mattborghi
05-09-2005, 04:30 PM
So a couple days ago I meant to post this, but I didn't get around to it. I decided to take a walk, it was a beautiful Michigan spring day, and as I was walking I started thinking about my job.
The term "The Compromised Graphic Designer" came to my mind, as I thought about my work. Sort of had a Camus-like ring to it, but maybe my question wasn't as dire as many of his...
Anyway, I walked and I thought. I thought about a conversation I had with my boss earlier in the day. My boss sat me down and told me that he liked my work, and thought it was original, but that I should start using the cornucopia of royalty free graphics that were available on the internet. I'll refrain from judging that just now, but I was taught for most of my design life that you never go to those free animated gif sites, or those auto-build nav bar places that litter the info superhighway... I mean I shuddered to think about using a flaming text anim-gif on a site that I was serious about, or one of those orbiting planets. I was instructed that I should start thinking about some of those web templates that you could get on-line at some of those free template, free clip art places. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I pressed the issue and asked if it was something to do with my work, and lo, it was not, however, I needed to make use of stuff that was freely available, and he reiterated that it was OK to copy other people's stuff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The words were contrary to everything that I had ever thought about art, and for better or for worse, my thoughts on art are inextricably linked to my work as a graphic/web designer, even though it's creative, and not necessarily artistic, at least at my day job. I didn't say anything. I just nodded and looked at the floor. Why? Because the other thing that I was taught was that the client, or the one paying your way, makes the decisions. So at times I'm just a computer-operator or production artist, which really isn't so bad, but it's interesting to me how sometimes I'm a full-on graphic designer, sometimes I'm a computer operator and sometimes I'm the full-on marketing and production person - writing copy points, designing, sourcing out to a printer, and all that involves. Furthermore, when you throw in web design, especially in this day and age, with php, database driven web, css, interactivity, etc... we're talking about a totally different animal, almost wholly antithetical to visual stimuli, and that which drives most graphic designers or creative visual types. So it's interesting how hats we designers have to wear.
I guess besides a directionless rant, I wanted to share my experiences with the hope that others might share theirs... I read the article here about what to expect as a graphic designer, and I found it right on the mark.
I go through the pages of Print and Comm Arts, and I'm like how come I'm not desiging things like this. I look at the credits and these pieces have art directors, illustrators, copywriters, photographers, etc... and at any job I've ever had, I've been the art director, copywriter, illustrator, designer, photographer,etc... and I've had a ton of great ideas, yet my ideas get vetoed and I end up using schlocky cliches like "bevel and emboss" drop shadows and various other PS efx that make me sick at this point. So it goes, it's better than a real job... :-)
Anyway, I guess that I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences as graphic designers. What do you do vs. what you thought you would be doing? How much creative say do you have? How many of your ideas are fleshed out by a panel, or maybe a single individual with less than developed aesthetic tastes? Just curious...
If you got this far into my rant... thanks...
matt
The term "The Compromised Graphic Designer" came to my mind, as I thought about my work. Sort of had a Camus-like ring to it, but maybe my question wasn't as dire as many of his...
Anyway, I walked and I thought. I thought about a conversation I had with my boss earlier in the day. My boss sat me down and told me that he liked my work, and thought it was original, but that I should start using the cornucopia of royalty free graphics that were available on the internet. I'll refrain from judging that just now, but I was taught for most of my design life that you never go to those free animated gif sites, or those auto-build nav bar places that litter the info superhighway... I mean I shuddered to think about using a flaming text anim-gif on a site that I was serious about, or one of those orbiting planets. I was instructed that I should start thinking about some of those web templates that you could get on-line at some of those free template, free clip art places. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I pressed the issue and asked if it was something to do with my work, and lo, it was not, however, I needed to make use of stuff that was freely available, and he reiterated that it was OK to copy other people's stuff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The words were contrary to everything that I had ever thought about art, and for better or for worse, my thoughts on art are inextricably linked to my work as a graphic/web designer, even though it's creative, and not necessarily artistic, at least at my day job. I didn't say anything. I just nodded and looked at the floor. Why? Because the other thing that I was taught was that the client, or the one paying your way, makes the decisions. So at times I'm just a computer-operator or production artist, which really isn't so bad, but it's interesting to me how sometimes I'm a full-on graphic designer, sometimes I'm a computer operator and sometimes I'm the full-on marketing and production person - writing copy points, designing, sourcing out to a printer, and all that involves. Furthermore, when you throw in web design, especially in this day and age, with php, database driven web, css, interactivity, etc... we're talking about a totally different animal, almost wholly antithetical to visual stimuli, and that which drives most graphic designers or creative visual types. So it's interesting how hats we designers have to wear.
I guess besides a directionless rant, I wanted to share my experiences with the hope that others might share theirs... I read the article here about what to expect as a graphic designer, and I found it right on the mark.
I go through the pages of Print and Comm Arts, and I'm like how come I'm not desiging things like this. I look at the credits and these pieces have art directors, illustrators, copywriters, photographers, etc... and at any job I've ever had, I've been the art director, copywriter, illustrator, designer, photographer,etc... and I've had a ton of great ideas, yet my ideas get vetoed and I end up using schlocky cliches like "bevel and emboss" drop shadows and various other PS efx that make me sick at this point. So it goes, it's better than a real job... :-)
Anyway, I guess that I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences as graphic designers. What do you do vs. what you thought you would be doing? How much creative say do you have? How many of your ideas are fleshed out by a panel, or maybe a single individual with less than developed aesthetic tastes? Just curious...
If you got this far into my rant... thanks...
matt