The future of graphic design (3)

OK, I listened to all the comments and I've amended my thoughts. I've not got anywhere near cracking this and I don't think I was ever going to, but we've made a good start.

I'm going to come back to this over the next few weeks and I'm going to ask you to help. So be prepared. I think there are common areas emerging and hopefully we can all agree these and then flesh them out.

Meg is the one who's troubled me most. Firstly because she's got a great website and secondly because I think she's right. This reads more like guidance for a graphic designer today - not in ten years time. But I'll go with it and see what happens.

The talk is 1pmish tomorrow. Feel free to add any last minute comments.

I'll let you know how I get on.

1. Find inspiration in everything.
Graphic designers can't operate in a vacuum any more. Gone are the days when you could sit in your room creating beautiful layouts in wonderful isolation. So collaborate; meet illustrators, ad agencies and film makers. Make friends with a copy writer. Visit an architect. Listen to product designers. The more interesting people you meet, the more interesting you'll become. Hopefully.

2. Present passion not perfection.
20 years of Mac means we've lost a lot of energy from graphic design, so let's try and get it back. Turn the computer off, get up from the desk, draw, sketch, make roughs, present your roughs. Always remember a sketch sells an idea better than a finished visual, because the client uses their imagination to buy into the idea. We recently did a whole presentation on post it notes. Present passion not perfection.

3. Create and understand content.
Everyone is talking about content these days, from ad agencies to brands. In fact they've been talking about it for ages and it's starting to filter down to graphic designers. Communication is getting more complex and more varied and looking less like sales pitches and more like stories, so you're going to have to understand great content. Or at least know where to find it.

4. Understand your clients and their clients.
Read lots and read everything. Understand your audience and how society consumes media and design. Never forget that not everyone likes Big Brother or the World Cup. Think about the end user, which leads me nicely into...

5. Understand usability.
Great usability is the ultimate in good design. This is so obvious, but we're only just starting to talk about it. There are so many examples around us everyday, the Underground map, the BBC News website, almost all Apple products. As David Ogilvy said, "You can't save souls in an empty church".

6. Realise that design is the new management consultancy.
An odd one this, but it's an idea that's starting to get a lot of airtime. Who better have an impact on a business than the problem solvers? The ones who can generate ideas from a blank sheet of paper? The ones who create new ideas all day, every day. The designers. You will hear a lot more about this, trust me.

7. Remember that ideas will always transcend stuff.
The world of communication is changing as I write this. Who know what it will look like in 10 years time? Maybe one day you'll be designing an animation for a 1 pixel square screen? Maybe you'll be putting a logo on the roof of a building so it's visible on Google Earth. Whatever happens you'll still need ideas.

Comments

[Ann Handley]

What's interesting is that with a little tweaking you might also title this post, "The future of content." Which I guess it the point. Since people like you (graphics) and people like me (editorial) don't work on our own islands any more. (Thankfully.)

[Will]

If you get nothing else across, reading an awful lot and paying attention should be at the fore-front. And it appears they are.

Not wishing to be a sycophant myself, but I don't see a lot wrong with that list - I especially like 1, 2, 4 and 5.

[Ben]

Thanks for your comments Will (keep up your blog by the way).

[Tony Goff]

Interesting, perhaps idealistic but I can appreciate where your coming from and what your trying to say. I would add a little note in there about accepting that good design may not always be accepted over tried and tested ideas which you can do in your sleep and which require no skill nor ability whatsoever.

I'm not bitter but its important to let them know that good ideas can get rejected and that mediocre ideas can be accepted. At the end of the day its important to know that, never to accept however as you must continue to strive and work and love what you do. Still you have to realise some battles are worth fighting and some are not and when your getting shot down again and again by the flak of corporate ideology its time to take a look at where you are and where you want to go.

[Alex Haigh]

Great comments, but from my own opinion I would like to see the word challenge in that mix. I feel the future is as important as the past and the way to break out into new avenues is to challenge the means of design today and to explore them new avenues. Stepping away from the mac has always been an idealistic thought process of mine also.

[Russ Yusupov]

It all really comes down to these simple words: Listen, Read, Think, and Communicate.

[rolo]

I think there are a lot of good points here that I myself as a graphic designer really appreciate and try to enforce in the studio that I work for. It seems that after a while designers just stop creating and just spit out what has worked before. So the majority of the work becomes cookie cutter. If people would just take the time to read your 7 points people’s gears will start rolling again.

[Ben]

Thanks for all your comments, much appreciated.

It's a really interesting debate and one I hope to expand on soon.

Keep your comments coming.

[Paul]

Some really good points here about what should be considered when designing. It always comes down to the idea, explaining, justifying "why" you have done something, backing it up, getting passionate about it, look at it from as many angles as possible .. content is king, but a slave to money. But today designers are often used more as a tool to make somethinig, rather than to think as designers; this pains me. When will clients realise that designers arent there to make a copy of something that they saw on the web / tv / magazine, they are tools to solve a problem, not a tool to make what they want, even when it is bad design, has no usablity, and ulitmatly a waste of money. Aside from that the term designer is such a lose term, it seems that everyone thinks they can be a designer without any knowledge of color or form, nor has never picked up a art history book. Additionally i say to designers, forget the computer (remember its just a tool) .. sit outside somewhere with your pen and paper, and let your ideas flow, get some paint and throw it against a wall, and admire the texture, remember the fun you had at art college; while also learning, and exploring all the tools you can get your hands on, and then learn all the tools on your shiney mac. After all you can only be a master, once you have mastered your tools. Go to art gallieries, share, explore, and remember why you became a designer.

[Lee Adams]

Is there a book that covers all the fundamentals of Graphic Design? i.e kerning, layout etc

[Annerose]

These comments have been invaluable to me as is this whole site. I thank you for your comment.

[Marissa]

Hi, I'm 14 years old and I love graphics design, I want to be a graphic designer when I grow up. I thought that these were very good points. For number one I find that it helps if you just go outside and focus on a small area you may find just the insperation you need to make your graphic.

[arindam]

thanks a lot for the writting. aftermore than 1 year i read your post and overwhelmed and inspired .
am a graphic designer and much confused about my career and future.
hope your words will help.
please do visit my blog ( www.arindamart.blogspot.com and aritoons.blogspot.com ) and mail me your valuable comment.