Design vs. Style
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- NegativeSpace0
Depends on how you define style, a good summary of this little issue is in the Phillip Meggs History Of Graphic design book where traditionally its real meaning is to describe ones approach and philosophy behind their work, so a designer with a consistant style approached their work in the same way each time. He goes on to say that the way the word is used today is to describe a visual aesthetic, or the superficial aspects of a work.
Without using the word style to avoid confusion, and using the words aesthetic and philosophy, I'll say:
Ive never been a big fan of designers who approach their work with an individual aesthetic that becomes recognizable ie: No Pattern, Carson, etc.
It seems like it is getting away from what design is about, however it depends on how you define design.
I gues my views are more modernist, but I see graphic design as being something where the overall goal is creating objective design. It should communicate the content in the most efficient way without being subjective as much as possible. So for each piece of work you do, providing you have done sufficient research and understand the nature of the content, you should be able to create a solution, and thus the form and construction of the work will come from that as opposed to making the piece self indulgent in a sense, and making it about you with your own individual aesthetic. In the end, the piece is to facilitate the clients needs, not necesarily your own. I say if you need to fufil that urge perhaps find different type of clients that don't rely on longevity, or become an perhaps become an artist.
- winter0
you mentioned NoPattern?
- NegativeSpace0
I mentioned no pattern as an example of someone who does the majority of his work with a consitant form, rainbows and glows and stuff. I tend to dislike stuff like that, including the work from no pattern and 2A, for many of the reasons I mentioned in my post.
- d5ive0
I agree with Negative about not responding to someone or a firm that applies a formula to most of the things they do for clients. Of course, the reality is that there will always be clients and designers, photographers, illustrators that supply this formula. And they become successful. But the thing that usually ends up happening is that their shelf life in their filed is rather short.
That's a hard pill to swallow. The only thing that kills me, is when you get people that only have a "style" trying to represent themselves as a "designer".
- mg330
so perhaps D5ive some of us should call ourselves "stylists?"
LOL :)
I do like your point though. Never thought of it that way.
- d5ive0
It's just a certain way of approaching what we do. I was taught as a conceptual designer. My style was developed over time, but not applied to everything I do. I feel strong about design being a unique solution to a clients needs. Not just a formula that's applied or recycled from your library of assets.
- kerus0
"design vs. style" isn't even a question....
- NegativeSpace0
For sure.
- JazX0
I've styled my design so my design has style.
k?
- yawn0
I shart on this thread
- kerus0
A/S/L
- JazX0
A/S/L
kerus
(Nov 11 05, 19:05)Ass Suck Lick
- t_novak2a0
Again you kids have no freakin clue what you're talking about. "Design" is so overrated. What is this concept thing you're talking about? We at 2A are founded on one thing. Providing kick-ass-in-yo-face-slap-em-down websites. Any of you NT kids do something like this?
- Fatandsugar0
Design = Economy
- megatron51500
I feel strong about design being a unique solution to a clients needs. Not just a formula that's applied or recycled from your library of assets.
d5ive
(Nov 11 05, 17:04)Very good points, you better serve your clients by getting in their audiences/customers heads, no one solution is right for every occasion. You may have a certain style, but as a designer you need to be able to change and offer different solutions for different problems.
Put simply, that's our job. Otherwise, I should become an artist and create only what I like.
- pepe0
it seems style is the same as trend in this debate and if so the difference between that and design is design is a solution to a problem or a commentary of some sort where trend just follows something that exists.
Designs the front of the line that knows no direction and everything passing its same previously travelled road is trend.
- mowax0
Design = Josef Muller-Brockman
Style = David Carson
for example...heh..go figure..
- clerk0
design=mies van der rohe
style=steve mcqueen
- Crouwel0
design=nature
style=culture
- Rand0
design = design
style = dezine