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Worth the Effort
I was raised in an academic atmosphere (my dad was a university professor), and I've written my share
of high-falutin' papers analyzing Shakespeare and Milton. Yet — and I'm being completely frank with
you — AIGA, "the professional association
for design," has always seemed a little too brainy for me to be 100 percent comfortable with it.
I had that same reaction when I saw the title of a new AIGA booklet, "An Ethnography Primer." I haven't
used the word "ethnography" since college, so I looked up its definition: "the branch of anthropology that
provides scientific description of individual human societies." I know; not a big help, is it?
I opened the booklet anyway. Its design is simple and strong. Its message is more complex (naturally) but well
worth reading. It explains what ethnography is and how it can help make your designs more successful. It also
says that professional ethnographers are much better at understanding an audience than those of us without
training. While I'm sure that's true, I'm also sure that some clients won't pay for a professional ethnographer.
If you're in that situation, see pages 24 through 31 — they break down the research process into six steps you
may be able to adapt for your own information gathering.
Here's the best part for the budget-minded: the booklet is free to anyone, AIGA member or not. You can download
it at http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/ethnography-primer.
— Terri Stone, editor in chief
Photoshop CS3 Review
Photoshop is 17 years old. Can the new version really have enough improvements to warrant the $199 upgrade price?
Ben Long lets you know.
"The new Quick Selection tool is one of the most technically impressive selection tools Adobe has come up with in a
while. A combination of a magic wand and a brush, you simply brush the Quick Selection tool over an object in your
image, and it automatically figures out the edges of that object and selects it. Depending on how well your object
is set off from its background, you may need only one or two small strokes to select it."
http://www.creativepro.com/story/review/25418.html
No matter what version you own, we have Photoshop articles for you:
http://www.creativepro.com/software/home/57.html
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$50 off your next order of Letterhead and Envelopes AND receive one free box of Business Cards. Use Promotional Code CP50LE when ordering. Expires: 5/22/2007
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InDesign CS3 Review
The new version of InDesign includes many small changes that focus on efficiency,
automation, and customization. Do they equal "upgrade"? Michael Murphy gives you
the scoop.
"Now, one-click formatting of tables is nearly as easy to set up as a Paragraph
Style or Object Style. Tables have more peculiarities than either of those (cell
inset spacing, strokes, alternating fills, header and footer rows, etc.), so building
a Table Style requires up-front planning and effort, but once established, you can
apply the style to multiple tables by either clicking the style name in the Table
Styles panel, or dragging and dropping the style name from the panel over the table
in your layout."
http://www.creativepro.com/story/review/25413.html
If you use InDesign, you should subscribe to this magazine:
http://www.indesignmag.com
Illustrator CS3 Review
Whether you're a long-time Illustrator user or a FreeHand fan, Mordy Golding tells you
what to expect in the new version and whether it's time to upgrade.
"If there's anything at all that you want to do with color, there's a good chance Illustrator
CS3 can do it. Ever tried looking for the closest Pantone color that matches an existing process
color? Ever tried to change a color within a pattern or a gradient (or gradient mesh)? Ever
tried to convert all of your vector art to grayscale? How about turning one of those boring
charts with all those shades of gray into something more exciting? Illustrator CS3 can do all
of these things."
http://www.creativepro.com/story/review/25403.html
Want to know more about Illustrator past and present?
http://www.creativepro.com/software/home/32.html
Type on the Web
While it's true that good typography is more difficult on the Web than in print, you don't have to
settle for schlock. Dave Shea and Molly E. Holzschlag share detailed instructions on setting type
using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
"While at first glance this site seems straightforward, the nuanced simplicity evokes a calm and
easygoing feel within the design. Extra subtle touches — many of which are found in the type — provide
some great lessons to consider while working with our own designs."
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22929.html
If you liked that excerpt, you'll enjoy this one, too:
http://www.creativepro.com/story/howto/22710.html
Housework is SO Fun!
At least, that's what a collection of housework-related ads from past decades tried to convey. Gene Gable
uncovers the hidden social messages behind the images.
"In 1966, as shown in this Frigidaire ad, women were still slaving over dirty stoves while secretly wanting
to feel like a Queen. And yes, you really could get pink and baby-blue models. This was the year that General
Electric first introduced avocado appliances, after all."
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/22716.html
Perhaps you'd prefer Gene's take on the art of the He-Man:
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/20376.html
Rearview Mirror: 20-20 Hindsight
P3Software announces new Web-based P3Expeditor software
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/25404.html
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Lynda.com launches Creative Suite 3 training
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/25410.html
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X-Rite announces Picture Perfect Color seminar
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/25411.html
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Check out the first automatic font organizer
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/25412.html
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Artlandia releases CS3-compatible versions of Pattern Design plug-Ins for Illustrator and Photoshop
http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/25419.html
Wacky Web Site of the Week
Pencil Museum: Don't erase this one.
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/23661.html
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