Google Docs. But not as you know it.
When I would think of word processing apps, I would typically think of them as basic software that’s perfectly fine when it comes time to bang out some copy in readiness for formatting, but not capable of much more. When it came to design, I would always defer to an industry-specific program with all the bells and whistles required to finesse the document into a thing of beauty.
So when I set out to see what I could achieve using Google Docs, I didn’t have very high expectations. In fact, it started out just as I expected with the same frustrations synonymous of a word processor – and I just about gave up.
But what kept me coming back were the valuable features that I knew would benefit my clients…
Google accounts are free to anyone and easily accessible online
Files are cloud-based so they are real-time and can be shared within teams, clients and contributors
Google Docs utilises the extensive Google font library at no cost
Formatting is simple and intuitive
It includes a range of editing and design features
Files can be output as PDFs or converted to MS Word if required
Supporting apps including Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Forms that all interact together
Integrated with Google Drive for cloud-based data storage.
So, I persisted and kept at it, pushing within the limitations to see what I could achieve. I started by formatting a range of documents that I thought would be useful for people in creative industries but as I began to think about ways to make these documents as versatile and useful as possible, I decided to create a collection of text and imagery templates that could be mixed-and-matched to create an endless array of documents, each customisable to suit the user and their project.
I have put my decades of design experience and determination to achieve the best possible result into developing and finessing templates that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. And while they may never be as polished as those created with the full functionality of a design program, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve been able to create and I hope you will be too.
Jane Cameron