Its not you, its me and its definitely not art.
Graphic design can easily confuse professionals into thinking that it is all about self-expression and finding ways of channeling ones artistic sensibilities. It is not: When a client hires you, you have to remember that this is not about you but them. You have to put their needs, requests and understanding of their business and clients way before yours. Your job is to translate their situation into viable communication, not about manifesting your demons and angels. If you want to make it so, buy yourself a canvas and save your client the money.
Lose some battles, win the war.
Because graphic design leans subjectively, you will never be free of client feedback when it comes to colors, typefaces, layout, and photographic or illustrative choices. You can throw tantrums when you are asked to change a typeface or a typefaces size but that does nothing to further anyones cause. Focus on getting your big idea through if its strong enough it will work regardless of being set in Courier rather than Bodoni at 11pt instead of your beautiful 8pt. Roll with the punches, but make sure you deliver the knockout punch.
Can you hear me now?
Pick up the phone. Pick it up. Dial the numbers and talk. Whether you are looking for a job or a client you will have to pick up that phone and talk to a real person. And you are going to have to be sweet, smart, funny and charming for 15 seconds or 15 minutes. Do not let a person off the phone until you get what you want or you are satisfied with their reasoning for telling you no. Its okay though, most people will say no. Weve all gone through it and lived to tell about it, you will too.
Be nice.
This might sound like a very basic and dumb thing to list but its amazing how many people forget that they are dealing with human beings that, like you, have feelings. Treat your clients, vendors, messengers and coworkers with respect. Find humor (and a solution) in sticky situations. Dont blame or point fingers. Be yourself Unless you are a pain in the behind, then try to at least fake it.
Do good work.
In the end it all comes down to doing good work. While good work is subjective, we all know it when we see it. And the only way to make good work is by listening to clients and coworkers, practicing, taking risks, looking at what people that are better than you and, dont worry, there are so many are doing, scrutinizing every job you finish and starting all over again with the next project, as if you knew nothing. Do work that satisfies you technically, emotionally and professionally, if your heart is not into it you can only do mediocre work and, to be honest, we have enough of that already.
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Armin Vit is a graphic designer, writer and blogger living and working in New York. View Full Bio
I just don't agree with #1. A lot of designers are either on one side of that argument or the other. I don't think that just because you are selling your art, that its no long art. I mean, isn't art subjective? Who are you (or anyone else for that matter) to tell me that its not?
The whole reason I got into GD was because I loved all forms of art. So, I say its an art. A bastardized art, but an art none the less.
schutzsmith
July 24, 2007 - 11:07pm
@erika: I think what Armin is referring to Graphic Design focusing on the client's needs and art focusing on the artists needs.
Graphic Design = need for a solution
Art = need for self-expression
Sometimes they overlap, but more often they do not and that is where the common misconception comes into play.
Anonymous
July 26, 2007 - 12:23pm
i'm going to bastardize this quote, but here goes.
"The difference between commercial art and fine art, is that commercial artists know what they're going to get paid BEFORE the work is done. Fine artists know AFTER."
Sometimes those fine artists get paid after their death. So let's not compare ourselves to fine artists. That's my point.
Clay
August 2, 2007 - 2:02pm
number one and number five are mutually exclusive.
I understand that it's not about me. But every client I've worked with has always micromanaged every aspect of the design process.
example: "I want this big photo of myself centered, with the headline, 'We Mean Convenience' centered over my head in Times New Roman, 16 point, and I want you to stretch the text vertically about 52.564 percent, I think Times new Roman looks too squatty... Also, we talked about this before, there's some 'unused' space. I wrote a novel, I think it should go in there... plus we need to add pictures of every ad we've ever done to the bottom of this one so that the readers will know who we are... Hey, what if the reader holds this ad in such a way that his thumb partially obscures the logo!?! we need to put the logo on there three, NO! Four more times! In fact, center the logo! Center it and stretch it horizonatally until it is flush with the bleed... But make sure that it fits within the trim...
"By the way, I liked the alternate options you gave me... they were funny/smart/cool. I showed them around the office and everyone got a big kick out of them, but they weren't what I asked for. From now on only do what I tell you, I'm on a budget and can't afford you wasting my time... etc... etc..."
Anonymous
August 4, 2007 - 1:21pm
Good commentary, but I think the debate around #1 ignores an impartial third party. It's not about either you or your client, but about the need that is being solved for visually. If we think about our roles as designers as creatively solving visual problems for our clients - that helps to get egos out of the way, and helps to define our purpose purely as consultants, not artists. There is an art in negotiating this responsibility without being a primadonna. The end result, if done collaboratively, has potential to be artistic only if that was mutually defined as the goal. However, all of our results should be as creative as we can make it, considering all limitations placed by the objective and client.
Clients who over-direct are simply not allowing you to effectively solve their problem, or the need was defined as "I need a computer production person to implement my direction." Clarify that in your world (not theirs), and you will be much happier when you are asked to do that. I've done that more times that I am willing to admit, mostly because bills need to be paid. Just don't put that work in your portfolio if you can't take at least partial creative ownership of the end result.
Clay - you need to stand up and let your client know why he should listen to you. If you can't communicate a clear concise and compelling reason for NOT doing what he says, you had best just suck it up. If you can he'll either go away or let you do your job, either way you're better off.
regards art and design - i think we're all right.. design is art and vice versa, it is an expression of how we percieve something and choose to communicate it, whether that something originates in a clients need or our own tortured soul doesn't change much except for the terms of trade.
July 17, 2007 - 9:21am
Wait a second. Armin Vit advising us to be nice?
Like, for real?
July 19, 2007 - 5:32pm
I just don't agree with #1. A lot of designers are either on one side of that argument or the other. I don't think that just because you are selling your art, that its no long art. I mean, isn't art subjective? Who are you (or anyone else for that matter) to tell me that its not?
The whole reason I got into GD was because I loved all forms of art. So, I say its an art. A bastardized art, but an art none the less.
July 24, 2007 - 11:07pm
@erika: I think what Armin is referring to Graphic Design focusing on the client's needs and art focusing on the artists needs.
Graphic Design = need for a solution
Art = need for self-expression
Sometimes they overlap, but more often they do not and that is where the common misconception comes into play.
July 26, 2007 - 12:23pm
i'm going to bastardize this quote, but here goes.
"The difference between commercial art and fine art, is that commercial artists know what they're going to get paid BEFORE the work is done. Fine artists know AFTER."
Sometimes those fine artists get paid after their death. So let's not compare ourselves to fine artists. That's my point.
August 2, 2007 - 2:02pm
number one and number five are mutually exclusive.
I understand that it's not about me. But every client I've worked with has always micromanaged every aspect of the design process.
example: "I want this big photo of myself centered, with the headline, 'We Mean Convenience' centered over my head in Times New Roman, 16 point, and I want you to stretch the text vertically about 52.564 percent, I think Times new Roman looks too squatty... Also, we talked about this before, there's some 'unused' space. I wrote a novel, I think it should go in there... plus we need to add pictures of every ad we've ever done to the bottom of this one so that the readers will know who we are... Hey, what if the reader holds this ad in such a way that his thumb partially obscures the logo!?! we need to put the logo on there three, NO! Four more times! In fact, center the logo! Center it and stretch it horizonatally until it is flush with the bleed... But make sure that it fits within the trim...
"By the way, I liked the alternate options you gave me... they were funny/smart/cool. I showed them around the office and everyone got a big kick out of them, but they weren't what I asked for. From now on only do what I tell you, I'm on a budget and can't afford you wasting my time... etc... etc..."
August 4, 2007 - 1:21pm
Good commentary, but I think the debate around #1 ignores an impartial third party. It's not about either you or your client, but about the need that is being solved for visually. If we think about our roles as designers as creatively solving visual problems for our clients - that helps to get egos out of the way, and helps to define our purpose purely as consultants, not artists. There is an art in negotiating this responsibility without being a primadonna. The end result, if done collaboratively, has potential to be artistic only if that was mutually defined as the goal. However, all of our results should be as creative as we can make it, considering all limitations placed by the objective and client.
Clients who over-direct are simply not allowing you to effectively solve their problem, or the need was defined as "I need a computer production person to implement my direction." Clarify that in your world (not theirs), and you will be much happier when you are asked to do that. I've done that more times that I am willing to admit, mostly because bills need to be paid. Just don't put that work in your portfolio if you can't take at least partial creative ownership of the end result.
September 16, 2007 - 7:54am
i agree with pretty much all the five items
Clay - you need to stand up and let your client know why he should listen to you. If you can't communicate a clear concise and compelling reason for NOT doing what he says, you had best just suck it up. If you can he'll either go away or let you do your job, either way you're better off.
regards art and design - i think we're all right.. design is art and vice versa, it is an expression of how we percieve something and choose to communicate it, whether that something originates in a clients need or our own tortured soul doesn't change much except for the terms of trade.
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