Graphic design: the ultimate sellout?

As a graphic designer, I have often felt that I am a sellout. In part because the things that I create are used solely for commercial purposes; in part because I am often forced to compromise design principles in order to please clients (and make my paycheck). I think that almost every graphic designer has to do this to some degree in their career. It would seem that the occupation of graphic design is intrinsically a sellout, whereas fine art is the only way to go if a visual artist is to avoid selling out.

Then I saw this post at ilovegraphics.net. I have nothing critical to say about the website or post. What struck me as off-kilter is the amount of money being exchanged for this artist’s work. Millions of dollars for one piece. No graphic designer makes that type of money for one piece of work, so what does it really mean to sell out?

A graphic designer creates a logo for a couple thousand dollars. An artist creates an installation for a few million dollars. I would argue that the former is being more true to their nature than the latter. Designers acknowledge that what they are making is commercial. They know they are going to get paid; the company who uses their work is using it in the process of making money. But what of the fine artist?

Fine art is supposed to be “a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture.” (Dictionary.com definition) When an artist creates a work that they consent to have sold for an arguably exorbitant sum, they are selling out in grand scale. I am not criticizing Yayoi Kusama in particular here; she lives in a mental institution, not a mansion. I am speaking in general terms about fine art that becomes valued by its enormous price tag.

Yes, I know you could argue that the artist might not be motivated by money. I would say that if that were true, then the artist would donate the lion’s share of moneys made to charity. And some do. You cannot keep money without believing that you deserve it. The least sellout thing to do would be to legally cap the sale price of your works of art. Otherwise, you are allowing the same type of forces that drive the sale of pop music endorsements to drive the sales of your artwork.

I’m not saying that it is immoral for a fine artist to make a lot of money. But it is selling out. It is commercial. It is capitalistic. There is no moral high ground in fine art vs. graphic design if money is made in both arenas. Graphic design is generally a modest sellout; fine art is a potential sellout of enormous magnitude.

At the heart of it, I think that fanatics are responsible for sellout in any field. It’s like rubbernecking on the highway: once a few people look, everyone wants to see. Next thing you know, it’s a spectacle drawing a crowd. Much art, visual or otherwise, is valued by mob mentality. Is a painting worth tens of millions of dollars – more than many graphic designers will make in their whole career? It is if a big enough mob thinks it is. In my book it’s just another reason to look inside for affirmation of the value of your work rather than looking (solely) to the opinions of others.

These are my thoughts at 9:00 on a Monday morning. Please discuss. I welcome differing viewpoints.

12 tips for working with designers

Everyone who has worked with a designer has probably encountered surprising situations: A designer didn’t respond well to changes. A designer couldn’t seem to get the design right. A designer didn’t follow your directions. Each situation is different, but here is a short list of tips for working with designers that will help to make the process more smooth, enjoyable, and effective.

1. Provide as much relevant information as possible. Design is a visual expression of an idea. The more information you provide the designer about your idea, product, service, process, and your customers and goals, the better the design results will be.
2. Answer questions. Designers ask a lot of questions. Don’t get annoyed by this — it’s a good thing. Again, provide as much information as possible. Discuss. Make sure the designer understands where you are coming from. Read the rest of this entry »

Being In-House

This is a resurrected post from April 20, 2009. I accidentally deleted it, but was able to resurrect it using Google’s cache.

In-house designers work within a company that is not a design firm or advertising agency. 65% of graphic designers fall into this category, but I feel like we get overlooked. Sometimes an in-house design department is much like an agency within a company, providing services for multiple departments and having a process and structure that resemble those of an independent agency. Articles like this make the assumption that this is the case.

It doesn’t always work that way, though. Many in-house designers are embedded within a non-design department (marketing, for example) and report to a boss who is a businessperson, not a creative director. This boss reports to someone else, who reports to someone else, etc. Direction and changes can come from any number of people, and the designer has to make everyone happy. It becomes very easy to just live in that little, happy box where everyone is copacetic. But how can you be creative and still make everyone happy?

Design can be an fun, energizing process. I love the discussion and brainstorming that can go into design. But for an in-house designer, these fundamental steps can be forgotten. Often, a design project begins with copy that shows up out of the blue. No concept, no discussion, no direction, an insane turnaround, and along with tons of similar projects. But there it is. And when you have to please a committee, what can a designer do to remain creative without becoming frustrated over all of the limitations?

Here are some of the things I do. Most of which, I should do more.

1. Write. Word association can lead to visual communication. List visuals that could be associated with each individual word of a headline (or title or product name) and then consider ways that these visuals can be combined to pay off the headline. This is a basic, but powerful design technique that I learned in a class with Ed Brodsky.
2. Talk to people. Talk to the writer if possible and get their vision. Talk to other designers. This can help you refine your idea, or keep you from spending time developing an approach that is bound to get squashed.
3. Find inspiration online. Many companies aren’t paying to send designers to conferences to get their creative juices flowing. It’s up to you to keep a list of design sites and blogs bookmarked so you can check them regularly. Better yet, subscribe to those you can via RSS and skim them in Google reader so you can find new content quickly. And follow them on Twitter, too, of course.
4. Draw. This might not work for everyone, but I find that composition goes much quicker and the results are better if I sketch out some layouts (small — no bigger than a couple inches along the largest dimension) before doing anything digitally.
5. Show your design to another designer — someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Working in isolation can get you in a rut.
6. Make suggestions. Once you have come up with some ideas, talk to your boss and express your ideas with inclusive phrases like, “What if we…” and “Your copy makes me think of…” If you don’t say anything, you can miss a rare, creative opportunity. And if you say it the wrong way, you can come across as arrogant.
7. Create multiple designs. Sometimes this just means multiple layouts, but if you can come up with at least two distinct designs, then you’re better off. Make the one you think your boss wants, but if you have time, make the one you think is best too. This way, you’ve expressed your ideas, and you have an A/B option. Most bosses like options.
8. Do freelance work at home. From personal experience, working for just one client continually can deaden creativity. When I get home from work, I only want to eat supper, take care of domestic things, and then do something fun or relax a bit. But it’s my responsibility to continually grow and develop, or else I’m going to become irrelevant.

Of course, you still have to please everyone; it’s the nature of the beast. But with these techniques, doing so can be a more creative process, and you might be surprised by the designs that get approved. These are just a few ideas. I’m mostly thinking out loud through this post, and I’d love to hear your thoughts as well — what advice do you have for the in-house designer? What are the restrictions and challenges you deal with?