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welcome EDITORIAL Group editor Matthew Bath matthew@digitalartsonline.co.uk Editor Lynn Wright lynnw@digitalartsonline.co.uk Deputy editor Neil Bennett neilb@digitalartsonline.co.uk Art editor Chris Hodgson chrish@digitalartsonline.co.uk ADVERTISING Advertising manager Matthew Bennett matthewb@digitalartsonline.co.uk Classified sales executive Ben Hakki ben_hakki@idg.co.uk Contact Digital Arts advertising on 020 7071 3682 MARKETING CD editor Richard Clooke richard_clooke@idg.co.uk Group marketing manager Nikki Causer nikki_causer@idg.co.uk Subscriptions manager Tom Drummond tom_drummond@idg.co.uk
One thing that has come up time and again in our conversations with designers, is that design isn’t actually about design. It isn’t even wholly about creativity, style, skill or innovation. For the consumers and clients of the work you create, the main part of what you do – and what they see – is the idea. Because without an idea, design is simply art. Design, as opposed to art, is the lubricant that helps spread your idea. It can be extremely well executed, it can use every feature found in your creative weapon of choice, it can be broadcast across a range of media. But, the idea is what forms the heart of any design. But nailing down an idea can be tough. Before a morning caffeine fix, they’re as slippery as eels, and even afterwards chasing that eureka moment can be hard. This issue, we tackle ideas head on. How do you find inspiration, how do you successfully brainstorm, and how do other designers create ideas? You can read more – and hopefully get your creative cogs whirring – on page 24. If you need more inspiration, then our exploration of some of the best design books you should have in the studio could prove inspirational. Turn to page 44 to read more. We’ve also got a huge collection of great work from our readers on page 16, while this month’s masterclasses show how to create gritty T-shirt designs, Web 2.0-style graphics, and how to colour-correct digital video footage. And once you have the stirrings of a creative spark, our collection of vital client-handling tips will ensure that your ideas, work and business practices keep clients happy and coming back for more. Keep them sweet on page 32.
PRODUCTION Head of production Richard Bailey richard_bailey@idg.co.uk Ad production assistant Matthew Lane matthew_lane@idg.co.uk PUBLISHING Publishing director Mustafa Mustafa mustafa@idg.co.uk Managing director Kit Gould kit_gould@idg.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Sean Ashcroft, Michael Burns, Joanne Carter, Simon Danaher, Simon Eccles, Alan Stafford, Jason Walsh, Martyn Williams TYPEFACES Neutraliser, Neo Tech, Palatino, Titling Gothic PRODUCTION SERVICES / DIGITAL STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY Printed by St Ives (Roche) / Stock photography from Getty Images, plus additional images from Digital Vision TECHNOLOGY Apple G5 and Dell 670 workstations, Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe InDesign CS, QuarkXPress 7, Adobe Acrobat CS, Pepto-Bismol SUBSCRIPTIONS Call the Subscription Hotline on 01858 438 867 13 issues for £49.99 (UK) £90 Europe, £120 Rest of World BACK ISSUES For back issues call 01858 438 867 Back issues cost £5.99 each including p&p in the UK £8.99 Europe, £9.99 Rest of World ADDRESS 99 Gray‘s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8TY www.digitalartsonline.co.uk Tel: 020 7071 3615, fax (ads): 020 7405 0262 WORLD LEADERS IN IT PUBLISHING
Lynn Wright editor
DigitalArts This month’s cover illustration is by TADO, www.debutart.com
Digital Arts delivers authoritative creative advice that directly impacts on you as a designer. Digital Arts covers design, visual effects, video, interactive, 3D, and animation, and our tutorials are sourced from leading creative practitioners. Digital Arts is the leading reviews magazine, and reviews more creative products than any other UK monthly magazine.
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