Graphics Program question

[JQ Johnson]

Jodie Gardner <jgardner at vlc.lib.mi.us> asks "what programs we might need
for our library's graphic designer in order for her to help us put great
looking graphics and pictures on our web page."

Asking what program your graphic designer should have is probably the
wrong way to go about it.  In general, the designer should probably use
whatever tools she/he is already familiar with, supplemented by tools that
are specific to the web but that match his/her working habits, level of
expertise, hardware, etc.  On the other hand, many graphic designers find
that a shift to the web, like any shift to a new medium, requires a
substantial amount of relearning and rethinking of artistic criteria
(example:  if you've never designed for the web, you probably aren't used
to paying much attention to bandwidth issues; compared with traditional
media, the web has made approximated color cheap but resolution and
accurate color expensive or impossible.).  Designing graphics for the web
is at least as different from desgining for print or TV as design of
monochrome newspaper cartoons is from design for full color glossy
advertising.

So the right way to go about it is probably to buy the graphic designer a
few good books on web graphic design (we're libraries, right?), then after
a while ask him/her what tools are needed.  I highly recommend all of the
books by Lynda Weinman.

Also, note that:
1/ tools are changing constantly, with new software appearing almost every
day.  Learning curve is a big issue that might drive one to old standbys
like photoshop or illustrator or freehand.  Pay particular attention,
though, to the set of tools (debabelizer, fireworks, Adobe streamline,
genuine fractals, etc.) that are primarily targeted at web-specific
manipulations rather than general purpose image creation.
2/ if you buy photoshop, that's only half a decision, since the real issue
is which plugins you'll need.  I like many of the extensis set.
3/ An interesting open question is the rate at which use of multimedia
(animation, sound, et alia) will become critical issues in web graphic
design.  If you believe in multimedia, you'll need to buy your graphic
designer appropriate tools.


JQ Johnson                      Office: 115F Knight Library
Academic Education Coordinator  mailto:jqj at darkwing.uoregon.edu
1299 University of Oregon       phone: 1-541-346-1746; -3485 fax
Eugene, OR  97403-1299          http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/