The knack started in college when roommates and friends would bribe me with alcohol to read their mid-term papers and resumes. (Rest assured, I didn’t imbibe until the proofing was complete.) Bullet alignment, comma splices, leading—all those pesky word processing faux pas seemed to taunt me by blowing raspberries in my face. And it never dawned on me that such errors weren’t apparent to everyone, whether during the first read-through or a final draft.
The trend continued with my first job out of school. As an intern, I picked up the menial tasks of manning the tape library and inputting new data into a database. Eventually hired to be an Associate Video Producer, I offered to read over print materials and engage myself in our interactive projects to keep my eyes busy during quieter days. I tasked myself with correcting typos, cleaning up copy, and pointing out disparities in style. Because you know designers and developers. They’re paid to, well, design and develop. They certainly don’t give a hoot about that widow or capitalization oversight.
But I do. And my accuracy and carefulness was duly noted.
Since then, I’ve continued to work on multi-paged digital presentations and websites, email blasts and banner ads, basic one-page print ads, signage, catalogs, brochures, and full direct mail packages with numerous market versions. In any given pass, I'll aid production artists and art directors by noticing font discrepancies, alignment issues, version variations, or improper image or logo placement. And as projects speed up and rest more on my shoulders, I bridge the gap between copywriters and account managers by verifying copy and legal information; double-checking phone numbers, addresses, and URLs; finessing clunky sentences and editing superfluous phrases; and remedying overall inconsistencies in style.
I never planned on tinkering with words for a living. But I couldn't stand idly by, allowing projects to be sent to the client littered with blunders—I always insist on being the final set of eyes.
This term has been bandied about, from manufacturing and construction to software and application development, from the food industry to the scientific community. And here I am, using it in tandem with proofreading and copyediting.
I started associating QA with the written word when my proofreading jobs in advertising/marketing took occasional detours into web development. I not only had to ensure the copy was concise, accurate, and followed in-house style guides, but I also had to comprise a report of dead or incorrect links, aesthetic issues within various internet browsers, and any other user-facing errors. Sure, I can't do full-on QA or testing as a developer would normally require, but you can be sure I am as detailed as my skill set warrants.
Ultimately, this is what I do for all mediums—give each project the thorough attention it deserves.
For me, I have come to equate the term quality assurance with two thumbs up, a green light, a final sign-off. It is saying that the end product is "fit for purpose" and is "right the first time" (Thanks, Wikipedia). So whether I'm reviewing a simple banner ad, a flyer, or a full-blown media presentation, my final look is essentially my stamp of approval.
Consistency, accuracy, and overall completeness. Isn’t that what you want your next project to possess?