Digitally Speaking – a glimpse into the future

We don’t really grow up. Sure, we may get jobs, have 3 kids, pay our accounts and do our tax returns but when confronted with something challenging, engaging and attractive, we cannot resist. It’s no surprise that popular modern gadgets such as cellphones, laptops, Wii’s, and iPods have become as indispensable as they are. We spend hours on them, and because of the constant assault of technology into our lives, we have become very information smart. We filter automatically that which holds no permanent value and take only that which is useful or appeals to our aesthetic nature. Or that which you can play with.

Above: Mercedes Benz uses Ipad apps for advertising

Hence, the advent of Digital Publishing. Digital Publishing, in a nutshell, is pretty much what it says it is – it’s publishing digital content (i.e. a magazine article) onto a tablet device, such as an iPad, Blackberry Playbook or Samsung Galaxy Tab, then creating an interactive dimension which allows the consumer a hands on (literally!) experience together with giving them more control over their media experience.

Using Adobe® Indesign and the Adobe® Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), many businesses are leaning more and more towards this method of reaching out to their markets. Well known brands such as Mercedes Benz, EMI Music and Red Bull have already taken the plunge and are actively using Digital Publishing as a major advertising and marketing method.

Above: Mercedes Benz and Red Bull are using Ipad apps for advertising

Publishing companies are of course at the helm, with Richard Branson’s “Project” magazine taking the lead, available only on the iPad, which offers an exclusivity many consumers cannot resist. The urge to touch and interact with the advertisements offers an experience which makes the consumer feel more connected to the brand, which in turn creates a loyalty and message involvement that is difficult to forget (according to a study done by the University of Connecticut in which participants were given both a printed and digital version of a May 2010 edition of WIRED Magazine). In addition, readers’ senses are activated, their attention concentrated and brand awareness increased as well as their purchase intention. This all points to companies being urged to consider Digital Publishing as a successful option for marketing their brand and letting it stick.

Above: Project Magazine app

And if you think that, as a consumer, this way of marketing is unavailable to the working class, think again. Amazon’s Kindle eBook has become the most popular selling item in their company’s history (according to Adam Helweh’s article). For only $139.00, you can purchase this device. A free Kindle app is available for iPads, iPhone, Android & Desktop, you get complete value for money and guaranteed entertainment. Of course, it’s no competition for the iPad, but hey, some of us can only dream.

Above: Kindle app on Ipad 2

The final judgement? Advertisers and Publishing Companies would be shooting themselves in the foot should they not consider this route. The pros are enormous, with product photos now coming to life and becoming part of the actual content of the publication, and in some cases, even allowing the consumer to be rerouted to the company website, or to their blog. The entertainment value is enormous and the ability for creating brand recognition strong.

So, if you are a Publishing or Advertising Company that wants to get in the know, have your team trained in both Adobe® Indesign and Adobe® Digital Publishing Suite right here at Friends of Design. Our trainers are more than ready to help you leap into the future of Digital Publishing, with affordable courses specified for your particular needs.

Contact us now to get a quote on info@friendsofdesign.net or on 021 402 0303.
Until next month!

Diversity and Creativity – Hand in Hand

Change is something most of us resist with a passion, but is also something that some of us embrace wholeheartedly. The thing that we all have in common is that change is intimidating, and it depends on the individual as to how they handle it. Sometimes change is the only we way we can ensure that we evolve, and although it’s uncomfortable, we are adaptable creatures with minds that grasp new things quicker than we expect.

Being a creative is demanding, and with new technologies and upgrades coming in faster than we can blink, it can be difficult to ensure that your skills are up to date, not to mention the time and effort it takes. However, it is essential that in this industry, you have a diverse set of abilities, from print to multimedia to digital design. This applies most especially in South Africa, where companies are well known for making good use of every single skill their team has to give.

An advantage of growing you and your team’s skill set is the benefit to the client, which in turn empowers the agency or company. Both the agency and the client save time and costs on not having to outsource print materials, or brand amendments for instance. This would be classified as a “complete brand solution”, similar to what DraftFCB are doing. This is the upside. The downside is that some companies can suffer criticism if they already have a reputation, as say, a print and branding agency as opposed to a web design agency, and they are given a web design job to do. Simply because of their reputation, they will be closely scrutinized , more so than any other agency. This naturally puts pressure on their designers to produce work of a higher standard. This recently was shown to be evident when Research Studios, known for their print and branding design, designed the new BBC Website and there was a media outcry. Fortunately, they delivered and the website has never looked better.

Often, when a creative has a larger toolbox, they can feel as if they are a “jack of all trades” yet “master of none.” Thankfully, with time, they can master the software within a short space of time if they settle down to the task at hand. There are more than enough creatives who specialize in a certain skill and are good enough at it that they don’t have to take on extra training or studying. But for most of us here in SA, the more you have to offer, the higher the likelyhood that you be hired and most importantly, stay hired. Not too many years ago, the job trend was to stay at or in a certain place perfecting the skill you had, but now the trend is to take on as much as possible in as short a time as possible so that by the time you have found your niche, you can apply those skills across the board. The worst decision for any creative is to pigeonhole yourself into any one skill set.

So if companies are smart, they will take on the costs of training their staff in new technologies, as the costs are relatively small compared to the productivity, reputation and output of their employees once they are up to speed.

So where would you go to upskill or learn new skills and technologies? Look no further than right here at Friends of Design. Many of you may not know, but we have recently launched 35 (yes, 35!) brand new courses which are specifically tailored to suit your company’s need. Examples of the courses we have on offer are : Adobe® Illustrator™ for Fashion Design, Adobe® Indesign™ for ePublishing, Adobe® Acrobat X™ : Interactive Design, Adobe® Illustrator™ for Packaging Design, Adobe® Photoshop™ Extended for Engineers, Adobe® Photoshop™for Web and of course our ever popular CS Update courses. Our newest course, creating interactive content for mobile devices using Adobe® InDesign and Adobe’s new Digital Publishing Suite, has captured the interest of publishers in Cape Town, after having demonstrated its ease of use in one of our workshops held this year.

So, for your creative training needs, simply give us a call on 021 402 0303 or Email us at info@friendsofdesign.net and we will happily do our best to tailor any of our courses to suit you and your team’s needs.