The Marketing and Communications Department is the voice of Porterville College, externally
promoting programs and services to potential students and internally communicating
important and relevant information to our current students, faculty, staff, administrators,
and partners.
We are responsible for Porterville College's internal and external communications,
media relations, publications, graphic design, web development, brand management, campus-wide
alerts, and emergency notifications.
We manage the print shop and duplication services on campus, including high volume
printing and production, classroom management of copy systems on campus, and copy
paper distribution.
Our department is dedicated to telling PC's stories with inclusivity, integrity and
transparency regardless of medium or channel used.
What We Do
Flyers
Posters
Official Documents and Reports
Catalogs
Brochures
Signage
Promotional Items – Design for imprint on promotional items, apparel, or “SWAG”)
Business Card or Physical Letterhead Requests (for digital versions of PC Letterhead
or for digital email signatures, contact Roger Perez at _________)
Print-Only Jobs – Reproduction of documents graphics or signs from a digital file
Copying – Reproduction of documents graphics or signs from a physical file
Cutting/Folding
Spiral Binding
Business Card Reproduction
Wide format printing
Requests for Paper - If you have a copier in your office or department and need paper,
please contact Dolores (preferably by email at dolores.meurer@portervillecollege.edu) to request copier paper
Video Production
Animation
Social Media Design
Digital Signage Content Creation
Presentation Design
Marketing Plan Creation
Print Display Ads
Digital Display ads
Television and Radio Ads
Billboard Design
Promotional Item Design
Vehicle Wrap Design
Signage, Wall Art, and Window Graphic Design
.
Communications Plan Creation
Internal Messaging
External Messaging
Crisis Communications
Partnership management and creation
Newsletter Creation
Web Postings and News Items
Press Release Creation and Distribution
Media Relations
Brand Narrative
Logo Design
Logo Use and Approval
Partnership Logo Use Management
Web Site Maintenance and Page Creation
Social Media Management
Form Creation
ADA Monitoring and Mitigation
Coding and software Integration
ENG/Field Videography
Studio Photography
Event Photography
Live Event Broadcast / Streaming
Podcasting
Studio Recording
To request any Communications & Marketing services, fill out our work order form:
Below are approximate turnaround times for different categories of Communications
and Marketing work. Please keep in mind that these times will vary depending on several
factors including the type of work being done and the number of jobs currently in
the queue.
Design
5-7 business days: a typical design job includes several steps -- fact finding, initial design ideas,
comp/initial proof, finalized design. Once the job begins (after the initial design
meeting), expect the first proof to be ready in 5-7 business days. The time to finalized
design will depend entirely on the time it takes to proof designs and the number of
subsequent drafts that are needed.
Print Only Jobs
1-3 days, depending on size of job: print job turnaround is dependent on several factors, including the size of your
job, the materials we have on hand, etc. In most cases, copy jobs will be completed
by the next working day after receipt. Please plan ahead and give us at least 24 hours
lead time for your requests.
Please submit a Print Request form with all printing requests.
All duplication requests will be completed in the order received, first come, first
served.
Web Design
5-7 business days (depending on the request)
Video Projects
Dependent on request (you will receive a time estimate at the start of the job)
Report Creation
Dependent on request (you will receive a time estimate at the start of the job)
Proofing a Project
One of the biggest variables in project completion is the time taken during, and the
accuracy of, the proofing process. Estimated project completion times depend on a
quick proofing process. The longer it takes to proof and approve a project, the longer
the project will ultimately take.
The onus is on the requestor to promptly and accurately proof their project drafts
and provide accurate feedback. We ask that you are as thorough as possible when you
proof a design or project and that you provide explicit meaningful feedback in a timely
fashion.
Please remember to include as many details as possible to keep the number of proofs
down. We do understand that several proofs may be required to get a job right, but
there is a limit to that number. Once a project has been returned to the proofing
stage three times it will add time to the project, and may force the project back
into the queue so as not to delay other projects in the queue. This will require another
design meeting to discuss the issues with the project and establish a proper direction
going forward.
Things to Keep in Mind When Proofing a Design
Proofing a design project is a collaborative process. The goal is to move the project
from "good" to "perfect" without getting bogged down in endless revisions.
Here is a guide to help you provide effective, actionable feedback when proofing a
design project:
Before diving into the typos, take a step back and look at the design as a whole.
Objectives First: Does this meet the original brief? Does it solve the problem you were looking to
solve with the project?
Audience Perspective: Try to view the design not as the requesting individual, but as your target customer.
Is the message clear to them? Put yourself in their shoes. Keep in mind that you may not be representative of
your target audience and, as such, something you find aesthetically appealing may
not always appeal to them.
Hierarchy: Where does your eye go first? Is the most important information the most prominent?
Is there too much information to clearly notice a hierarchy in the document?
Once you are happy with the overall direction, it is time to check the details.
Copy and Grammar: Designers are visual experts, not necessarily copy editors. Check every phone number,
email address, price, and proper noun. Read headlines backward to catch spelling errors
your brain might skip over.
Functionality (for Digital): Click every button. Check the design on your phone, not just your desktop. Do the
links go to the right places? Are any QR codes correct and working?
Images: Are the photos relevant? Do the people and setting of the images properly represent
your target demographic?
The way you phrase your feedback significantly impacts the speed and quality of the
revisions.
Consolidate Your Notes: Avoid sending multiple emails as you spot things. Wait until you (and your team)
have reviewed the entire piece, then send one comprehensive list.
Be Prescriptive with Problems, Not Solutions: Instead of saying, "Make the logo bigger and move it left," say, "I feel the branding is getting lost on the page." Let the designer figure out the best visual solution to that problem.
Be Specific: avoid vague terms like "make it pop", "make it jazzier", or “I don’t like it.” Use
concrete examples: "The contrast is too low here";"This headline feels too aggressive"; or, “I was looking for something that shows
more fun imagery.”
Mark Up the File: If possible, use Adobe Acrobat to leave comments directly on the design. We can assist
you with a file ready to mark up. A screenshot with a circle around the error is worth
a thousand words.
One Voice: If multiple stakeholders are reviewing the project, designate one person to collate
the feedback. Contradictory feedback from different departments (e.g., John wants
it blue, Tina wants it red) paralyzes the design team.
Respect the Rounds: Most external design firms will include a specific number of revision rounds. We
are no different. Treat each round seriously to avoid "scope creep" and unnecessary
time spent on the project.
