As a design student my process is still relatively ill-defined, as such this manifesto represents the ideal circumstances in which I am able to produce my best work.
Follow YOUR Path to the End- While many stress the importance of process, no one can tell you the ideal way to create, that comes from within. The sooner you can find your own path, the better you will be able to express your concepts.
Seek Inspiration from Outside of Design- The best designs are the embodiment of an idea. Taking inspiration from an existing design means either boiling it down to the concept or struggling to mimic something you cannot fully understand.
Stand Back- Don't get too involved in your work, get an outside opinion, take a break and return with a fresh perspective, or just work on something else. You'll never work through your problems if you cant put them in perspective
Take Good Care of Yourself- Nutrition and rest are essential to the creative process. Sound design choices are made with a clear and open mind, and nothing dulls the decision making process like an all-nighter.
Seek Constructive Criticism- While critique is always invaluable, so much depends on your ability to communicate your ideas and get reactive feedback. Always explain your design choices as best you can or the feedback you receive will be based on perception rather than understanding. Never take criticism seriously if it is based on personal opinion or experience, there is no such thing as a universal rule.
Never Let Yourself be Satisfied- Being satisfied with an unfinished job implies that the concept has not lived up to it's full potential.
Learn from the People Around You- The best teachers are strangers and friends alike. Learn new lessons in a real context so that you can better apply the knowledge you gain.
Make Time for Experimentation- Always enter a project with an open mind and figure out what works best, otherwise you may find yourself stuck in a dead end.
Showing posts with label Theories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theories. Show all posts
4/21/08
4/13/08
Dsign is Visual Rhetoric
Visual Rhetoric is a form of persuasion that engages us on a subconscious level. We are subjected without ever being aware, to a variety of image-based persuasions in our daily life.
Everything we see has been designed to create some form of subliminal response. Whether it is the sleek, user friendly, ergonomic design of apple products, or the beautification of political candidates(a la Will(I)am), we are told how to perceive almost everything we interact with before ever being able to come to our own conclusions.
Often, by designing something to be representative of a quality such as elegant or edgy, we are merely positioning our design in opposition to its opposite quality: "This product is NOT cheap" etc.
I have created for my design object, a poster which can be read in a number of different ways. While the poster has been set up to allow the reader to read it in four different ways, essentially it presents two opposing perspectives on how awareness of this rhetoric can allow the designer and the consumer to interact.
Subtle, yes. But it effectively delivers my message that we can design in a way that allows people to come to their own conclusions, rather than presenting a flashy package that forces an impression upon the viewer. After all, nobody likes to be told what to think, do they?
Everything we see has been designed to create some form of subliminal response. Whether it is the sleek, user friendly, ergonomic design of apple products, or the beautification of political candidates(a la Will(I)am), we are told how to perceive almost everything we interact with before ever being able to come to our own conclusions.
Often, by designing something to be representative of a quality such as elegant or edgy, we are merely positioning our design in opposition to its opposite quality: "This product is NOT cheap" etc.
I have created for my design object, a poster which can be read in a number of different ways. While the poster has been set up to allow the reader to read it in four different ways, essentially it presents two opposing perspectives on how awareness of this rhetoric can allow the designer and the consumer to interact.
Subtle, yes. But it effectively delivers my message that we can design in a way that allows people to come to their own conclusions, rather than presenting a flashy package that forces an impression upon the viewer. After all, nobody likes to be told what to think, do they?
3/21/08
Alternate Perspectives
I recently found some work while meandering through the blogosphere that runs somewhat parrallel to the "Design is..." question that I have been engaged in answering.
The above piece is an excellent example of the painful search for what design means to us as designers. It is directly reflective of my personal attempt to narrow down all of the possible answers as to what design really is.
I found these and a variety of other examples of excellent type thinking and design here.
The above piece is an excellent example of the painful search for what design means to us as designers. It is directly reflective of my personal attempt to narrow down all of the possible answers as to what design really is.
I found these and a variety of other examples of excellent type thinking and design here.
My Personal Design Theory Revisited
Having been asked to outline my personal design theory, I know that it can be an intensely personal journey to delve into our subconscious to pull out whatever it is we tap into. I have found that I have entirely too much to say on the topic so it has been difficult to narrow my focus to just one answer to the question: What is Design?
I personally feel that design(good design anyways) is visual rhetoric; a type of coercion which we are all receptive to on a subconscious level. We cannot help but respond to visual rhetoric because of the powerful way which our minds can automatically interpret visual information.
Think of a rhetorical question, it's intention is to present an idea, but rather than telling the listener what to think or do, it merely begs a question it has already answered.
For design to truly be a rhetorical question, we need to change the way we present the design, -if only slightly- so that the viewer is asked rather than told where to go next, even though we are leading them along a path of our own design.
In the end, if the goal of design is to entice the viewer into some form of action, the designs that are more effective are the ones that people have to think about. I think people will walk away from a rhetorical design feeling as though they can own the ideas they have taken from it, simply because they were asked -not told- what to think.
I personally feel that design(good design anyways) is visual rhetoric; a type of coercion which we are all receptive to on a subconscious level. We cannot help but respond to visual rhetoric because of the powerful way which our minds can automatically interpret visual information.
Think of a rhetorical question, it's intention is to present an idea, but rather than telling the listener what to think or do, it merely begs a question it has already answered.
For design to truly be a rhetorical question, we need to change the way we present the design, -if only slightly- so that the viewer is asked rather than told where to go next, even though we are leading them along a path of our own design.
In the end, if the goal of design is to entice the viewer into some form of action, the designs that are more effective are the ones that people have to think about. I think people will walk away from a rhetorical design feeling as though they can own the ideas they have taken from it, simply because they were asked -not told- what to think.
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