Copy V Design
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- breadlegz
What's most important? Design or Copy?
- inteliboy0
Why can't they both equally be important?
- monospaced2
They're both part of the same process for me and everyone here so I find it difficult to truly separate them. Each design is based on copy we write for it.
- Every CD, AD and designer is expected to be able write their own copy for campaigns as part of design.monospaced
- So you don't see copy as a separate skill?breadlegz
- Yes it's a separate skill but for me it is part of design. I write copy to fit design. And I design to the copy. They evolve together.monospaced
- A designer here that can't write copy wouldn't last very long.monospaced
- So I guess design is way more important as a designer may use a copywriter for help.monospaced
- detritus1
what a silly, aimless question.
- breadlegz0
Detritus - interesting response. This was asked on a copy forum and I was curious to the see answers here in comparison.
- To be fair some projects are simply based more on one than the other sometimes.monospaced
- Dunno, just seems like an odd dissection - sort of like asking "What's more important, left or right?"detritus
- there are copy forums? or design forums?ArchitectofFate
- There are copy forums, full of people who don't get design, just copy.breadlegz
- cbass990
content
- utopian0
Content drives design.
- true, and design helps (or hurts) the message toomonospaced
- qoob0
Design is more important. I'd rather have amazing design and OK copy than a completely undesigned page with slightly better copy.
- Whereas I could happily appreciate a site that had 'no design' but had brilliant copy.
It'd still be designed though
*shrug*detritus - Let's say you were directing a TV ad and had a million dollars to spend on either the visuals or the copy. Of course you would spend it on visuals.qoob
- no? could just as easily have an entirely white screen with dialogue, or text..detritus
- ...which would be by design.detritus
- So when you hear design you think website? I was hoping we were speaking more generally.monospaced
- I see web, tv and design generally mentioned here, so what do you mean?detritus
- well, web and tv would be last on the list after identity, product and industrial designmonospaced
- Whereas I could happily appreciate a site that had 'no design' but had brilliant copy.
- uan0
a three step workflow produce better work for this combo. 1. storyboard (ms word: copy and visual guide, idea), 2. layout (photoshop: ad, designers), 3. production (monkeys)
more ppl is optimally better speed, better quality, more $.
- Morning_star0
Interesting question, I don't think there is a satisfactory answer. You're essentially confusing an ingredient (copy) with a process (design).
Whilst the 'design' ultimately enhances the ingredients, without those ingredients (copy, image, identity, branding etc) design is meaningless.
Given that design is meaningless without content, copy is by default the most important.
- moldero1
Content 1, Design 0 = 1
Design 1, Content 0 = 0
Content 1, Design 1 = 2
- Morning_star0
Those icons you're designing Mr T use common visual cues as a way to communicate. Those symbols are as recognisable and full of meaning as words, if not, they would be useless.
They have an existing meaning, something which you can enhance with design but not create. Again, as with copy, design is secondary and less important.
- << yeahhans_glib
- Come one peeps, it's the lowest form of wit, allow me that...MrT
- but those icons, they communicate without words, and DO create meaning for even people who don't speak the language or can't read at allmonospaced
- while I agree content is king in most cases, there are so many situations where design is pure and can stand alone... icons is arguably one of those placesmonospaced
- I have spent many hours the last few years drawing icons and learning to communicate without words. The pictograms become words, and it is design over content.monospaced
- 'Design' does not create the meaning. The meaning of the pictogram already exists as a meme, otherwise it would not be understood.Morning_star
- Design doesn't create the meaning, but it does in the absence of the word itself. Also, since it crosses language barriers, it does function without the meme.monospaced
- You're getting pretty metaphysical with it :)monospaced
- I think we may have a slightly different understanding of what design is. That's cool tho :)Morning_star
- We may, but I think we're on the same page most of the time. I can see it both ways; I do feel like you're discounting design a little too much though.monospaced
- Doesn't 'copy' in the context of this thread, relate to the skill of the copywriter? The wayfinding icons I was doing represent nouns rather than finessed copy.MrT
- Projectile0
It depends on the job.
Sometimes design is more important.
Sometimes copy is more important.
/thread
- nope.Morning_star
- No that's true morningmonospaced
- It's not. Without meaning design is irrelevant.Morning_star
- I love a good discussion. I like to think that design can actually add meaning to content, in a relevant way.monospaced
- It can't add anything to meaning. It can enhance what is there but brings no meaning itself.Morning_star
- I guess I have to disagree. With your point of view, most art then has almost no meaning then.monospaced
- With Art, you tend to bring the meaning yourself. It's subjective and personal, which is almost the exact opposite of the purpose of design.Morning_star
- Good point. But design does have an artistic quality to it, and that subjective meaning is how it communicates oftentimes. That's the meme connection.monospaced