Discuss further in the
Member's Forums

The whole day was wonderfully balanced, starting off with Jon as completely inspirational, then intensely practical with the techno-wizards and ending up with some tough, pragmatic wisdom and a yet another chunk of inspirational. It was interesting at the end of the day to pick out the common themes throughout the designers' presentations, as well as the differences.

What was consistent in each speaker was the clear message that a well-defined philosophy (approach, positioning - whatever the hell you want to call it) was the key to success in any form. Whether it was Jonathon's extraordinary 'typography as art' or Margaret's clear and concise dissection of the pitfalls and promises of packaging, in every presentation the position of the designer came through loud and clear.

The other consistent element was passion. Annette Harcus recently spoke at length in one of our NSW Nuts & Bolts sessions about this. What was interesting was the fact that the focus of each presenter's passion was quite different. Jonathon's passion was evinced in his admission that on vacation he makes sketches of 'found' typography examples, whereas Eugene was very passionate about the threat that traditional advertising agencies pose to design studios and his view of ways to combatt this threat. David's position was similar to Eugene's while Margaret provided us with a lucid exposition of what happens when clear, analytical thinking is combined with an absolute commitment to intelligent and beautiful design.

Each presenter had a different 'obsession' (for want of a better word). Each was unique and successful. What came through in every person was an understanding of what they wanted as practising designers, what approach they had decided upon to achieve those design and/or business goals, and an ability to articulate and talk about their approach in language their chosen client base could understand.

It is ironic that we, as professional communicators, are for the most part, notoriously bad presenters and communicators on our own behalf. I spoke about this briefly in my own Nuts & Bolts session last week. Being able to explain yourself as a designer, and being able to explain your design process, is clearly a key success factor for designers. It doesn't need to be in fancy language or business jargon, but it does need to be carefully thought through by the designer.

As designers and studio owners, each day is filled with deadlines, rush jobs, emergencies and necessary client hand-holding. It is easy to forget to take the time to think about why the hell you are doing this. It is easy to forget about why you became a designer in the first place. What struck me today was that these four designers had all taken the time to think these fundamental things through, and that those thoughts were the basis of their success.

We bemoan clients who are too timid to go with a bold new approach - have you ever stopped to consider that designers are no different when it comes to their own approach to business? Jonathon has already worked out that his approach can only appeal to very limited number of clients, and he is quite happy with being that focused. Margaret has learnt how to use logic and her clients' language to link the brief to an innovatice design, and blow apart conventional packaging wisdom in the process.

Is design success really so magical? Assuming you are good designer to start with (and not just some hack), I don't think so. Set aside the time to work out why you are doing what you're doing. Be realistic about what kind of client base you will be able to work with well. Learn your client's language. Use it to explain yourself.

Return to Observations

AGDA Members: Discuss this article in AGDA's Business Forum.

andrew@lam-po-tangcom