Re: To speak or not to speak -- that is the question

["Rick Bishop" <bishopr -at- jcdc -dot- jobcorps -dot- org>]

Bonnie:    Oooh, I really hate it when that happens! (all too frequently)
Suggest you go with question, but open your email with statement something like this: I have reviewed the new site and think the colors are bold and reflective of our goal to evangelize the product....etc. However, the graphics as displayed are not suitable for print reproduction. I would need to get higher resolution files of the graphics from the vendor or perhaps you have those? Do you/we own the copyright for the earth globe graphic on the intro page? Should this graphic be treated as though it is a photograph taken from space over Greenland during bad weather, or is it meant to be a stylized clip-art type graphic?
 Looking into the body of the site, I notice that on my system the links seem to disappear into the background when I hold the mouse directly over them for longer than one second. Is this by design or are my system settings at fault? Should I contact the site designer to check on this?.. and so on....
Don't ask about whether or not changes can be made. If client still does not recognize problems, you are not hired to critique unless asked!
Most print houses are happier to get pdf files. Over half will have Pagemaker, Quark, and InDesign. Only a few will have Frame.  Choose a printer, call and ask what they want before you choose your tools. Be sure to include the fonts you used creating your brochure.
Rick


>>> "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com> 01/25/04 01:09PM >>>

My client is asking whether I can produce a brochure based on the
proposed new design of his Web site (using the colors and graphics on
the new site). He calls it his "new site," but it is not live yet.
I am going to be editing the text for the Web site as well as a
second, short manual for this client.

I have three problems I need to solve with regard to this request:

PROBLEM 1 -  I have viewed the proposed site and I puzzled out what
the object was in the logo for a full minute before I concluded it was
a very poor attempt to render the globe of the earth and the
continents viewed from above Greenland (yet even after concluding that
was what it was supposed to be, it looks geographically wrong to me
because the globe appears to have large islands south of Greenland).
The graphic is also dark and muddy. Who knows? Maybe it's Mars, and
not Earth! This seems like a very delicate matter; he's obviously
hired a Web design company and paid money for this product, but in my
opinion, it is really inferior. I want to say something, but I want to
be sure that I'm diplomatic and respectful of his feelings.

Proposed solution:

A. In e-mail, ask him if the illustration in the logo is supposed to
be Earth, relying on the question itself to convey the information I
want him to receive. That is, if I have to ask what it is, can the
logo be something that other visitors will immediately recognize?

B. Say nothing, but create a brochure using the colors and graphics of
the site. (I have a real problem with this solution, because I think
the logo is not suitable for professional use.)

PROBLEM 2 - I noticed at least one problem with the Web site (aside
from the graphic). The hover color for the links is almost identical
to the background color of the page, and therefore the links almost
disappear when the user moves the mouse pointer over them. Hover
should be used to draw attention to the link, not make it invisible.

Proposed solution:

A. Ask him if the design is complete and if so, if he can request more
 changes. Mention to him the problem about the links.

B. B. Say nothing.

PROBLEM 3 - Can I use FrameMaker or Word to create a brochure design?
I'm assuming the answer is yes, but what do printers expect to get
when a brochure is to be printed?

Proposed solution:

A. Ask him for the dimensions of the brochure and what the final
product should look like. Also ask him what kind of file his printer
wants.

B. ????
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Bonnie Granat