I am always happy to oblige when the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) approaches Flow to see whether I am available to deliver a series of workshops on layout and design skills. Not only do I like it because I get to dust off and wear my teacher’s hat again, but because of the unexpected and interesting people I get to spend a few days with. Last week’s course was no exception.
The aim of the Layout and Design for Communication course is to help those who work in communications industries have a better understanding of what constitutes good and bad design practice, and to help develop a critical eye in this regard. We also try to cover some technology and appropriate terminology so that the participants leave the course better able to discuss design and layout, and understand what goes into making good design decisions. It is a rather intense course, covering a lot of territory, but the intimate nature of the small classes means that the three days can actually be customised to suit the needs of the group.
It became apparent, after initial feedback from the group of 11, that we really needed to broaden the scope of the discussions to the aim and purpose of communications in general, before we could discuss design. The participants were primarily from government departments around the country, who had very diverse backgrounds and training, and who had now landed up with jobs handling communications.
Finding out the complex landscape in which these communication officers work made for some interesting learning on my part, too. How very different are the challenges to effective communication when you are dealing with a constituency in Limpopo that is mainly rural with a 45% literacy rate, where English is by no means the first language but where resources to employ translators are not available! It made Flow’s communication challenges seem quite simple by comparison.
A very interesting dynamic can be observed in these workshops, where the only common thread that unites the group is an interest in learning. With no ulterior agendas, our tea and lunch breaks became a fruitful space of enquiry about each other and our respective jobs, which was very enlightening. Even when it transpired that within the group we had delegates from both the Limpopo government as well as the advocacy group that created such a hue and cry about last year’s textbook delivery fiasco, the situation was approached with laughter and shared tales, as opposed to aggression and accusations.
While learning about design elements and principles, InDesign and Photoshop, newsletters and editorials, we also learned about the complexities of working within government structures, how difficult it is to get through to specific markets, the bigger challenges facing service delivery in South Africa and for all of us, how difficult it often is to get a job done well.
With communication departments being the first to feel the impact of “austerity measures” and budget cuts across the field, we all recognise that as clients and service providers, we are often hampered from doing a good job as the imperative is usually to do it quickly and cost-effectively. What we also became aware of, is how bogged down we all become in the details of our communications and tend to lose sight of the big picture – who is the communication serving, what does it hope to achieve, and is the money to produce it being well spent? Besides asking whether colour choices were appropriate and whether type had been arranged in a readable fashion, these bigger questions were worthwhile (and seemingly more significant ones) to raise, too.
I suspect that all participants, as well as this facilitator, came away from the workshop richer and more informed by the process.