accessories and more. They have 26 stores located Australia-wide and have more than 14 years experience in the IT industry. With top brands that cost you no more, they have the best prices every day with the widest range. Contact MSY Technology today to get yourself a great deal. “MSY Technology – The name you can trust!”

Projects

• Christmas Madness Sale Catalog 2010 (8 pages)

Services Provided

• Graphic Design

Working from a studio in Paddington, Brisbane, Sara Meredith Designer Florist specialises in exclusive floral designs and decorations for your wedding or event. Sara is a qualified florist with over 10 years experience. Only using the highest quality flowers available, from the best local growers, Sara will create an effective and stylish package to compliment the style, theme and location of your special occasion.

Client Testimonial

“When I made the decision to redevelop my website, I was very lucky to find Exist Online. I loved Geoff’s design concepts from the minute I saw them, he made the whole process easy and simple. My new website looks amazing and is very functional. The price I paid for the service and quality I received is beyond comparison – I would recommend Exist Online to anyone.” - Sara Meredith

Projects

• Website
• Blog

Services Provided

• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.sarameredith.com.au

Axial Group is a Queensland based group of companies, providing technical education and training, skilled personnel hire, and recruitment services. Axial Group’s Online Training offers high quality online training courses including their White Card Induction course, which has been developed for those who wish to gain access to work in the construction industry.

Projects

• Axial Group Flash e-Learning Activities
• Broadcast Australia Flash e-Learning Activities
• Digital Marketing Demonstration Video

Services Provided

• Flash Development
• Multimedia

Digital Marketing Demonstration Video

• Axial Group Marketing Demonstration Video

Francis L Albrew is an artist specialising in hand-crafted jewellery, photography, drawings, paintings and anything else arty she gets her hands on.

Projects

• Website

Services Provided

• E-Commerce (Shopping Cart)
• Web Design
• Web Development
• Content Management System (CMS)
• Google Analytics

Website

• www.flalbrew.com