Up Front

Expanding Designfax New Product Info Via the Web

Whatever circumstances led to the maxim, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” all of us use it in our professional lives from time to time, whether it be in product design or publishing. In our corner of the publishing market, we steer our content by the strength of manufacturing and product development. As things have been down, so we’ve been down—so has everyone else in publishing. 

Interestingly, the downturn in publishing has little to do with the Internet where, as we were told two years ago, all magazines would eventually be published. We’ve explored this topic for months—how we can best use our own website. As many have come to discover, the Internet is at its best as a tool for providing comprehensive coverage and information. Designfax resoundingly validated this over the past year with its custom URL system, rsleads, a tool still unique in our marketplace. [If you haven’t yet used this system, I invite you to try it by using any of the links shown under the products featured in this issue]. 

To keep the downturn in publishing from affecting what and how much we provide you, we’ve turned to the Internet to provide you the same or better coverage—and more of what you count on every month. We’re instituting a way for you to actually enjoy expanded Designfax coverage. Starting with this issue, you’ll find banners in this magazine’s product sections directing you to additional editor-selected products that will be found at one of our rsleads URLs. Rather than cutting copy to fit the magazine, the Internet becomes an extension of our printed pages, providing you more of our unexpurgated, uncompromising reports of new products in full color (unless you’re still using a monochrome monitor), with live links to that product’s manufacturer.

Try this new service and let me know your reaction. I’ll send Designfax T-shirts to the first readers who respond to my email from each U.S. region. And, while you’re reacting to our new product service, let me know your other thoughts on how Designfax is serving you. It’s an opportunity for you to help the design of this product, your magazine.

Vern Nelson
President
Nelson Publishing, Inc.
vern@nelsonpub.com