Regarding Strategy
Below, another email conversation you may “eavesdrop” on:
Dear Mike and Alvin,
I want to follow up to our chat yesterday afternoon… foremost, because I so believe in the both of you and how you can commit and share, and as well to challenge you. So, a couple thoughts in response to our previous chat: You guys have some ideas that are not on the table, but still in the box. My counsel— make-‘em be brave.
Consider, if you will— ‘safe work,’ is just that, ‘locked up in a safe,’… where no one can get to it. ‘Zig or zag.’ You have to look for something that zigs when everyone is zagging. Go ahead and try on your ideas!?!.. the ones that go in different directions. Of course your work has to be informative but, equally as well, persuasive and—so as not to be missed—provoking.
After thinking about the chat a little more, it occurred to me that what’s missing (or maybe I’m not hearing it?) is the strategy for this. And, Strategy is the great separator. So you ask, What is strategy? You can best answer that with another question: “Where am I going to play, and how am I going to win?”
Remember the two irrefutable laws of communication imagined by advertising legend Stavros Cosmopulos… 1. Arrest the attention and 2. Pique the interest. So, if you guys are interested in using typography to create a surprise for your reader, be incongruous, if not even zany. Indeed, be extreme; twist your ideas such that they come from another perspective… maybe a toad’s, maybe a horse’s… communicate on an emotional level… find that way, that new way, to make it be meaningful to you all. Be personal, as Mike suggested in a passing remark.
Your solutions have to be convincing—clever but not cute, or bland, or transparent. For heaven’s sake, you guys came to say something. But, for the life of me, sitting here rethinking it in this early hour, I don’t have any idea what you really wanted to say in the magazine. I heard what both of you said about it, but I am discounting that—to think, when I put it down and walked away, what one single thing did I remember? I hate to tell you, fellas: nothing.
I know this sounds a little harsh after you have worked on it for two quarters. But if you’re smart you’ll re-read that last part.
Another point for consideration: An idea may have many forms of expressions. I can’t help but wonder what other modes you might have considered. Hey, is this even the best vehicle for saying what you really want to say? Or are you using type stylistically? Before you answer reactively, go back and examine the question yourself… the question is for you, not me. Open a debate between you.
I heard what you guys suggested about type in relation to this project, and I would add: Even though you have made it large and scaled it, I don’t honestly understand why. I think we would all agree it should ultimately have the power to connect emotionally, and it should also serve to create a shared narrative— but, even though you suggested it in conversation, I certainly don’t feel it in your current version.
Sal DeVito, of the agency DeVito-Verdi in NYC, has a simple method for determining undesirable work:
-sounds like advertising -too damn cute -sounds like bullshit -i’ve heard it before -dull -good idea but needs a stronger execution
And I’ll add to that three guidelines for creating work that might be more noticeable than that which is typical, if not boring:
Is it original? Original ideas should cut loose and are more memorable that ordinary ones.
Is the idea relevant? In other words, is it insightful into the product, service, or for the consumer or the message you are trying to get out?
Is it emotional? No emotional connection, and you’re dead.
Well men, peat and repeat if the answers come up maybe a little differently than you might wish. If so… get ‘back to the drawing board,’ as you are answering your own questions.
Zig or Zag?????????????????????!
Good luck on the progress, and get same back to me along the way as you do so…
If you can think it, you two can do it!
Hank.
Hank, thanks for the guidelines… now I have to go redo my last 4 quarters of work! Your insightful ramblings reminded me of something I read while researching symphonies, which also reveals the connection between music and design, and between all creative works:
“Present-day urban life, though it has enriched our range of awareness in so many ways, insulates us from many of the discomforts as well as the joys of living closer to the soil. As a result, all too many composers have suffered a spiritual deracination; instead of their music responding to life at first hand, only too often it responds to other musical experience, for music is available in a quantity and rang of total unprecedented in the history of the art. Thus the pressures of modern society do not, generally speaking, favor the young artist with deep roots in nature, but rather the one who is quickly able to digest and manipulate the most recent additions to the vocabulary of music.”
(Dvorak Symphonies & Concertos by Robert Layton)
Sound familiar? As a designer I struggle with keeping up with stylistic trends influencing my decisions. With so much focus on concept in class, though, I am getting better with getting to the roots of a problem, developing a strategy, and choosing a design solution that is meaningful to me (and hopefully others). That’s where the payoff of the profession is. I just don’t want to be a cake decorator.
Good luck Mike and Alvin.
roger, i appreciate the quote you left in your comment as it is the most intelligent thing i have heard in a long time. i think it’s interesting to note that it is a rare occasion when something as meaningful is said in the context of design. so i’m glad you look elsewhere to find meaning in your life and work.
stylistic trends are just that, they are trends. and trends go away. style=shit. it’s empty and it’s void. style looks pretty on paper and a lot of people might like it and want to mimic it, but it has no core and is incapable of lasting.
look at what’s out there now. look all around you. and you tell me what, if anything, will be remembered in 20-30 years? what would even be remembered in 5? what around you is making anybody think or rethink? has anything changed them in ways that they, themselves, can’t even explain?
everything but thinking is simply a tool to get it done. and you don’t need a jackhammer to build a fence. just a hammer and some nails.
After the 2nd week and have to meet with Hank, I still feel energized and ready to attack my Grad quarter and make the best portfolio that I can. And I think after our first meeting with Martha Gill, I had sort of an epiphany about the whole thing and I finally started to calm down. Brought on by things said by classmates and Martha, I started to see that things are never coincidental. People don’t get their dream jobs because of a fluke, or happenstance, or even from having the best overall portfolio on the planet. We’re going to get our dream jobs because if you know where you’re going then you go there, and that is the key. Martha believes that having a niched portfolio is the way to go, and I have a mind to agree. And that all goes in the same direction of knowing and wanting to have your dream job. Where do you want to live? What type of work do you want to do? Ask yourself why put things in your portfolio that aren’t really you, and aren’t a reflection of you but fulfills a spot on a checklist? Make a niched portfolio. Make a reflection of who you are, things you’re interested in, but is clear and concise. Cater your portfolio for your dream job, because chances are your interests styles and work are similar, that’s why it’s your dream job. It’ll be so good you’ll be able to get the ok jobs even if your portfolio isn’t a perfect fit, but when it’s time to go to your dream shop…..it’ll blow them away. Someone get at me if they have something to say about this.
I think good design has everything to do with thinking, vision and passion. It is about swallowing something whole and being able to digest every molecule of what it is….to really absorb it. We are actors who perform not on the stage, but on a page or a screen or a magazine. We are the conduit for an idea…it is our job to be creative mediums for our clients. That is where the vision and passion come in. Design become “style” when there is a lack of clarity, thinking and passion. Memorable design is such because it is original. It comes straight from the source…you…who YOU are. Our job is not to produce but to create. We are not trained to be surrogate designers who birth someone else’s ideas; we understand that we have everything we need within us to create amazing work. As Hank always says “the answer to the question lies within the question.” Everything we need to create is already there…it is simply a matter of digging deeper within ourselves and finding our own distinctive voice.
I find it hard to believe that so many designers can disregard the relevance of style. What was it that attracted you to the field in the first place? Functionality? I haven’t seen many engineers running around the halls of PC.
Ask anyone that knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m Functionality and Efficiency’s biggest fan. But when the concept is solid and the problem is solved, what separates one designer’s work from another? What makes that piece personal to its creator?
Style gives the work personality. Style has the power to emotionally attach people to inanimate objects.
Designer A and Designer B can make the same poster with the same concept and it will come out looking different. Style can determine whether you connect with poster A or poster B. Style can create the right vernacular to hit a specific target market.
I didn’t buy that box of Louise Fili cookies because it solved world hunger with its super functional enclosure. I bought it because it was probably the best looking cookie package I’d ever seen. And I’m willing to bet many designers do the same. Maybe in 10 years, it will look outdated. I still don’t feel the need to bash it.
Style and passion and meaning can and should coexist.
alvin, style is plastic. style doesn’t have the power to do anything. style is not what attracts people to cookie packaging. style, alone, is void.
i disregard its relevance every day.
you would be wise to consider this as it could be what sets you apart. the end result of successful design (the colors, the texture, the shape) are only successful and only have impact because of the thinking behind it. without that thinking and that passion, it is dead in the water.
think of target or apple, for instance. would you call that style? because i don’t. i call it a result of calculated thought. when companies have tried to mimic the look of target or apple, they have failed because they lack a foundation.
style is pretty pictures. style is decoration. style lacks depth.
when i set out to execute a design, i don’t think about its final appearance until the end. that is the very last thing i do. research, thought, passion and all of these other things you mention should always drive the design.
i’m not saying you won’t get a job with style-based work. in fact, you will probably get a job more quickly if you do that because it’s safe enough. but will you make a dent in the mind of the world? probably not.
I understand the importance of research and thought in design and I’m not debating it.
In every project, there is no doubt that the design should be driven by the purpose of that project. Otherwise, its intentions will not be completely fulfilled.
Once those conditions are met, there are many ways to execute the style. The end result can come from a multitude of variables which, in many cases, include the philosophy of the designer and to whom this product is being sold to.
Apple’s design is the end result a solid foundation? Well, if a history of failed products and lack of software/hardware support is a solid foundation…
Apple products are the epitome of empty style. Functionality is sacrificed on so many levels, I don’t even know where to begin (and which is why they have made drastic hardware changes as of late). Yet, style is what attracts people to them. They have better “branding” than a typical PC manufacturer.
Designers are visual people. So they are attracted to “designed” products. Don’t get me wrong, I like my iMac. But I like the way it looks, nothing more. I can do work on my PC just as well. Do people seriously think their Adobe designer software runs better on this designer computer?
Take two cars. A VW Golf R32 and a Subaru WRX. Both of these cars are in the same class (compact), fast (~240 horsepower), same drivetrain (all-wheel-drive), received the safest crash scores in their class and have the same customer base (late-20s to 30s males).
What’s interesting is this. Despite the fact that the two vehicles serve the same purpose, their characters (style) are at different ends of the spectrum.
The Golf takes on a hatchback shape because of its heritage. Its body shape is simple, minimal. It uses are large V6 engine for smooth power delivery. It pampers you with leather everything and lots of noise insulating material. A powerful stereo. It’s the way VW does things. It is a reflection of VW’s personality and their approach to building a car—a balance of power and refinement.
The WRX, because of its heritage, uses the conventional 3-box car shape and a large rear wing. It has a giant hood scoop and pizza-sized fog lights. It has a high strung 4 cylinder engine strapped with a high-output turbocharger (the complete opposite of refined). The stereo sounds like streaming internet radio. There is no leather and road noise is unavoidable. This is Subaru’s philosphy to building the Impreza—performance first.
So who’s right? Which car do you buy? In my opinion, whichever fits your style.
Style is wonderful!
Style falls flat without meaning, tho.
But meaning must have a voice - an appearance.
That appearance is style.
Style (n.): a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)b: a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself; also, a particular mode of living. c: a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed.
The particulars of this relate directly to the individual, that unique voice of the designer him or herself. It is those particulars that determine the ethos, intelligence and passion behind the design. So It seems as though we have a disconnect of agreement about what ‘style’ is. If we look at it is as a way of expressing what the authentic and original voice of the designer is, then we can all argue for the purpose of style.
mary, for once you’ve said something i can agree with and/or understand. it seems there is not an agreement here on the meaning of style.
and alvin, vw’s are pieces of shit. their branding, however, is intriguing. the same is true of apple. our job as designers is to build the personality of the brand, not engineer the product itself. and you’ve got to have a foundation for it to be successful.
i’m sure the people who are responsible for the branding of apple could compile an extensive list for steve jobs regarding the ways his products are lacking. if such a list existed, i’d be one of the first to throw in a few comments myself. the point is that this is not their job.
i worked on the subaru account right out of school and i didn’t walk over to the japanese owners and tell them how ugly i thought their cars were or that they should take some tips from nissan. you have to work with what you’ve got.
my problem with what i refer to as “style” is that it often equals “trend.” if glowing green circles are successful and loved by the masses, then a lot of designers will begin to incorporate glowing green circles in their work. without reason.
if you design something to look a certain way for a reason, that is one thing. if you’ve done it for no other reason than “it looks cool,” you have just done yourself and the client a big disservice.
Yes yes yes. Style and trends are different. Trends can be useful cultural barometers and you see them run parallel with each other: Bikes, cars, toothbrushes and shoe trends happen that way. But after a while, enough is enough, and the real artists long for the next step. And the cycle begins again.
What is so beautiful about PC is that it is a place where we all keep each other in check. Make sure that when choosing your future workplace, that there is at least one person there who will do that for you. It’s the most loving gift you can give to each other. And I’m not just talking design - I’m talking about all areas of your life. Take good care of each other.
When referring to a designer’s style - this is something I do appreciate about each individual, though it can become a trap for some or a jumping off point for others. I love recognizing a hint of the designer’s personality, as much as I love being surprised by something new a person does. There’s a voice in all of us that says, I’m bored, I’m playing it safe, I’m too comfortable or I’m too far outside of myself to find a footing from which to stand. Finding that balance is a trick you’ll spend your lifetime perfecting.
~Anne
I could begin this with personal attacks and unecessary vulgarity, but, that’s just not my style.
First off, to debate whether or not there needs to be a concept is silly. But, to debate that style has no relevance is to disregard the craft of the designer. Which is just as silly.
As posted above: style = “a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed.” This is fact, something we can all agree upon?
Minus Five sates: “style doesn’t have the power to do anything. style is not what attracts people to cookie packaging. style, alone, is void. i disregard its relevance every day.”
According to what you said, we can safely assume that you’ve never been attracted to something or someone from a distance at first glance?
Beauty cannot be ignored. Beauty attracts you to something. What lies inside keeps you attracted to it.
So, if style and aesthetics is irrelevant, would there be a purpose in spending so much time and energy into learning design? What is the point of kerning? Leading? The golden mean? Typography and type choices? If all this could be thrown away, then every designer should just be given a Microsoft Word template to plop their ideas into. Style is the voice of our ideas. Without style, our ideas would be muffled. And, oh, what a rich, vibrant world that would be!
The reason this blog exists is because of Ligature, the magazine that Alvin and I started. Through Ligature, we hope to show that style is every bit as important as the ideas behind it, and can even help drive your ideas further. Style has the power to communicate ideas effectively.
And without style, we have milktoast. But, some people like milk and toast.
mike: i am simply suggesting another way of looking at things. if you weren’t so quick to overreact, you might have seen my point.
Minus:
I’m not sure you are “simply suggesting another way of looking at things” when:
I NEVER debated that you don’t need concept behind your work. Yet, for some reason you bring it up each time you respond. I’m simply calling B.S. on your claim that you can disregard style so easily. I back up my answers with real examples, not by (mis)quoting celebrity designers.
There is no doubt that sometimes styles are trends. So what? When the trend is over, move on. You don’t have to agree with it, but to deny its existence is plain wrong.
Well, I’m glad you added the “alone” in there, otherwise you’d really be drowning. However, once again, I NEVER argued whether there should be substance behind style. Maybe you’re too busy calling Mike out on overreacting that you missed my point—twice.
You are “simply suggesting another way of looking things” by telling me HOW to think and WHY I buy my own things?
Style has the power to sell Apple computers, which underneath the fancy branding is no better or worse than a comparable PC counterpart, nor can it make you a better designer.
Style has the power to make Nelly sell thousands of times more than some of the greatest emcees in the game.
Style sells SUVs to people who only need Honda Civics.
Style sells mediocre food at “branded” chain theme restaurants (which the oh-so-thoughtful-and-calculated designers are responsible for, by the way) and can kill local businesses.
Again, you don’t have to agree with empty style, but it has power, whether you like it or not.
How is this senseless bashing even relevant to the blog?
I merely gave an example that two fundamentally similar cars (and well designed ones, at that) can be executed in completely different manners.
Oh, and before this, didn’t you say Apple was more than style?
But, but…Subaru makes some of the best cars in their respective classes. Did you somehow look past all that glorious thinking and substance and engineering just to point out that you are repulsed the gasp STYLING?
Designers need to get off their high horses and just do their job. We can think, and we can make stuff look pretty (or ugly).
If the entire field were to disappear tomorrow, the world would still go ‘round. If all the world’s janitors were to quit, we’d be laying in filth.
alvin and mike: good luck with ligature.
I’m on drugs right now and I can’t concentrate on anything, my life just crashed, and I need sleep but these steroids won’t let me. I can’t even watch 30 minutes of TV with out freaking out. I just wrote this 6 times. All I want to do is have my best quarter ever – you know? I want to hone in on “my style”. I want to create something original with emotion and relevance. There are all of these ideas that I have and can’t get out. I know what needs to be done but this chemical block won’t let me. I saw a cat today chasing a squirrel, it knew what it wanted and it was going to get it, but a fence got in the way. The squirrel got of this time. If I have anything to say about it I will catch my squirrel. You know first quarter the Aztec Squirrel picked me, now I am picking it. The Aztecs used all of the ideas that they borrowed from other regional societies and civilizations, not that they didn’t have anything original to add, it was just already done for them. They learned and they improved on somethings and left others be, because it already worked. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, I think thats a southern thing I picked up, so dismiss that. If it ain’t broke just give it a new package so people will buy it. Like Wal-Mart vs. Target, equally inexpensive (for the most part), but target has this thing, style. I’m not really sure I should hit the post button down there. I need to get some work done but I’m starting to get tired so might actually get some sleep. Now I am a coplete week behind and have my work cut out for me. I will not dispair, I will take this challenge and run with it. I have 5 heavy classes ready for my style, I refuse to drop one to lighten my road. Hank I’ll be seein’ you soon.
So last night I was watching “The Empire Strikes Back” and something hit me.
Vader’s got style—- crazy style. Think about it. He is always dressed in
black, and that helmet! It’s iconic man! I don’t know anybody else that has
his own theme song— which in my point of view is the epitome of style. And if all else fails and you are in a pitch black room and you hear that blood curdling
phooooooo phssss phooooooo phsssss you know you are up poops creek without a paddle. Then BAM! You are hacked to pieces with that infamous red lightsaber he wields.
So, I leave you with this— If brands are created with consistency of style and Darth has a definitive style, is he a brand? Or would he
be a sub brand of Star Wars?
Decorating designers are a dime a dozen.
It’s the designer that pairs design, style AND strategy that is sought after as a creative partner.
The “look and feel” of people, places, and things is important. Aesthetic pleasure taps raw human emotion(s).
The designer that creates desire will always be hired…
An intellectual argument for style and substance is in the book cited below… I urge you to read and then debate more -
Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness by Virginia Postrel
{in paperback from $3.60 used on Amazon}
http://www.dynamist.com
Virginia web site
As for your final books.
You will do what you show.
Think about it.
Ok, so I had this dream last night, and it was like my greatest fantasy. I was a slave, well not a slave, but everyone except the government was pretty much worthless. We all wore dark grey sweatsuits, there were this bog ole’ televisions every with the portrait of a man who always seemed to be looking at you. Periodically entire words would be eliminated from the language, amending the actual dictionary of words. But it was pretty tight that everyone had the same outfit on. We all even had the same haircut, and that was extra tight.
Style, to me anyways, would ruin this awesome society of redundancies and hive mind mentality. Individual expression would make you stick out like a sore thumb around here. Everyone would point and stare and wonder, and if you were cool and smart and clever, then people would start copying you and talking about you. You’d probably get all the women, but, they all look like Sined O’Connor. So lets all keep the sweatsuits and go to the nightly movie(brainwashing).
They were playing Footloose tonight, and man that Bacon could move but then some dude rain down the aisle and threw a freaken hammer at the screen. Dust went flying, BB musta been pissed, but that guy who threw that hammer, he was so cool. He had ill style.
Silly me:
I forgot to respond to the Darth vader reference. And now to Jared.
Style is what stands out. Not Big Brother messages.
Darth’s helmet was inspired by the Nazi’s helmet. It just has more style, it’s fresher, hipper and even more scary…
Think of what Hitler did. And with style. Noted for his visuals at ralley’s. His identification system, his logo (starts with an s).
No wonder Lord Vader embodies the ultimate villian/father/good gone bad sicko.
On a lighter note:
Don’t forget the contour of the Coke bottle. Now that’s style. Signature style.
In my practice…
Brand is the Personality.
Identity is the Application.
Application carries the brand.
The choice of shape for helmet or bottle. Choice of color, type, words and imagery.
Style or no style; was that the question?
If one were to “disregard the relevance of style everyday”, they should at least walk the talk.
But, even if you were to try and dismantle all style from your life, a new style would emerge from consistency (“boring” could probably be considered a style). It’s inescapable.
The visualization of a brand is created through consistency of style. Much in the same manner as Mike’s black t-shirts, Darth Vader has branded himself.
People disregard style when they can’t make things look cool.
People disregard concept when they can’t think.
Do what you’re good at. By bashing other people’s methods, you are just rationalizing for your own shortcomings.
Martha, everything you said makes sense. I believe the original argument goes back to “style=shit”.
May I just thank you all for your most thoughtful contributions? The monotony of pregancy bed rest doesn’t stand a chance against your intelligent posts.
Your final portfolios should be who you are. And they will be.
And um, will someone get Lonny a cup of coffee?
Anne.
Can’t have coffee, it will upset my style, and by style I meant colon.
Style is our thumb print and it is completely based on the opinion of the viewer, love or hate, but thats not to say that, well, um, hmmm, thinking…you might just not have “a style”…or any style.
I really want that coffee. A green tea smoothie with soy frozen yogurt will have to do for today.
Anne you say that our final portfolios should be who you are. And they will be.
I agree, and after what I saw yesterday looking throught the prospective pieces for three of PC’s finest up-and-coming grads it just sealed that statement a little more and gave me a little nudge and an extra bit of excitement.
I want my thumbprint to stick, so when the police print the scene, they will know I was there.
What does your thumbprint look like?
I think we are all aware of Sagmeister’s “style=fart” that started this whole debate and was also miss quoted on this blog.
You must have to really believe in something to carve it on your chest. And then to retract the statement —-that just takes guts!!
Sagmeister Inc. website / Chapter 3: Being a Designer
Q: Do you believe that Graphic Designers should express their personalities in their own work?
A: I changed my mind about this. I used to think that it’s about problem solving and that the designer should stay out of it as much as possible. Having seen how much bland, forgettable work this kind of thinking produced, I now think that it is very important for the designer to bring his/her own point of view into the proceedings. Much like a conversation with a friend: You don’t just want a story retold as he/she heard it, but also his/her personal opinion about it. Designers are like actors: the script (content) remains the same but a character takes on a very different angle if played by Dustin Hoffman or Bruce Willis.
http://loop.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=_getfullarticle&aid=881039
The following quote was taken directly form Sagmeister’s site:
“Sagmeister: When we started out in 1993 we had a style = fart sign hanging in the studio (it is no more) – we very consciously avoided any stylistic traps. In the meantime I have learned that good (and if necessary even trendy) style (and wonderful form) play an important role in delivering content to the viewer. But I never thought that graphic design has to be timeless. With very few exceptions (say highway signage) I love the fact that design starts to look dated after a while.”
Well, Lonny:
There’s a very simple formula to calculate your thumbprint:
If (concept = brilliant)
GoTo $execution
$execution
{
If (thumbprint = style) & (style = x)
Then thumprint = x;
}
I don’t know about anyone else, but I certainly wouldn’t want “x = shit”.
I’d sure like to see/hear you guys (Mike, Alvin, students)asking more questions, especially of the instructors and grads appearing here, who MIGHT have something to offer in the way of knowledge and experience.
In any case, I happen to know that Hank will be posting a blog on this very subject tomorrow. But I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this week’s assigned reading:
“The devil rides the backs of those who are certain.”
Did I sound certain?
Look for Hank’s new post by noon Thursday.
Another favorite quote:
“When you throw your weight around you usually fall off balance. Overconfidence is as bad as no confidence.”
It’s great to see such lively debate extracurricularly going on here. However, I think there is some confusion about style/brand(ing)/trends.
Style, as originally brought up in the conversation relates to how an idea is rendered by a designer: the choice of color, of type, of illustration, of leading, even of gutter width. When these set of choices are repeated consistently through a set of projects it becomes a designer’s signature style (think: David Carson). When these set of choices are overused by a wider range of people it becomes a trend (think: illegible typography seen anywhere from Microsoft ads to Portfolio Center students’ work during the late 1990s – no offense, this is the natural, unavoidable process of style, we are all prone to it). When these set of choices are applied to a particular product (or set of products) along with a whole other more complicated set of experiential and behavorial choices it becomes a brand (think: Apple).
(When all these choices are applied to a bad ass motherf*er like darth vader it becomes an icon, but that’s a whole other story).
But, style, in general is what makes graphic design, well, graphic design and what separates Paula Scher from Margo Chase, Stefan Sagmeister from Stephen Doyle, you from me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with style: it applies on everything from clothing choices to car choices to toilet paper choices to type choices. It is what makes us individuals. To rely on style as a default for every project is indeed shortsighted and useless.
But, as you step out of school and into the workforce you will face projects that have nothing to them: no big idea, no concept, no meat. Or, worse, YOU can’t come up with a big idea, concept or meat. The only solution is to style it, and sometimes that’s all a client needs and trying to give them more is a waste of your time as well as theirs. So anyone that now knocks on relying solely on style should consider developing one, just in case…
You can choose to style or not to style. Either decision renders a style, so don’t fight it. Embrace it.
I don’t think I have a style, in fact, I’ve read all these comments, have a clearer understanding of style and I can honestly state that I have no style.
but…
I also think about each of my 7 end-of-quarter critiques and the one commonality between them is that they’ve all loved my ideas, but my visuals were not meeting those expectations. So I wonder, would I then have created a style (my style) if my visuals had clearly met my design goals?
As I rework a lot my projects, visually, I guess I’ll find out.