It would be easy to assume, just observing the energy with which interactive media was discussed at Shop Talk 4, that print designers might well come away feeling a bit doomed. Guest presenters Paul Drohan, Senior Art Director at Digitaria, his boss, CEO Daniel Khabie, along with moderator Tom Dolan of Polychrome LA , sparked a lively discussion on how interactive and web media is taking over the design world. Many people in the audience posed questions on how to best prepare to design for the screen, and get themselves up to speed on the technology and business aspects. As a designer who has been actively involved in both interactive/web, as well as print, for 12 years, I found this Shop Talk to be timely, relevant, and pretty validating.

As one look at his work would undoubtedly confirm, Paul Drohan is a huge talent. He basically grew up with the technology, and has years of trial and error experience. (Interestingly, he uses Flash almost exclusively, and admits to not knowing HTML.) Drohan maintains to get into interactive design, you simply just have to start somewhere. A key piece of knowing where to start, he points out, is knowing how you learn best— whether it’s from reading a book, taking a class, talking to a friend, or simply hands-on— and getting busy. Khabie offered what he thought was most the important factor in stepping beyond print and that is to really focus on it, and make it a priority.

Throughout the evening, Dolan did a great job keeping things on track, expanding on certain concepts, and coming back to questions that were not fully answered. Audience member Brian Jackson made a great point that seemed to help alleviate the print designers’ fears by pointing out that design fundamentals (e.g. concept, typography, etc.) were always going to be required in any project. Things like branding, strategy, marketing, and communication were always going to be in demand, because essentially, good design transcends the medium. Okay, so he didn't exactly say how to turn that fact into cash, but I think there was a huge collective sigh of relief and a turn towards a "you can do this" positive attitude in the audience.

Much of the advice was good. A lot of great information was actually shared by the attendees, which always seems to me to be the best part of the Shop Talk events. Here are some of the ideas offered that might help a designer transition beyond print:

- Learn the buzzwords of the industry. A good place to start is by reading books like Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug, subscribing to local email lists like www.web405.org, and considering training through reliable sources like www.lynda.com.

- Start learning on small projects. Take on designing simple sites with minimal risk. Grow your skills incrementally.

- Network with programmers and interactive designers who can help you out. Find them at AIGA meetings, by browsing www.newstoday.com, or on local email lists like www.web405.org.

- Hire people who know what you don't, whether it’s content development, information architecture, expertise in a particular application, or whatever. There are many people with specialized skill sets who would be interested in collaborating on the right project with you.

- Surf everyday. Follow links from AIGA/LA, or the design blogs like www.designobserver.com or www.mediabistro.com.

- Check in regularly on sites with great resource materials. A good place to start might be www.core77.com or www.unbeige.com. (Note: a list is forthcoming. Check back here.)

- Scrutinize web sites constantly. Pay attention to the user experience. Ask yourself: Why do I like or dislike this site? Can I figure out how to use it easily? What is the feel of the site and how is it established?

- Peek "under the hood" to view the source code and to see how the site actually works, and why things behave as they do. (To check this out: select View > Page Source in Firefox, View > View Source in Safari, or View > Source in Explorer.)

- Attend seminars and conferences about interactive media. AIGA offers some, and you’ll find others at some of the sites listed above.

- Sign on with a recruiting firm who can place you on projects at your skill level. Be honest about what you do or don’t know. Be willing to stretch to learn on the job.

- If you are considering employment, join a smaller firm because they are more likely to be willing to let you do both print and web projects, helping you to gain confidence, and transition smoothly.

- If you are a design business owner and have an established print practice, consider subcontracting and/or collaborating with an interactive firm in order to service your clients’ needs.

It was clear that at the end of the session, the majority of those in the audience wanted more time on the topic. Perhaps next time, if there is a next time, we could get a guest who has had to jump in, and hit the ground running in interactive. Or maybe we could hear from a firm that has changed its direction to accommodate web clients in a short amount of time. I think we need more presentations and insights on the topic of technology since it impacts our industry so much. I’d like to see the conversation continue!

See photos of the event by Chrisitan Rocha.