Why A Good Graphic Designer Should Not Have A Personal Style
- By Stephen P Boyce
- Published 04/28/2011
- Graphics
- Unrated
Every project is different, the communicated message changes and the target audience changes - this is a good enough reason to try not to develop a personal style but there are other reasons.
If you are projecting a style on a piece of work you are not allowing that piece of work a life of its own. A successful piece of design has its own personality which shines through - superseding any inherent style of the individual that created it.
It's easy to get into a routine when designing but is a bad habit. It's very hard to create anything that's totally unique but not so hard to create something distinctive. 99% of design is not memorable or distinctive and has no personality - it was probably put together by a designer churning out the same style day in day out.
If you are struggling with this concept and want to try and break your bad habits why not try working with a pencil for an hour before jumping on the mac. As well as that you can try asking the client more questions to try and spark ideas, it's amazing what you can find out once you start digging. The client will not be forthcoming with the information because they don't understand the creative process and don't realise the information is helpful. You should literally interrogate the client, within reason, and sketch ideas as they come into your head. This process can take half an hour but can save many painful hours of creative block behind a mac.
One of the worst examples of not tackling each project with a fresh start is reusing logos that were not chosen. This is lazy and will not help your development as a designer. I realise that time is money but you are not a production line you are an artist! In the same way Damien Hirst an
d Tracy Emin are artists. Your work should stem from a creative concept - if it has an idea behind it, it can become campaignable and therefore grow into a brand.
If your career as a designer is just beginning you will probably argue that you don't have the time to look at each project with the same level of freshness and yes if you are quoting per job you will probably lose money initially. All I can say is persevere, the money will come. If you strive for the highest standards your work will start to stand out and people will come to you because they want something that shines through and not just a quick job.
Don't be greedy but make sure you can feed yourself, your first five years as a designer is a huge learning curve. Your in the wrong business if you want to make a quick buck, there is money to be made within design but only if you have the portfolio to justify it. If you've lost money on a project but have a strong piece of work for your portfolio you will reap the rewards in the long run. Word of mouth can be one of the best forms of new business for a designer.
Another tip is to surround yourself with good design - not just by bookmarking websites - buy yourself books regularly. Leafing through a book is far more inspirational than clicking through a website, you need to get away from the screen to get the ideas flowing. Put posters up, tape your favorite adverts to the wall - plain walls do not inspire - nor do crappy sunset pictures from homebase!
Hopefully this article will inspire - if your not sure about my point of view look out for designers that boast about their style and assess the quality of the work. Look for designers that have won prestigious awards and cross reference different projects. Don't be lazy - yes good quality design is hard but if it wasn't everyone would be doing it and quite clearly they are not.
If you are projecting a style on a piece of work you are not allowing that piece of work a life of its own. A successful piece of design has its own personality which shines through - superseding any inherent style of the individual that created it.
It's easy to get into a routine when designing but is a bad habit. It's very hard to create anything that's totally unique but not so hard to create something distinctive. 99% of design is not memorable or distinctive and has no personality - it was probably put together by a designer churning out the same style day in day out.
If you are struggling with this concept and want to try and break your bad habits why not try working with a pencil for an hour before jumping on the mac. As well as that you can try asking the client more questions to try and spark ideas, it's amazing what you can find out once you start digging. The client will not be forthcoming with the information because they don't understand the creative process and don't realise the information is helpful. You should literally interrogate the client, within reason, and sketch ideas as they come into your head. This process can take half an hour but can save many painful hours of creative block behind a mac.
One of the worst examples of not tackling each project with a fresh start is reusing logos that were not chosen. This is lazy and will not help your development as a designer. I realise that time is money but you are not a production line you are an artist! In the same way Damien Hirst an
If your career as a designer is just beginning you will probably argue that you don't have the time to look at each project with the same level of freshness and yes if you are quoting per job you will probably lose money initially. All I can say is persevere, the money will come. If you strive for the highest standards your work will start to stand out and people will come to you because they want something that shines through and not just a quick job.
Don't be greedy but make sure you can feed yourself, your first five years as a designer is a huge learning curve. Your in the wrong business if you want to make a quick buck, there is money to be made within design but only if you have the portfolio to justify it. If you've lost money on a project but have a strong piece of work for your portfolio you will reap the rewards in the long run. Word of mouth can be one of the best forms of new business for a designer.
Another tip is to surround yourself with good design - not just by bookmarking websites - buy yourself books regularly. Leafing through a book is far more inspirational than clicking through a website, you need to get away from the screen to get the ideas flowing. Put posters up, tape your favorite adverts to the wall - plain walls do not inspire - nor do crappy sunset pictures from homebase!
Hopefully this article will inspire - if your not sure about my point of view look out for designers that boast about their style and assess the quality of the work. Look for designers that have won prestigious awards and cross reference different projects. Don't be lazy - yes good quality design is hard but if it wasn't everyone would be doing it and quite clearly they are not.
Stephen P Boyce
Steven Boyce has worked as a designer for 15 years, 10 years freelance and 5 years running a full service web design agency in Berkshire called Clever Little Design.
View all articles by Stephen P Boyce