RE: Graphic design
Joanne Wittenbrook
When the publication has a marketing or advertising spin (it is attached to a product), it is still the creative director or art director who calls the shots on the visuals.
Joanne
"Condo, Candis" <cco...@c-cor.com> wrote:
Once upon a time (yes, this is a bedtime story) the job of the writer was to write. That has not been the case for most of us for over twenty years. The last time I was only a technical writer was back in 1982 when employed at Hewlett-Packard which had lots of money to throw at documentation, I had an artist, a photographer, a layout person and a print shop which took care of eveything while I wrote the user's guide. I was the person in charge of all those activities for my book, I coordinated the activities and I had the final say on the whole process but I did NOT do the whole process as is the case today. I did not do screen captures; I did not do the art or the photographics.
Where in the world do tech writers work where they only write?
Candis L Condo
---------------------------------
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-co...@lists.techwr-l.com on behalf of Joanne Wittenbrook
Sent: Sun 4/8/2007 8:48 AM
To: tech...@lists.techwr-l.com
Subject: Graphic design
>I am more interested in the production process and what I
>might need to do as input to, say, the four-color foldout that will be
>packed with our product. The manufacturer is doing some of the work, but
>I need to know about the production steps so I can estimate times and
>so I can help my manager decide what to insist that the manufacturer
>handle.
-------------------------------------------------------------
As the writer, you should not need to worry about color separation and plate making or even specifying type styles. The graphic designer/production artist should deal with getting the brochure print-ready.
The production cycle is usually that the designer does a layout complete with type specification (type style, size etc.) Pictures/photos/color specification etc. The writer receives a copy of the layout with word counts for the areas of the brochure. Sometimes for headlines a character count.
I was an art director for many years and it was never the realm of the technical writer to even think about the layout, pictures or print process. The job of the writer is to write. If the manufacturer is providing the layout/art it is their job to worry about making it print ready.
Joanne
Joanne Wittenbrook
The availability of desktop publishing software has turned many writers into "document creators". However, relying on a person who's entire career is spent focusing on design and visuals for that aspect of a publication is not necessarily "inefficient".
The trend to structured authoring removes the task of design and formatting from the hands of the writer. It frees the writers to do what they do best--write. It also results in content that is much easier to re-purpose for web, publishing or on-line help systems.
The notion of having writers focus only on writing may seem old-school, but the industry is trending back in that direction. There are people who have spent their careers doing it all, but large organizations recognize the efficiency of having people focus on what they do best.
Joanne
Al Geist <al.g...@geistassociates.com> wrote:
I totally disagree. The concept that a "writer is to write" is old school
and ignores the evolution of technical writing in the past ten years or
less.
Few writers today have the luxury of only "being a writer." I also think the
more you know about the entire publication process, the more valuable you
are to your company and to your team. I am presently working on a contract
where one member of the staff wants the "writers to just write" so another
contractor will be employed to do the entire layout and prepress. The result
is added inefficiencies and increased difficulty moving from old
print-driven methods of technical documentation to newer single-source
methods that output print in addition to video, CD-ROM, and web-based
products.
As for print production, writers no longer have to know all the
manufacturing steps required for good color separation. All they need to do
now is understand how to prepare a good PDF. Most printers expect PDF inputs
and they use them to the four-color separations. Understanding how to make a
good PDF is a simple matter of spending a few hours with your printer. (It's
not rocket science.)
I have worked as the lone writer most of my career (which includes graphic
arts, magazine publishing and professional photography) and most of that
career found my job description to be one thing, but the job requirements to
include a lot more. I've also found that most art directors try to keep
technical writers from getting involved in graphics and layout because of a
misconception that tech writers only write.
It's been a long time since I've been involved in a project where "writers
only write." Writers today also design web sites, develop interactive
training programs, create Flash and video programs, and the list goes on....
Al Geist
The availability of desktop publishing software has turned many writers into
"document creators". However, relying on a person who's entire career is
spent focusing on design and visuals for that aspect of a publication is not
necessarily "inefficient".
I'll give you that on the affects of desktop publishing software on the
publishing industry, but I have also interviewed too many "graphic" artists
who are that only because they took a course in DTP, just as I've
interviewed potential writers who think they can write because they took the
same DTP class. So, this argument swings both ways. I got into this field
long before Macs and PCs or DTP and I've been a professional photographer
for nearly 40 years. A good camera does not make you a photography and a new
desktop publishing program does not make you a writer or graphic artist.
The trend to structured authoring removes the task of design and formatting
from the hands of the writer. It frees the writers to do what they do
best--write. It also results in content that is much easier to re-purpose
for web, publishing or on-line help systems.
In my last few places of employment, the trend was just the opposite. In
one, we formed an in-house advertising agency where I worked as the
photographer, web developer, technical writer, and Help designer/writer. I
also designed a majority of the marketing collateral, including brochures,
pamphlets, convention posters, training handouts, etc. I agree that the
trend in some areas of writing is structured authoring, but that doesn't
mean that technical authors only write, or that they may be best at only
writing.
The notion of having writers focus only on writing may seem old-school, but
the industry is trending back in that direction. There are people who have
spent their careers doing it all, but large organizations recognize the
efficiency of having people focus on what they do best.
Again, I have to disagree. In some larger companies this may be the trend,
but in small companies, reducing labor costs is critical to being
competitive. As I mentioned before, I've worked with a number of companies
where the technical writing staff (me) worked closely with the
marketing/design staff (me and the VP of Marketing). In another company,
graphic design was outsourced and the outsourced graphic artist worked
closely with the technical writing staff (me). So, in my experience the
industry is heading in the opposite direction from what you state.
I'm not saying that there isn't a need for graphic artists, and the rule
that "writer's are there to write" may be valid in large organizations, but
most businesses in the world are not large organizations. In small
companies, the trend has been and will continue to make maximum use of
existing resources. A technical writer with graphics and photography
experience is a much more cost effective solution than employing two
individuals, each with specialized skills in one only area.
Al Geist
Technical Writing, Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design and Award Winning
Videos
Voice/Msg: 802-658-3140
Cell: 802-578-3964
E-mail: <mailto:al.g...@geistassociates.com>
mailto:al.g...@geistassociates.com
URL: http://www.geistassociates.com (Online portfolio and resume)
See also:
URL: http://www.geistimages.com (Fine art photographic prints for home or
office and beautiful note cards for all occasions.)
Dan Goldstein
companies where "the job of the writer is to write," and the writers
don't work in any aspect of graphic design.
At some of the companies I've written for, a technical writer who quotes
Joanne's definition wouldn't make it past the first interview. Technical
writers are often expected to do a lot more than just write.
Still, this is the scope of Joanne's experience, and it's pointless to
argue with her about it. A casual stroll through the TECHWR-L archives
will show how broad this field really is.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joanne Wittenbrook
> Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 8:23 PM
> To: Condo, Candis; tech...@lists.techwr-l.com
> Subject: RE: Graphic design
>
> It is the case in my current job. It has been the
> case throughout my 30-odd year career dealing with
> several companies, including Microsoft. It is
> still the case in the world of advertising, book
> and magazine publishing.
>
> When the publication has a marketing or advertising
> spin (it is attached to a product), it is still the
> creative director or art director who calls the
> shots on the visuals.
>
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