Designers!!: Your Input?

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  • roberthuston

    Hello, to all real looked up to designers on here. I am a current student, and I am honestly wondering what are your opinions on the direct subject matter of Graphic Design.

    Why do you like Graphic Design? What are your intentions with it? What are some of your goals with it? Why did you personally enter into Graphic Design?

    What are your personal intentions with Graphic Design, and what are your professional intentions?

    What is the most rewarding aspect that you now realize within Graphic Design?

    What are some of your past experiences with visual art, travel, design, education, or anything else that support your reason for choosing Graphic Design?

    Thank you for EVERYONE that puts some time into this bulliten. I would love, love to read some real interesting answers and conclusions to the questions. I want to see different insights on the field. Please, I will greatly appreicate anyone that takes their time to fill this out. Again, THANK YOU.

    -Robert Huston

  • nickmaud0

    Just wanted to respond to your mail. If for nothing else to at least try to contribute a little more than the 'blog' bullshit that gets over 2000 responses...

    Anyhow. I started as a graphic designer, got into moving image, got into branding, became creative director of a TV channel. Now started my own creative agency with a friend. I guess what I'm getting at is that I think a lot of people start at Graphic design because that is what the most applicable degree courses are. I think many spread into different creative fields for numerous reasons: New challenges, boredom, sick of arsehole clients. Dunno if this is any use to you.

    My personal interest is the blurring of boundaries between advertising, design and production and the steroetypes that 1. Art directors/copywriters have the ideas monopoly.

    2. Graphic designers layout other peoples ideas and need to sit at computers all day

    3. That you need to go to a production co. to get a commercial made and that none of these categories should blur.

    Anyhow, I've rambled a bit but Ithought you at least deserved one response.

  • HafDed0

    hey robert -

    as a kid, i just knew that i liked to draw things, tear apart things, and then figure out how to put them back together. as i got older, i figgered that if i was gonna be workin 40 -50 - 80 hrs a week at something, i should at least be enjoying it - so i studied art ( this was pre-web days...) thinkin that if i made any money or not, happiness was the focus.

    at this point, after 10 years in design, i'm enjoying it even more than when i started - and (don't tell my clients this...) but i'd prob be still doin this for free in my spare time anyways. i enjoy comin in to work, enjoy working on various designs (some are elegant / some are hip / some print / some motion / & then toss in a few pain in the arse clients to balance it out...:).
    basically, i like knowing that 3 outta 5 days a week i can come in to work and do a toally different style & design - that never gets old for me - all the while pushin forward on learning the software i use to the max.

    future intentions include either A. being an AD or CD or a large ad agency or design studio, or B - opening up my own design shop with a few of my friends & focus on high quality work for selective clients....(prob every designers dream...).

    past experiences include you're very limited to the quality of work that the company that employs you allows you to work on. if you're in a a job for a while and you realize that you aren't putting out the calibre of work that'll keep you competitive with the current job market, you should prob start lookin around....

    essentially: variety of work, the craftmanship involved in a job well done, and the feeling of accomplishment when you've finally finished is what keeps me going.

    all the best & good luck!

  • fresnobob0

    'Graphic Design' as you seem to be defining it, does not exist. 'Graphic design' in its purest form is nothing but a system. It is the same system which your brain uses to turn thoughts into something which can be communicated. It is the same system that forms languages and runs cites, states countries and the world. It can be applied to anything and everything.

    That being said, the profession known as 'graphic design' is for the most part utter and complete bullshit. Sure, theres a few people who have applied the system to the profession, but they are few and far between. Most of 'graphic design' is some re-hashed piece of crap with some words on it that ceases to mean anything in any context, which is the exact opposite of what 'graphic design' truly is.

    My personal intention with 'graphic design' is to live it. I have no professional intention because that would only skew my personal intention.

    The most rewarding aspect about 'graphic design' is making people think.

    Every experience I have ever had has been my reason to 'choose' 'graphic design' because everyone of them has been 'graphic design.'

    Yeah, so... where are you going to school?

  • fresnobob0

    Oh, and just because your studying Graphic Design doesn't mean youre not a 'real' designer. Give yourself some credit, man.

  • kyl30

    don't knock the blog thread pal. It keeps the amount of useless threads to a minimum.

  • jevad0

    "Just wanted to respond to your mail. If for nothing else to at least try to contribute a little more than the 'blog' bullshit that gets over 2000 responses..."

    check out the n00b attitude

  • rise0

    I hate graphic design.

  • Jnr_Madison0

    don't knock the blog thread pal. It keeps the amount of useless threads to a minimum.
    kyl3
    (Feb 9 06, 19:12)

    Good point.

  • save0

    I hate graphic design.
    rise
    (Feb 9 06, 19:46)

    Me too..

  • Peter0

    Honestly I don't know what got me into it. I was about 10 when I sat infront of a black and white screen for the first time, when computer mouses was beginning to be a commoditiy. At least where I lived.
    I started clicking, pixel by pixel, to do drawings I could never do otherwise.

    Drawing by hands was something I never could. Later, of course, I went to college for design, graduated, worked years, but up to this date I can't draw nothing on paper excepts doodles.

    Back to the black and white computers. Someone told me I had talent by then. Oddly, when different shades of blacks were introduced on computers someone told me that I was good with colors.
    So I just kept going.

    I never had any intentions with graphic design. I just did it because I could. Probably because people encouraged me.

    Now, years later, my proffessional intentions are to move into managing. I would like to say that it is something about me wanting to encouraging others to do what they do best. But that would partly be lying. Easing into managing feels like a natural step. And the reason I want to do it is to prepare for that ultimate dream that so many designers share: setting up something of their own.

  • DavidFelt0

    Wierd how I got where I am now, and I think most peoples routes would be different to what you may think...

    I always new I wanted to do something creative, I loved art at school and went to study Art and Design when I left, I was dissilusioned with this though as the course was all "fine art" and no design, so I jacked it....

    Realising I didnt want to give up my chance of having a career in the creative industries I went to my other local college and was sold on doing Multimedia, which was all screen based shizzle, after four years of this me and a friend from college both ended up at this crappy, but somehow large agency in Manchester (www.influencedesign.com).

    I had to learn fast here as all the work was print, but I blagged it for a while and realised I loved the medium of print, and I learnt from my peers around me.

    After two years of being shit on by the dude who ownded this company me and my freind fromcollege decided to leave and go it alove, and so started www.feltgraphics.com)

    We have a real sense that we are doing this for the love now, were not bothered about getting rich and having huge clients, just enjoying being our own boss and critic, and doing work that we love, whatever the costs to our bank balance, personal lives and occasionally sanity!

    Wierd huh!

  • Dancer0

    David is it just the 2 of you?

    I have a story pretty much the same, loved art (that's all I could do really) wanted to become a sculptor, but realised that wasn't a viable income.

    What grabbed me about "Graphic Design" was "the idea" taking a brief and really looking into it and developing something that really communicates what you are trying to say. The Partners and Pentagram was my first awakening to the sense of producing an idea that is clever, thought provoking and relevent.

    I don't go with all this style based stuff that populates the web saying, look how "pretty" I can make my work, and then a year later it's "out of trend". Everything has to be there for a reason, and based on an idea – that is (IMO) where good design lies.

    I now can't stop thinking about design and always look for new ideas, a fresh way of thinking and a unique and different approach is what keeps me ticking. I am never going to be loaded, but I will be happy.

  • kelpie0

    wanted to be musician. went to college to do so. dropped out when I spent most of my time shooting mock news programms on an old TV camera. strange.

    Wanted to be a screenwriter/director now. went to uni. dropped out when I realised I was going to be an English teacher.

    Gutted clams.

    Cleaned toilets.

    waited tables.

    Decided 'graphic design' was a good broad industry you could carve a creative niche in. Went to college. Didn't attend much cos it didn't provide me with an education. Completed the course from home for a year then tired of it and left.

    Did crap jobs.

    Drew the dole.

    Started picking up freelance graphics.

    Found a job.

    viola.

  • kelpie0

    pepper that with a large amount of recreational drug use and you might understand the circuity ;)

  • DavidFelt0

    yeah dancer, just me and mikey boy!

  • paraselene0

    i was always a verbal creative; never showed much aptitude for spatial awareness, etc. learned pagemaker and pica rule working on a tight little high school newspaper.

    studied romance languages as an undergraduate while doing little bits of design to earn extra money on the side. was getting print jobs just cos i knew the programs and then because i was doing print, people asked me to do web.

    started a phd in linguistics, woke up one day to realise i was a mathematician. ran away from home. did a number of crazy person things.

    got a job as in-house designer for a human rights agency here in london. stayed as long as i could until the money and the kudos became a serious issue.

    now work for moth and am trying to become a solid development coder. back to linguistics in the end, eh? ahhh life.

  • paraselene0

    pepper that with a large amount of recreational drug use and you might understand the circuity ;)
    kelpie
    (Feb 10 06, 02:07)

    ditto that. random gigs not included above:

    archaeological lackey at digs in the mayan riviera

    apprentice pastry chef

    translator/assistant/procurer for mad irish businessmen in havana

    screenwriter for catalan documentaries

    grip/gaffer

    glassblower

    etc., etc., etc.

  • Dancer0

    I really wanted to glass blower...

    but realised that I sucked.

  • kelpie0

    I really wanted to glass blower...

    but realised that I sucked.
    Dancer
    (Feb 10 06, 02:24)

    Best

    Joke

    Ever.

    heeheeheehee ;D

  • kelpie0

    how did you manage to cram all that stuff into *cough* 23 short years then Para. Immpressed.

    ps. did I win in the end? ;)