How does the public view Graphic Designers?

[ChapmanCreativeDesign]

I have an assignment in my college english class about writing a paper on how people view graphic designers. What stereotypes are there? Do they view designers as an important group to society or...?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[morea]

well, as a designer and not a public, I am biased, so I can only offer some thoughts from my perspective (for what they are worth...)

It seems like a lot of people don't understand what a designer really does, and the proliferation of self-proclaimed "designers" who really don't know our trade only contributes to the problem.

I have met a lot of people who view GD as a "get rich quick" scheme... and it would seem that the majority honestly believe that software is what makes someone a designer. I don't think that the general public views designers as professionals, or there wouldn't be so many requests for spec work.

Unfortunately, the fact that there is always someone out there with a pirated piece of software and a desire to make a buck at any cost only encourages people to view us all as hacks.

<sigh>

[budafist]

I think you should ask some people that aren't designers.

Then post your answers here coz we like to know what they think.

[ChapmanCreativeDesign]

That is exactly what I was thinking. Thanks so much for the quick reply. My teacher will love that I am using real GDs for a reference!


BTW I plan on becoming a GD or Web Designer. However I am currently just getting my associates in the arts.


Any other opinions are greatly appritiated!

[ChapmanCreativeDesign]

I think you should ask some people that aren't designers.

Then post your answers here coz we like to know what they think.

Will do. I also belong to a Toyota Offroad Truck forum that I can post this exact question on.

[budafist]

Good plan. Also email all your family and friends with the question.

[urstwile]

I know my mom still doesn't understand what I do. :rolleyes:

[cmont]

heck, I barely understand what I do.

[budafist]

LOL @ cmont.

I think my family have a good understanding of what I do. That's because I've taken it upon myself to educate them :D

...except for my uncle that thought a Mac Operator meant I made big burgers.

[EC]

Firstly I suppose it would be helpful to define how we would like to be perceived. For me, it's as a marketing/communications consultant with special skills in graphic design, web development, web technologies and internet marketing. One that works closely in partnership with the client to achieve certain goals.

Many potential clients that have approached me assume a few things about what I do:

1) That my job is to take their sketches and ideas and "html" or "photoshop" them. They do not view my role as related to marketing, but rather, as having software and technical expertise that they don't posses (and thus, must outsource).
2) That my job is to "do creative"; that, with an extremely minimal amount of information I will be able to create an award-winning, effective design that will make them lots of money and rank them at #1 on google. In this scenario they expect to be hands-off, not a part of the process. They most likely don't expect to spend very much money on any of this because they don't understand what it all entails (or they've run into snake oil salesmen selling promises for bargain rates.)

Both are wrong, and unfortunately it's difficult to educate people about their false assumptions. Even worse, there is a "designer" out there for every client that has no clue who will happily perform the service without setting them straight -- chances are they are ignorant themselves or don't possess the correct business skills. (I'd venture to say we've all been there).

Sadly some just need the work, these are the designers that will take on the client that doesn't understand the role of the designer (or their boss makes them do it) ... then we all come here complain about how lame and stupid people are. :p

A bit of a tangent sorry, not sure if that helps but good luck! :)

[frankster]

I think most of the general public doesn't get what we do as designers and marketers and really there's nothing wrong with that. It's not important for consumers to understand it, just to respond to it. In the same way that when you walk into a grocery store many people won't appreciate the store has been layed out so that you first see the aisles of fresh fruit and the toilet cleaning products are way at the back, so that (owed to Eddie Izzard here) you think "this is a fresh shop", not "this is a poo shop". We use balance, colour and aesthetics along with psycology to make consumers respond well to the product or service our client represents. It's not important that the consumer understands and it's often required that they don't understand how we achieve this for it to actually work. It is important that a design grabs thier attension on a basic instinctive level and draws them in. Sure, it's a skill and one worth paying for, but it's the client that needs to understand this, not the public at large. Selling is a science these days and we are an integral part of that. I think that's the only thing the public needs to grasp for us to feel valued in the work force. I need to stop typing and make dinner. You guys know this crap anyway.

[cornfed]

The majority of my family thinks I work with computers. My grandmother was a graphic designer. I guess they thought she played with lead or something. I agree with Frankster, though, they don't have to understand it, just know it's important!!

[frankster]

My grandmother was a graphic designer. I guess they thought she played with lead or something.

That's very cool indeed! Have you seen much of her work? What's it like?

[budafist]

That is cool. I don't think I've ever heard someone say "My grandmother was a graphic designer".

[urstwile]

Yeah, Cornfed, I didn't know that either. I'd love to see some of her work, did she inspire you to get into the business?

Oh and Frank? Eddie Izzard is one of my all time favorites, ever. The man has a simply amazing way of putting history into context and yet making it funny. And damn, he looks really good in a dress.

[DesignStudio]

morea, post the "photoshop it" cartoon for chapman, i think that does a nice job of summing up what the public thinks of graphic designers. :D

[PrintDriver]

You mean all designers don't dress all in black with gel in their hair and wear designer frame rectangle shades?

It's really funny to see a group of college kid designer students come through here on a tour because 85% of them look like that...I feel like I'm in The Matrix.

[Tea]

You mean all designers don't dress all in black with gel in their hair and wear designer frame rectangle shades?

It's really funny to see a group of college kid designer students come through here on a tour because 85% of them look like that...I feel like I'm in The Matrix.

Very funny!

[morea]

morea, post the "photoshop it" cartoon for chapman, i think that does a nice job of summing up what the public thinks of graphic designers. :D


ah yes, it's a classic!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y153/Gromit801/Designercartoon.gif

[Broacher]

Collectively, in a general sense, I think to most people, we're looked and thought of in the same sort of way people think and look at sales people--or maybe writers. There's a strong weasel component to our ranks, but there's also at least an acknowledgement that many are true professionals. Since there's no real 'official' credentials necessary to do the work, most people are just a little bit curious. Mostly because of all the TV shows and movies that portray graphic design as a hot and sexy profession.

Well, at least that part's true.

[DesignStudio]

what tv shows are you watching? i guess i don't have whatever channel the "hot sexy graphic design hour" is on.

[TheBluePanda]

I think this question depends on where you work, how you deal with people, etc. The people I deal with on a daily basis are instructional designers, project managers, editors, and programmers.

Having said that, I'm fairly certain that my co-workers think of creative people as having the most interesting job. While everyone else is sifting through hundreds of pages of text, staring at lines of code, and editing monotonous documents, I get to create Flash interactions, graphic designs, and motion graphics.

However, they also understand and value the importance of what I do, and generally understand the difficulty and time involved. So I'm pretty content with how people view my profession.

[Broacher]

Yes, but that's a more personal view, based on your experience. I think that the original question is more interesting-- in a way-- to the profession as a whole. How DO people who have little or no contact with working with us view our profession? I think I'd like to know how we stack up against say, with doctors, lawyers, engineers, electricians, nurses, teachers.... the kind of professional benchmarks that most of us carry around with us. And not just in overall credibility, but in more specific factors such as reliability, training, trustworthiness, influence... and so on. (I wonder if AIGA has ever commissioned a poll at a level this 'public'?)

[DesignStudio]

i agree with broacher. i hope that chapman posts his findings back here for us.

[cornfed]

That's very cool indeed! Have you seen much of her work? What's it like?

I haven't seen a lick of her work. I know she designed advertisements for the newspaper in New Orleans and did some stuff on the side for various businesses. I've looked and searched and asked around, but nothing has come up. As much as I would love to say she inspired me, I can't really claim that. She died when I was 11 and I didn't know she was a designer until after I became one! I would like to think that there's a genetic link there that caused us both to go into this.

This thread makes me think of when I was a kid and would get asked at least once a week, "What's it like to be a preachers kid?" My stock reply was "What's it like to be a salesmans kid?!"

[Jackimalyn]

Im with cornfed here. My Grandpa was a graphic designer. He's also a really good freehand artist, which is the only part of his profession he still really shows off, he draws cartoons for my little cousins, so my whole family thinks GDs just draw. They didn't understand how I could become one when I can't freehand.

Evereyone in my office thinks I went to school to make things look pretty.

[Broacher]

>>Evereyone in my office thinks I went to school to make things look pretty.<<

That's what I always tell 'em. Then I look them in the eye and calmly mention that for a co-worker, I can probably beat the best plastic surgery prices by at least 25%.

[Silence04]

i often hear "designers beat to a different drum"

so i guess people think we are weird?

[Broacher]

If they don't, you must seriously re-examine your choice of profession.

Actually, we're not as weird as most people would think. In fact, I think we're more conservative than we ourselves would like to think.

What we do have (after a while, anyways) is a knack for improv communication. And that's where the acting skills come in.

[budafist]

You mean all designers don't dress all in black with gel in their hair and wear designer frame rectangle shades?

It's really funny to see a group of college kid designer students come through here on a tour because 85% of them look like that...I feel like I'm in The Matrix.


I stay away from gel, but I have rectangle glasses and have been known to wear all black on many occassion. :D

Since there's no real 'official' credentials necessary to do the work, most people are just a little bit curious. Mostly because of all the TV shows and movies that portray graphic design as a hot and sexy profession.

I have credentials, it's just that no one is ever interested in them. :rolleyes:

[quiltfacearmy]

A lot of people that I have run into don't realize that GD is a form of art.

[Broacher]

A lot of people that I have run into don't realize that GD is a form of art.

A lot of people that I have run over don't realize that driving like a maniac is a form of art.

"Art is anything you can get away with."
- Marshall McLuhan