Diatribe
I was reminded again today of how much normal people know about design. I know I went through 5 years of design school and all so I'm probably out of the "normal people design acceptanceness" by at least 7 years (aka - what a normal, non-conditioned person accepts as "pretty" or "exceptional" design. This is a well known factor and I've dealt with it on a daily basis. I've also gotten mad at clients in the past for not accepting the fact that someone with a design degree might not use Times or Comic Sans because it looks neat. I've worked through it. I bite my tounge when a hideous business card crosses my desk when the client just wants us to scan it in and print it out on a color laser printer. I refrain from scolding someone who isn't willing to pay for half an hour of design time so they won't look like a total boob when showing their potential clients promotional material. (Those potential clients most likely have the same boring crap as well). This what I know.
On the other end, there is trendy design. Design that will be forgotten or old within a year (sometimes a few weeks). Like a trucker hat burning on top of a collar flipped polo shirt, modern design feels fleeting. Remember when grafitti got real popular for a while and everyone started using drips in their work? Graffiti fonts? Remember before that when everyone was vector drawing silhouettes and throwing type over it? (Apple can't seem to let this one go.) Remember before that when David Carson ruled the world and random type anywhere with zero readablity was king? I do. I haven't always been able to see it as a trend while in the deep of it (hindsight is a bitch) but sometimes you can just nail it. I'm kinda at a loss. I know what appeals to me in design and I know I'm guilty of taking from these trends just as much as the next guy. I think this tirade is due to my frustration in being unable to create my own voice. How can you be unique when everyone else has gotten there first and scrawled "fuck you" on the bathroom wall.
I've always been an Idealist when it comes to what I want. I realize later on when I can't get idealism, I settle for realism. It's what I'm good at. Wanting something grand and settling for something within reasonable reach. I'm tired of bad design and trendy design and accepted classic design. I'm going to patsy up for my paying job and take it like a man like I always have when it comes to bad design. I'm going to accept these damn kids and their trendy MTV flavors. I'm going to accept that I'm never going to be happy with my own work.
The point to this whole shpiel is that I am trying to motivate myself into doing independant work. I'm reluctant to do anything unless I'm getting paid for it, a bad habit I picked up in 4th grade when I refused to do my homework. I've been settling on just good enough for too long and now I want a new deal. I'm a quarter of a century old and I want to make a mark on this planet, even if it means "skidmark".
Oh, I'm also fat and lazy.
P.S. Newstoday has some interesting links to stuff that will probably end up being trendy, but it's worth a look anyways.
posted by Mike at 3:12 PM
2 Comments:
I understand. You know I've diped in the sugar walls of most all creative outlets, and I think that graphic design, just by its aesthetic nature is way more complicated as far as finding an original voice or vision. I just don't think it lends itself to it like other artforms. So dont' be discouraged.
8:08 PM
Design is a strange creature. On one hand, you can find your own voice and style, ie. David Carson, but then your work looks like yours, not your client's. On the other hand, you can design for your client and their audience. One of the best quotes I've read in a long time was: "If you want to be an award winning designer, design for yourself. If you want to be a good designer, design for your client. If you want to be a great designer, design for your audience." I, too, have tried to find my own voice in design, but I get bored with it easily because it seems like I'm forcing something I'm not naturally inclined to do. I get much more satisfaction out of the variety of work I do for different clients and audiences. The hardest thing to do is design for myself.
Now on to the designer-client relationship. What's new? There will be conflict for eternity. It's a slow process to get clients and co-workers to understand and agree, but I'm amazed at the progress I've made in my current job by not getting too frustrated, using each bad situation as a learning tool, taking small steps to create change and repeating myself 40 times a week.
While on the topic, here's another quote you'll like. "Advertising is created by those who aspire to be artists and assessed by those who aspire to be scientists. There isn't a realtionship in the world more perfect to create total mayhem."
2:11 PM
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