VSA Partners is a large Chicago-based creative agency that provides creative services to many of the world’s top brands such as Facebook, Harley-Davidson, IBM and many more. Chris Stuart manages the font server that helps 300 users stay creative and productive in this fast-paced shop. In an interview with Extensis expert Jim Kidwell, Chris shares how he meets the varying needs of his creative teams, and how they are looking to evolve to meet future needs.

1. VSA
Partners
Case Study
VSA PARTNERS:
Managing Fonts in a
Fast-Paced Agency

2. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Chris Stuart
• IT Manager
• 9 years serving creative agency IT needs

3. VSA
Partners
Case Study
VSA Partners
• 30 year old agency
• Offices in Chicago, NYC and Detroit
Notable clients:

4. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Life Before Universal Type Server
• Single user font management
• Ad-hoc installed with an system image
• Not really updated

5. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Server Configuration
• One Universal Type Server
• Client Licenses: 180
• Core Client Licenses: 120
• LDAP & Kerberos Single Sign-on
• Serve fonts to all offices from Chicago

6. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Universal Type Server
Initial Configuration
• Management of multiple font collections
serving disparate creative teams
• Consistent and reliable server
• Easy server configuration
• Local administration
• Three teams separated into separate workgroups
• Local personal workgroups

7. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Initial Configuration
Challenges
• Local personal workgroups
• Users shared fonts
• Font compliance nonexistent
• Multiple cuts of the same font in different formats
• Lack of consistency

8. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Universal Type Server
Reorganized Configuration
• Ensure font licensing compliance
• IT & Legal department push
• Built New Workgroups
• Old Fonts
• Client Font Workgroups
• Adobe Font Folio
• VSA Fonts
• Reintroduced Personal Workgroups

9. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Compliance Strategy
• Licensed Adobe Font Folio
• All fonts purchased by IT
• Requests made through helpdesk
• IT uploads fonts to server
• IT tracks licensing with UTS
• IT can now view server-based personal workgroups

10. VSA
Partners
Case Study
From the Client User’s
Perspective
• Easy access to font collection
• Ability to search and browse fonts
• Precise font activation
• Better ability to manage font libraries
• Standard part of creative toolset
• Easily recognized by new employees

11. VSA
Partners
Case Study
Core Client User’s
Perspective
• Users who need fonts who don’t know that they do
• Account Management, Project Management, Strategy,
Copywriters, Finance, etc.
• People who use Acrobat, PowerPoint, Keynote, Office
• Headless, so no user interaction