Computer Design

Roger Goode

CONCEPTS IN COMPUTER DESIGN: A PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE, Dawn Erdos and Leslie Singer MIS Press, ISBN 1-55828-297-1, $34.95

The bookshelves in my home office are overflowing with all the how-to books I've collected covering desktop publishing techniques and software. Concepts in Computer Design: A Professional Perspective, however, is the kind of book I tend to keep by my bedside for quiet perusal during downtime. While it doesn't offer specific how-to information or in-depth technical coverage of desktop publishing considerations, it does provide a broad summary of where the industry is today, along with specific case studies of creative projects.

Each chapter features an in-depth look at how a real-world product is produced and how some of the newest technologies are being employed. The authors c ite examples from the entire spectrum of professional applications of desktop publishing, including daily newspapers (USA Today), magazines (Wired), brochures (Ben & Jerry's), advertising, and package design. Interviews with people involved in the creation of these products provide insight into where the industry is going and what some of the pitfalls are.

The book also includes detailed lists of equipment and software used for each project and mentions the extent to which desktop publishing is used. Some operations are 100 percent desktop produced; others, for practical reasons, have had to devise hybrid systems that let them move slowly into the desktop arena. If I might paraphrase, desktop publishing is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration. This helpful book provides the 10 percent needed to get the job done.