I don’t know about you, but I have found it rather hard to find graphic designers who combine artistic ability with technical skills AND who also have a basic understanding of sound marketing principles.
As the tools of the trade have changed, so have the rules for evaluation. In the olden days, before Al Gore invented the Internet, graphic designers learned artistic principles and how to “render” images on paper. They’d study composition, shape, color, light, and so on. Some would pursue “fine art” and some would pursue commercial design. (Okay, I know this is a simplification, but bear with me, please.)
Over the years, I’ve identified 3 basic types of commercial designers. “The technician” can manipulate and lay out text, images, space, etc. The design will work, but it may not have much eye appeal. This designer falls short in artistic capability. And without artistry, the effort will not achieve its potential. People will not be as moved to action or to feel the intent of the marketing effort.
“The artist” is someone who loves to make things “pretty.” This person gets carried away with all the frills and beauty that can be put into the design. Unfortunately, the piece’s effectiveness usually suffers. It can lack functionality, may not fit the client’s budget, or could just plain distract from the purpose of the message. The “art” is in the way. And the artistic designer cannot see that and correct for it.
But there is a rare breed of designer – “the savvy commercial designer” – who blends the skills of the trade with the artist’s eye AND understands that whatever he/she creates has to deliver the marketer’s message. That understanding is what allows him/her to balance the first two categories of traits. This is the person you must search for and nurture when found.
Unfortunately, 20 years of digital mania has not really changed this dynamic. It may even have made it worse. Now it’s easy to buy the software (tools) of designers and teach yourself, or take a few classes and declare yourself, to be a graphic designer. Up goes your shingle and you’re on your way.
But where’s the real training and apprenticeship that one needs before setting up shop? How does one learn what to do with that amazing software? After all, I may have a hammer, saw, and drill, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to build a house.
Today, it is still all too easy to find people who are technically capable but create boring or ineffective material. And to find designers who create beautiful pieces that don’t really get the job done. It doesn’t matter if the canvas is paper, digital, or any combination of the two. It’s still a “miss.”
To be most effective, a commercial graphic designer must be skilled with the tools of the trade, have the artistic training to know what to do with those tools, and appreciate that his/her work must support the goals of the marketing team he/she works with.
Don’t settle for just one or two of those abilities. Hold out and keep looking. And when you do find that “perfect” designer, treasure and nurture this person.