There have been a few incidents over the past week or two that have made me do a bit of soul searching. I don’t get much time to think as I used to, to sit and contemplate my existence and evaluate my performance on various tasks. However, I think it is an essential part of life and self-evolution to continually be learning and evaluating yourself so that one might become better. Being human is rather aggravating to perfectionists because there will always be room for improvement.
The Difference Between an Artist and A Designer
I remember a professor or two in college being appalled by someone using the term ‘graphic artist’. It was one of the many sins my classmates and I committed over the years. Terming ourselves as a ‘graphic artist’ was supposedly worse than any four-letter-word in the book. It was beaten into my head enough to be ashamed to apply for a ‘graphic artist’ position.
Last week I was posed the question: “what is the difference between a ‘graphic artist’ and a ‘graphic designer’?” Though I remembered the experience from college, I could not for the life of me articulate the difference between an artist and a designer. I stumbled on my words and honestly said “I really don’t remember” or something to that extent. I knew the theory behind each description, I simply could not put it into words. I eventually described it as an artist simply making something look pretty just for the sake of doing so, while a designer makes something appealing by utilizing nearly-scientific design principles (with the help of some colleagues).
Luckily the Web Designer Depot has published a wonderful article articulating the differences between an artist and a designer. They have put it far more eloquently than I could have while being put on the spot like that. There is one point made that I don’t think is made clearly enough: “Good Art Is a Taste. Good Design Is an Opinion.” The headlines in that section are not clear enough. The statement “A good piece of design can still be successful without being to your taste.” Also, since design for the most part follows set principles or rules (or even a scientific formula for some), opinion doesn’t even matter when it comes to whether or not a design is “good” or “bad”. A design may not be “appealing” to some, but if it is effective to the target audience and follows the laws of design opinion doesn’t have much to do with it.
The Skill of Design
When I first entered the design program at IU, I felt like I was on my high school swim team all over again. (I only joined the team to get over my fear of water, so it goes without saying that I was the worst one on the team.) My first semester I spent countless hours crying to anyone who would listen about how I was thinking of dropping out. I was surrounded by design prodigies for the entire duration of my design education. It seemed that all they had to do was sit down at the computer or with their sketch pad and something as great and revolutionary as the FedEx logo came out–for every project! I was convinced that I was a horrible designer for years. It wasn’t until I met with Mandy Walsh and her team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a critique of my portfolio that I had any confidence in my skills whatsoever.
Since I started Point Brake, I’ve constantly struggled with the design of my own brand, website, and printed materials. The website especially, as it still is not up to my own standards. I have all these amazing ideas for clients, but when it comes to my own site I cannot get out of this designer’s block rut. (I had fair warning that it would always be most difficult to design for yourself.) And, even the “amazing ideas” that I have for clients I can’t fully flesh out into ornate, complex, ground-breaking, traffic-stopping designs–yet.
The point that I love most that is made in The Difference Between Artists and Designers is that design is a skill. I’ve improved immensely from my design courses in college. Luckily I’m a perfectionist and always strive to make the next project better than the last.
Last week someone else made a comment to me that, at the time, I had no clue how to respond to. I was sitting in the front row at an information meeting and knew one of the speakers. He kept using me in examples and mentioned a couple times that I was a designer. During the lunch break I was making my plate and someone asked if I was in fact the designer sitting up front. After saying I was, he said that he’s had some experience with designers and they either are really amazing at design and horrible at business, or vice versa.
I honestly didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to cut myself down, but I was thinking “I’m really not that great of a designer” as I constantly compare myself to my design-idols. I know I have plenty of room for improvement, and I cannot wait until I have enough business to warrant another designer on staff to collaborate with. And, I am NOT a business person! I’ve learned a lot since January, but I don’t think it’s even been a year since I discovered the meaning of “ROI”. Then again, the most important thing that I have learned is that most guidelines in life apply to business as well (i.e. the golden rule).
Being the pessimist I am regarding my own self-image, I just kept my mouth shut because I couldn’t think of a response that wouldn’t put me down or cause myself embarrassment. I’m really skilled in causing myself embarrassment. I wish it were a marketable trait. However, if I were back in that moment of that conversation, I would continue it with:
“Everyone has room for improvement, and I will never consider myself an expert in anything because I am a perfectionist. But that perfectionism is what drives me, what motivates me to offer my clients the best service they possibly can receive in all aspects. Here’s my card.”
It especially is that last sentence I wish I could have said, because I missed quite an opportunity to prove to at least one person that there is a business-minded designer out there. If you don’t get that joke, request a copy of The Value of Design on the VOD page. And if you have read it and still don’t get it, I’ll admit its reaching a bit.
So, the good news is that I can only better my design skills considering my level of determination. The bad news is that I’ll never reach perfection. Such is life.