2.5.2: Impact of Design on the Use of Resources

• When designing business communications, businesses need to consider:

  • Colour
  • Format
  • Time
  • Costs
  • Quality
  • Logistics (delivery)
• The quality of a business document or method of communication will reflect the quality of the product or service provided. If something is printed on poor quality paper, the standard of work or product will indicate to be poor quality aswell.
• There are different types of paper and card and different finishes and weight it can be produced on. For example, a business card should be printed on high quality card of 300GSM+, and promotional posters should be printed on 130-170GSM, paper.
• Printing documents in colour can be expensive, so businesses need to justify whether it is necessary. They should consider if it needs printing in colour, such as if there are graphs, or whether it is an internal document that doesn't need it printing in colour. They should also consider the cost implications and whether it is justifiable, such as promotional material which is justifiable.
• The format in which the business document will be communicated in impact whether it will be printed or not. Electronic versions may be more appropriate for internal communication as documents can be shared quickly and easily, whereas physical copies may be more appropriate for meetings and workshops.
• The costs of printing business communications is important when designing business documents as printing is expensive as it uses a range of resources, such as general office stationery, ink, toner and postage costs.
• If business communication is not electronic, it will need to be physically distributed by courier, post service or by hand, which has additional cost implications. This is logistics.
• Business communications can take a long time to produce, meaning that they need to planned in advance and pre-ordered so that reprographics staff can make sure they can complete it, as they are usually busy.