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>Do the graphic artist's determine the layout only, or do they >also determine whether there are sufficient means to navigate >through the document (such as TOC and Index)
The answer to this question (as well as the answers to your other ones)
depends on the people involved.
In this case, I would be very reluctant to abandon any aspect of layout
to an artist, unless I knew that he or she had made a specialty of
typography.
In my experience, artists who haven't studied typography are all too
likely to take the division between aesthetics and utilitarianism (which
I was deploring a couple of weeks ago) to a logical extreme. That is,
they tend not to care if the layout is readable or usable so long as
they like the look of it. Typography and design are very different, and,
in many cases, artists have only had a limited exposure to the practice
of typography.
That usually means, too, that such artists are unlikely to care about
things like ToCs or Indexes.
Faced with artists who know little about typography, I've tried in the
past to keep their control limited to the cover. That may be a disaster
on its own, but some compromise is needed.
On the other hand, when artists care about typography, you could safely
leave much of the layout in their hands. If you don't care about
typography yourself, you might want to do so.
However, if you've got the typography bug yourself (as I do), try to
collaborate with a trained typographer if you get the chance. The
chances are, you'll learn a lot, and you'll have some very interesting
work-related discussions (nothing like enjoying your work).
The one time I worked with a typographer was one of the most enjoyable
contracts I had - and, really, the artist and the writer tend to have
more in common with each other than with anybody else in the company.
"My friends, we will not go again to ape an ancient rage,
Or turn the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But wallk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good new yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green."
- G. K. Chesteron, "The Rollilng English Road"
