Microsoft product advertising
Santoro, Beth M.
"PhotoDraw 2000"...? The ones that say, "Who needs a
graphic designer?"
The advertising states, verbatim :
"
Now you don't need graphic design training to create eye-catching business
graphics for use in your documents, presentations, and on the Web.
From customized photos and logos to three-dimensional text and Web banners,
Microsoft PhotoDraw makes it easy to get professional-looking results every
time.
Create custom graphics for use in Microsoft FrontPage®, Microsoft Word,
Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Publisher, and other programs.
Protect your investment by creating images once and using them again and
again in a variety of media.
"
To see for yourself, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/office/2000/Photodraw/Brochure/default.htm
The reasons why this is annoying are obvious, right?
BTW, would you rather have professional results, or "professional-LOOKING"
results?
Beth
Don Hosek
this sort of advertising the same people who would be our clients? I think
not.
I have yet to hear a single professional photographer complain about
autofocus cameras or Advantix. Why so much angst among graphic designers?
-dh
---
Don Hosek dho...@quixote.com Quixote Digital Typography
312-953-3679 fax: 312-803-0698 orders: 800-810-3311
For information about SERIF: THE MAGAZINE OF TYPE & TYPOGRAPHY,
http://www.quixote.com/serif/ or mail serif...@quixote.com
Travis Wall
>you rather have professional results, or "professional-LOOKING"
>results?
You know, I did a paper for my communications
course on Word 97 and they said exactly the same
thing for Word: Professional *looking* documents
as opposed to pro quality. Anyway I'm certainly not
worried - the 'new document' button assuredly won't
open a dialog box with the 'create mediocre design',
'create good design', or 'create award winning'
design radiobuttons (at least not ones which work).
Besides would you want a client who figures they
can do it on their own? (If you do, you've likely never
had one ;)
regards all
---
Travis Wall, Graphic Designer
Defiance Visual Industries
'Simple pleasures are the last
refuge of the complex'
--- (Oscar Wilde)
Nguyen, Phan
> Now you don't need graphic design training to create eye-catching business
> graphics for use in your documents, presentations, and on the Web.
>
eye-catching than drop shadows.
> Protect your investment by creating images once and using them again and
> again in a variety of media.
>
Maybe, but if I see another use of that cheesy '50s stock photo of the
smiling guy with the buzz cut who's holding up the cup of coffee, I'm gonna
go ballistic.
Nguyen, Phan
> But are people who are going to buy something like this and get taken in
> by
> this sort of advertising the same people who would be our clients? I think
> not.
>
the concept of graphic design, just like knockoff font CD-Roms devalue the
original type designs.
> I have yet to hear a single professional photographer complain about
> autofocus cameras or Advantix. Why so much angst among graphic designers?
>
Good question, but I think the analogy is inappropriate. Professional
photography--generally speaking, the kind to be viewed as art or to be used
in "serious" magazines--is already seen as separate from the kind of
photography used for family photo albums and vacation trips.
On the other hand all graphic design is meant to communicate along the same
lines. The public sees no difference in intent between drop shadow style DTP
and more "professional" graphic design. DTP is trying to look as
professional as possible, which is not the case of a Polaroid of one's pet
gerbil.
Why so much angst? For me, as I said, it devalues the concept of graphic
design, which is to communicate. Consumer-market graphic design software
trivializes this concept. Graphic design is already misconstrued by the
public as simply being the art of making things look pretty, or cool, or
visually exciting.
The more important idea of communicating a message is lost. Classes are
being taught on "graphic design for the World Wide Web." Their concept of
graphic design should stay away from the World Wide Web. There is so much
visual clutter everywhere because "graphic design" has gotten in the way.
Today, with more people than ever having access to visual communication
media, it is essential that primary schools teach information design and
communcation graphics. The ability to communicate well is not necessarily
instinctive.
And when I speak of graphic design as communication, I don't mean graphic
design shoud just be a dull kind of "crystal goblet" modernism. Graphic
design should stay innovative, challenging, and experimental. But success
should be measured by how well you convey the message the way you intended
to, and not by how much you can impress yourself.
(Side note: At the ATypI conference last month one professional
designer/typographer/teacher mentioned that he was being paid by a certain
top-ranking graphic design firm to teach them the *basics* of typography.
Apparently this firm rose to the top having known the basics, and in order
to stay at the top, they feel they must now learn what they should have
learned from the start.)
Richard Weltz
Beth quotes Microsoft fun facts:
> Now you don't need graphic design training to create eye-catching business
> graphics for use in your documents, presentations, and on the Web.
> >>
Translators retch at the ads for software that supposedly translates from one
language to another (none of it worth a damn) so a skilled linguist is
supposedly unnecessary.
Typographers used to put up (although we got the FTC to stop one campaign)
with ads telling clients that, with the advertiser's system, "your secretary
can be a typesetter in just two weeks" and anybody in your office "can typeset
beautiful headlines for only pennies a word."
Now similar crap is being peddled about graphic designers. It rankles, doesn't
it?
-- Dick Weltz, Spectrum Multilanguage Communications, NYC
America's Premier Translators/Foreign Language Typographers
================================================
Info, humor, tips, freebies, and more! Enjoy a visit to
Language News & Notes at -- http://come.to/spectrum
Peter Williams
-------------------
Now you don't need to know anything about yucky old html or
web servers to make your very own internet or intranet sites.
Turns a typist/secretary into a web design guru in minutes.
Marketing nonsense over reality and truth.
Peter Williams
LAN Support/Webmaster
will...@hendersons.com.au
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TYPO-L Discussion of Type and Typographic Design
> [mailto:TYP...@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE]On Behalf Of Santoro, Beth M.
> Subject: Microsoft product advertising
>
>
> Has anyone seen the ads for this new Microsoft product,
> "PhotoDraw 2000"...? The ones that say, "Who needs a
> graphic designer?"
>
> The advertising states, verbatim :
> "
James Shields
>"PhotoDraw 2000"...? The ones that say, "Who needs a
>graphic designer?"
I don't think your jobs are in danger yet!
Personally I believe that any software which expands people's ability to be
creative is a good thing. Of course people will make a mess of it and
produce ugly results, but there will also be those who will use it to
produce genuinely excellent design.
I agree the gung-ho marketing attitude of "anyone can produce results as
good as a graphic designer" are perhaps a wee bit over the top, but I still
agree with the principal of opening up design to more people.
Aside from anything else, there are plenty of "designers" who have learned
how to use a piece of software, but have completely failed to pick up any
concepts of good design. I know from experience that there are plenty of
people who have a good eye for design, but have find traditional design
software too intimidating. Maybe a package such as this would give them a
gentler introduction and they could move up to "real" packages later.
James
Hrant H. Papazian
> Personally I believe that any software which expands people's
> ability to be creative is a good thing.
Well, yes, but the fault in this case doesn't lie with the
programmers of the software or its users. The culprits are
the marketing people who wrote that disinformation.
Instead of effectively lying in saying "this software will
give you design skills", it would be OK if they said "this
software *could* bring out design skills you *might* have".
But how many sales is that line (or the truth in general)
gonna generate...
hhp
Christopher R. Maden
> Instead of effectively lying in saying "this software will give you
> design skills", it would be OK if they said "this software *could*
> bring out design skills you *might* have". But how many sales is
> that line (or the truth in general) gonna generate...
Folks, this ad is nothing new. I heard almost the exact same copy on
the radio this spring for PageMaker.
Not that I *approve* of it, of course. But for once, this isn't a
case of Microsoft plumbing new depths of questionability.
-crism
--
"Prince and pauper, junior and whopper, a world made up of silver and
copper; under my own volition, I took a change of position."
- Moxy Früvous, "The King of Spain"
<URL:http://www.shore.net/%7Ecrism/>
Richard Weltz
<< >
Maybe not, but it still influences the client. More importantly it devalues
the concept of graphic design, just like knockoff font CD-Roms devalue the
original type designs.
>>
You have hit the nail precisely on the head. The joker who actually buys and
uses so-called automated translation, typesetting, or design software is not
the problem. He quickly discovers that it is not so simple after all. The
problem is with the people who see the advertising but don't buy in --
preferring to let professionals handle the work; except that the advertising
has made that work seem much easier and less valuable.
When Typositor advertised that anyone could set headlines "for pennies a
word," what did the customer who *didn't* buy his own machine think about the
real-world shops who were charging several dollars a word?
-- Dick Weltz, Spectrum Multilanguage Communications, NYC
America's Premier Translators/Foreign Language Typographers
==================================================
Happy New Year: Other Cultures, Other Calendars, Other Ways
to express New Year's wishes -- at http://come.to/spectrum
Roy Preston
>I have yet to hear a single professional photographer complain about
>autofocus cameras or Advantix. Why so much angst among graphic designers?
Maybe 'cos autofocus is a pencil sharpener and not the pencil? Or:
Autofocus is a plug-in, not the product? Or. . .
I'll get my coat then. . .;-)
Roy P
Rodger Whitlock
wrote:
> ...if I see another use of that cheesy '50s stock photo of the
> smiling guy with the buzz cut who's holding up the cup of coffee,
> I'm gonna go ballistic.
Speaking of stock photos reminds me of something that may bring a
smile to a few faces. I'm sure most typo-lers are at least passingly
familiar with various collections of cartoonish clip art from Image
Club. Perhaps you've even wondered about the original sources
of these, as many are clearly taken from publications of an earlier
time.
Well, at least one smiling little man (there's the Phan connection)
turns out to be taken from porn! There's an amazing book "Tijuana
Bibles" that includes a large assortment of filthy little 8-page
comic books from the 20s through the 50s, and amongst them, if you
look carefully amid the randy Donald Ducks and lust-filled Gasoline
Alley types, you will see a familiar face. Who at Image Club
collects Tijuana Bibles, one wonders?
One can only smile at the prospect of this little dude being used in
contexts quite different from the original: "Come to our friendly
church this Sunday!" <insert smiley of choice>
----
Rodger Whitlock
The Worsley Press
product advertising:
"Now you don't need to know anything about yucky old html or
web servers to make your very own internet or intranet sites.
Turns a typist/secretary into a web design guru in minutes."
Back in 1961 I ranted against ads in England which said: "If you can
tap your foot to a pop tune you can play drums right away. The three
chord trick can be mastered in 10 minutes. On the trumpet tighten
lips twice to make three banker notes. Valve permutations give 7
changes on banker notes -- 21 notes in a few days' practice."
'"It's easy" says Acker Bilk' (remember him?) was the headline.
Doesn't really seem to have done music any harm.
Gordon Woolf
The Worsley Press, Hastings, Victoria, Australia
Book publishers - newspaper page production
gor...@worsleypress.com | www.worsleypress.com
PageMaker info at www.worsleypress.com/newsletter.htm
krm
Stranger? shore?
krm
Roy Preston
Michel Bujardet
>I have yet to hear a single professional photographer complain about
>autofocus cameras or Advantix. Why so much angst among graphic designers?
>
I was a journalist in a photo magazine when professional cameras started
getting autofocus. I can tell you that professional photographers did not
like it a single bit.
I suppose any new technology encounters strong resistance from
professionals, partly because nobody likes change.
Any idiot can use an autofocus camera, but a professional will know how to
aim, choose the proper light, the proper instant, and all sorts of things
that are very difficult to automate. Nevertheless, because of countless
idiots with their new contraptions, quite a few good small town
photographers have been taken out of business, because nobody hired them to
take wedding pictures anymore.
Well... That's called progress, I guess...
Michel Bujardet, Match Software
http://www.matchfonts.com
James Shields
>Now similar crap is being peddled about graphic designers. It rankles,
doesn't
>it?
Yes it does. But as you point out, it's nothing new.
Right now I'm working on a new program which will allow any idiot to design
professional quality fonts. All you do is tell it what you want the font to
look like in plain English, and it produces the finished font for you...
Only kidding, by the way. ;-)
James
Richard elGuru[tm] Howland-Bolton
That's _Mr_ Acker Bilk to you
:-)
Charles Wahl
> Right now I'm working on a new program which will allow any idiot to design
> professional quality fonts. All you do is tell it what you want the font to
> look like in plain English, and it produces the finished font for you...
>
> Only kidding, by the way. ;-) >>
>
>I can guarantee, though, that if you advertise the program, you'll sell a few
>copies at least.
To art directors mostly. And talkitects.
--
Charles Wahl <cw...@interport.net>
Ignacio Frances
>Well, yes, but the fault in this case doesn't lie with the
>programmers of the software or its users. The culprits are
>the marketing people who wrote that disinformation.
I apologize to coming in late to this thread but no one has addressed a
simple solution that would probably blunt the claims advertised.
Shouldn't the ad copy reflect the probable fact that the packaging and
graphics were designed by a pro most probably using some other software.
An example would be TV ads carrying a disclaimer that the picture you see
in the ad is "simulated."
I recenly stepped out of a package design project for a competing product
to MS's primarily because it was totally controlled by "wizards" and in
reality creating graphics with it was a torture. I couldn't find any
enthusiasm for the product and walked away.
It seems people generally devalue designers, but everyone wants to prove
or buy the ability to be one.
Ignacio Frances
i...@boybeaver.com
krm
> Today, with more people than ever having access to visual
communication
> media, it is essential that primary schools teach information design and
> communcation graphics. The ability to communicate well is not necessarily
> instinctive.
>
> And when I speak of graphic design as communication, I don't mean graphic
> design shoud just be a dull kind of "crystal goblet" modernism. Graphic
> design should stay innovative, challenging, and experimental. But success
> should be measured by how well you convey the message the way you intended
> to...
Well said. But is it possible to know when you have done this well,
and could not have done it better? How does one isolate and rate
attempts at making a proper relationship between graphics and the
communication of a piece of information?
krm
Charles Wahl
> Besides would you want a client who figures they
> can do it on their own? (If you do, you've likely never
> had one ;)
My own opinion (pecuniary considerations set aside) is that clients who
give you to understand that they _can_ do all themselves, but it is simply
inconvenient, should be left to do so. Let them come back begging (Odd
Couple's parking garage manager: Yus'll be back, just like my mother was,
on her hands and knees), or get less qualified assistance elsewhere.
--
Charles Wahl <cw...@interport.net>