I
was asked numerous times, what makes a designer to be
true professional. Not pretending to answer this question
in full, I will try to highlight few points, which, in
my opinion, are very important in my job. I believe that
without following this principles creation of a successful
design is an impossibility.
What is a main difference between a "pure" art
and any form of design, including the graphic design?
The answer seems to be obvious: design is created for
commercial purposes, and the art on the other hand surpassingly
created for a sole purpose of beauty and harmony.
However,
it's just a part of an answer. If we will look at it in
more general way we will see that the difference is really
- the recipient of the ending results of work (creation).
The artist almost constantly working for himself and his
personal vision of the world. If his work seems to be
close to needs and understanding of any big group of people,
he becomes popular. Yet, this situation for a real artist
is a matter of luck. The designer, not alike with an artist,
have to work for people. The main purpose
of his work is to satisfy as big of majority as he can
accommodate. His work by definition is to be used, appreciated
and finally sold successfully.
The
unappreciated artist is a common case and in many situations
is a sign of unique vision of the world, and unappreciated
designer is just a sign of a bad professional only.
Understanding
of a client ...
The
above thought seems so obvious and self-explanatory for
just about everybody that it is hard to believe that ...
majority of designers, logically knowing that this is
true, doesn't bother to take it in consideration. Becoming
a designer, you have to understand that from this moment
your vision will be secondary, and the main vision
from now on is the client's one. The first judge
and the first measure will be the person, who requested
a task to be completed. In some cases this person will
be smart, witty and have a good taste, but in many situations
he will be ... quite opposite. Even in this case a designer
will have to look on his work with his eyes. It's obvious
that you will not be able to form a sense of design in
person that never had it. It's even harder to change this
sence if a client happens to have one. The designers goal
is different: to find a perfect balance between
the client needs and his own sense of beauty.
That is basically a reason for a designer to be hired.
A good designer is not a teacher, but a mirror, the "magic"
mirror that preserve a reality, just adding to it his
own sense of balance, harmony and overall beauty.
Targeting
a consumer ...
There
is a number of consumers, who will use in one or another
way a design that was bought by a client from a designer.
The main purpose of a work is to understand what
kind of a consumer will use a product and what kind of
a design will speak to his mind better. For instance
a can of beer for a truck driver has to have completely
different look and feel then an energy drink design for
a business woman from a City. Thus a job of a designer
from this point of view to find the right style for his
consumer.
Following
the purpose ...
What
is a difference between a poster and a business card?
- the size? Of course that too, but there is something
more important - the purpose, the effect that
have to be generated by design. The business
card usually given in the flow of conversation and most
likely will not be thrown away immediately. Because of
that the most important purpose of the design in this
case is to make it memorable. If it is achieved, next
time a person will see your card and remember you and
the conversation you had, otherwise he will throw a card
away anyway. The poster, not alike with the card, doesn't
have to help preserving the information about you (it
most likely will be seen just ones), but it has to catch
an attention and to make a reader to receive the most
important information at the first glance. Thus it's crucial
for a designer to clearly understand how , under what
conditions his design will be viewed and to work accordingly.
Unity
of design ...
The
last, but not the least goal of a designer in creation
is to preserve the existing style of a company,
or to develop a new one if there is none. It
is necessary in order to keep designs effective. There
are several means of achieving that: stable color palette,
overall style flow, unity of lettering ... At the same
time unity of style have to be combined with already discussed
following of the purpose of a given product and possible
differences of consumers for specific pieces of design.
For instance, the same company may be producing beer and
energy drinks that were mentioned above.
Is
there any talent at all ..?
In
my opinion, even following all possible rules and having
all possible education, a person have to be talented in
order to be a designer, because ... a designer is still
an artist. And only having his own vision, taste and feel
of harmony, he can create work that will not only follow
the purpose, but also be aesthetically pleasant, be
a top of the line in the world of design.
