Australian Infront

How to reconcile differences in aesthetic taste or quality of design?

Posted 29.02.2012 @ 10.50AM (Edited 29.02.2012 @ 10.52AM)

You know what James, I think you've made some pretty good points actually.

I didn't think about the "rest" of the things I could be learning by being in places I've ruled out. But finding something in between my ideal and say in-house for Nimmotronic Innovations grinding out safety labels for metal fixtures is the hard part.

I agree that aesthetics is one thing, but on the whole that comes from a diasgreement on a whole other level of thinking that's not just about style, like the big questions: why do we do this..?

How to reconcile differences in aesthetic taste or quality of design?

Posted 29.02.2012 @ 9.10AM (Edited 29.02.2012 @ 9.15AM)

Yes I am the guy who's been in uni and worked a year and doesn't like it. No I don't think my tastes are "better" than other peoples, simply different.

To clarify, I don't think I have a sense of entitlement whereby I wish to walk into a studio and become an art-director. Not the least – that's probably the exact opposite of what I'd like:

I'd like to enter into a studio environment where the people's values and work ethic align with mine, whose approach and aesthetics I agree with and then I would like to work hard and make the most of every opportunity... I believe my position would be at the bottom given I'd have the least experience. I hope we can move beyond this point and address the question?

::May just be quibbling over semantics here, but I'm not arguing the notion that design is created for an audience (it's hard not to agree with that). I simply disagree that design is about making someone "happy", as opposed to delivering something that works. As an occupation, sure, keeping clients, paying the bills etc. But as an ideology? Pretty bleak.

What about making ourselves happy? The picture painted here is that we don't really matter, our clients do and therefore we are slaves?

Also food for thought, one of the greatest book designers, Irma Boom, said this of her audience:
::I didn’t think of the audience at all. I thought if it’s good for me, it’s good for them.

source: http://designhistorymashup.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/irma-boom-thinkbook.html

How to reconcile differences in aesthetic taste or quality of design?

Posted 27.02.2012 @ 9.35AM (Edited 27.02.2012 @ 9.37AM)

So I'm in between graphic design and stuff that's not graphic design. One of the reasons I'm not in graphic design (of many including being burnt out) is that I don't like to compromise my work.

I'm wholeheartedly aware that this is not a trait conducive to good client relationships and general happiness etc. Excuse me if this is arrogance, but one of the things that happens to me is that I'm hesitant to work for studios whose work I believe doesn't fit my tastes (aesthetics) and my level of quality (craft and approach).

But I'm not really in a position right now to be so picky, since I can actually count the places I'd work at without using all my fingers on both hands.

I wonder if other people have these issues, and how do you deal with this? Accepting a drop in standard and taste and compromising one's creative self?

Where would you work in the mean time?

Posted 20.02.2012 @ 6.31PM

@chickyboo I meant something you could drop into casually... personally I couldn't just take up industrial or architectural design

Time travelling advice

Posted 20.02.2012 @ 12.28AM

Oh thought this was actually about moving through the fourth dimension...