Exclusive Interview with Sue Chastain

Sue Chastain is a well-respected graphics software authority and freelancer who has been producing About.com's Graphics Software website since February 1999. Corel Certified and a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Sue is currently pursuing her long-lived interest in graphics software, which began to grow when she was working on her Associate of Science degree in Interior Design Technology. Her site targets graphics software users, keeping her visitors abreast of the constant changes in the world of graphics software.

WDL: Who are you and what do you do?

Sue Chastain: I'm Sue Chastain and I produce and manage the Graphics Software site on About.com. This involves writing original articles, tutorials, and software reviews, producing a weekly newsletter, and managing a discussion forum on graphics software.

WDL: What made you switch from interior design to web design?

Sue Chastain: Even before I'd finished my degree, I knew I no longer wanted to go into the interior design field. The market was saturated in the area where I lived, and the only way to get into the business was by working in a furniture store, which was not at all why I decided to study interior design in the first place. However, in the process of studying for my interior design degree, I become interested in computers, and especially graphics software and design programs. Later, I moved to a rural area and to avoid a long commute to a job in town I began teaching myself Web design and desktop publishing via the Web, Eventually I began taking on a few design jobs to supplement our household's income. In 1999, I applied for the Graphics Software Guide position at About.com and was promoted to a Guide in April of that year.

WDL: How long have you been critiquing software?

Sue Chastain: Since 1999.

WDL: How did you learn your trade?

Sue Chastain: I taught myself using books and Web tutorials.

WDL: You have put your hands on a lot of software. What is your idea of the perfect graphics software? Does it already exist?

Sue Chastain: No, I don't believe there is one perfect program that can meet everyone's needs. Graphics software encompasses so many areas and such a wide variety of user types that I think it's unreasonable to expect one program to address all of that. It's good that we have choices.

WDL: What software did you critique first?

Sue Chastain: The first software review I wrote for About.com was for CorelXara 2.

WDL: What are your current projects?

Sue Chastain: I am currently working on a free online course for Adobe Photoshop Elements 3. In between, I'm always looking at new software, posting reviews, and writing other informational articles for About.com. I've also recently started working with some guest authors, who are producing tutorials for Adobe Illustrator and Corel Paint Shop Pro on a regular basis for the About Graphics Software site.

WDL: Where can we find you in print?

Sue Chastain: The Web is such a superior medium for publishing, I'm content to stick with that for the most part.

WDL: What are your future projects?

Sue Chastain: Later in the year I plan to update my free Photoshop Basics course for the upcoming Photoshop CS2 version.

WDL: You've been with About.com since 1999. Can you name the milestones in the Web design industry that have made an impact on your career since that time?

Sue Chastain: I'm solely a writer/journalist now so I haven't kept up with all the changes in the Web design industry, aside from those related to graphics software. I also target my site primarily to home users, hobbyists, and amateurs since there are other topic sites on About.com which address the needs of professionals in graphic design, desktop publishing, Web publishing, animation and photography careers. Although there are valuable resources on my site for professionals, I feel that my site is one of the few graphics software-related sites that caters to the needs of home users and beginners. With that in mind, as far as milestones in the Web design industry, I think the explosion of weblogs and photo blogging has had the biggest impact on home users and amateurs, now that anyone can publish online without the need to learn a computer language or become a programmer.

WDL: Who decides which software you will evaluate and when you will do it?

Sue Chastain: I do.

WDL: Finding a new employer, not to mention a new occupation (the occupation of critic, no less!) can be difficult. Can you give the would be critics in our reading audience a few tips?

Sue Chastain: My reviews have become more structured over the years, but ultimately I try to speak to my readers as if they're my friends and I'm just telling them what I think.

WDL: Have you completely forsaken Interior Design for Web Design? I mean, for example, how is your computer room decorated?

Sue Chastain: My office is purely function over form. The interior designer part of me wishes it was nicer but stacks of books and software just aren't very beautiful. :-)

WDL: What sort of hobbies do you have outside of computing? Where do you spend your offline hours?

Sue Chastain: Reading, swimming. nothing too exotic. Soon my husband and I will be embarking on our first RV camping trip, but I expect the computers will go with us more often than not.

WDL: What information or advice can you offer to our readers?

Sue Chastain: Take some time now and then to explore your software outside of your comfort zone. For pros, that might mean exploring some of the tools you don't usually use in your day-to-day work routine. For home users, it might mean randomly clicking around and exploring within a program. I guarantee you'll learn something and you might even have fun!