I've been thinking about those RBI magazines that share the same templates. A few people have commented to me about how "terrible" it is that this is happening. For who? The readers? I've been told it is very unlikely that the readers will view more than one of these magazines. As long as the design is imparting the information in an effective (and attractive) manner, does it matter that they look the same?
What about the editorial designers? I mentioned in the original post that it was not so different from web design. A lot of websites are very similar in look and feel. Ones of a similar function, anyway – news or shopping, for example. A lot of the design is dictated by browser-type and the type of machine and connection speed. It is still difficult to specify a font (unless it is a Flash-based site), you can say serif or san-serif, but little more.
It is up to editorial designers to gain new skills and influence the way things are going. Instead of watching the mundane work disappear, we should be demonstrating and emphasizing the value of good design.
It's no consolation, but similar arguments are happening about photography and journalism. The traditional role of the journalist is being challenged, as is the role of the sub-editor. While it appears that subs are doing a designers job on
Computer Weekly, the opposite is
happening elsewhere.
In these ever-changing times, it is better to dance on a moving carpet than to stand still and have the rug pulled from under you.
Something else
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