On 28 Apr 2009, at 10:20, Ian Halstead wrote:
OK, I’m going to jump in and see what happens here, but is there
much interest in paying for UK-based training in Freeway around here?
There’s definitely a need for Freeway training, as the many questions
posed on the forum show. However, whether or not demand would be on a
commercial scale is another matter. It’s somewhat of a chicken and egg
problem: I would imaging there still needs to be some more Freeway
evangelism to increase the UK user base, yet what better way than to
have more trained and competent users showing its strengths!
Perhaps a way forward would be to look at distance learning with a
series of location based, hands on tutorial sessions built in. It’s
something I have previously thought about, had I a better knowledge of
Freeway and the extension of its capabilities with a little coding as
well. (And had I not been well over ‘retirement’ age and slowly
phasing out my commercial work load). Using a combination of video
tutorials, sample sites and written instructions that go beyond the
manual, a CD/DVD set would be a useful adjunct to the software,
perhaps even promoted within it or sold alongside it. Add an annual
cycle of venue based tutorials and you could probably provide a
commercially viable training service for a relatively small (at the
moment) market. Location based events around the UK would also be of
interest to users who are generally competent with the current
version ‘out of the box’, but wish to extend their capabilities to the
finer attributes that may involve third party Actions, coding and
specific work-arounds. Or may just need to get up to speed on the next
version that is launched. Perhaps a little sponsorship from Softpress
might be of interest here, too?
I would certainly have welcomed some training in my earlier years of
web design, but did find that Freeway allowed me to compete without
anything formal. I have evolved with Freeway, but to come in new at
version 5 would be a different story to my original, only occasional
use of version 1, secondary to my mainstream copywriting and strategic
services!
So, you may need to research the market beyond this forum as to how
Freeway is growing in the UK (no doubt Softpress can help) and also
what users would look for in training. There are many web designers
like me who work as freelancers and training becomes an individual
cost that has to be equated against income and benefit more
subjectively than in an agency/consultancy regime, with a gradual
turnover of staff that need to be given that extra edge - plus an
incentive to loyalty. This would also impinge on the method and media
required.
Certainly, it is worth looking into closely. Freeway is becoming more
widely used, of that there is no doubt, but I suspect more by
individuals than teams, many also coming from print design and not
particularly code savvy. However Freeway has grown in to a much more
powerful application than it’s original ‘web for DTP designers’
concept, while still retaining the same base philosophy. While it
remains a Mac only solution, its market will always be constrained,
though that should not prevent increased penetration in the wider
sphere of web design.
Forgive my ramblings, but hopefully you’ll be able to pick out
something to spur on your ideas. If you get the timing right, I am
sure you can make a success out of a training venture.
Colin
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