“…Glaser revealed his design process, he said he starts with a drawing done by hand, scans the image and transfers it into a computer where he modifies it electronically. “I love the computer. I hate stupid work done on the computer,” he also said, “Graphic designers shouldn’t use a computer until they’re 40-45 [years old]””
Read more at: Milton Glaser & Chip Kidd In Conversation, Just Creative Design
http://justcreativedesign.com/2010/03/12/milton-glaser-chip-kidd-in-conversation/
www.good.is/post/ten-more-steps-to-becoming-the-designer-you-want-to-be
I’ve got about 22 minutes before dinner, 45 minutes before the dogs need walking and an hour before a new episode of Top Gear, so I better get cracking with this post. I was thinking of a recent project I did not win and I thought of you AIGA’ers and design blog enthusiasts. Upon hearing of my work with another firm, I got a call to do design work. But it wasn’t a typical call—and when I say typical—it wasn’t a robo-telemarketer selling health insurance. It was a bona-fide call. But as it turns out, the call was from a foundation with a solicitation for donated work because they love my work.
Of course they mentioned that their budget is tight and they have no money, but they wanted an interesting design for their upcoming event. I suggested a fee and they declined. Which had me thinking: “do you really love my work if the work won’t support me? Would you love my work if I spent a half-hour (my available “free time”) designing your project?”
At an AIGA event two years ago, for instance, David Plunkert, of Spur Design, mentioned that even in donated work, he develops an estimate and an invoice that reflects the actual value. That’s an idea I like, because what I want more than anything (almost more than getting paid) is to have people value the work that I’m doing, even at the expense of the pesky conversation of value getting in the way. But, let’s be honest. Money is at the base of the discussion. Always. Or at least gratitude. Once, I did work and got a $100 Panera card. that was great stuff!
Four our profession, most important to the equation for donated work is engaging selectively in a matrix of work that involves either a cause that I support (Shepherd Fairey’s Obama Posters), something that allows for a breaking of a boundary (creativity, etc.), and/or doing work for a cause that can benefit from our personal effort (i.e. Haiti fundraising, for instance). In other words, one should manage donated work (printing, pr services) like one would with giving money. As it turns out, money is often easier to give. No one calls you back two or three times telling you the decimal in the wrong place.
As for serving on a board, I’ve often heard that people, no matter what the profession, say one should not do for a board what they do for a profession: meaning the lawyer shouldn’t become the legal counsel or the accountant shouldn’t stay up late balancing the books. Again, I believe that as long as one is aware, it’s a matter of personal preference. Those knowledgeable can clear the way for that board to secure those valuable services, by knowing what to look for. While experiences are different, I’ve been nominated to a committee because ostensibly I could design. And as a CEO once mentioned to me: “there are three things I nominate board members for: money, wisdom or work,” you still don’t want them looking at you like you’re the media department. Contribute in disciplines that are outside of your profession because you can extend your experience, and extend their value for the work.
It’s difficult to estimate that if you, as a great creative, contribute to a project that you may introduce the client to the value of great design. Sometimes this happens. Certainly, sometimes it does not. The client’s gratitude can evaporate as soon as the work commences. They box you in creatively. Other conditions arise. Or, other times, they may become more cumbersome than a paying client. It’s important to have a strategy towards these projects and don’t be afraid to be clear up front.
While creatives are often happy to contribute their talents to causes, be measured in how much of that you do, because sometimes firms become addicted to free work, spending all their time looking for free work, when some of the work they commission should be paid.
In an age when it’s more and more valuable for designers to embrace the inherent and latent value of their work, be mindful of your approaches when it comes to the donation of design work.
Our friend Andy Epstein who writes the In-Howse Designer Blog Recently put out a call for certification. I replied, with my take on the history of the discussion as I’ve heard it. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts!!!
“Lack of respect is clearly the number one challenge facing in-house designers (or at least the number one complaint). Clearly there are ways to mitigate this problem including educating peers on the value of design, entering design competitions and forging personal relationships with non-believers. These tactics can only go so far, though, especially when dealing with accountants, lawyers, engineers etc. who have professionally bestowed official certifications.
So why not designers? Our profession has been negligent in its inability to establish a certification process that would be recognized both within and outside of our community. There are models that already exist, most notably RGD Ontario. It’s time to start exploring this option with our established industry organizations and get this big ball rolling.”
I commented:
“It’s a good question, no doubt.
There has often been discussions within designer organizations, like AIGA, around the possibility of certification. From the details that I’ve heard, there is a divide over the ability to implement something substantive versus the outlay of costs.
I feel that both sides have salient points and believe that the point can be debated, so that however one feels, there is an understanding of the underlying issues and, perhaps more importantly, understand one’s position in the changing design world.
I think certification is certainly useful in professions where processes have to be followed like accountants and doctors, but may be less so for designers for whom a variation in approach and style are of significant value.
The nature of change in the business of design has been so quick that the implementation time of a certification program, things may change beyond what a program can offer. In just ten years, the ability to have a viable, mobile workstation has become a reality, making a designer choice from Michigan to Minsk a reality in competing for work, that in the past may have otherwise been geographically specific. It’s a statement of the obvious to discuss how the business of designing communication has changed.
Compliance is porous even in some of the current positions the design organizations like AIGA takes. For instance, organizations regularly use spec-work to forward their business interests despite protestations of national or local AIGA organizations. Yet often designers enter contest for work they might otherwise be paid.
From what I hear, the development costs associated with the Canadian model and implementation are at least worth consideration vis-a-vis the results and are said to be beyond the ability to implement.
Lastly, the new technology of the “flat world” is more likely to tear down the walls of a guild rather than build them up.
Looking at what iTunes did to the ’90s oligarchy of the music and radio world, or what the e-book/internet is doing/has done to the printed world, one question that comes to mind is that the tools of the trade are relatively ubiquitous. But what may be less so is the notion of what design should do for its audience.
I believe we’re in a new economy and the best examples of how to find our way is to become assets to communication through understanding of the value of well-targeted design to help develop distinctive communications that create conversations. And while a requisite level of skill is assumed, being a pair of “hands” is less and less useful than developing a skill set that speaks to the work. I draw an analogy similar to dilm directors where there is no set formula for what works but a body of skills that assist an effort.
While the lack of certification, can be represented as troubling, I see the opportunity for designers to bridge the gap of viability as the same or similar whether or not certification exists.
As a working designer, I feel like it’s my job to respect myself and not fall for anything that devalues my work: crowd-sourcing models that refuse to recognize I do this for a living, not just for fun, spec-work models that obfuscate my ownership rights, and even standing up for myself versus clients demands.
While I think that while designers could benefit from higher visibility general market campaigns that targets the good of their positions to the general public of what successful design is all about, it is ultimately the rationale that we have to work at being knowledgeable about the role that design plays in the world.
And I think we have to help designers know that. I am particularly reminded of a lecture where I heard Khoi Vinh of the New York Times maintain that as the head of the in-house design staff it was his job to constantly remind the organization of the value of the in-house designers and often that meant his job was to meet with various segments and be a part of the solution to the business model. Taking that thinking into my own in-house experience, I would agree that the main task is for us to respect our work and communicate that role to the company regularly.”
—Chris Jones, AIGA Baltimore
http://the99percent.com/articles/6152/15-books-for-creative-domination
It makes so much sense when a couple of guys from a design firm with the name “spunk” in it are enthusiastic, even in the heart of winter. Even through the crappy weather and flight cancellations, Jeff Johnson of Spunk Design Machine fired off emails with exclamation marks as he completed stages of his suddenly canceled trip.
Well, the Spunk Design Machine team made it to Baltimore and for the thirty who braved the weather, they were so much better for it. think about it: they weren’t canceling. Heck, they’re from Minnesota!!! So, they came to rock the house and their presentation
“We believe that all design is an invitation.
We believe in distinction over distraction.
We believe every design has a voice.”
—Spunk Design Machine presentation
The self-proclaimed research nuts aggressively investigate design problems creating mood boards and through sketches to illustrate their direction as they showed and proclaimed in their presentation. The audience was treated to a number of their approaches—some of which will be profiled in an upcoming book on sketches by Steven Heller—including a collection of images and compositions from the Davis Co-op project. That energy resonated in the diverse body of work and their approaches which went from the “simple” pizza box or the complex.
And I had a great time meeting Spunk Design Machine’s Jeff Johnson and Ben Pagel, personally. After the presentation, their four-letter word of choice was “B-E-E-R” and so it was off to Brewer’s Art.
We got an email today correcting copy on the AIGA Baltimore website.
It read, “I am a post grad design student. My first degree was not in English. This morning I took a brief look at your home page and read the paragraph below. I was shocked. Please give your copy writer a guide to grammar and punctuation. Flaws speak louder than perfection, don’t have this represent AIGA Baltimore.
“As part of our effort to increase reach, increase conversation about design and all things good in that respect, AIGA Baltimore will be developing a blog about Baltimore, AIGA, AIGA Baltimore, design and issues in the industry and if you read the legalese we wont be limited to that. (We need someone to actually write the legalese, by the way.) Anyway one guarantee for continued notes and news is to keep the conversation going back and forth. Let us know what you think (“that was terrible”) or good thoughts and post ideas are welcome as well…”
As the author of that copy, I responded and corrected the copy to “As part of our effort to increase reach, increase design conversation, AIGA Baltimore has started a blog. The blog is available at www.aigabaltimore.wordpress.com. Let us know what you think (“that was terrible”) or good thoughts and post ideas are welcome as well…”
Thanks for the correction. Keep it up.
To the comments, I’ll mention that while I blog for AIGA Baltimore and work on its behalf, the notion that my comments, writing or design skills represent the members or its contents is definitely a stretch. I barely represent the things I said twenty minutes ago. Once I had a writing instructor who said I couldn’t write at all. the next semester, I had an instructor who said I was a great writer. They’re both right. I’ll also defend the imperfect, for it’s substance if not it’s imperfection.
Join AIGA Baltimore as we welcome Spunk Design Machine. Spunk Design Machine is hitting the road in 2010 to talk about design. Designing for culture, designing for invention and the diverse aspects of designing within the world’s ever-changing state of affairs.
They believe there is jot to be found in distinction and little to be found in distraction. 2009 was good to them, being feaatured in Steven Heller’s book: The Design Entrepreneur. They are also going to be featured in his upcoming book about designers’ sketchbooks.
The thirteen year-old firm recently opened their satellite office in New York City and produced the fourth installment of the Poster Offensive, their poster show for peace and democracy. And getting a peek at what they’ll be presenting us, I can tell you that this is presentation you don’t want to miss.
Registration $5 members, $10 nonmembers
Registration website: http://baltimore.aiga.org/events/2010/02/40892534
It’s funny I think, ruminating on a post I created some time ago, I remarked that a colleague ended up calling me a “PowerPoint God” because I was able to build inter-activity and influence his PowerPoint with design sense. The comment I made was made in a way hat off-handedly put down being a “PowerPoint God” as if it’s like being the chief french fry-cooker at that coveted fast-food job when I was a teen.
I won’t be so bold as to say no designer dreams of being the PowerPoint God, because I realize that’s not true. I just don’t think I ever wanted to be that person. It just so happened that a) many people might confuse me with a reasonably competent designer (pity them) and b) I happened to work with some corporate types who seem to think using PowerPoints—at least internally.
But here’s the deal: when work is slow, me, I’m pining to be the “PowerPoint God.” So much so, that maybe I’ll create a PowerPoint have an internal meeting with corporate clients that I have discussing how much of a god I am at PowerPoint. Because, when it comes down to brass tax, being a designer is about a number of different avenues in the profession, whether it’s like a colleague whom I met last night who works at The Sun creating graphics or the colleague whom I met at the MICA Flex class who works on a designer jean label.
As it turns out these are all valid entry/destinations for a career in graphic design. Do you know how I know? They pay a paycheck. You laugh, but that, in many cases, is the arbiter of success.
Quick story: I went to Loyola and at Loyola the communications track translates into taking various courses among them: journalism. In the journalism class, my professor had each student work with a local paper, researching and writing a story for the paper’s editor. Well, my turn came up and I did an interview of program in West Baltimore. Even back then I had “journalistic ethics” supposedly. As an avid fan of “60 Minutes” and Mike Wallace, in particular, I didn’t want to be a pushover for the program. I wanted to check the facts mentioned—all that stuff. So, I did all that and wrote the article and the editor, as it turns out was happy enough with the work that he gave me assignments throughout that summer. When I went back to the professor some time later (lag time between writing and the subsequent publishing) and asked him what he thought of my article.
He said: “Did they publish it?”
I said “Of course!!”
He said “Well then, it was professional.”
I thought wow! That’s a great cover for not having read it (still don’t know if he did). But more importantly, it was a singular point that sometimes the most valuable thing to be, is the thing in the mind of your customer or boss, that says “they are great at this particular job and I am willing to pay for it.” I say this, having lived the experience of the in-house designer and being the guy who could do “that thing you do”.
Sometimes, in-house designers have to struggle at quantifying their value to the company (and the profession). Somewhat isolated, internally (always a small group in a company of people) and externally (“you work on what?”), it’s often a world of other stuff that the company’s focused on and, oh, by the way, the designer’s job is to tell them to fix the leading in the brochure and they’re like what? Who cares?
Well, we do: making good communication is what we do… that’s our deification.
Perhaps the search for value and meaning means finding more of that value outside your specific job function: (Note: managers that the innovative Google allows its engineers to spend 20% of their time working on a personal passion which keeps them energized for all that Google stuff) whether that means you are freelancing a little, painting, writing blogs or whatever keeps you focused on value.
But, keep the creative fire and the resumé fresh and keep getting paid.
A new blog/e-zine debuted yesterday that is focused on providing content to the in-house design community. Appropriately named The In-HOWse Designer Blog, it is being underwritten by HOW with AIGA national participating as a partner in the venture.
http://invangelist.wordpress.com/
