Sometimes people compare graphic or advertising design to fine
art. They believe that a piece of graphic design should be
something of stunning visual beauty that the audience would admire
or wish to frame and hang in a gallery. An interesting notion that
whilst commonplace isn't necessarily relevant.
Of course as a designer I would love all my work to be
universally admired and gazed upon with loving eyes. But let's be
realistic, graphic and advertising design in particular, have a job
to do and that sometimes means that "beauty" just isn't the way to
go. A designer shouldn't ask the question "do you like my design",
but should be more concerned with "does my design work." Clients
commission designers to fulfil a requirement of their organisation
- to inform, to promote or to sell. If the target audience is male
over 60's with an interest in motors, then there is little point
producing a "beautiful" design filled with reference to the
nostalgic textiles of William Morris, the eccentricities of
Salvador Dali, or the modernist typographic and geometric forms of
the Bauhaus.
The taste of the audience is paramount and designers should be
more concerned with appealing to these groups to help their clients
receive the best return on investment rather than designing in a
manner dictated to us by whatever design style happens to be in
vogue or is popularised by peers.
Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not advocating ugly or dated
work or being disrespectful to any particular design style, I'm
just stating that each project is unique and one size does not fit
all.
A great design should be created with that bespoke brief, that
unique client and that target audience in mind and they should not
be shoehorned into a formulaic trendy design template just to suit
a lazy designer.
A truly succesful design should function on every level - for
target, for designer but most of all for the client - after all if
a designer wants to be successful then they have to work hard to
ensure their clients success first.
This article was written by Adrian Taylor, Creative
Director at Aawen Design.
Any thoughts or comments? Ade would love to hear from
you ade@aawen.com or call
01872 562090