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> Of late, I have been producing websites with a graphical designer. This designer is not very familiar with what is and what is not possible/difficult/easy to do with PHP/HTML/MySQL/JavaScript/CSS, which are our tools. And she is not always timely in producing the designs on the schedule promised. So there have been some frustrations.
>
> On the other hand, the websites I create with this designer (who does, obviously, define the layout of the pages) are much more striking than the ones I would produce myself.
>
> So, on balance, although the process is much more complicated because there is another person in the loop, I am finding that the results justify the occasional aggravation.
[snipped]
> I'm sure Eric has gotten a lot of suggestions about how to eliminate the layout group from his documentation process, but my opinion is -- learn to work with them and you'll probably learn a lot about layout and design from them. These experiences will benefit you when you move on to your NEXT tech writing experience, in which you may need to do the layout.
>
Interesting observation. When I first read Eric's post, I had an
opinion that was off-center. Instead of going for the obvious, I went
to the web site and ordered a catalog. I don't know if the printed
matter I received was representative, but I was impressed. The catalog
I received would not be done with Framemaker, or Word, or XML. It is
coffee-table quality, if you know what I mean. It is
graphics-intensive, and not what most tech writers see in the way of
parts catalogs.
I'm sure there are other catalogs in the company, and my aim is not
100%. However, the production of catalogs in the company are obviously
a point of pride for the manufacturer. The most important point in the
process is the relationship with the printer.
Since I have done layout for high-end, and tech writing for many
industries, I understand that there are different end users. In
architectural components, emphasis is on the presentation which is
created for the designer,builder and home-owner. I'm sure there are
instructions and bulletins for the installer, but that is not where
the manufacturer makes money. They can lose some money during and
after the install, so some effort goes into helping the installer. But
the real dollars go into manufacturing and marketing.
As you mentioned, Emily, there are many things to learn. Not only will
you be able to take these other skills to the next tech-writing job,
but you may need them in the next non-writing job.
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