The graphic design industry has seen significant changes throughout its history. If we follow the written word and the desire to bring it to life through visuals and printing, we see a history complete with technological advancements and artistic expressions. Actually, the advancements of technology paired well with cultural movements to create unique eras of design and typographic treatments. Yet it all started to change with the invention of the personal computer. Paste up is dead. Pixels are king. But what does this really mean? The common question “Is print dead?” should be exchanged with “How far can we push communication on the web?” Are we designing things just so they can be developed into tangible items we can hold in our hands or are we designing as a means of problem solving? I prefer the latter.
So my question to you is, “What comes next?” Graphic designers can and should better utilize the technology in front of them to not only solve problems but create social change. We’re in an era where damn near everything is possible if you have the creative juices to think it up. Every print piece has a digital component somehow somewhere. Or at least it should. And now we have the explosive popularity of mobile devices like the iPhone and the new game changer, the iPad. Have you sat down to think of how exciting this is? We get to design interfaces and corresponding graphics that are more than just read. They are explored. Shared. Understood.
This is what’s next in our industry or at least that’s what it seems. If you’re not one to design for the web, you need to be ready. You also need to befriend programmers and software developers for they are the new printers. They not only bring your ideas to life, they often better them.
So what comes next? That’s really up to you.
Roby Fitzhenry is co-owner and Creative Director of Always Creative, a Texas-based branding and design studio. His primary focuses include brand identity design, brand strategy and design for print and web. Visit www.wearealways.com to learn more about Always Creative.
Roby is a quick-thinking, sharp-witted young mind in the industry. I’ve had the pleasure of not only working with him, but also getting to know him. He’s going to make some noise in the very near future. Keep doing what you do, young sir. Stay true to your compass.
This is a great post! I couldn’t agree more that with the idea that as designers, we should reject limits, labels and refuse to be confined to a discipline or medium. As Roby hints at, we should rather as ourselves as designers, “What problem are we solving?” or “What change do we need to make?” The answer as to the medium or channel (pixels or paper) is hidden in the “what.”
In other words, first understand the problem, and then do “whatever it takes.”
What next? indeed!
Thanks for posting.
Daniel
Good post. I started designing in the days of DOS, which is like saying eight track tape to a teenager I guess. The changes over the years have been incredible, but now they seem to be coming faster than ever, or maybe I’m just getting old? So the savvy designer will also need to not just befriend programmers but be somewhat familiar with all the hoops involved in taking their solutions to the medium, whatever that may be. Just like when we had to cut rubylithe (another 8 track word) to get the artwork to the press. Wow I feel old.
Happy to see some comments!
Thanks again for letting me write a guest post.
The main point of the post was for designers to stop thinking about what was and focus on what could be. That’s how we keep the industry moving forward and create innovation.
Roby- you are dead on! As we move forward and create in more innovative ways, we take all that ‘was’ and ‘is’ great about design and celebrate it. Thanks for reminding us all to appreciate being creative for a living!