Re: Hard Copy Manuals: Who does layout?

[Ron Sering CDS <ronaldse -at- MANX -dot- CDS -dot- TEK -dot- COM>]

On Tuesday, June 10, 1997, Bill DuBay wrote:

I think you have already made the case that the tech writer has the
responsibility for the editorial (or informational) design. It is an
essential part of the rhetoric that is part of the writing of the text. The
graphics department should execute (that damn word!) that design and
cooperate with you on refining it. Remember the old days when we sent the
copy out to a typesetter, got back galleys, pasted up the format and then
took it to a graphics house for the final cut. I think we can delineate those
same skills today.


--That's a good argument. You can do all the fun stuff: developing the design, define standards, etc., and then turn it over to the design department for the grunt work. The downside is that it adds complexity to the process; you will need to review and approve the design, turn it around to them for revisions, review it again. I would definitely retain responsibility for developing the design and have approval authority over the end product, or else I'd kill the deal....the vision of what the document should be is yours; they are there to help you realize it.


- Ron Sering

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