RE: Branded communication design

["Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>]

Some thoughts:
* branding should be consistent. I align my terminology, graphics, and
so forth with the established
  marketing branding. If there isn't any, I push for it! I make sure my
product managers review the
  documentation.
* I would prefer to answer your question in terms of production values.
The high-priced products I'm
  familiar with have nice four-color instruction manuals. *I* would not
be put out if they were in
  plain black and white, but others might. It depends (as always) on the
audience.
  For example, most SW engineers wouldn't blink an eye if Adobe
Photoshop came in a brown box! I don't
  think this would be as acceptable to graphic artists, though.
  I mean, sometimes I am prejudiced *against* high-quality
documentation, cuz all too often the quality of
  the words are nowhere *near* the quality of the cover!

Joe

Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.	

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Rob Tovey
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:24 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- TECHWR-L -dot- COM
Subject: Branded communication design

How should branding be addressed in communication design? Does an
instruction manual printed in black and white, on cheap paper undermine
the brand? Advice please

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 2005 now has RoboHelp Converter and HTML Source: Author
content and configure Help in MS Word or any HTML editor. No
proprietary editor! *August release. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- infoinfocus -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archiver%40techwr-l.com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.