04/23/10: Ipad: Savior or Servant?
I teach two graduate courses in a masters of publishing program. The courses are introductions to design software, with an emphasis on its uses in the publishing industry. Publishing students are drawn to the industry for one thing (and believe me, it’s not the money)—a passion for reading. Traditionally, these students gravitated into one of two areas: magazines or books. Today, we are at a dangerous crossroads for both areas. Those who still have publishing jobs (for so many have been tossed to the curb lately) are biting their nails and waiting for the ax to drop at any minute. This publishing blood bath is around us in the folding of big magazines (Talk, dwell, etc), the narrowing of book lists, and the swallowing of imprints. Unlike those in the music industry, publishing professionals have been looking for a way to save the book (or magazine) using digital technology. E-readers were a good start, but price fixing at Amazon has soured many publishers and its black and white format does not translate to magazines. So along comes the Ipad and industry experts are jumping on the bandwagon. Is it the answer or just another fancy way to put a book on a screen? I think it’s a little of both.
Yes, Apple has been more willing to work with the publishing industry (magazines, newspapers, and books) on pricing. Yes, the Ipad is smaller and cheaper than a laptop. Yes, it is VERY pretty and is full color. However, I had a chance to test drive an ipad the other day and I’m not totally convinced. I know that I am a dinosaur when it comes to books and magazines. I enjoy the tactile nature of them—I like turning the pages—I really enjoy the eyeball break (I get tired of looking at a screen all day). I also like the size and weight of books and magazines. Neither is too precious to drop on the floor, accidently leave at someone’s house, or drop in a bathtub. I worry a little bit about the fragility of an Ipad and the forced experience that creates. Reading on a screen comes scarily close to “work.” There’s something nice about leisurely reading a book in the park. But there’s something depressing about stretching out on a sunny day with a screen in front of you.
Moreover, I’ve just started reading to my son and I cannot imagine us curling up on the couch with an ipad. I’d be freaking out about his grubby hands all over my $600 piece of equipment. Knowing that he will be permanently gluing his eyes to a screen in a few years, it’s nice to spend time with him away from that inevitable technology shift. (Plus, can you really endorse chewing the corner of an Ipad?)
Nevertheless, I can see where an ipad would be great—i have way too many books in my house and not enough places to store them. I’ve also read some pretty bad airport novels that I think would be perfect on an ipad. (An ipad seems perfectly suited for airplane travel, books, movies, music, email all in one device without the clunky nature of a laptop…) I think it would promote me to be a little more experimental in my purchases because I wouldn’t be so swayed by the brick and mortar shopping experience (which I love by the way).
So the next year will be an interesting one for publishing. In the meantime, I’ll still teach InDesign and Photoshop. I’m banking on the idea that if you know the basics, it can’t be too hard to adapt our printed friend to an e-reader format, right?
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03/15/10: Why Your Nonprofit Needs an Annual Report
In an economic climate where corporate and individual donors are cutting back, the annual report is now a crucial part of doing business for a nonprofit. Since nonprofits do not have shareholders, the annual report is not a detailed accounting statement—instead, it’s a yearly celebration of an organization’s accomplishments and an opportunity to tell a detailed story to donors and the public. In fact, in all of the reports I’ve designed, the financials typically only occupy two pages out of a 16-24 page total. This is not to say that the fiscal story is not important, but the annual report can serve a nonprofit in many unique capacities. What are some of these benefits?
1. The annual report is a pivotal way to reach out to donors—both past and present. It details successful programs and circles these programs back to the mission of the organization. Photos augment the story in a way that a simple financial statement cannot. The annual report reveals to existing donors that their contributions have made a difference and the money was well spent (and hey, why not give a little more?!). For potential donors, it tells the story that this is a serious organization that uses its money on initiatives that make a difference and actually work.
2. The annual report also provides an opportunity for the nonprofit to sit down and evaluate its programs by writing up success stories. Too often we are bogged down with work and don’t take a long look at what happened over a year. An annual report forces organizations to evaluate their work and see what worked and what didn’t.
3. Annual reports reinforce the brand. A consistent visual look keeps the nonprofit in the public’s mind. Whether you are rolling out a new look for your organization, or trying to maintain a consistent look year-after-year, the annual report puts a new visual twist on your organization’s face.
4. Annual reports do not have to be expensive! Some organizations save money by not printing the report at all, and just creating a pdf download accessible from their website. Eblasts encourage people to visit the site and download the report. Many organizations choose to do both, a pdf download and an inexpensive digital print run. This is an excellent way to cut costs but still tell a detailed story that cannot be told via the web.
5. Annual reports tell your board what’s going on “on the ground.” Board members play a key role in allocation of resources and planning. They usually are industry experts or people passionate about the cause, but the reality is that most board members are incredibly busy people who occupy a lot of roles in different companies and organizations. An annual report is a good way to summarize the year’s activities and tell board members how their contributions to the organization were executed by staff and volunteers.
6. People like to see their names in print. Really. Including donor lists and acknowledgements makes people feel proud of their contributions.
If you are interested in collaborating on an annual report this year, don’t hesitate to call me. Let’s tell your story!
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01/28/10: The Future Is Now
Apparently while I was changing diapers and fretting about daycare, the future arrived. It’s 2010 – a year that sounded so distant for many years, and yet here we are. I still don’t have a ticket to Clavius, I don’t have a jet pack, and my garbage is not being converted to fuel. As I look around, 2010 looks a lot like 2009, and frankly, a lot like 2007 or 2001, or heck, even 1998, except we can buy more stuff online and I’ve developed miniature lines around my eyes.
I’ve been contemplating what we can do to make 2010 feel more like the 2010 of my fantasy and decided to just a pick another year to project “the future” on. So, did you know that 2025 is going to be awesome? I can’t wait for my hover car and the end of global warming!
In the mean time, I guess I’ll focus on the present. Anyone need a designer?
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11/18/09: “Annoying” quotations “irk” me
Before i was a graphic designer I was an editor, ok, more like an editorial assistant. I had a succession of terrible jobs that included editing indoor air quality newsletters and historical dictionaries. At one of these jobs I had an evil boss. She had all sorts of weird trust issues, which she manifested by setting up editorial traps designed to publicly humiliate me (a direct quote in the editor’s room from her: “Jeez, who corrected the year for the Battle of Trafalgar? Me: “Um, I did. It said 1803 on the proof.” Her: “Uh, duh. EVERYONE knows it’s 1805.” Really? Does everyone know that?). She was 3 years older than me but she dressed like an old maid and referred to me as “kid,” as in, “Kid, Can you copy these 400 pages for me?” One of the most awful tasks she assigned to me was to read the Chicago Manual of Style cover to cover. In front of her. Seriously. This is not a book people read, it’s a reference book people look at when they want to know whether to use a serial comma or captialize president (capitalize when using as a title but not as a noun).
Anyhow, this 3-day miserable grind ended up being a blessing and a curse. The blessing: by reading the book, I actually learned quite a bit and knew where to find salient information quickly. The curse: I became completely intolerant of many grammatical and punctuation inconsistencies, the most egregious being misuse of quotation marks. I “hate” it (see how annoying that is?). The worst part is that this problem is omnipresent (see above annoying picture for evidence…why isn’t it just Welch’s Grape Soda? Ok, i’ll give some leeway on the word “grape” but I don’t think that’s the intention here).
Now every time I see signs or documents like this, I have to resist the urge to take out my trusty red pen and cross out. I still do it mentally though.
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