Yesterday I stopped in to visit a dear friend at a university where I used to teach. She was instructing a group of sophomores (about 18 years old) and asking them to develop a top ten list outlining the most important things they’ve learned in their life thus far. Her comment to me under her breath was “let’s compare this list to the one they write when they are 40 years old!” This statement got me thinking about my own list. Since the class and this blog are focused on design, I’m keeping design the subject of my list as well.
So here it is: things I’ve learned about visual communication during my lifetime.
There is power in what we do.
There is power in our visual voice and with this power comes great responsibility. Realize one visual and one word can affect the lives of many. Our work influences, informs, educates and encourages action. Don’t take the messages you send out to the world lightly. Moments will come that challenge your morale character.
A few years ago a headhunter contacted me about a job working to promote a cigarette brand. The money offered to take the job was pretty sweet. That being said, I didn’t want to promote a product that has the potential to harm people so I respectfully declined.
Before taking on any project ask yourself this simple question: Can I sleep with a clear conscience? Hopefully that will guide your moral compass!
Design is more psychology than it is type and image.
What makes us tick? What motivates us? How will we act or react to a message? The more you understand people the more effective your message will be. This goes for both the consumer and the client. I don’t care how effective a design solution is, if your client doesn’t trust you, you won’t convince them it’s the best solution and that design will never get the chance to communicate to the consumer.
You must be just as effective at presenting the idea as you are coming up with the concept. It’s your job to convince the client first! Presenting design concepts to a client is much like convincing them to walk to the edge of an active volcano. The client must trust you enough allowing you to take them beyond their comfort zone. Work to instill confidence ensuring you both can go to that edge but you won’t push them in! If there isn’t trust, you’re not getting them anywhere near that edge!
Trust your gut instinct.
When designing, place emphasis on intuition otherwise known as following your gut instinct. Doing so will help you find your own voice! We are creative thinkers and interjecting our own point of view into designs is what helps bring unique solutions to the table. The goal is to develop a stand out message, right? Since you have your own perspective, your own point of view, you can offer what no one else can. This suggestion also forces me to mention the importance of finding a balance between objective and subjective. Every communication solution you develop must be a hybrid of your own perspective (subjective) and well-researched facts (objective). For an in depth discussion on this subject, please make sure to read my blog post: http://dezignrogue.blogspot.com/2011/08/objective-and-subjective.html
Avoid the expected.
How many times have I said this: If graphic communication is expected, it is boring. If it is boring, no one will pay attention to it. If no one pays attention to it, you have not communicated anything.
Most graphic communication is created on a mass scale; meant to be read by numerous viewers, and yet somehow we engage with it as if the message is speaking directly to us. Successful messages are those that many can relate to and touches you on some level. If you develop stand out, attention worthy ideas, bring them to life through effective use of type and image and make an emotional connection with the viewer you’re well on your way to accomplishing your goal.
Self-motivation/inspiration.
If you’re currently working in the graphic communication field think back to when you were in design school. Remember that feeling of being in a supportive learning environment? Your world teemed with innovation and inspiration: other designers, the examples the professors showed, the work being displayed in the halls all motivated you to be creative. Flash forward. Now take a look around you. Sitting in some light grey cubicle? OK, maybe it’s tan. Do you hear the person sitting two desks away from you rambling on the phone? Perhaps there’s a harsh, fluorescent light flickering above your head? I’m painting a pretty dull, monotonous picture here but you get the idea. Inspiration and motivation can be hard to find when no one is spoon-feeding it to you.
Don’t lose your creative spark. Look for new avenues of inspiration or run the risk of falling into a creative rut. These avenues don’t have to be directly related to graphic communication either. I love to garden. Prior to owning my current home, I only lived in apartments. The closest I ever came to gardening was watering the plants that sat in my windows overlooking Union Square in New York City. Now, digging in my garden, I’m inspired by the placement of the different plants, the size and variety of each and the colors, so many beautiful colors. Not to mention that I actually have a chance to get my hands dirty. Graphic design can be so sterile, crisp and clean.
Someone had to paint and decorate when we moved in for it looked like some ninety-year-old spinster lived there. Who would have guessed that interior design was something that I was remotely interested in? Sure enough, working with 3D space, how one interacts with that space, color and form all have allowed me to tap into design on a different level.
I do have to admit the foundation established in graphic design: extreme attention to detail and control over every aspect have made their way into these other creative outlets. Yes, I have been spotted on my hands and knees trimming the edges of the flowerbeds with a pair of scissors. (It pains me to admit that!)
If you are still in school, relish the moment for someday motivation and inspiration will all be up to you!
Kill ‘em with kindness.
Did you ever hear the phrase "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar"? It’s easier to get what you want by being polite to others than by being demanding and resistant. No one wants to work with someone who is cocky and arrogant. You are part of a creative team. Creativity flourishes in a collaborative environment that motivates and inspires. Others are more apt to work with you when you’re a team player as opposed to working against you when you’re not.
Who likes being told “NO.”? I often say I am in the business of saying, “YES.” While I may have said yes, this positive response can come with consequences:
Yes, I can turn the design around in one day, but three other projects will be pushed back.
Yes, I can alter the design while it is on press, however we will pay double to get the job printed and it will push the delivery date back.
Saying yes offers a sense that you’re a team player but it also forces other team members, clients, project managers, etc to think twice about making unnecessary requests. By saying yes with consequences, you come off looking like a team player and the person making the request has to make some tough prioritizing decisions to ensure their request is accommodated:
Perhaps the other three projects can’t be pushed back and hitting those deadlines is more important than the requested one-day turnaround time for one project.
Perhaps the on press edits aren’t worth the extra costs and pushed back delivery date.
Be thick skinned.
Trust me, I get it. You pour your heart and soul into a design only to have others “rip” it apart during a critique. Keep in mind all comments are suggestions are made to help the piece communicate more effectively. Nothing said is meant as a personal attack. If you’re the one proposing changes try the “how about a li’l sugar with your lemons” approach: find a balance between what is working and what isn’t and list both positives and negatives. Hurting someone’s feelings does not accomplish anything, except creating a tense, nonproductive environment.
Stay current on trends… so you can avoid them.
I include a quote in my email signature by American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” If you are on a path, it is someone else’s path. Chart your own path! It’s the best way to ensure you are unique.
We as visual communicators design in response to what is happening around us. Keep an ear to the ground, educate yourself about what is current in visual communication and then run in the opposite direction as fast as you can! Ying when others yang for it is the best way to stand out from the crowd. If you use design elements (colors, typefaces, etc) that everyone else is using how can your message possibly stand out?
Good design is in the details.
Attention to detail in design is a must. Design breads anal retentive, obsessive, detail oriented people. I’m kind of joking here, but not really. In many cases you are the last set of eyes to look over a design before it goes out the door.
• Did you spell check?
• Are you using the correct color mode?
• Did you include all of your typefaces with your file?
• What about the resolution?
• Is the file incomplete?
• Did you allocate enough bleeds?
• Are your images in the right file format for the inteded medium?
These are only seven of what seems like hundreds of questions you need to answer to ensure the job is produced properly. Like I said design breads anal retentive, obsessive, detail oriented people! It is part of your job to be on top of these details!
Don’t forget word of mouth.
Yes, you are developing messages that work to get the word out, but nothing speaks louder than a trusted friend. You are more likely to try a product or service because a friend suggests it than through any other type of graphic communication. If your best friend “likes” a website on Facebook chances are you’re more inclined to check it out yourself than if you simply see a banner ad promoting it. Your best friend becomes what I like to call a “brand ambassador.” Brand ambassadors are consumers who belong to the target audience that willingly spread the word about your brand.
Integrating social media (using web-based and mobile technologies) into your design solutions helps to turn one-way communication into an interactive dialogue. A print ad is an example of one-way communication. Your client promotes something in the ad hoping the consumer sees it and takes action. Social media allows consumers to instantly talk back and close the conversation loop.
One final note: This exercise encouraged me to reflect on how different my thoughts on design were some twenty-two years ago when I was a bright eyed, lil design newbie. My insight and approach have changed a thousand times yet somehow through all of it my ultimate goal remains constant. Take a moment and think about this one yourself. Let me know if you have an epiphany you care to share.
One final note: This exercise encouraged me to reflect on how different my thoughts on design were some twenty-two years ago when I was a bright eyed, lil design newbie. My insight and approach have changed a thousand times yet somehow through all of it my ultimate goal remains constant. Take a moment and think about this one yourself. Let me know if you have an epiphany you care to share.
Below are some excellent resources that might help you delve deeper into the information presented above.
The real design trends for 2011
Tips for Graphic Design
Encyclopedia of Psychology
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