By Dioni L. Wise
Hillman Curtis’ Artist Series is truly a treasure.
I was able to sit at home and watch the heavy hitters of design reflect on their craft, their process and their relationships to clients and the audience for free. They likened graphic design to social commentary, solutions to problems and a spiky club, which I’ll explain later. The industry leaders dropped bombs of wisdom left and right, leaving my mind blown.
Here are my take-aways:
1. Paula Scher is a rock star!
Paula Scher’s poster.
As a kid, I loved the “Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk” posters, and never knew who was behind them. The typography in those posters were designed to look like it made noise and ushered in a new style. Paula Scher said a mentor told her to illustrate with text, which proved to be a powerful statement and influence on her career.
Also, Scher basically confirmed to me that your first idea or gut feeling is usually your best. She came up withe Citibank logo within the first meeting of the client. Wowza! Some clients pay for the process, she said, but a great idea can materialize within seconds.
2. The computer is not always the best tool for design.
That sounds familiar. I think I’ve heard this from a certain professor a few times.
Scher cracked me up when she said, “You don’t type a design. That seems dumb.”
She said the computer made her feel like her hands were cut off. So I’ll make sure to doodle and sketch more.
James Victore echoed her sentiments.
“If you sit in front of a computer [and] you type, it’s not as interesting,” he said.
He challenges his students, saying, “Give me a piece of black paper and a pair of scissors and I’lll kick your ass. I like the immediacy of it.”
Controversial Ray Gun Art Director David Carson said:
“As we get more computerized, I think it becomes more important than ever that the work actually become more subjective, more personal and that you let your personality come through your work.”
Computers and advanced technologies are great, but can stifle the organic, creative process, and individuality.
3. Design is art.
I loved Stefan Sagmeister‘s 2008 exhibition in which he explains the things that he’s learned in his life so far.
- “Helping people helps me.”
- “Everything I do always comes back to me.”
- “Keeping a diary supports personal development.”
Debbie Millman said Sagmeister was “letting the world know that graphic designers are indeed artists and I think that’s extremely important and a tremendous contribution to art itself.”
Her statement struck me as odd, because I always thought graphic design was art. It seems more commercially-driven art, but art nonetheless.
Milton Glaser, a prolific poster designer, argued that art serves a viral role in society.
“Art performs this pacifying function in culture in that it practitioners create commonalities. … The passing on of gifts is a device to prevent people from killing one another because they all become part of a single experience. This is what artists do in culture.”
4. Design is a process.
Lawrence Weiner talked about the importance of collaboration in design. He said he once thought an artist went off by himself to work and came down from the mountain when he was done. He learned that was not the case.
A Pentagram designer said:
“Conceiving of something is a tremendous thrill. Making it happen requires enormous patience and can be incredibly inspirational and educational, but having made something is the whole point.”
Their commentary reminded me of all the times I’ve given or received help on projects and bemoaned the tedium of creating something using our software. But their words made me appreciate the process more. Seeing the finished project and how people react to it is a great reward.
5. Design is highly influential.
I knew that already, but the artists brought up some great points to reiterate the fact that design is a powerful persuasive tool.
Milton Glaser said graphic designers are social commentators.
“[Social commentary] is part of the process. You have access to people’s minds and you communicate to people. There is a responsibility of being a good citizen.”
James Victore agreed. His art, for example the Indian man and the hangman, blew me away. It was so expressive and visceral.
“The socio-political stuff, the cultural stuff, that is what graphic design is for. That is it used at it’s best. Not to sell socks… Graphic design is a big fucking club with spikes in it and I want to wield it. I want to use it in its pure, in its strongest, in its fullest potential.”