Like it or not, design has class. And no, I don’t mean it’s classy as in elegant or fashionable, although design is a very trendy business world accessory of late. And I don’t mean design has class as in groups that share the same common attributes. I mean design has class as in an artificial social hierarchy–much of it self inflicted. This more subtle definition of class creates a division where one group is perceived as “better” or “higher” or “more refined” than the other. This trend is nothing new. Art, architecture, literature, culture, music, etc. all have created similar class systems. And we as designers are somewhat guilty for creating artificial divisions in design. Let me explain.

I recently listened to an online video given by Malcom Gladwell, well known author of the Tipping Point and Blink. He tells the story of how in the early ’70′s Grey Poupon Dijon mustard broke into a field dominated by two plain yellow mustards. How? First, they created a different type of mustard that was spicy and brown. Then through design and advertising they created an artificial mustard social class, where plain yellow mustards should be perceived as “common” and Grey Poupon as “upper class” mustard. Grey Po...... Keep reading

I knew I’d have to come out of the closet some day. I guess now is as good a time as any. Some of you will be shocked, others will not care and many will not have a clue why I’m even writing this post. But I think it’s important you understand why I write from the perspective I do, and why B L A N K has a different tone than most blogs, Christian or otherwise. Understand, not everyone who writes articles for B L A N K shares my view. That’s good. Uniformity is boring, and it plagues design, especially “Christian” design. Nonetheless, you ought to know where I’m coming from. So, without further adue, here’s my design theses nailed to the door of my heart:

1. I am a Christian. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Fill in the blank with all the answers you feel are necessary to define what that is doctrinally, experientially, or whatever. Both good and bad. I probably fit most of them anyway.

2. I design and get paid for it. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Fill in the blank with the answers you feel qualify someone to be a designer, both high and low. I’ve no formal design training, so if that is a criteria on your list, you can scratch what I said about being a designer.

3. As a Christian and a designer, each have a profound influence on the other. One is who I am, the other is what I do. Who I am as a Christian infiltrates all I do in design. What I do in design gives me a greater understanding of wh...... Keep reading

I’m concerned. Has anyone else but me noticed the growing tendency in Western democratic countries around the world to censor anything that might be considered offensive to Muslims? Think back to the Danish editorial cartoon, the book by S. Rushdie and most recently the modification of a musical performance in Germany. It seems so small and insignificant, but these are signals that something is shifting in our world–a shift that will eventually constrain our freedom to speak the truth through design.

It’s a spirit of fear. And it’s not exclusive to Islamic extremists coming to get you if you say anything against the Prophet Mohammed. You can find fear operating in dictators, emperors, fascists, communists, capitalists, democracies and even Christian churches. We’re naïve as designers to think that the power of fear which for centuries has shaped, stifled and controlled the expression of truth through the visual arts can’t exert it’s influence again. Let’s take a little quiz to see how fear might already be impacting our choices:

1. Do you have a burning passion or project in design that you’d like to pursue, but just can’t seem to do it?
2. Do you dream of working independently, but can’t break free of your current employer?
3. Have you ever known what the best design solution was for a client’s problem, but didn’t suggest it?
4. Have y...... Keep reading

Why is the design field so curiously self-obsessive?

From AIGA‘s Communique newsletter:

Promoting a new standard definition for “designer”
AIGA testified this month before the commission on redefining the standard occupational classifications for “designer” used by the U.S. government in its economic research. This is another step in an effort that AIGA has pursued consistently for ten years. The occupational classification for designer is at least two decades old and captures the functions of a designer prior to the introduction of the Macintosh and securely anchored in the realm of commercial artist.

Stated definition: “Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.” (Last updated in 2003).

Again from AIGA:

The U.S. Department of Labor’s contractor for the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), the government’s database on occupational characteristics, is conducting a survey to gain a sense of the relevance of the current definition. The survey will be sent to 80 opinion leaders within t...... Keep reading

A designer I know has recently resurrected his interest in leaving the client-based design sphere. This is something we all toy with–—chances are we all have some secret (or not-so-secret) design interest that exists somewhere outside of client work. So what stops me personally? The reasons are always the same:

The Money
The biggest excuse. Maybe “excuse” is the wrong word. Perhaps I should say “the biggest legitimate concern.” It’s not easy just to walk away from paying clients for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. Even worse is the possibility that there is not a clearly defined market for the things you would like to make. I won’t even bother discussing the hurdles for those interested in pursuing some sort of as-of-yet-unexplored-holy-grail art+design hybrid.

The Time
Here’s the rub. When I started picking up more freelance work I always thought about it as a way to eventually finance my more personal design projects. Somewhere in the past couple of years it feels more and more like the means to an end has become the end itself. Don’t get me wrong—I love the client work I do. This work keeps me sharp and makes me feel like I am doing something “real”. Perhaps most important is that it provides deadlines that are essential to maximizing my productivity.

The B...... Keep reading

You may not know it, but we’re in the beginning of what will one day be defined by historians as the Second Renaissance or “rebirth” of arts and culture. The First Renaissance started in Italy in the 1300′s, lasted several hundred years, and centered around the rediscovery of ancient texts and classical learning that was dormant Europe during the Middle Ages. This rediscovery brought about profound changes in every area of society that formed the basis of what we now consider Modern society. The First Renaissance witnessed the birth of the Reformation, the rise of Humanism and the spark of the Scientific Revolution. And the institutional Christian church played a significant role in funding and shaping much of the major movements during this period. As a result, the art, philosophy (minus humanism) and music of that period bore the distinct marks of the church and a calling to a higher, deeper Purpose that those disciplines serve.

The Second Renaissance is quite different. While technology still fuels it–the computer and Internet taking the place of the printing press and monks–the Second Renaissance signals the transition of the Modern era into a Post-Modern one. This Second Renaissance is not being shaped by institutions–the Church or otherwise, but by individuals and organic groups formed and reformed for specific purposes. The focus is largely now on the rediscovery of pre-classical, ancient t...... Keep reading