Back in the industrial age, designers had a fairly mobile profession. A set of color pencils, some blank paper and possibly a pair of scissors were about all they needed for design tools while on the road. With the technology revolution came $50,000 -$100,000 CAD workstations and expanded job functions that pretty much tethered them to their shared office computers for much of the 90’s.

The good news is that not only have software and hardware prices fallen, but so has the size of the equipment. In addition, monolithic "everything for everybody" industry specific software applications have given way to individual plug and play modules designed to integrate with all aspects of not just design, but the surrounding supply chain processes. These tools make it possible for today’s global traveling designer, armed with a laptop, accessories, access to the Internet and a good battery, to work on the road, in the air, and even at the beach.

Step number one in creating a mobile design studio is to define the processes that need to be supported. With the technology age having reengineered the design process to include everything from design to production to merchandising and marketing, the well equipped laptop will contain a broad range of applications to support business correspondence, desktop publishing, textile design, product design, visual merchandising, scheduling and more.

The questions to be answered here include how do you work, how much do you travel, what kind of work do you do, will your design applications run on a laptop and if so, what are the system requirements?

Another very important consideration is your comfort level with system administration. The mobile designer looses the benefit of the company’s IT administrator or local guru while on the road. It’s one thing to know how to use applications, and quite a different skillset to recover crashed systems, re-install files from a back-up, detect and destroy a virus, connect a broad range of peripherals, and configure your Internet access using international dialing codes and foreign telephone wiring.

The Mobile Designer's Toolbox

Outfitting the mobile design office can be as simple or as complex as the job description, travel requirements, skills and budget will allow. At the very minimum, a mobile designer will want the fastest laptop they can afford, either Macintosh or PC, that is also as lightweight as possible. It should include as much RAM as possible, at least 8 Gigabytes of hard drive space, a 24x CD-ROM player (or faster), an internal modem of at least 56K, and at least one spare battery.

Be sure your tool belt includes a telephone extension cord that will allow you to plug your computer into the wall jack or dataport on the telephone. An analog/digital line splitter will prevent you from having to swap the computer and phone on the wall plug in locations where there is not a dataport on the phone itself. Be sure to include surge protection for both electrical and phone lines. For US travel, you may want to check out the Curtis compact all-in-one device that includes surge protection for both electrical and phone lines, as well as a built in RJ-11 telephone extension cord.

Still on the list of essentials is a CD containing back-up copies of your operating system install disk, copies of all device drivers and software, all essential files and images, as well as copies of all your software programs. You should also carry information on emergency technical support contacts for both Internet and telephone access on all of your hardware and software. Be sure to research your Internet dial-up numbers for each city you are visiting before you leave.

International travelers will need to include surge protection for overseas electricity as well as an electrical converter kit that will convert your 110-volt appliances to the 220-240 volts found in many foreign countries. Phone jack adapters that will allow you to plug your RJ-11 phone plug into the broad range of unique jacks found around the world.

The software on your mobile office will be unique to your job requirements and work habits. Chances are you will be working with a combination of both off-the-shelf and industry specific applications. Holly Henderson of United Design Resources and an instructor at FIT advises prospective mobile designers to confirm that their industry specific software will run on a laptop computer, as a few still do not. She also recommends that you check to confirm the software will support dual monitors, as many designers prefer to connect their small laptop monitors to larger ones, often placing the application design tools on one monitor with the work product on another.

Must have’ applications for the mobile designer include virus software, Internet software and file compression software that will compress your beautiful designs into a manageable size that can be sent via the Internet. Industry veterans recommend using the .zip format, which can be universally read on both Macintosh and PC computers. Adobe Acrobat will allow you to convert your work product to the Adobe .pdf format, which will allow your files to be read by computers that don’t have your specific software on them. The recipient need only have Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available for free from the Adobe website (see sidebar).

If you like to listen to music while you design, MP3 software will allow you to take your inspiring music collection with you without having to worry about losing or ruining your music. This will also allow you to leave your CD player at home, leaving valuable room for all of the peripherals you will want to add to your mobile lifestyle.

The Wired Designer

From here we launch into a world of hardware options that will truly allow you to push the technology envelope. From digital tablets and storage devices to printers, scanners, cameras, PDAs and cell phones, there are a wealth of portable options to assure you don’t miss a beat.

A cell phone with a cell-compatible modem and software will allow you to access the Internet without the need for a hard-wired phone line. Not all cell phone manufacturers support this feature, so check before buying a phone if this is an option that appeals to you.

If you own an older computer that doesn’t have a USB port, you may want to look into a USB converter PC card, which slides right into your PC card slot and will allow you to add many of the new USB Macintosh or PC peripherals on the market. The PC card can also improve the likelihood of your being able to connect to peripherals found at remote locations.

An internal or external Jaz or Zip media drive will not only expand your file storage capacity, but allow you to receive and distribute files that are too large to transmit via the Internet or with associates who don’t have access to the web. Don’t forget to carry a few extra disks with you. With the cost of writeable CD drives diminishing as fast as the size of the units, this could be an alternative solution to Jaz or Zip drives.

While there are portable scanners on the market, you may find a digital camera more versatile and easier to carry. The newer breed of portable digital cameras support the ability to capture over 3MB of data in a single photo, more than enough for the inspirations found in your retail, trade show or fashion show jaunts. The ability to photograph your inspirations and then download them directly into your computer without the need to process film and scan photos, will allow you to pay for the cost of the camera fairly quickly. Take a look at the new Canon PowerShot S20, reported to be the world’s smallest digital camera.

For the designer who feels that drawing with the mouse is like drawing with a bar of soap, check out the 6x8 Wacom tablet and pen.

Resources for Mobile Travel Information and Products

magellans.com

igo.com

mobileplanet.com

adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

The well-equipped designer is not without SCSI connectors for peripherals, video cables (for your presentations) and Ethernet cabling. Oh, and don’t forget the AC power cable for your computer. Experienced travelers recommend you attach your business card to the power cord in the event you inevitably leave it in your hotel room. Of course, putting identification on ALL of your equipment is not a bad idea.

While a handheld device such as a Palm Pilot is too small for use as a design tool, it supports many of the functions that a growing number of designers now perform on the computer, including scheduling, e-mail communications and contact information. There is also a broad range of software available for these devices that supply excellent travel information on hotels, restaurants and even maps. These handheld devices, which are synchronized with the information on your main computer, can be a wonderful tool for quick access to information in places where booting up your laptop just isn’t feasible.

Now, here’s the clincher. Whatever you use must fit into a carry-on bag that conforms with the airline size restrictions that allow you to store the bag underneath the seat in front of you. You don’t want to check it and risk it’s being lost or broken. You probably don’t want to have to watch it as you roam around the plane either. A strong cable and lock will allow you to secure it to your seat so that you can visit the restroom with peace of mind. A carry bag on wheels will limit your trips to the chiropractor.

And last, but not least, don’t forget to insure your mobile office. Your set-up will cost between $4,000 and $10,000, and by virtue of its portability, is more susceptible to damage, theft and loss. Be sure you are insured for the cost of the equipment and software, and that you leave a good back-up of your data at home. Practicing "safe computing," which includes frequent back-ups and good virus protection, will avoid the pain of possibly losing years of your hard work.

©2000 Teri Ross - Teri Ross is a writer, speaker and consultant focusing on CAD/CAM technology and process improvement strategies for the sewn products industries. She is owner and President of Imagine That!