Dion Moult Seriously who ever reads this description.

Perspective Failure

On 12 February 2009 with 23 comments

trevor-as-artistAn experienced website designer can look at a website and instantly pick out the flaws down to pixel perfect alignment issues. Today looking at the newly printed Perspective magazines, I was disappointed.

It had something to do with the fact that there were unwanted grey borders around our gradiented background boxes (they should’ve been borderless!) which clashed horribly with the text. It also had to do with the stunning TWO editions which turned out instead of the lovely red one I was expecting. We now have Perspective: Bromine Edition and Perspective: Dirty-Swamp-Green Edition. Well, arguably the colours do look quite nice, but THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE COLOUR.  Not a clear difference between half the issues. “Hey there, how come yours looks a strange colour compared to mine?” Not to mention STUNNING visual effects such as blur, smudge, ink-splatter, and shadow being applied on the text, making it look visually rich and appealing . With these new additions, you will surely be a professional at answering CAPTCHA questions. (those “please enter the text in the photo” things on websites to check whether or not you’re a robot – normally featuring distorted text). Oh, and did I forget about the modern 3D technology used to produce anagliffs for random photos? (Anagliffs are those generated images such that if you look at them through red-green 3D glasses they look 3D) That’s right, but we don’t ship with the glasses. Conclusion? The printer has made nothing short of vandalism of our hard work.

Skimming very -very- quickly through the booklet you might not notice these defects enhancements, but will notice several mysterious visual apparitions artistically misaligned double sets of pages, with an obvious difference in colour between the left and right pages.

I quite liked the front page and the upgrades I did to the inner page templates (including fashionably fake curled up pages where the page number and category could be displayed – but these printing issues have truly cast a dark shadow over these improvements. The printers have done a fine job of coming a stunning 5-6 hours late on their promised delivery time both times we’ve worked with them, and their annoying ringtone (take me into your heart!) does little to appease the humour as we try to predict their true arrival time and next creative excuse.

I also want to take this opportunity that I have a newfound resentment to being called the Layout Editor. I didn’t sign up to be a Layout Editor. From here on out, I shall be referred to as The Layout Designer, or any title which has the word “Designer” in it. The reason? The job of a Layout Editor is to edit the freaking layout – that is to position boxes of text and images so that they fit on a page. I’m sorry, but last time I checked, I’ve seen this done by a 3 year old. Heck, we all do it when writing our essays (which have pictures). Before I came to this position, the magazine was quite literally just arranged boxes of text with some boxes that had another colour to differentiate articles from one another. I don’t blame the Layout Editor then- I don’t think he was well known for creativity (not really an insult, he was exceptional in other areas and still is). However this time, I’m sure people have noticed the big differences – though they are limited to the front page template and the inner page template.  To me, out of the 28 pages in this issue, I actually designed 2. That’s 7%. Wow, I didn’t even hit double digits. There is so much that can be done to visually enhance (now not in the sarcastic sense of the phrase) each and every single page, and this is simply not being done at the moment.

You see, currently the process is that every single “meeting” we in general don’t get anything done, then we wait for everybody to submit their articles late, then we cram in the “designing” stage at the very end. For this issue, the “designing” stage lasted 1 day. For 28 pages. Like mentioned before, all it consisted of was two slightly edited page templates and stacked boxes of text. I’m sorry – but how about this: we actually make designing part of the creation process, and not just shove it to a shoddy job done at the very end of the production line when the release date is in a weeks time.

Ask another designer to accomplish this feat and they will say  flat out “screw you”. It’s impossible to do. They are not going to waste their time stressing over such crappy time schedules. No matter how much money you offer them, they will not do it. It’s almost as bad as the time I got asked to do a 10 minute animation in 2 days. Those 2 days can take a running jump for all I care.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention that we don’t really want you to design during that time. We just want you to put boxes on a page.

“Sure”, says the designer. I’ll do it. Except might I quickly correct something? That is NOT design.

The excuse we’re using is that “we don’t have time”. Screw time. If it’s going to take a long time, then it will – but it should NOT go out looking just like an arranged list of articles. I’ve known enough about website creation to know that you can create just another website, or you can take time and create a masterpiece. Believe me, any other web developer will know the difference between a polished website and a shoddily done one. Oh, so will hackers. Even decent web users can notice the difference.

If you so as respect my ideas on design and layouting, please drop me a comment on this post so I may persuade my stiff necked “lead editor” to allow me to rebel on the next issue – hopefully making something truly worth printing.

Edit: the grumpy looking picture was added because some people complained that this post was a “wall of text”. It was among the first results in Google images for “grumpy looking guy”.

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23 Comments

Aswan Yap says: (12 February 2009)

I’ll help. I can pick up indesign fast, be your Windows monkey.

Saw’s considering installing firefox on the systems as well as trying ubuntu on one or two of the computers. Apparently, primary is going towards Macs… wtf.

Mimhead says: (12 February 2009)

Well i do see your point
if you think that you know, you can spend a little more time and make it more the way you believe is more visually appealing to the masses, then go ahead!

(ALthough i am quite fond of your lead editor too if i may say so :P well i do hold nothing against either of you)

PLease, no conflict! :)

Clarkey says: (12 February 2009)

Choices are:

1, Suggest your ideas on a take it or leave it basis. No compramise!
2, Walk out with your dignity and pride!
3, Become a tool and do as instructed as your editor laughs you out of his office.
4, All three @_@?

So yeah, might as well give improvements another shot.

Jessica says: (12 February 2009)

I haven’t actually picked up a copy of Perspective, but I will tomorrow if I remember. I guess I’ll have to choose between Bromine and Dirty-Swamp-Green.

*pfft* 5-6 hours late. ‘Malaysian time’ right there.

But in truth, what you’re doing must suck… Sounds nasty, anyway. I’ll make sure to look out for your adjustments =)

‘Designer’ sounds way nicer than Editor, but I think that’s just ‘cos I’m an art student and anything with ‘design’ in it is usually preferred. ^^

On a final note, hope all goes well with the next issue!

Taz says: (12 February 2009)

oh that really sucks, if they want you to design – you should be free to get creative!

Hyun tae says: (12 February 2009)

well yea, Aswan’s willing to help and well since perspective involves alot of teamwork, a few early entries will make a better magazine for everyone overall…

either way, making something better isnt a bad idea is it?

Jonas says: (12 February 2009)

oh that really sucks, if they want you to design – you should be free to get creative!

By Taz on Feb 12, 2009

Word.

C0mBineD says: (12 February 2009)

I am a designer myself and I see where you are coming from dude. making an entire design in 1 single day is impossible you need atleast a week or something, it just cant be done otherwise.
a designer doesnt just put boxes on a page. he/she makes a design hence the name.
time is the issue here and it needs fixing.
if people go and buy a magazine but it looks plain they wont bother reading it. but if it looks fancy and all amazing with fancy fonts and images and a nice background slapped on and nicely organised. then they would be much much more interested in reading it! you see the importance of design here?
I hope my comment helped. good luck

Jz says: (12 February 2009)

Hey, i feel you man,

I would loved my school to get us Mags like yours does, haha.
But my school would prolly screw things up too.

Nyways, i understand the stress when you’re asked to get a design done in a short period of time. That sucked, and the product would suck too.
Should have given more time on it.

And the previous mags lookin’ good,
would love to see updates on these.

cheers,

David Tan says: (12 February 2009)

hey guys, it looks like u guys probably need to find a new printer company if they’re so inefficient..or at least try to negotiate a discount every time they deliver late..as for dion’s predicament, u should arrange a meeting with everyone and talk about it and sort it out. Dion tells me that the editors are doing things last minute..set deadlines, pressure ppl to submit articles on time..but im guessing uve already done that. i guess put more pressure on them to get things done

JL says: (12 February 2009)

Being someone who knows the thorough work to get good designs done, I can somehow feel your frustrations/disappointment.

But again, what is done, is done for.

Connor Coghlan says: (13 February 2009)

It seems like they just want it to look bad. If they really wanted a decent looking magazine, they would listen to you and do as you, the layout designer, say.

It’s like a director telling a musician what they can and can’t do. It’s not their expertise, and they would be better off leaving it in the hands of someone who excels at it.

Good luck getting more freedom in the next one.

Nathan says: (13 February 2009)

In theory, you’re right. A designer should be able to spend enough time to do their web. However, in the corporate world, time is money. Eventually you will learn how to work under strict deadlines and under limited creativity.

Though, your situation does seem a bit extreme. In most cases a designer has the freedom to do as he or she wishes, granted you know the direction of your company.

Jackson Sabey says: (13 February 2009)

Taz summed up what I was going to say.

Dana says: (13 February 2009)

“It’s almost as bad as the time I got asked to do a 10 minute animation in 2 days.”

You made the most of it that time, in more than one way. If only there was a similar print alternative that isn’t ‘so-last-year’ anymore. (Got rickroll’d TWICE yesterday…who does that shit anymore?)

About next time… Most importantly, get the base design done before anything else. Set a deadline two or so weeks before the release date for finished (and edited) articles so you’ll have a week to finish any fancy la-di-das. Any articles that miss the deadline can go on the next issue, no problem.

And get a new printer/supplier. This one seems cheap; GIS should aim higher, being such an expensive school.

Dana says: (13 February 2009)

Oh – and good luck.

p. says: (13 February 2009)

i’d suppose designers ARE allowed to design in whichever and whatever method and way they want.after all,why do they need a designer anyway?
it isn’t that bad.the perspective-i mean.

Dion Moult says: (13 February 2009)

I’m not saying the design is bad (how could I haha), and I would like to clear any misconception that I personally have a huge grudge over the system.

What I am saying is that the “design” stage of the creation is at the moment undervalued – or another way would be to say there isn’t enough emphasis being put on it. What is needed is for people to realise that design isn’t just at the last stage in the creation process where bits and pieces are just lumped together – not to mention a deadline coming up for printing. Design takes time, and this should be respected – time must be allocated so that proper design can take place, not just the minor changes made to the page templates and colourscheme for each issue. When I see writers slacking each meeting, I think there is something nobody can deny that is wrong with the scheduling.

What I would like is to be able to design each and every page, not just pile boxes of text with the occasional image. – and as I said to somebody the other day: “I know the difference between good design and a sociology poster”. For this to happen, writers need to be pressured to submit earlier, article titles and themes must be confirmed a LOT earlier, instead of a i’m-not-sure-if-this-is-going-in-or-not, and finally the printers need to sort themselves out. They might be colour blind, but I doubt most of us are.

Again thank you for your comments, and hopefully sometime this week I will be able to post up a snapshot of this Perspective issue.

Bryan says: (15 February 2009)

I agree with you wholeheartedly. A designer should be allowed to do his/her job, that is designing. Rushed work simply just doesn’t reflect a designer’s true potential. A designer should get his/her own reasonable freedom to let the creative juices flow.

Good luck, I wanna see the snapshot! :P

Justin says: (15 February 2009)

Your printer making mincemeat of your work == send them a very nasty letter, and go elsewhere, at the very least.

eriko says: (15 February 2009)

mr. layout designer, I bear with you. luckily you have got yourself an army of like-minded designers ready to crush the opression. or something.

:)

Dion Moult says: (16 February 2009)

Apparently this post caused a bit of a dispute by an editor. I think the most sensible thing to do now is to start by preventing further comments on this post.

Should this escalate, the post itself will be removed (with a privately kept archive in case references need to be made)

thinkMoult » Blog Archive » Perspective Magazine Feb 09 Released! says: (16 February 2009)

[...] slightly more unfortunate news, apparently my previous post about the importance of the design phase in Perspective has caused one of the editors in the team to be quite angry. I’m not quite certain what [...]

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Dion Moult

Born in 1992 (do the math), Male, and floating around the GMT+8 timezone. I do graphic design, some 3D work, and I'm currently working on a "soon" to be released 3D animated movie. I do some programming here and there and have become fluent in XHTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL. Web development is my main area of computer expertise but I always have some weird and fantastic projects being juggled around my schedule. I like the concept of open-source and run Gentoo Linux. I play the piano and compose music. I hate this blog design but I'm never happy with any design. I am currently a student and working part time as a webdeveloper.

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