Project: catalog
Patron: tesm
Medium: quarkxpress 5.0
Status: version 5.3
Deadline: Aug. 29

Well, I came back from a good but ill-timed trip to see my folks and walked right back into the catalog, almost exactly where I left off. Not that I mind. I shrug at most of the content changes that are taking place now. They mainly consist of grammar/puncuation changes, policy changes, and readability format changes.

Grammatically we have been lucky to find a copy-editor type person; so the catalog now seems to be governed by the English language finally. We also had some senior staff weigh in on policy decisions which was sorely needed. (Probably before this I think.) A lot of what I've been doing is playing devil's advocate in an attempt to get definitions of things like "reading week", "nurse fee", etc. So a lot of that work is finally panning out. The last changes we are making have to do with readability. I am sad to say, I'm going to have to give up my 10pt font size for a easier to read 11pt or 12pt. It kind of upsets me since I've been looking at it small for a really long time so the larger font looks funny, and because it plays havoc with my open page design. :/ Can't be helped I guess, but its one of those times where me the graphic artist wants to do something that me the edcuational designer knows is a bad idea. Usually the designer wins.

Usually.

I'll be happy when this is finished, since a number of other projects are lining up in the wings and I need to get hopping. A few thoughts have crossed my mind though. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a copy-editting class or something. Though I will never be a great copy editor, it would be a boone to know the abreviations and be able pre-emptively fix problem spots before they go to a proofer. Just save time for everyone involved. I'm also think that getting a better grasp of hard deadlines would help this project out a lot next year.

Project: jan interterm 2004
Patron: tesm
Medium: Quarkxpress 5.0
Status: brainstorming
Deadline: Aug 29th

So, I've talked in the hallway about this project, though its looking like I will only have about 4 days to hammer it out before it goes into the next S/H mag. This is one of those projects that is probably going to suffer unless the catalog wraps up tomorrow.

It's the same deal as before, but longer since the course offering in Jan term is twice that of summer term. We hope to dp another insert, though I'd like to update the graphic design a bit without really losing the basic page layout. There isn't time for anything else. Though, in hindsight, I don't think the roll-fold worked as well as it could have since it basically opened the brochure backwards. If I had more time, I would probably start looking around for other examples to get an idea of decent insert design.

TEEM would really like a more put together look, but I'm trying to hold off on that until I hear more from tesm concerning the entire school's identity. In my opinion, you really can't define one without the other.

Project: Newsletter
Patron: dio'o'pgh
Medium: Quarkxpress 5.0
Status: brainstorming
Deadline: Sept 12

The deadline on this also moved up when I wasn't looking. It's a wonder I get anything done at all.

So this has expanded from the standard 16 page spread, to a 20 page spread. We are planning on going with a magazine feel instead of a tabloid feel, though we might move more in that direction later on if it is more cost effective. I think the plan is process color on the cover with single ink on the inside, though there might also be a color spread in the center if it is faily cheap to do so. Since there are a lot of pictures in this one I think that is fine. Got a brief list of articles 2 weeks ago which I should begin to get actually content early next week. I'm currently schedule to give layout roughs early next week as all so we can start getting a feel for the newsletter.

The hardest part so far on this job is to not refer to the document as a catalog.