The Design Disease

Big post coming up.

I've been meaning to write this for a while. I first mentioned it here and I've been thinking about it ever since.

I love my job. Absolutely love it. Not many people can say that, but then not many people get to do their hobby for a living. Ever since I was 13 I wanted to be a graphic designer (technically my school library careers guidebook called it an advertising artist, but hey) and ever since I was 13 I pretty much knew what I had to do to get there. It's not just me, I have friends who thought like that too.

It seems to me that if you're a designer, a proper designer not someone who learnt Photoshop in between phone calls, then design runs through your veins like Pantone 7418. But more than that, it's there in every aspect of life. You can't stop looking at things through your designer eyes. Everything you do is clouded by this thing that lives inside you.

Now, this is no bad thing. But I'm becoming fascinated by how this thing takes hold of us all and I'd like to share it with you lovely people.

So what's it like, living with this disease? What does it make you do that other people don't do? How does it affect you?

Let's say you took a trip in to town one day. First off, you'd be incredibly upset by the shocking kerning on this roadsign.

And if you parked your car in a multi storey car park the thing you'd be most struck by are these

And of course this.

We all love arrows and we all love collecting things, more about that later.

As you left the car park you'd see this

and it would annoy you, really annoy you, that it wasn't quite centred and it wasn't quite justified and it wasn't left aligned and it wasn't right aligned. You see sometimes the disease will stop you enjoying things. I know designers who will walk out of a room because the colour upsets them.

Or you might see this on the way to a gig

and spend the rest of the concert wondering why they distorted the type like that?

Back on your journey into town. You'd step outside and see this and wonder how on earth that can be allowed to happened. Who would space type like that?

Then you'd spot this and be puzzled by the logotype. Do Ferrari really have an estate agency?

On the drive home you'd take photos like this.

Just because.

People with the disease will always choose books by their covers. Probably these covers.

Probably these covers and these colours, becuase you love colours, you worship colours which is why you collect things (you see, collecting again) like this

and why this website was so spot on.

But it's not just books, it's everything. You'll choose wine by the design of the label,

you'd stay here because of the sign

and you'd photograph the sign and a million others like it.

If you were good, really good, you'd collect all these photos of signs and store them alphabetically

because they may come in handy one day. Just like you collected these pencils

and they came in handy.

You'd also be obsessed with letters, or type as you've been taught to call it. Letters of any shape, size or description.

Like

or

or even

which means you start collecting things like this

and like this

as that magpie like bit of the disease seeps out through your keyboard into the finer reaches of eBay.

Again, if you were good, you'd pick up on this obsession and turn it into a project like this

which is Michael Johnson's brilliant Send A Letter thing. Or you'd have gates made like this (Alan understood).

It's not just letters, it's numbers too. You'd photograph and collect things like this

(thanks Russell, this goes without saying)

in fact, that inner magpie would make you arrange everything like this

and on the biggest day in modern history it would make you wander the streets looking for postcards. And then you'd do this.

(Told you Alan understood).

You see, it affects every aspect of your life. How you think, how you buy, what you see. If you're lucky you're friends and family will pick up on this and if you're lucky you'll get things like this for Christmas

which will be the best thing you receive all year because it gives you a quick fix.

Designers, does that sound familiar?

Comments

[Lebowski]

Great man.

The New York postcards thing - where's that from? Really good.

[claire]

Lovely post.

I wouldn't call it a disease, it makes you sound like you're ill. I'd call it a healthy obsession.

See also Peter Blake, Paul Smith, Francis Bacon. You're up there with the greats....

[Brad Brooks]

Designers, does that sound familiar?

Yes, oh yes, oh God, yes. I've printed this out to show my wife because she's positive I'm the only one like this.

Great post, Ben...

[Richard]

I'm with you brothers (picture fist held at shoulder height).

[Matt]

Love it, great post, isn't it brilliant when you read something that strikes such a chord with you. I have this disease/obsession, it's good to hear other do to.

[Paul H. Colman]

Is it infectious? Kerning now bugs the hell out of me.

(Great post my friend.)

[here be simon]

As I was once told if you find a job you love you'll never have to work again. I'm not a designer, but I understand and recognise that passion. I salute you, sir.

[davidthedesigner]

A George Michael concert? I'm beginning to have serious doubts about you, my friend.

[miscmash]

Okay, here's a sweeping statement for you.

On the grounds of raw passion, the best blog post I've read ... like, ever.

[Mike Towers]

The best 'post' i've seen and read this year.

1. This is something for my wife to read also - she thinks I was mad this weekend for calling the 'top shop' carrier disgusting. (Although she sgrees that GAP's was far nicer!)

2. Disease, Obsession aren't really the correct words to describe this mindset. I think 'Way of Life' is more applicable.

[matt even]

great post.

[Rob Mortimer]

But I do that, and im not a designer!
Argh!

[Rob Mortimer]

But I do that, and im not a designer!
Argh!

Much of my vinyl collection is made up of stuff with nice covers. Oh and nicely designed 7" records.

Ive lost count of the times I have bought something for the great packaging...

[Richard]

Nice bit of wood type. Did you ever go to Naylor's Emporium? Whatever happended to it?

[Helen]

I love this.

I'm slightly envious of the 'design disease'. It feels like there's a bit of it lurking in me somewhere, but It's something that has always been suppressed or subsumed by other drives - particularly my fear of being swamped by clutter.

I guess this what you mean about your fascination with why for designers, this is something that takes hold of you.

[Helen]

I love this.

I'm slightly envious of the 'design disease'. It feels like there's a bit of it lurking in me somewhere, but It's something that has always been suppressed or subsumed by other drives - particularly my fear of being swamped by clutter.

I guess this what you mean about your fascination with why for designers, this is something that takes hold of you.

[Mat]

oh my, yes indeedy

[russell]

are you saying I'm a designer? how dare you.

brilliant post. if no-one else nominates you for post of the month then I will.

[Paul Colman]

Please don't Russell, he might win, then we'll never hear the end of it. It'll be like Radio 4 all over again.

[mofe]

brilliant! It worth to keep this great hobby in our entire life.
That's why we're here.

[george]

I always tell my students obsession about typography is a good thing. The Christmas towel (?) looks like Cooper Black (yea Oz!). And what else have you got lurking in those type cases, huh???

[Will]

Absolutely brilliant post Ben; it really conveys your enthusiasm for design.

However, I can't help but wonder just what your flat/house looks like after this post..

[Kevin Steele]

Very entertaining.

Eventually though, you will stop bragging about choosing products just because they have a smartly designed label or cover, because you will find that there are many very crappy products and books hiding behind fashionable packaging. A gold plated turd is still a turd.

I love going into my favourite design bookstores but I have to wade through a lot of really attractive overpriced books filled with trendy design porn and other style wanking to find the books I actually want to read or look at again.

That pencil piece is awesome, though.

[Ben]

Brad, Matt, Paul, Simon, miscmash, Mike, matt, Helen, Mat, Will - thank you very much.

David - Haha I was waiting for someone to mention that. Gotta love a bit of George.

Richard - I've never heard of Naylor's Emporium? Pray tell.

russell - I should have posted it last Thursday shouldn't I?

Kevin - I'm not bragging about choosing products by their packaging design. I'm not even saying it's a good thing. I'm just saying that's what it's like.

[Richard]

Great post.

thanks

R