Blah Blah design blahblah
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- ian000
@canoe. If I ruffled feathers, or is any way came across as hating on design, I apologize. Also, I’d like to say that I’m under no illusion that I value design any more than cannonball1972 might. I simply thought that this thread may be a good way to engage in disciplinary discourse – something which has been sorely missing on this site for quite some time.
Whoever is engaged in the discipline – whether it’s designing logos for $100 or a costly institution re-brand – are “real” designers. Their efforts are reified in some way and circulate within our cultural currency. But if by real, you mean successful, talented, or prolific designers, then I would argue that they are among the ones who actively question the boundaries of the discipline. Take the 1964 and 2000 First Things First manifestos as an example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi...
I am not advocating for any moral (or even ethical) rules. Nor do I think a standardized examination would prove that useful (the US public school system is clearly not benefiting from that). What I am advocating for is a critical conversation about the discipline. It is unfortunate that a site such as this, which runs on the participation form its user base, fails to engage the serious questions of design’s socio-poitical, cultural, and aesthetic impact on the world. This kind of dialogue is exactly what we need to separate the hacks form the “real” designers.
- 20020
Much like politics, art and everything else, anyone can talk and have an opinion about design.
You can talk about techniques and process as well as dissect the work in hand but it all doesn't matter. It is all subjective.
Collective agreement gives you merit but by no means that it is a license to talk about design with authority. Conversation of personal experience with design is valid but it does not supersede any preconceived notion on the subject.
- 20020
Pursuit of good design should drive designers and knowing that they will never be good at it to talk about it.
- ian000
@2002. You make two interesting points. First, I agree that design can never be fully deterministic (a red color field will make the viewer angry). Yet, it is neither completely relative. For instance, take the MTV magazine cover posted earlier. I suspect that we could probably reach some kind of consensus as to what it produces. Surely it is not a sleek, minimalist design evoking a simplified lifestyle. We might even agree that it captures a Carson-esque counter-culture, DIY aesthetic. It seems to me that we operate in a kind of bracketed determinism – never fully controlling, but cajoling, seducing, and suggesting. We can have intelligent conversation about form without absolutes.
Second, I completely agree that “pursuit of good design should drive designers.” How do you evaluate that absent being grabbed by the balls? I think we need engage criticism with as much passion as we do form and technique . We should be able to talk about what we produce as solving problems and as contributing to a larger discipline.
- 20020
As a designer, you will always be grabbed by the balls. Either by clients or peers.
Crit is double edged. You may get a good perspective or it will form your style. The key is to take crit and form your own style.
Designers usually have it or they dont. Most of us sit in between the two in a bell curved world. You can't teach someone design. You can also bring a designer out of them.
- Hombre_Lobo0
I do kinda agree with you cannonball. Being a designer these days often uses the word very loosely.
Sadly all you can do is produce as much great work as you can and try your best to strengthen the proper meaning and image of the designer.
- cannonball19780
@ian00 - The criteria for good work is the tightness of grip on your balls.