After the first year, it was time to consider what improvements were in order. For example, what about the location of the monthly pages; keep them up front, or slip them within the appropriate weeks? The cover raised several questions: alter the design, make it more durable, should it be a dark color? What about the holidays? Who knew there were that many to choose from? Because the design-print-sell cycle is so demanding, there was only a few months to make all of these decisions.
With the help of a new graphics person, I updated the appearance of the cover. Working with the printer, we found a way to both stiffen the cover and make it moisture-resistant and yet keep the cost down. For now, I decided that a white cover is fine and we’ll keep the monthly pages up front where they are.
All of these plans and decisions took much discussion, research and some agonizing. I listen closely to the feedback I get and continue to try to make this the most usable and accessible product of its kind.