In 1988 when I started my desktop publishing company, it was just around the time the concept of a “personal computer” was really taking off. People were starting to have computers in their homes, instead of exclusively in businesses or large corporations. It was truly a paradigm shift in the technology, and it gave the individual more power than ever before to produce printed documents.
This was a wonderful thing — people had a choice of fonts and type sizes, and they could create flyers, brochures, menus, invitations, banners, and any number of other items for their personal and small business use, without having to go to a printer to design and print them. They saved both time and money. Power to the people!
However, as with anything else, power corrupts. In this instance, the power to use the 20-30 fonts that came with their new personal computer created a sometimes irresistible desire to use ALL of those fonts in one document. They had them, so they wanted to show them off or just play with their new toy. And the dot-matrix printers that were common at the time didn’t help, either — pale, blocky text definitely didn’t enhance the document’s appearance!
So when I started my company, I had a vision and purpose in mind. I very deliberately named my company Precision Typesetting, and my mantra from the very beginning was this: No more ugly documents!
I was determined not to contribute to the growing pile of computer-generated eyesores that I was beginning to notice all around me. I had never had any formal graphic arts training (there was none available in those days), but had always been an artistic and creative person. I seemed to have a knack for creating printed pages with a harmonious sense of balance and style. I paid almost obsessive attention to details like centering and margins, as well as the restrained use of type to convey the proper tone and “voice” of the document to reflect the message the customer intended to present.
I had been producing a bi-weekly newspaper for awhile, and the owner (who was also the ad salesperson) recommended me to her advertisers as a resource for their graphic arts needs. My client base spread from there solely through word-of-mouth, and in the four years I was in business full-time, I never once had to pay for advertising promotion. My reputation as an “expert” in computer graphics later landed me a job with a Fortune 500 company; however, I still kept some customers from Precision Typesetting, and did a limited amount of freelance typesetting. Amazingly enough, today (20+ years later), I still create graphics or web designs for three of those customers!
Unfortunately, due to an ill-advised incorporation of my business just before switching into the corporate world and failing to dissolve that corporation for many years, I can no longer do business under the name of Precision Typesetting (may it rest in peace). So as of 2010, the official name of my typesetting and web design company is now OK Type — an easy-to-remember name chosen to reflect my Oklahoma roots.
Website design is the latest addition to my expertise in printed media, and am very much enjoying this new direction in my career. The internet is such a dynamic and quickly-evolving medium, and it’s a delightful challenge to stay abreast of all the avenues of creativity it offers.
The progression of documents online has followed roughly the same pattern as personally-produced printed materials — first, there were simple, one-page web documents that were little more than computerized business cards. Those evolved to crude websites with a few pages detailing a company’s products or services. Those in turn gave way to more graphically refined sites that were definitely more pleasing to the eye.
And now, in the days of Web 2.0, the internet has transformed into an amazing world of interactive sites with video, sound, and some websites have the ability to allow the website visitor to customize their online experience to an extent previously impossible to accomplish. Some of the cutting-edge sites amaze me with their beauty and complexity.
I won’t pretend to be the most advanced website designer in the field — but my solid background in helping companies look professional and put their best foot forward has definitely translated into creating attractive, easily navigable websites which present the customer’s information in a positive and professional manner. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for small and start-up companies, and my mantra is still the same — no more ugly documents!
If I can help you present your best face to your customers and to the world, please review the work samples in my online portfolio and give me a call at 405.205.7211.
