Designers Are Not Artists

Artists create for themselves, conveying their feelings so that others can relate to them.  They inspire and express their own understanding of beauty. Art is interpreted, not understood.  Art is a taste, not an opinion.  Art is a talent, not a skill.  You get it.

Designers, on the other hand, solve problems.  They provide creative solutions to the challenges their clients face.  Designers need to be able to put their own perceptions aside and adapt their style for their clients.  Design is all about PURPOSE – be it motivating audiences to buy a product/use a service/increase leads etc.

So, why is it important to differentiate between artists and designers?  Because viewing your designer as an artist can hurt your working relationship (cue: “I don’t know what I want but make it fresh”) and impact the quality of the work you receive from them.  Understanding the role of your designer is crucial for you, as their client.  You want your expectations to be met and your business to be supported by their work.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when working with a designer (not an artist).

Why it’s not just about being “pretty”

A huge misconception is that good design needs to be flashy, trendy or pretty.  By only expecting a design that looks a certain way, you are ignoring the fact that your designer is trying to solve your business problem.  Designers don’t only think about being “on trend” or “fresh”, but in fact take A LOT of factors into consideration when coming up with a design – often without the audience even noticing!

To list just a few questions designers need to answer:

• Are the colours used creating the right mood?
• Are the fonts suitable and easy to read?
• Where will the designs be applied?
• What is the intended user base?
• What is the context in which this design is to be understood?
• MOST IMPORTANT: Does the design match the company’s brand?

So, don’t expect your designer to act like an artist and only consider the aesthetics of a piece of work because you will see it in your end-product!  Asking your designer to make something “sexier” or to make it look like the latest design trend might not be the best fit for your business.

Take the “hipster” design trend that transformed all coffee shops and barbers into the bearded wonders we see today.  Be honest, do any of these convey anything of the brands that we know and love?

Knowledge is power!

Artists create amazing pieces of art that provoke thought and inspire people, they don’t need to take clients into consideration.  Designers need to know which problems they need to solve for you.  You need to provide your designer with the necessary information, or the end-product WILL miss the mark.

Think about asking a designer to come up with a logo for your new company that sells birdseed, and all you tell them is that the logo should have a bird in it. You might get anything from a modern line drawing to…this image of a chicken.

Work WITH your designer by providing them with all the information and not only will the results meet your expectations, but there will be far less reworking, ensuring that you get what you are looking for much faster!

Great Expectations

When you keep in mind that the role of your designer is not the role of an artist, your expectations will be met.  Your designer supports your business by providing creative solutions to your problems and is in charge if improving the overall quality of a consumer’s experience with your content.  And in the end, that’s what you want isn’t it?  That your business grows, and your customers engage with your offering.  So, expect your designer to act like a designer, not an artist.

We are excited to work with you and come up with a creative solution to your business problem!  Just to let you know we offer Design Packages or an hourly rate, so contact us at [email protected]

Images sourced from: https://hipsterbranding.tumblr.com/