The Spectrum of Artist and Designer
Hey friends
Hope y’all are doing well on this nice Sunday. The weather is still cold but less rainy so I’m feeling more productive.
Art ←→ Design
As a graphic designer, I’m always battling with the idea of being an artist vs being a designer.
I used to think that these 2 disciplines were mutually exclusive, especially going through the university system for a graphic design degree. They really try to pound this ideology into you that:
Art is for yourself and communicating what goes on inside of you.
Design is for others and communicating their ideas to the world
“Art is for yourself and design is for others”
While I do think this is true to a certain extent, it is also very nuanced and should not be diluted down to something so Black and White.
Like many other things in our society, I think being an artist/designer is on a spectrum.
Maybe there aren’t many fine artists who consider themselves to be designers, but I know many many designers who consider themselves artists.
just as much as I know designers who are almost ashamed of the “artist” tag and want to be solely referred to as a Designer.
The reason I bring this topic up is I don’t fully know where I land on this spectrum. As I said due to the schooling system I used to be all in on only being a “designer”. I can even think back on something as stupid as me being referred to as a “graphic artist” or “digital artist” bothering me.
Nowadays though I could care less about titles and I think titles are just a way to bring us self-validation when we aren’t as confident in our craft.
As I have grown as an individual and as a creative I feel like I am leaning more toward the artist side. Most of what I do, I would consider graphic design, however, I want to have a bigger voice in the projects. I also want to communicate what I think rather than it solely being for the sake of consumers or to benefit a greater capitalist system.
That being said, just as nuanced as the spectrum of art and design itself I do enjoy working on big “Design” projects that communicate ideas, make things more usable, and just present something in the best way visually possible. I also don’t believe though that this practice gets harmed by including a little bit more of yourself in the process.
I want to be a designer, yes, but I want to be someone who is approached to give my voice, my design aesthetic, and not just a pair of hands to operate the tools/software.
I think this is why we are seeing more and more of these “Artist Designers” emerge that not only work for brands but the brand itself wants the individual to be a part of the product. More of a collaboration rather than the hiring of a craftsman.
I think what makes out this “artist designer” is a designer who is brought on to have a voice and convey their own interpretation of a message through design. People who first come to my mind are Virgil Abloh, Daniel Arsham, and Aaron Draplin.
This all being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with just being a designer as your job either. There are pros and cons to both ideas, whether you can completely disconnect from the work or are too passionate that it envelopes your outside life.
That is what’s nice about this spectrum is there’s no right or wrong way to do it, just personal preference.
I hope all of you are doing well in your journey of Art and Design, wherever that may be.
And wherever you land on this Artist & Designer spectrum, I hope it’s the place that brings you the most fulfillment.
Stuff to Check Out!
Tweet of the week below
Closing Thoughts
Art and Design are not Mutually Exclusive.
Much Love, Glue.
Weekly Wrap Up
25 Lessons from a 25 Year Old Designer
New Design Breakdown Episode on Patreon!
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