Designers' Delight
August/18/2007 Cool Stuff!
The headline on the previous article brought to mind one of my favorite resources: Before&After magazine, which sports a tag line that says: "How to design cool stuff." Back in the early 1990s, before I knew anything about an upstart company called Marathon Press, I was constantly searching for resources that could help me learn more about good design. I knew that effective design was a key to producing quality marketing materials, and even though I had a local designer to help me out and no desire to learn to do it myself, I wanted to learn more about it so that I would know what to ask for from a designer.
Before & After was just what I was looking for. Every issue that arrives is full of such great ideas that I inevitably stop what I'm doing to dig through it. Early on I was so blown away by editor John McWade's vision and his WONDERFUL column on design, that I summoned the courage to write him a letter (remember them?) to ask how to approach the creation of promotional piece for PPA that I was working on as a volunteer. I really didn't expect a reply, but he answered my question, and in the process changed my life.
These days B&A is available in two versions: printed or pdf. Either is an outrageous bargain for the invaluable info you receive. I urge you to visit their site at http://www.bamagazine.com. You'll find some free downloads to give you the flavor of the articles. Browse through the list of back issues, as I'm sure you'll find many that you'll want to download, and they are such a good value! And check out their testimonials. I'm not the only one who is hooked on this wonderful resource.
I'm really not trying to turn you into a designer, because most photographers should be spending their time shooting or building their businesses. But in today's world, design — just like technology — is part of everything we do, so you need to understand both. That's what B&A is all about. Here's how they describe themselves in the "Who we are" statement on their home page:
Before & After magazine has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.
They certainly have! Thank you John McWade!