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by Andrew Lam-Po-Tang
Labels. They really get me going. I mean, what do they MEAN? What do they
DO? Who do they AFFECT? And, why do you care what I think?
Let me challenge you (or at least attempt to). I think designers, by and
large, care about labels. Not the verbal ones like 'empiricism',
'classicism', 'existentialism', 'modernism' and 'post-modernism'. The
visual ones, the ones you all want to CREATE, like the Nike swoosh. The
visual creations that end up embodying a movement, or at the very least
an aspiration. Even Raygun qualifies as both a label and iconic, in that
it spoke to the visually literate anti-traditional-aesthetic gang. You
and me and others. Even if we didn't like, we probably still "got" it.
So, if we care about labels, what is so bad about them? Nothing really,
except that there are so many fake labels. Wannabe jargon that
shamelessly attempts to borrow respectability from 'ponderous'
disciplines like philosophy and art. Jargon that designers use when
trying to verbally impress either their clients or other designers.
Pathetic really, and worst of all, just plain tragic.
Especially tragic when these same people probably know enough about what
is REALLY going on to use plain English and really hit the mark. What a
waste! As a designer, would you accept the heavy-handed, insensitive
borrowing of icons and visual styles?
Don't sell yourself short. If you are good enough to have the thoughts
that lead to good design, don't muck it up with bullshit during the
presentation. Say what you mean in the simplest words you know. Focus on
getting the message THROUGH, rather than wasting time on unnecessary
verbal decoration. Probably, your client will be relieved to be able to
understand you, and may even be dazzled by your clarity.
Business ain't rocket science, nor is it 'culture.' It is about getting
people to buy stuff. Don't get me wrong, business is important - I
guess I just reckon that it doesn't have to be self-important as
well.
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The views expressed this article are not necessarily those of AGDA. Please note that the information in this article is the opinion of the author only. I can therefore accept no responsibility for actions taken on the basis of this information. Copyright Andrew Lam-Po-Tang (andrew@lam-po-tang com), 1998-2008. Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or to print, for personal use. Reprinting for non-personal use will require the express permission of the author (which I will generally be very happy to give).
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