First things first, let’s clarify what a Myth is. Myths are those beliefs that you define as truths, and while they might contain some true elements, they are not factual and therefore misguide creatives and designers. You would have heard these statements before, and “surprise, surprise” they are untrue.
There are many links between design and art, no wonder, the first poster designers were artists, the bookstore usually positioned design books clustered among the art books, and many designers have organically moved from fine arts into the world of design. However, art and design are completely different disciplines, starting with the intention. Art is explorative and design is functional, in other words: “art asks questions, design finds solutions.”
“art asks questions, design finds solutions.”
Design has rules, Design is a process, Design resolves problems, Design has a purpose, Design is not self-expression, Design is conclusive.
I love calling designers “visual hitmen”. They are hired, with a purpose, and the success is driven by the result. They work on behalf of someone else, they don’t choose the target, as Michael Bierut said: “Clients are the difference between design and art.”
Originality exists when in the solitude of your room. As soon as you get out, your “original” idea probably is not as original as you think it would be. That’s OK. We all want to be original, we search for uniqueness… but in reality, the ideas and concepts revolve around other existing ideas. For example, William Shakespeare’s The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1597) was ‘based’ on Arthur Brooke’s poem “The tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet” (1562).
Our brain is a “memory-collection-machine”, when you have an idea (you are not always aware but) your subconscious borrows a lot of bits and pieces and puts them together composing a new idea. The brain always has to draw from prior knowledge, this is how we create ideas. So, originality is not something we can claim that easily.
All creatives would like to be original, however, we better focus on understanding and resolving our clients’ problems, rather than pursuing a purposelessness difference by pursuing originality at all costs.
Almost like an extension of the previous Myth… Don’t put your focus on creating something unfamiliar. The main purpose of any design solution is whether the idea is suitable for the task at hand.
Many times designers find the best support on things that have worked before, that are known and familiar. Different doesn’t mean good. Different means unfamiliar, and most of the time in the real world means difficult, dysfunctional or unintelligible.
I hear you! There is a place for uniqueness, it won’t be me who doesn’t encourage innovation, try new things or think differently. This doesn’t mean that “Different is good”. Aiming to create something different disconnects you from the client’s needs, and urges designers to a race search for inspiration.
Creatives are free souls, entitled to make work amusing and unconstrained. They need to enjoy themselves, have fun, be playful. Creatives just need to be themselves, get the creative juices flowing, draw, play and enjoy so they will always be inspired…
I met many creatives who could sign a manifesto with those statements… I also met clients who think the same way, that’s why they ended up asking their teenage nephew to design their logo. I have never heard of clients asking their nephews to make their accounts, I also never heard of accountants saying that their job is to have fun, feel the numbers and that it is all about talent. If we want to earn respect, we should start respecting what we do.
I think creatives should be at the table where the big decisions are made. Creatives should be professional, well-informed, people who read, educate themselves, understand the world, research and discover, creatives do their homework. Good creatives arrive early at meetings, articulate strategies, speak to objectives not just styles, document their decisions, and are a voice of reason.
We play by the rules, we are in the business of creativity, it’s not a hobby, it is a practice.
In total honesty, clients can make very confusing decisions when it comes to design. very confusing. Clients rarely know how to brief creatives, and often we end up being visual therapists.
In my opinion, clients usually struggle in two areas, perception and articulation. Key areas for our discipline, if you struggle to visualise and identify potential and also to verbally communicate visual ideas, this usually ends up with frustrated creatives. Clients need help to brief properly, they say is a problem with the colour or the size, and they give you ridiculous solutions because they often lack perception and articulation.
Creatives need clients for good results. Clients have the knowledge, we are like tourists in their land, we need to observe, listen and identify. I always tell my designers that our work is as much about observation and discovery as creation. The client won’t speak your language, but they will unlock the customs and anomalies of their industry.
The successful story is a partnership of equals that recognises the value that each other brings to the table.
Many creatives confuse the practice of design with making art, a continuous flow of inspiration and considering their voice as key. These Myths determine how you work, and might result in discreditable design.
