Topics for inclusion in the FAQ

Question

We've been hashing out what types of questions are on-topic and what types of questions are off-topic for a few days now, so I'd like to start preparing a draft of what will be added to the site's FAQ.

The format is taken from the fairly successful FAQ for Programmers.SE: and the following Stack Overflow Blog posts:

• Good Subjective, Bad Subjective
• Real Questions Have Answers
• No Artificial Intelligence in Area 51
• Are Some Questions Too Simple?

Please provide any feedback you might have, but be sure to read the posts linked above to understand the purpose of these changes.

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Graphic's Design - Stack Exchange is for questions targeted towards 2-d design professionals, students, and enthusiasts. This includes questions about:

• Graphic arts - logo design, fonts & typography, visual communication, etc.
• Web design
• Layout and printing
• illustration
• Digital media - (i.e., Flash, Video)

and it is not about ...

• Technical questions related to 3D software
• Technical suggestions related to Video editing software
• Web site architecture and development (i.e., pure HTML/no CSS, questions related to the back end)
• Landscaping and Architecture (though this may contradict allowing interior and exterior design)

What kind of questions should I not ask here?

You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page. To prevent your question from being flagged and possibly removed, avoid asking subjective questions where …

• every answer is equally valid: “What’s your favorite ______?”
• your answer is provided along with the question, and you expect more answers: “I use ______ for ______, what do you use?”
• there is no actual problem to be solved: “I’m curious if other people feel like I do.”
• we are being asked an open-ended, hypothetical question: “What if ______ happened?”
• it is a rant disguised as a question: “______ sucks, am I right?”

If your motivation for asking the question is “I would like to participate in a discussion about ______”, then you should not be asking here. If your motivation is “I would like others to explain ______ to me”, then you are probably OK. (The above section was adapted from MetaFilter’s FAQ. For more detail, see six guidelines for subjective questions.)

Answer 1

Comics?

You are confusing the "scope" of this site with the professions that might have an interest in its content. Comics are not a subject of this site. True, folks who make comics might have appropriate questions here, but that is not the same thing. Comic book artists can ask about "illustration" and "graphic arts", but you don't want questions like:

• How do I set the pacing on page 1 to grab a reader's attention? (off topic)
• How long should a proof-of-concept work be for a would-be publisher? (off topic)

There may one day be a site about "comics" but this is not it. This site is no more about "comics" than a question about designing a business card makes this site about "marketing."

The same goes for "video editing" and "landscaping" and "architecture." Those are fields not covered under the umbrella of "Graphic Design." But those users are certainly welcome to come here and ask questions about graphic design.