“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought”
- Albert Einstein
Welcome to Episode 45: Will Design Ever Rule The World?
In the not-too-distant future, creatives will rule the world. No joke!
And I am not just saying this because I live a life of creativity. It's a matter of fact that the interconnected systems we use to function within the business world (and society), whether in communication, design, finance, and so on … are increasing in complexity.
Graphic design is a subjective process. There is no set-in-stone "right-way" to go about it. It is a process of understanding, having realistic expectations, patience, and of course excellent communication that will go a long way towards a successful outcome.
We nerdy right-brain folk, tend to explore and reveal humanity despite that strong internal pull that demands perfection -- and those ever-present thoughts and feelings that the rest of the world does too. Risk taking is imperative to the creative process because it pushes the boundaries and expands self-imposed limitations in exchange for a level anyone has yet to imagine.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought”
- Albert Einstein
Welcome to Episode 45: Will Design Ever Rule The World?
In the not-too-distant future, creatives will rule the world. No joke!
And I am not just saying this because I live a life of creativity. It's a matter of fact that the interconnected systems we use to function within the business world (and society), whether in communication, design, finance, and so on … are increasing in complexity.
Graphic design is a subjective process. There is no set-in-stone "right-way" to go about it. It is a process of understanding, having realistic expectations, patience, and of course excellent communication that will go a long way towards a successful outcome.
We nerdy right-brain folk, tend to explore and reveal humanity despite that strong internal pull that demands perfection -- and those ever-present thoughts and feelings that the rest of the world does too. Risk taking is imperative to the creative process because it pushes the boundaries and expands self-imposed limitations in exchange for a level anyone has yet to imagine.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
In the not-too-distant future, creatives will rule the world. No joke!
And I am not just saying this because I live a life of creativity. It's a matter of fact that the interconnected systems we use to function within the business world (and society), whether in communication, design, finance, and so on … are increasing in complexity.
But before we dive into the thought of us nerdy creatives taking over the world, let’s talk “shop” when it comes to working with someone like us …
Graphic design is a subjective process. There is no set-in-stone "right-way" to go about it. It is a process of understanding, having realistic expectations, patience, and of course excellent communication that will go a long way towards a successful outcome.
Every small business needs to work with a graphic designer from time to time in order to create exceptionally branded marketing materials. From personally working extensively on both sides of the fence, here are some tips I have come up with to help make things flow smoother and give YOU as the client insight into how you can contribute to a successful outcome …
TIP #1. BE REALISTIC WHEN ESTABLISHING TIMEFRAMES.
This is exceptionally IMPORTANT!!! Be clear on when you need things completed, if things need to be a certain way on the first draft, the final proof or even the final virtual or print-ready piece. Please understand that some things in design-land can be more time-consuming than you may think. For example, it only takes a second to say, "clean up the background," but it could take the designer hours to do it depending on the image. There are a lot of specialized skills and knowledge that goes into a professionally designed piece.
TIP #2. PROVIDE EXAMPLES WHEN POSSIBLE.
Providing examples that you like is probably the single best way to fast track the design process. A picture really is worth a thousand words.
You may not think that this is your job, but it’s important to understand that the graphic design process is a collaboration -- so the clearer you can communicate your vision, the better. The designer will of course still come up with the original work, but examples give a great starting point. Especially if you have something strangely particular in mind. If you don’t … then let the designer be free! As long as they have a clear understanding of your brand and your desired outcome, things will come out gloriously in the end.
TIP #3. DON'T EXPECT PERFECTION ON THE FIRST DRAFT.
There is a reason it's called a “first draft" … It's a starting point. This is where your input is crucial, and any talented and respectful designer will appreciate your suggestions and constructive criticism.
TIP #4. AVOID GENERALIZED FEEDBACK.
Unfortunately, there is nothing very constructive about "make it pop"! What exactly does that even mean? And what is a "wow factor"? … Specific examples or descriptions are much more useful and appreciated far more than vague descriptors. It’s one thing to give the designer some creative freedom, but it’s quite another to expect them to read your mind. (Some of our clients and I joke about this sometimes!)
TIP #5. CONSIDER THE COMPONENTS.
There are 5 main components to graphic design … colours, fonts, images, layout and overall aesthetic. Commenting on them individually when giving feedback can be very helpful in narrowing down what you would like to see in the finished piece. But sometimes, as the client, it can be hard to know exactly what you do and do not like about the design.
However just saying "I don't like it" isn't going to be very constructive. If you’re truly uncertain of what it is you’re not liking, then start with the main ideas you have that are holding the design back and work from there.
TIP #6. DON'T BE A CONTROL FREAK.
Always allow space for the designers input and creativity.
One dynamic that can happen if you are very particular or if happen to lose faith, is that you might start to micromanage. The designer slowly gets excluded from the creative process and at some point, they may eventually give up artistic input altogether. A good designer will know how to remedy this. But if you feel this is happening, the best thing to do is take a step back, gain some altitude, talk it out, then try to clarify exactly what you want in order to get the project back on track.
TIP #7. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS.
You, as the client, are paying for a creative process and point of view, but you are still the boss. If the image the designer selected confuses you, then ask them to explain it.
If it confused you, it may confuse your audience as well. But also try your very best to keep an open mind when the designer is explaining their rationale for said choice, as it might be an eye-opener and make more sense than you saw in the beginning.
And lastly …
TIP #8. KNOW WHEN TO SAY “WHEN”.
Things will never be perfect. It is easy to obsess and lose perspective when you are too close to something. So, take a step back, take a deep breath, and try to view things from the point of your target audience.
Most right brain creative activities, projects and tasks are extremely hard to automate, which means this process cannot be replaced by a set of step-by-step instructions. Business owners don’t just want “things” anymore, they want their brand to have meaning and purpose to those who buy. They want their brand to showcase their story, their voice, personality, true meaning, empathy, and a sort of playfulness. This way their audience will be able to feel “why they (meaning you) do what they do” all the while being able to laugh, have fun and make a real human touch connection.
Creativity is literally the highest form of intelligence.
And it is an intelligence not easily replicated by machine.
It is very difficult to quantify the effects of creativity and imagination because it not only builds a greater bank of knowledge, but it also broadens horizons on absolutely all levels. So, we must only look as far as the technology sector has brought us over the last decade or so, in order to see how just how amazing, the creativity and imagination-based designers and developers have built upon existing knowledge to create better, more effective, fun and stylish designs, platforms and products.
And to touch on an oh so fitting quote by none other than Albert Einstein himself …
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
Now let’s dive into the question at hand … Will design ever rule the world?
Without creativity and imagination, we embark on an extremely dangerous course of stagnation because knowledge in isolation only reproduces past results.
Repetition is certainly useful, but only to a certain degree. And action without innovation will eventually make our world highly unfulfilling and frivolous.
Great ideas do not arise from a chambered effort to expel our creative intelligence, but rather a highly extensive process of expressing our thoughts and energy without self-scrutiny. Which brings me to a shortlist of reasons why design (and creative individuals) will rule the world one day …
Human’s value meaning over data.
And nobody breaks that statement down better than Brene Brown …
“Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy -- the experiences that make us most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
Next up on the list …
We nerdy right-brain folk, tend to explore and reveal humanity despite that strong internal pull that demands perfection -- and those ever-present thoughts and feelings that the rest of the world does too. Risk taking is imperative to the creative process because it pushes the boundaries and expands self-imposed limitations in exchange for a level anyone has yet to imagine.
Imagination is not only the unique human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. It is conceivably the most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.
So, if you take away anything from this, please remember, imagination is the new currency. It is only with creativity and imagination that one can remove the limits of conventional thought. And that is why designers, programmers, artists, and creative business owners will eventually rule the world … and our future.