Greener pastures
jigual@theguidon.com
I was tasked to design a logo for a hospital last summer. It took me several days— eventually turning into weeks—to come up with several designs. When I showed it to a friend, the reply was: “That looks really simple! How did it take you so long to design that? I could have designed that!”
This is just one of the many experiences designers have to go through. Anyone can grab a piece of paper, a pen, a set of crayons, and draw. In the same manner, anyone can open up Photoshop and start doodling around and come up with designs, or grab a DSLR and start shooting. But, does this make everyone a designer, graphic artist, or photographer? No, not even close.
People fail to realize that the designer’s or artist’s work is more on the conceptualization and the thought process, partly technique rather than the canvass, the DSLR, or the computer monitor. These are just tools of the trade to reflect a long and tedious process of conceptualization, thorough thinking, creativity, even experience-based learning and circumstance. More often than not, designers create something out of nothing.
But apart from conceptualization, designers also adhere to certain rules and standards to design. Increasing the photo or text size just because you think it looks nice isn’t the way to go.
And of course there is that art factor. The subjectivity of the designer is put into question; each designer has his or her own way of designing certain things. Some rules and theories are broken for the sake of art; some people are inclined to certain ideologies as opposed to others. This is precisely why you’ll never get the same product from two designers.
It’s thus no surprise how photographers can turn a seemingly boring situation into something dramatic that it evokes emotion, much like how artists’ paintings evoke sentimentality by mere sight. It’s not shocking how graphic designers turn seemingly boring information into something not only readable, but also something aesthetically pleasing as well, much like how webmasters design a website, such that information is logically placed and conform to web standards. These are all calculated circumstances and well-thought of end products, and really, people think all of these are simple.
Given all these, there is still that big undermining and the lack of appreciation of being a designer. Often we are left in the background because our trade is something seemingly anyone can do. But really, we are no different from the writers, researchers, or whoever in any other field. Anyone can add numbers, and write an article, but we remain underappreciated simply because we see things that other don’t: fonts, lines, columns, placement of information—things a normal person wouldn’t notice.
Design is often underappreciated and taken for granted. I daresay, open up your Photoshop, grab a canvass, or get your DSLR and create something out of nothing. Not as easy as you thought right? Then cut us a little slack, we’re here to help you.
