When it pays to use a pro - marketing communications consultants - Column

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1994 by Steve Morgenstern

There are several steps you can take, however, to make even your initial design projects run more smoothly. First and foremost, according to Wozney, clients should walk in with a solid idea of what they want--"Not just 'I want to do a brochure,'" he says. "Sometimes it even helps to show the designer some samples you've seen that appeal to you."

Looking through the designer's portfolio and discussing what you see is another way to explain what you're trying to accomplish. For Marsiglio, the first step was a trip to the bookshelf with designer Jorgensen. "The first thing we did was look through a bunch of her magazines," she recalls, "and I showed her what I liked. We discovered that I seemed to pick very cleancut designs, which gave her a sense of direction for the logo."

And finally, Levinson has a particular pet peeve that, if ignored, could change your status from most-favored client to the-face-on-the-voodoo-doll-in-the-bottom-desk-drawer.

"I do a lot of newsletters and brochures. People tell me, 'This is the copy,' so I go ahead and design their piece. Then I find out that it wasn't really the copy. It was sort of the copy, and now that they've had time to think about it, they want to change this, this, and this," she reports. "I think a lot of people have a hard time realizing when something is done. I know it's hard, especially when you're paying a lot of money and you want it to be perfect, but at some point you have to say, 'OK, that's it!'"

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In just a few years computers have evolved from mere manipulators of text and numbers to sophisticated delivery systems of entertainment and education, in essence combining the best of television and computer technologies.

Today's CD-ROM multimedia applications include spectacular games, educational programs with video and audio, animated encyclopedias and databases, and business and personal presentations that can include photos, video, and soundtrack narration (see "Knowledge on a Silver Platter," on page 20, and "Learning Made Fun," on page 10).

Want to learn about classical music? Follow along with your computer screen as Mozart's String Quartet in C Major is performed, analyzed, and dissected by a leading music scholar on Multimedia Mozart (Microsoft). Bring Mark Twain to life with pictures, narration, animation, and the full text of many of his works, in Twain's World (Bureau Development). Study the human body from the skin inward in Bodyworks: An Adventure in Anatomy (Software Marketing).

For all the beauty and potential of multimedia software, however, running these CD-ROM-based programs adds another layer of complexity to the already confusing world of personal computers. The good news is that most Windows and all Macintosh systems come ready to plug-and-play--with CD-ROM drives, stereo speakers, sound cards, and color monitors. To top it off, prices have plummeted. You can buy a complete system for anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the amount of memory and speed you require. While you can buy computers without CD-ROM drives, it doesn't make sense, since much of today's best educational and entertainment software is delivered on CD-ROM.