Rick Morris, Motion Graphic Design

I found Rick Morris to be a very interesting character and fit the mold of what I seem to think of as a “true artist.” It was interesting to see his creative processes, routines and inspirations. I have an an enormous amount of respect for motion graphic designers. I think that adding a huge game-changing element into the mix like motion, and designing cohesive and interesting pieces is a large feat. I think there are several points that hit home from watching this documentary. One concept that stood out to me relates to the creative process. We keep coming back to this point in our own class: the importance of sketching. I would assume it is almost more tempting to start on the computer when dealing with graphics, but it became clear through viewing Morris’ process that it is still very imperative to start with a sketch. He was very keen on going back to the basics when beginning a design – and starting with a pen and paper. It is amazing how much more depth the designs seem to have when it is done this way.

I was also inspired by the way that Rick Morris is inspired. He surrounds himself with art, and interesting objects. He switches his environment around to stimulate his imagination. He constantly listens to music – and not only listens to it but picks out small aspects of it that intrigue him to foster it for design inspiration. I think a lot of this is a natural intuition, which is why he strikes me as a true artist. It is one thing to appreciate art but Morris seems to be on a different level. He is constantly calculating the things around him, and picking up inspirations without actively trying. It’s very impressive. I think overall we can learn from his techniques and from his humble approach to everything. He mentions getting over the “fear factor” and just trusting one’s instinct. This concept encompasses the many valuable lessons we can learn about design, and motion graphics, from this documentary.