Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!bu-cs!bucsb!dfickes
From: dfickes@bucsb.UUCP (David Fickes)
Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop
Subject: Re: Typography--Was Re: ventura
Message-ID: <2597@bucsb.UUCP>
Date: 6 Jun 89 05:16:07 GMT
References: <4062@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <2733@portia.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: dfickes@bucsb.bu.edu (David Fickes)
Followup-To: comp.text.desktop
Organization: Expert Publishing Group
Lines: 39

Can we drop the flames and leave the engineers at home.  As a pub
professional (publisher), I have discovered man things.

1. Design can be easy.
2. Design can be a bear
3. Everyone has an opinion.
4. Most opinions are valid.
5. Two opinions are better than one but committees are worse.
6. The skill is knowing the elements.
7. Engineers tend to think they are always right.
8. Engineers have some of the ugliest resumes and newsletters on earth.

Every time I've discussed a design with a client, they usually respond
with amazement that so much thought goes into each element.  Documentation
design is easier than book design which is easier than magazine design (
a personal opinion primarily based on time schedules and variables).

The kicker is that I never claim any serious design skill and instead
rely on a series of designers who are trained to be good.  I usually
have a LOT of input but I customarily outline the project and then
suggest modification to the 5-10 concept ideas they come up with.

There are LOTS of ugly designs.  I'd suggest for a basic education that
you look at MIPS (pretty good but too tight of text) or HIPPOCRATES
which is excellent overall and consistently so each month.  Its not
the tools that make a good design but ability.  I have my own favorites
of course and most people have theirs but I find the dismissal of
the skills involved very short-sighted.

- david




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David K. Fickes     				Expert Publishing Group
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