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lakes bouldering rockfax (Read 39570 times)

Alan James, Rockfax

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#100 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 18, 2006, 09:17:34 pm
I appreciate your comments and I may get in touch.

Actually getting quality feedback from anyone is far from straightforward. Our main concern is with getting people who know the area, and who are good at spelling and grammar. This is a lot rarer than you might imagine - plenty promise it but few actually deliver and finding these qualities and someone who was good at design would probably be impossible.

Considering in the last 16 years we have almost consistently been praised on our functional design, and only ever received two comments (including yours) about bad visual design, you can see why it might not be that high on my priority list. I should also add that the other design comment came from someone whose own work I later saw - looked great but was very difficult to use.

Cheers

Alan

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#101 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 18, 2006, 09:43:10 pm
Not a problem Alan. Amidst all the criticism being dished out, I have most likely failed to appreciate the administrative-type work that goes into producing the guide. As you say, if you're getting a lot of feedback, and only two people have mentioned this, then you're right, it shouldn't be your first priority.

But just to reiterate, take stock of the fact that you can get work done for free by enthusiastic and talented individuals. Even if it's not in the design stages, you should be able to get an educated eye to peruse over your guides.

We all want to see good guides being produced. It's just that some of us are a lot sadder than the rest of you and get up in arms when Comic Sans for instance, infiltrates our precious world of bouldering.

All the best.

Alan James, Rockfax

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#102 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 18, 2006, 10:58:30 pm
I am aware that our design has never really had a trained eye cast over it, and you are right to mention it. Some day I am sure I'll find time to discuss it with someone who knows what they are talking about, but I predict a strong difference of opinion.

As for the comicsans thing; bit of a low blow that one, it was done in 1998 after all - that's 8 years ago! Okay, so it is now the most mis-used font around, but in 1998 it was just another free font in Windows 98.

Cheers

Alan

Monolith

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#103 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 18, 2006, 11:20:19 pm
The campaign to banish Comic Sans has been running since its advent! And there's far more than one campaign to banish it. But yes, a low blow perhaps.

I wouldn't compare the guide to others, as that is an unfair means of assesment within this thread I believe. How the different guidebooks authors go about their business is unknown to me, and hence I am unwilling to comment.

..but I predict a strong difference of opinion.

Any designer worth their salt will correct you on design errors. There is for example, a whole history which covers the use of the grid in graphic design. They will know this, and how best to implement it, and it is unlikely that you will. An excellent book I recommend that you pick up a copy of is, How to be a Graphic Designer without losing your soul
by Adrian Shaughnessy. If you can comprehend the text from an 'outsiders' perspective, you will benefit greatly from it. For example, Shaughnessy talks of how the best designers are those that have the widest cultural and historical understanding. They are able to emulate particular patterns in design history at the drop of a hat for specific purposes (Typographers are the true masters of this).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Graphic-Designer-Without/dp/1856694100

A climbing guide book is an exciting chance to produce something truly original. 'Information Architecture' is a big part of graphic design currently, and hence there are many ways to present data in unique ways. Again, obtain the text Mapping by Roger Fawcett-Tang to give you some ideas.

The more you can teach yourself, the more adept and confident you will be when immersing yourself in design-speak. Imperative, especially when on a tight budget and time is at a premium.

 

Greg C

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#104 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 19, 2006, 08:48:54 am
Quote
It's just that some of us are a lot sadder than the rest of you and get up in arms when Comic Sans for instance, infiltrates our precious world of bouldering

Amen to that! Not in reference to Rockfax, more the whole world. “Look old timer it’s not cool! It ain't funky!! And it certainly
don't keep you down with the kids!!!"  ;)

Monolith

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#105 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 19, 2006, 10:19:42 am
Without designers, there wouldn't be any cool for the kids to possess in the first place ;)
But seriously though, there's moaners, and there's moaners with good intent. I'd like to think I'm the latter and still at least a bit hip at 23  :-[

In the satirical words of a non-Oxbridge chap I met at last years Oxbridge boat race:

"Yes I go to Oxford.....but I still know how to get down"


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#106 Re: lakes bouldering rockfax
October 19, 2006, 03:06:15 pm
 :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

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