Recently I read James Reeves’ article on Speak Up called “Design Equals Writing,” where Reeves raises some interesting comparisons between the professions of writing and design. But what caught my attention was Candy Chang’s comments about Reeves’ article. Candy has graciously let us reprint her comment here on B L A N K. Her thoughts shed some light on our recent post about the changing relationship between design business and design.

I think James brings up a very interesting perspective with the design/writing analogy. It has made me wonder why I have thought of the graphic designer as a client-serving professional, rather than, more simply, a visually-eloquent person. Perhaps it was the way graphic design was introduced to me, perhaps it was some near-sightedness on my part. When I finished design school and first entered the job world, I was frustrated with lackluster content and waited for the Righteous Project to come my way. After a long period of whining, I realized how silly this was. Who was stopping me from creating my own satisfying content? Eventually, I co-founded a record label and started an online store. Now I lay out articles for The New York Times, work on my own “art” projects for...... Keep reading

My congratulations to Design on its official engagement to Business. Looks to be a lovely wedding and splendid marriage. Everyone’s invited. If you didn’t get the invitation, you can pick it up at the news stand. Just look for this month’s special invitation in the Fast Company magazine devoted to the relationship of Design and Business. “We do something that no other business magazine has ever done: We devote virtually an entire issue to the subject of design.” I feel so honored to be a part.

And why are these two upstanding people tying the knot? I think Business says it best: “Because we believe that great design has become as important to competitive advantage as smart technology. It’s why Procter & Gamble chief A.G. Lafley is making design a core part of his company’s new culture. It’s why the iPod is the hottest consumer product today. It’s why BMW’s Mini Cooper has been a terrific success. And it’s why Target has succeeded against the Wal-Mart juggernaut.” I’m really looking forward to meeting all their friends at the reception.

Yes, Design and Business will live a happy life together. “In the years ahead, design will become a basic ne...... Keep reading

Sometimes I read things and have additional thoughts that are worth writing about. Other times, what I read or hear is so well said that nothing more needs to be added. Such is the case with this new weekly column on B L A N K which I’m calling “Well Said.” Enjoy and add your own in the comments.

“Given the amount of energy that is devoted to defining and defending graphic design, I wonder if the discipline would be better served if the term “design” were used in the same way in which we use “writing”: as an individual skill determined largely by voice and context rather than a fixed term for a profession. The notion of writing accommodates personal memoirs, copy for a toaster manual, esoteric literary fiction, academic papers, shopping lists, investigative reporting, etc. – why can’t graphic design be just as accessible and flexible? Writing is verbal communication; graphic design is visual communication.”

~ James Reeves’ article “Design Equals Writing” on Speak Up

“I’m 49 years old, and I’m frustrated that at some point, someone decided to replace the words “On” and “Off” with strange graphic symbols on computers.”

~ Phil P., Homebuilder, spoken at my house last night

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“A new civilization is emerging in our lives, and blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. This new civilization brings with it new family styles; changed ways of working, loving, and living; a new economy; new political conflicts; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well. Pieces of this new civilization exist today. Millions are already attuning their lives to the rhythms of tomorrow. Others, terrified of the future, are engaged in a desperate, futile flight into the past and are trying to restore the dying world that gave them birth.” – Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave

When I was in college in the late ’80s, Alvin Toffler’s book, The Third Wave, was creating quite a stir on my campus. Professors were pontificating its meaning to bleary-eyed students. Curriculums were being rewritten. Guest speakers were popping up everywhere exploring the implications of this landmark book. Given all this hoopla, I had an inkling that Toffler’s concepts were important, but I really just wanted to pass the classes. What I didn’t understand then and am beginning to now, is how applicable his book is to the heart and soul of design.

Toffler’s basic premise in 1984 was that civilization is undergoing a cataclysmic s...... Keep reading

“Art cannot be ‘produced’, as one contracts out and produces technical equipment. It is always a gift. Inspiration is not something one can choose for oneself. It has to be received, otherwise it is not there. One cannot bring about a renewal of art in faith by money or through commissions. Before all things it requires the gift of a new kind of seeing. And so it would be worth our while to regain a faith that sees. Wherever that exists, art finds its proper expressions.”
- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Spirit of the Liturgy (1999, Ignatius Press)

Sorry, but I couldn’t resist the title after reading this article by former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, about his thoughts on art and the Church. This dude has some deep thoughts on the spiritual dimensions of art, most of which I found very refreshing. Pope B’s article isn’t light stuff, so give yourself an undistracted 15 minutes to engage his words if you plan on reading the article. Oddly, his article about art has stirred questions in me about the soul of design (a.k.a. it’s purpose?) and its relationship with the Church universal.

Pope Benedict chronicles the transition of art from a mystical experience connects a person with the unseen Divine, to a historical devotional that narrates past events. The Pope cites the shift from Platonic thinking, where ...... Keep reading

Last night I woke up with a weird thought: Why do most designers work for advertising agencies? If you survey the design landscape, I suspect the number of designers working in agencies far outnumbers those in studios and full time freelancers. Which leads me to wonder if design either (a) hasn’t grown up enough as a profession to stand on its own or (b) is in a co-dependant relationship with advertising. Relationships always influence the people/organizations/professions in them at some level—even down to the heart. And this is one of the reasons I’m wrestling with advertising’s long, intimate and influential relationship with design. Advertising seems to have long become design’s sugar daddy (couldn’t think of a better term, but maybe you can). So much so, that designers wonder if they can make it on their own. Here’s what the relationship looks like now: (Sorry no clever graphics here. Use your imagination.)

Advertising
design

Is it time for design to break off the relationship with advertising and “just be friends”? I would say so. The steady relationship between design and advertising is quickly changing whether they realize it or not. Let’s do a little muckraking so you can see what I mean. Guess who’s advertising’s sugar daddy? Business. Business calls the ...... Keep reading