If InDesign users thought Quark lost its face, here is its new one

[1] Quark has just revamped their site. Despite its logo being all too similar to [2] Akademiks’, the new look of the site is much cleaner and seems to be a signal that Quark will bite back — and with authority.

Going into more specifics of the site and new marketing strategy, there are a couple of points I want to mention, thuogh Quark’s new treat to its site deserves in-depth exploration.

Quark seems to give much greater importance to developers in an attempt to make its layout application much more powerful through the creation of new third party Xtentions — QuarkXPress’ real power is in actual fact its ability to expand its features. While third party Xtensions are not a new thing, with DOM (Document Object Model) now open to developers, anyone can produce multiple platform Xtentions. Not only developers are able to to create XML based Xtentions using QuarkXPress Markup Language, but they are able to import content and formatting from QuarkXPress projects into QuarkXPress Markup Language. For more information on this, [3] see this page.

Quark stresses also its workflow applications, which are given large coverage in the new site’s design.

Yes, Quark is fighting back. But no more “better than InDesign” marketing (see [4] Quark’s Postcards from the Edge on Quark VS InDesign). Quark seems to have changed strategy and is now leaning towards a “how our software will help your needs ” marketing.

More on Quark’s new marketing strategy on D:Creative Culture: [5] An Old Friend Gets New Clothes by Vadim Litvak.