May 26, 1998
CONTACT: Shirley Hulett, 594-2585
San Diego State University Professor Authors Text Designed to Put Pizzazz in Your Web Page
Now there’s hope for those truly boring web sites!
Susan Merritt, an associate professor in SDSU’s School of Art, Design and Art History, has teamed up with Jack Davis to produce "Web Design Wow! Book," co-author of award-winning "Photoshop Wow! Book."
Davis, a resident of Cardiff by the Sea, is an alumnus of the SDSU master of fine arts program and the co-author of the award-winning "PhotoShop Wow! Book." The "Web Design Wow! Book" is an outgrowth of work he began while in the master’s program. Merritt chaired Davis’ thesis committee.
The "Web Design Wow! Book" is unique in that it concentrates on designing – specifically, designing interfaces for on-screen projects such as web sites -- so the "bells and whistles" of the technology complement the communications goals of the site.
Merritt and Davis created the book as a tool for problem-solving and inspiration using a "flip and focus" approach: with your design problem in mind, flip through the pages until you see a solution that catches your eye, and then stop and read about it.
Merritt stresses that she is a designer, not a "techie." At SDSU, she teaches graphic design, including beginning through advanced classes. She also works with graduate students in the area of information design, specifically for interactive, multi-media projects. She was recently awarded two research grants to study multi-lingual packaging in Europe, Asia, Mexico and Canada.
Susan Merritt would make a dynamite interview. She is available to demonstrate the communications issues related to the dos and don’ts of web page design; how to get your message across, and what sells and what doesn’t. Contact her at (619) 594-6601 or by e-mail at smeritt@mail.sdsu.edu.