There have been a few teams of design and editorials for some time now and most of such occasions I have been feeling perplexed. Over and over. And there is this thing that always stays. Contempt. Contempt for others who can’t understand design. Or the trends. Or editorial voice. (I have a design degree. I feel your pain. But get over yourself. Really.)
Here’s a big secret that people need to know. All humans understand design. Trend. Editorial voice. Which means that this is not rocket science. It’s a form of art. Art is for everyone. So is Design.
No offence, I really respect designers, writers. And artists. And photographers. I mean I have seen some amazing artists whose creations leave you completely flabbergasted. So people, let’s try not pretend that design is as complex as rocket science. Or engineering, or neurosurgery. It’s absolutely not, and I said it.
Designers just have to deal with the fact that people will have opinions, which is completely fine, I mean who doesn’t. And opinions of people who have never absolutely no knowledge of color theory or creative writing or know what kerning is are invaluable to designers (and writers and creative people and artists). Really? Why? Because then they force us to face our work and detest and defend it and fight for (or mostly against it) it.
You should know that opinion and criticism are dialogues which are exclusively essential for your work to raise its bar by another level.
So I have stated here the 4 conflicts of designers:
There is absolutely no right or wrong in Design (there is no right most of the times)
Yes, you. Yes, YOU! The designer, you don’t really know everything. Design incorporates completely subjective which everything from music to writings to sketches and so everyone deserves a right to have an opinion, especially the one you’re working for, the CEO. Colors? Fonts? Images? Layouts? Yes, even your CFO should be welcome to share his/her opinion, for their inputs will only make it look good. Designers don’t just create, you have to solve a problem, for a particular task you become the visionary and so it is very necessary for people to throw in ideas in your mind palace for effective thinking. Make peace with that so you can focus on what you are really meant to do, DESIGNING.
In design people have to walk along with you
There are some stubborn designers and creatives. For example when I had just begun writing back in my architecture school, I’d always take my writing pad in some isolated location and not have any distractions or interferences. When I finally joined my first internship I kept the same practice. It would really bother me every time people coming and telling me to do things like this and not like that, it was annoying.
Are some of you still doing that? Just listening it and spitting it out and then working in seclusion?
Just so you know, that’s WRONG.
Woking solo is as bad as working in a team. This is a part of your job, my job, to take people along with you. Listen to everyone, engage everyone. Meet them and show your iterations, your interesting mood boards. Your ideas in rough, ugly, unpolished, just any raw form. This will create more work for you. But it will only make work better and so others will want to work with you. That’ll also help you earn the TRUST, your best friend, indeed.
Let your design smile
Okay. So Designers make things, best of the things. Designers who can’t, GO AWAY! You are just not needed here. Designers have the best thing to do in the world, to make things that cannot speak but smile. So, if at all you’re walking around grumpy, please look for another job profile, a professor or something (well that’s how my design professor walked around). French Connection is happy. Tommy Hilfiger is Smiling and so is US Polo (could be a result of cosmetic surgery, can’t say).
But on the serious note, you people, all you designers have made this world a better place to live, a much functional and easy one, how can’t you smile then?
Design follows the Tortoise win over Hare
At times there is a haste, you need to work really fast and design even faster, which is fine. But one of the best designs that have ever been developed are the ones which have been created in a relaxed environment, with patience and a lot of thoughtfulness. So hide your ears and learn to live in the shell! Things cannot be mended overnight, it needs time to be everlasting, so try to avoid the haste business please! We don’t want engineering failures in Design, if you know what I mean!
And the best is be the politician designer, with a healthy political mind. For they are the ones who take their skills and couple that with the needs of their constituents (your company) and then make hard, but thoughtful, and inclusive decisions.
That’s exactly what designers have to do!