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by Andrew Lam-Po-Tang
Excerpt from a weekly e-mail newsletter on software that I subscribe to (http://www.download.com).
LAYOUT-O-MATIC
File size: 2.8MB
License: shareware ($10)
Minimum requirements: Windows 95/NT
Advances in media technology have made it possible for you to introduce
your thoughts to millions at once--yet two problems remain. First of
all, the most innovative communication tools are so complex that it's
easy to spend more time wrestling with the tools than actually coming up with
the resulting product. The second problem is the sheer arrogance of a
blank page: it just sits there, challenging you to come up with
something. In designing Web pages, that "something" means both layout and content.
Layout-o-Matic (not by Ronco) boosts you over the layout wall by helping
you quickly create your layout of choice, ready to be filled with
your choice content. Don't get stuck in the process of designing your paper;
lay your creative talents on the line and get straight to the content.
Mmm, now that's good layout:
Back in the "good old days," graphic designers barely knew what hit
them when Aldus brought out PageMaker* for the Mac, which was then
quickly followed by Ventura (for Wintel), Quark Xpress and Framemaker
(Wintel). There were a few other page layout programs that came and
went, but those were the biggies at the time. At the time, every one
laughed at how primitive the tools were (ie. no real typographic
control, etc.) but it only took about five years for the entire global
graphic design industry to migrate onto these tools - nowadays it's only
crusty old designers (and young ones with retro pretensions) that crap
on about designing without this stuff.
Oh yeah, and the bit that was REALLY important was the way that these
programs opened the floodgates of desktop publishing bureaus and inhouse
departments, followed shortly by a tidal wave of enthusiastic home
amateurs. Now everyone's a graphic designer, or at least the major
discount computer stores would like you to think so. And it is starting
to happen all over again with web design...
Two sentences in LAYOUT-O-MATIC.'s selling pitch stand out in
particular:
"the sheer arrogance of a blank page: it just sits there, challenging
you to come up with something"
"Don't get stuck in the process of designing your paper; lay your
creative talents on the line and get straight to the content."
Clever isn't it - the way that the user is encouraged to get indignant
about creativity and design. Hey, if we can't make the responsibility go
away, let's malign it and automate it instead!
Of course, things aren't quite the same this time around: the web was
FIRST populated by amateurs (unlike print design) and most major clients
have worked out that amateur-land doesn't cut it for commercial
websites.
However, that leaves a lot of smaller companies (ie. 90% of the
companies in Australia) who would be in the dark about how to tell a
good designer from a crap one. So here we go again - back out on the
road trying to convince a client that someone not unlike there 14 yr
whizzkid child is not really comparable to a pro - isn't it neat how
some challenges never really go away, no matter how many times you try?
What are you going say to your next web design prospect?
| Feedback by Emily Simoni | Tuesday, 9 December 2003 |
"sounds like what i have been saying for the last two year. Due to looking back at my life and WHY i have done things the way i have."
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The views expressed this article are not necessarily those of AGDA. Please note that the information in this article is the opinion of the author only. I can therefore accept no responsibility for actions taken on the basis of this information. Copyright Andrew Lam-Po-Tang (andrew@lam-po-tang com), 1998-2008. Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or to print, for personal use. Reprinting for non-personal use will require the express permission of the author (which I will generally be very happy to give).
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