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CROSS MEDIA
February 10, 2000
Cross Media is the hot new buzz word in the graphic design community according to Trend
Watch. Creative professionals are now expected to create design elements that will work
across all media. The idea is to design once and then
tweak and adjust to use across various media like Web pages, print ads, broadcast,
direct mail, CD-ROMs, trade exhibits, billboards, corporate intranets and
even email.
TrendWatch data say the concept is particularly intense among magazine publishers,
designers and corporate design departments compared to other markets. Their latest
surveys show that almost one in three magazine publishers will capitalize on new
business by using the same text and images in print, Web, CD-ROM and even broadcast
projects.
For photographers this could mean more usage from each sale -- or it could mean that
there will be more pressure to give up more additional rights for the single rights
price. Careful negotiation and attention to writing the license (invoice) becomes
critically important. It will also be more important to follow up and track usage than
it has been in the past.
The buyers will also want to archive images and image-elements so they are ready for
these other uses that are part of the campaign. How that is handled will be an
important consideration when licensing large uses.
The good news is that when these deals are properly negotiated they may lead to more
multi-thousand dollar sales for usages. Such sales occur even when the initial search
for the image is done on the web. Recently we have been hearing from photographers
whose work is on Corbis and PictureQuest that they are receiving occasional large
sales from the images found on these sites.
Jim Whittington, TrendWatch partner said, "Our research shows that well over half of the
traditional print-focused creative shops are now doing Web design and production jobs
for their clients who increasingly want all of their outbound media to be strategically
integrated, coordinated, and highly targeted."
- TrendWatch predicts that revenues generated by graphic design shops in the
U.S. will increase by 60% in this decade;
- By the year 2010, the number of graphic design establishments in the U.S. is
expected to increase by 41% as well.
- Over half of all creative shops in the U.S. currently use emails with PDF or other
attachments for proofs;
- "Direct-to" technologies like direct-to-plate and digital printing are a natural
fit for creative shops because more and more of their jobs start and stay in digital
formats and combined with digital workflow, they get the increased control they want
over their jobs;
In the section in the Design and Production 2005 report titled "Myths and Truths," there
is a lively discussion focused on how misconceptions about the creative business and
markets are believed and how many truths are not fully understood. Also in this section
is valuable information about color proofing, stock images, desktop publishing software,
and how workflow is changing.
In another section, "Design and Production After the Millennium," TrendWatch covers
the many changes creative shops will experience in the areas of initial design, employee
skills, communication with clients, justifying how time is billed, how shops make money,
tapping into "direct to" workflows, digital jobs, and the influence of the Web.
Many more details are available in a new Trend Watch special report entitled, "Design
and Production 2005" which is priced at $1250.
For more details go to www.trendwatch.com.