C11: Choosing the Right Program

As you become a power user, you will discover that you can make programs do things they were not designed to do. You can make a brochure in Photoshop. You can use Word to create a web page. You can use Illustrator to edit photos.

Just because you can do it does not mean you should, though. It is a nightmare to edit a brochure in Photoshop. Word’s web pages look horrible and have bloated code that takes forever to load. You are very limited when editing photos on Illustrator. In this chapter, I will talk about choosing the right program for the project.

One of the subskills that we need to hone, then, is knowing which program to use and when. Get to know your programs’ strengths and weaknesses, then choose accordingly. As a newbie, I encourage you to use the wisdom of those more experienced: search the web, talk to experienced colleagues, or search message boards. Figure out what software will do what you want it to do and use that one.

When dealing with common communication issues, keep these basics in mind:

• For layout—creating brochures, booklets, and the like—we have programs like Word in the low end, while InDesign, LucidPress, and Scribus have more power but also have steeper learning curves.
• For pixel graphics—also called photo editing— we have programs like Photoshop, Gimp, Paint.net, and Pixlr.com.
• For vector graphics, we have programs like Illustrator, Gravit Designer, Vectr, and Inkscape.
• For presentations, we have programs like PowerPoint, Prezi, LibreOffice Impress, Zoho, and Haiku Deck.
• For web design, we have programs like DreamWeaver, Coffeecup, Komodo Edit, and PageBreeze.

Once you figure out the appropriate technology to use, then you need to determine which software is right for you.

When it comes time to plan a new project, ask yourself some important questions.

Who is your audience? You must always consider how your audience will access the project.

What is the scope of your project? How big will it be? For instance, a simple video might be easy to create in PowerPoint, but a short movie may require Camtasia or Adobe Premiere.

What is the context of your project? What format should the end product be in? How will it be used? A print document, for example, will have different needs than a document delivered in electronic format. The electronic format is easily producible in Word, whereas producing a large print run from a document in Word can be a mess.

Who needs access in production? Will this be a project that is worked on by a single person or a group of people? If you are creating a presentation using an international team, Prezi, a presentation program that easily handles multiple users from any internet access point simultaneously, would be a better choice than PowerPoint.

Will it need multiple programs along the way? Some projects may require using two programs in tandem. For example, it might take a layout software, a photo editor, and a vector graphic designer to create a high-end catalog. Other projects may require a process of multiple steps through a series of different programs. Combinations of software create an added layer of complications; you must make sure all the software works well together or you may run into big issues.

What is the lifespan of the project? Many programs and companies come and go. If your project has a long lifespan, choose a reputable company or format that appears to have some staying power.

All of these points should be taken into consideration.

Research

Once you have considered these questions, research your options to determine which software or app will meet those needs. Review forums such as G2Crowd can be very helpful.

Work with what you have

Sometimes, you must work with what you are given. Some of you will work for companies that will require you to use Microsoft Office for everything: either for ease of editing or because they are not willing to invest in fancier products. I have been there—and I have felt your pain. They lose in time and workarounds what they gain by not paying for more expensive software, but that is another conversation.

Some of you will work for companies, such as nonprofits, with little money to spare. You are left with free or inexpensive options only. When you encounter such a situation, you get to challenge your skills that prove you are a power user. You get to practice pulling the very best out of a program.

Choosing the right program is a skill in itself. As you hone this skill, you may well save yourself grief, time, and money.