mario garcia

198

Working with consultantsMost of the projects I have ever been involved in included highly

skilled art directors in residence who were more than capable

of leading the effort of a redesign. And, in some cases, the art

directors themselves probably wondered why an outside consultant

was needed, although, by the end of the process, most agreed they

h ad benefited from the interaction and the learning involved.

In most cases, the consultant also learned much from the art

directors and editors in the project. However, the role of the

consultant has to be clearly defined and outlined at the beginning.

Everyone has to know what his or het responsibilities and contri-

butions will be to avoid misunderstandings later.

A redesign project is a major enough undertaking, with major

obstacles to overcome, without having to deal with personality

problems.

What can the role of the consultant be?

To define key points of the project: briefing, sketching, prototyp-

ing, researching, implementing

To guide the designers through the sketching process with

concepts that the designers can use to develop their initial ideas

pure design

199

To guide designers and editors to resources that may prove

helpful, from website to books to other publications.

To identify talents in the various areas needed in the redesign

process: journalism, production, marketing, and advertising.

To help with the creation of a stylebook.

To teach throughout the project. This is perhaps the consultant’s

most important role, that of nurturing the staff, imparting

knowledge through seminars, discussions, and sessions in which

the specific redesign project is momentarily put aside, talking

about the craft, design, trends, and, in a sense, bring the classroom

into the newsroom.

To foster team effort and to alert everyone to the benefits of work-

ing as a team: we all shine if the project wins. This is everyone’s

project, not anyone individual’s creation.

When the art director and the consultant “click” everything else

in the project falls into place quickly. Everyone benefits, but

especially the readers, who gain from the experience and

creativity of a team.