our manifesto in three parts: simplicity, technology, responsibility

SIMPLICITY

simplicity

Concept and substance over decoration

We have read Loos, Corbusier, Tschichold, Lissitsky, Rand and Maeda. We have argued, talked and written about it since the Industrial Revolution. But how does Simplicity play a role from 2011 onward? With the explosion of social media, technology and wireless communications, is there still any room for simplicity within design? What place does decoration have, if any, within our modern design world?

As designers, our responsibility will always be to communicate an idea, message, topic or issue to a specific audience; each one with it’s own geographic, social and economic realities. Why are we then focused on aesthetics? Is less really a bore? Might we be afraid of Simplicity? The answer to this very complicated question can be only be realized if we immerse ourselves into the depths of what Design really is and means; then maybe we can proudly call ourselves part of the field. Throughout history, the battle between reduction as being either “more” or a “bore” has provoked some of the field’s most fundamental and influential essays, writings and publications. Debates and arguments are plentiful and everyone seems to have an opinion. It appears that you either favor one or the other, there is no middle ground on the Simplicity vs. Decoration argument. So, is this discussion redundant or still relevant?

We have struggled and spent painstakingly long hours creating design work as both students and

professional designers. Frustration and doubt have ruled our process and development of ideas, concepts and the final design development stage. Regardless of what the assignment or project is, there comes a time when this one decision needs to be made: Do we need to add anything else or does it benefit from becoming “less designed”? The great majority of the time, we believe the latter to be the correct choice.

We do not ask, argue or favor sterility and boredom within design. Every time we open a book that shows the work of Rand, Müller-Brockmann, Vignelli, Hofmann, Lissitsky, Bayer or Alvin Lustig we are enthralled by their ability to reach a mass audience through what almost seems like an obviously apparent and simple approach; thus they are all considered Modern masters. But, Simplicity is not an artistic movement, it is a state of mind. The beauty and apparent contradiction is that it is extremely difficult to reach this state of appropriateness and depth of communication through the least amount of elements. Why were they able to develop incredible “simple” designs, get the approval of their clients, get paid and become household names? It is simple. They all had such profound knowledge of their clients, products, services and the intended message—through research, profound studies and conceptualizing—that they could explain their intentions in a way that no one could argue or refuse. To be called a designers, we need to strive for that same level of commitment and breadth of knowledge, allowing us to reach this state of focused simplicity that we admire. But, these Masters did not live in our Information Age.

Our current working conditions, technical requirements and realities are very different from that of Rand and Lissitsky. While they lived through an era of technical innovations, they did not have to deal with the chaos brought on by the internet, social media and the excess of information screaming for our attention in every billboard, smart phone, computer screen and subway ad. They did not learn the latest programming language and to then become obsolete with the implementation of a “new and improved” version. Just as their world was in the first half of the 20th century, our world is changing drastically. It is because of this outburst of cluttered information that we NEED to go back and Simplify our way of thinking and working in order to get back to owning our work and our lives.

As designers we have the power to reach more people than ever before. We can re-educate and re-focus our audience to learn to appreciate the value of Simplicity in all aspects of our lives. Ask around, nobody likes to walk around with thousands of ads commanding our every attention, we get tired of this mess, this obscenity. That’s why we all wear iPods and read magazines during our transit rides. The mass audience wants a breather and designers can provide that peace and clarity. Our design can become clear, concise and purposeful. We can communicate on an intelligent and respectful manner, engaging and captivating every viewer that comes across our work. Design can become the savior, bringing peace and quiet to this disarray. Society might learn to see the value and possibilities that can be obtained through restraint, objectivity and resolve. Simple enough.

We argue, not for a return to simplicity for simplicity’s sake, but to redefine what this mystical term means. The frenzy and craziness of keeping up with every technical advancement, software update and design trend has made us designers who cannot enjoy our work. We spend our lives studying, reading, learning and immersing ourselves in the history and legacy of Design, but never have the time for profound design. We urge for Simplicity—not only as reducing the quantity of elements needed for direct and essential communication with the audience—but by setting the time aside so that we can bring every project into complete fulfillment and actually enjoy our work.

If we adopt a problem-solving approach through research, reasoning, and understanding the essence of the message we want to communicate before starting to design, we will be able to remove all unnecessary visual baggage and obstacles that impede the clarity and focus of our design. If we forgo the development of a strong concept through the vital brainstorming process, we will become a generation of digital-minded sterile look-at-me designers. Discarding every excess and keeping only the essential elements and required information we will be able to communicate in a through yet concise and efficient way. But…

With Simplicity, there is nowhere to hide. Every design decision we make needs to be based on the fundamental notion of purpose and reason. Randomness has no part in design, ambiguity is not welcome. Our design must only contain what is indispensable and nothing more. Our tastes, preferences and moods are not welcome. The message, the audience and the client are king. We should engross all of our energy into developing the correct message and concept before anything comes forward in the visual realm. Think about the project at hand, write anything that comes to mind, study your market, your audience, their location and their culture, then discard everything and start again. By recognizing that design concepts do not appear as a divine inspiration, we can begin to discover that it is the constant trial and error process that will lead us to a volume of work that we can be proud of. When we have evaluated and established our intent and direction, we can then move on.

elements of design

The foundation

Randomness seems to be the new way to design. Look around, there are bundles of design examples that look incredibly beautiful and aesthetically impressive. New 3D techniques, digital textures, swooshes, swirls, bursts and unending filters surround us. They have that “wow“ factor that maybe some do enjoy. Some onlooker may say how “pretty” or “cool” this or that poster or website looks. Somehow, that kind of work doesn’t have a voice, it doesn’t touch our inner self, inspire or challenge us to find some hidden treasure or message inside. Pretty? Cool? Trendy? Not words that come to mind when we look at great design. Our conclusion: balance, shape, form, space, light, color, dynamics and contrast and scale are not given the necessary importance or relevance.

Doesn’t it feel great when we see a perfectly designed subway ad, billboard, poster, magazine or book layout? We feel complete, like someone out there is speaking directly to us, making us feel at peace. How did the designer accomplish this? Is it magic, talent or divine skill? Is it pointless and absurd to think analytically, dissect our work and scrutinize our every decision? Not if we want to reach a point where our design is transformed into the perfect endowment of communication through our visual sense. How do we arrive at such an accomplished state?

Every designer we admire, has two things in common: a strong work ethic and a deep knowledge and proficiency of every element of the composition. They have spent years, even decades studying and experimenting with shape, form, balance, space, light, color, movement, dynamics, scale and contrast. By trial and error and a thorough awareness of human perception, these great designers consistently produced good work. A master painter knows what hues and paintbrush to use to achieve the artistic expression in mind. The violinist, carefully chooses where to place every note and nuance so that he grasps the attention and imagination of the audience. In the same way, we can learn to use these tools in order to facilitate our process and help us communicate clearly and directly. This constant study and analysis should not be practiced only in school, we need to accept and embrace it as a crucial part of our ongoing design education and professional evolution.

Our problem with the lack of interest and familiarity with these fundamentals is that the work that is

produced is filled with randomness and ambiguity. There is no purpose or reason for the location, form, typeface selection and compositional decisions in a lot of current design. We do not imply by any means that we are masters of composition and that every work we develop should be hung on a museum wall; quite the contrary. We humbly admit and welcome all of our ingenuity and ignorance about design as a whole. We wonder if we will ever have the time to learn all we want to know about psychology, typography, history and the biological way that we interact with the world through our retinas and how it reaches and behaves in our nervous system. It is extremely intriguing that designers can communicate an idea or message to anybody in the world, regardless of idioms or cultural boundaries, with the use of our visual language. But instead of feeling overwhelmed or confused, this ingenuity makes us crave and demand more knowledge, more books and bigger challenges.

Colors carry different and sometimes contradictory meanings in various parts of the world. The circle, the square and the dynamic triangle have an inherent quality that express something very similar in every culture. Space, depth and scale can be understood by anyone, even if he or she doesn’t know the correct “design” term for it. It is easy to see the contrast between the big headline typeface and a smaller caption size. All of this can be internalized and understood by people who have no idea or experience in design. This is why it is so important to learn to work with our design tools. When we discern and discover the way they work and behave, we will figure out how to turn every design decision, small or large, into a meaningful and effective realization.

How does all of this tie back to Simplicity? It’s very simple. Once we have an ample grasp and comprehension of the elements of design, we will be able to design faster, better and in a more precise way. We will not waste any time or effort filling our work with unnecessary elements that carry no function. Our intent will concentrate on developing engaging compositions that communicate visually and typographically. When we learn all the rules, we can then mold or break them in any way we find fitting. When we reach this comfort zone, our design will transform and shift from addition and decoration into subtraction and simple validity. This is the state of mind that the great designers were able to consummate. Their work always looks so obvious and simple, contradicting the reality that it takes more work and better judgement to remove the cloth of decoration we are used to and reveal the naked essence of their design intent. With Simplicity there is nowhere to hide. Pretty? Cool? Trendy? How about straightforward, effective and meaningful.

typography

Micro and macro

The hieroglyphics. Paintings on cave walls. The Phoenician vocabulary. The Greek origin of what we call the alphabet (alpha + beta.) All of them have in some way been part of our education. Man learned to communicate and record events and information millenia ago. This is still the biggest breakthrough in the history of our existence. Our ancestors learned how to develop a system of language by the decoding of symbols and further attributing phonetic qualities and specific meanings to each of them. In our modern 21st century society, letters, words and sentences play a part on our daily lives. Everything we read on our computer screen, subway ride, a magazine, newspaper or television is called text, in design we call it Typography or Type.

Typography, the correct way of applying, modifying and working with letterforms as individual characters, words, sentences, paragraphs and so forth. Someone opens Microsoft Word, starts a new document and begins to write. Without any previous thought they have begun a project with typography as the vital element. Whether that person uses the system’s default typeface or chooses a preferred one, that typographic choice will have a distinct and ingrained mood. As designers it is our responsibility to move on from this basic knowledge and initiate a profound investigation into the history, complexity and intricacy that exists within the world of type.

Helvetica? Garamond? Verdana? They are just different fonts, right? This leads us to our biggest gripe: a typeface is NOT a font. We have become tired of hearing good designers refer to typefaces as fonts even during professional lectures and conferences. This might not be so important to the non-design public, but to our fellow designers it is disgraceful. How can we work with type if we don’t know how to refer to it correctly? In Grad school we found out how little we knew about type and how complicated and intricate it really was. We became enthralled with the world of typography, reading countless books on its history, preeminent designers and essential publications. Learning the history of the important and long-lasting typefaces made us appreciate great typographic work around, past and present.

Within Typography there exist various related topics. When learning and working with type we need to also become involved with geometry, layouts, grids, proportions and harmonious typeface combinations. We learn that there are two distinct aspects of typography: type as a whole, the macro level and the minute detailed nuances within each letterform, word and line of type, the micro level. Why should we care about typography as much as we do for shapes and images? What does all of this have to do with composition,

simplicity and design?

As every human face looks different and unique, so does each typefaces carry its own physical characteristics. We have to pay extreme care and attention into every choice we make when introducing type into our work. Learning the historical context and feeling implicit in the typefaces we utilize will enable us to achieve a sophisticated design that aids in the legibility and readability of the content. It is of vital importance that designers become involved in procuring the correct proportion, leading, spacing, margins and typographic combinations that makes visual and conceptual sense. Typographic dexterity and control separate the good designers from the mediocre. Grasping its pertinence and knowing how to work with type through size, scale, leading and spacing is the vital link that will empower us to create work worthy of being compared with the great designers of the past.

Typeface, fonts, strokes, ears, serifs, baselines, widths and weights are all terms that need to become second nature to us. As doctors learn the correct terminology in order to communicate with each other and with their patients, we as designers need to train ourselves to talk and interact with each other in a proper and professional way. This will enable the exchange of opinions and ideas in a way that benefits our work and serves to guide us on our ongoing preparation.

how it all comes together

It can seem wasteful to write on and on about how things can, need or should be. Becoming involved with the priority of concepts over decoration, forgoing the latest technical innovations and learning how to manipulate every element of design and composition can seem to be an impossible unfathomable task. How can we ever make enough time to acquire all of this information? How can knowing a lot about composition, proportion, perception and typography help reach a simpler way of designing? By accepting that we will never learn all that today’s society asks us to, we will realize that we have the control of our lives. Initiating a learning process that combines theory with practice, we can be challenged and feed our hunger for increased knowledge. Learning to think before doing, to sketch before getting on the computer and to have a profound intent versus having perceived design notions and preferences, will facilitate the way we get closer to being able to call ourselves Designers.

TECHNOLOGY

information overload?

Effects of technology on humans/designers

In the world we are living right now, technology plays an integral part in humans’ lives. Technology has changed the way we live, interact with one another and our understanding of how things operate. Technology has become a concept that we cannot live without; an average person needs technology, to work, eat, entertain and for many other daily functions. We basically need technology to survive.

Technology has changed the world we used to see. Our society has been engulfed by the continuous invention of new media since the beginning of the digital era: computers, the Internet, iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc. Technology has altered generations of people, becoming an integrated part of who we are in the digital age. Growing up “online,” children of the new generation become technology-dependent and are accustomed to multitasking. Comparing our generation to the older and the next one, we can clearly see the distinction.

Marshall McLuhan, a 20th-century Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar, foresaw the future of the world forged by digital media. McLuhan is known for creating the expressions “the medium is the message” and “the global village” and envisioning the World Wide Web almost 30 years before it was originated. As time passes, we have witnessed the true self (the good and the bad) of technology and have become way

too familiar with it.

This same idea of technology applies to the lives of designers. New kinds of media create constant changes in design. During the Industrial Revolution, many artists, designers and architects saw the machine as an evil, they were appalled by the look of it and the effects it had on their labor, art and manual craft. However, the “machine” is now welcomed into our home. We admit that technology makes designers’ lives easier. The advance of design software and applications help designers achieve their goals, even the most ambitious ones, with less time and effort than before. Sometimes, technology is a shortcut. Today, if somebody wants to print out something or publicize his work on the Internet, all he has to do is push a button and Voilà!

Technology also provides us with countless sources of information. There’s a plethora of stuff to google and download online. The magic of technology gives us a buzz. Sometimes we wonder how people 10+ years ago were able to manage their lives without the use of the Internet. With the current facility of access to the Internet, we can communicate and update information effortlessly. With the aid of new technology difficult assignments are finished in no time. Writing is easier thanks to the available and abundant grammar and spelling tools. Applying digital effects or transformation on our design works is made easy. Living in a 24/7 connected and wired world, finding inspirations and resources online has become an almost automatic and common part of our design process.

However, does new technology improve creativity? We cannot deny that technology provides designers with lots of benefits. It facilitates our work in numerous ways. However, some designers rely too much on technology. There are chances that most of their inspirations come from the Internet. Unfortunately, this method can limit the sources of the inspirations and reduce the need for creativity. Moreover, we cannot be sure that the overabundance of information we find online is valid and credible.

computer vs. hand skills

Returning to the basics of design

The advance in technology helps designers reach their full potential. It has laid the path for them to follow. The latest software programs or the new models of computers and gadgets are becoming the part of the design process. The idea of living in the digital world has sometimes lured us. Welcoming technology into our lives and making the most out of it does not and should not mean that we let it control us. Returning to the basics of design is not a bad idea. Since designers have become tech literate, they can tend to use the power of technology excessively, without regard for concepts and fundamental design knowledge.

Designers understand and experience technology as a way to make their lives more efficient. But, this sometimes leads to the neglect of the most important part of design: thinking. Their designs become more and more computer generated. Some people, being aware of this fact, encourage digital age designers and society in general to appreciate the value of hand skills within design. This does not mean that designers should become anti-technology or disconnect themselves from the modern world. However, designers need to appreciate the authenticity of design. The unique qualities of handmade things cannot be completely imitated by computers. Designers must be creative and not restrained from exploring different aspects, tools and mediums for their designs. The old and the new, one is not better than the other. Each one has its own advantages. Without a doubt, the old-fashioned design process develops designers’ skills because it involves hands-on practices. Designers have to spend much time musing, sketching and revising before executing. What is best for today’s designers is to embrace and balance the old and the new into their process of design and not to forget the vital importance of function, effectiveness and appropriateness.

computer vs. hand skills

Returning to the basics of design

Design has changed with every advance in new media, software, social networks, cutting-edge advertising techniques and so on. Thus, the role of designers has also changed. Designers today not only know how to create posters or books, but also acquire skills in building websites or designing apps for digital platforms. Because of the changing dynamic of design, we cannot be static. Designers need to keep up with current trends and become well-rounded in all areas of design; in both print and digital. Many design schools are fully aware of this occurrence. At Pratt Institute, graduate students in Communications Design are required to take a Digital Design course even if digital is not their intended major. The digital medium is significant and we need to learn to work comfortably with it.

Designers have changed communication methods and their process in accordance with technology and media. Digital designers may not picture their designs as still images because their work needs to correspond to time and sequence. Time becomes a consequential element in design. This evolution in the design sphere opens a new door for designers, letting their audiences experience a world that they never conceived before.

Technology has given designers the opportunity to publicly articulate, communicate and exchange their ideas and beliefs. Everybody can be “somebody” in the cyber world. This new platform helps designers to network and develop vital professional relationships that help them in their career. Through the Internet, design portfolios can be viewed by people who live on the other side of the world. According to Victor Margolin’s “The Designer As Producer”: “…with the advances in technology, designers have the opportunity to produce and distribute new things to worldwide markets at low costs. Dematerialized products like digital typography or new typefaces have been produced and introduced. We can see that designers/entrepreneurs are benefiting from the most advanced technology for modeling, prototyping, manufacturing and distributing new products. Learning to effectively utilize the technology and social network to support their career is something today’s designers have to bare in mind.”

The evolution happens when designers adapt and we need to keep pace with technology. Technological evolution will never end. New devices will be released and refined incessantly. We cannot stop technology, but need to achieve a balance. Technology can be a blessing when we use it responsibly and wisely adapt to it. The key? Realize that technology is a tool that we should never overuse.

RESPONSIBILITY

social responsibility

“The designer…has a dream that goes beyond what exists, rather than fixing what exists…

the designer wants to create a solution that fits in a deeper situational or social sense.”

— David Kelley (founder of IDEO)

Design is something that captures the essence of our time and the things that are important to us as a culture. Currently, we are in a technological age, where we’ve morphed into so-called global citizens. We are so interconnected by technology that we know more about the world than we ever did before. News of earthquakes and tsunamis are instantaneous and seeing images and video of these disasters pulls at the heartstrings. This imagery is no longer secluded to National Geographic magazine; it’s in our faces and at our fingertips at all times and because of this, we are more willing to help. We are also more knowledgeable of living conditions in third world countries and are more concerned with future generations. We want to better the world, to allow the less fortunate to have a sliver of what we have, and to give aid because deep down, if ever we were in a similar situation, we would hope that others would do the same.

Of course, this human altruism is not solely for natural disasters and third world countries; there is currently a growing trend that focuses on communities. It is through communities that true change can occur since it is no longer about one person, but a group of people with similar goals and beliefs. This is why things like the Pepsi Refresh Project exist. A grant program that awards millions per month to ideas that aim to make communities better, the Pepsi Refresh Project specifically focus on the arts, education and community. It is these areas that are most important to consumers today and thus should be important to designers as well.

Similar to the Pepsi Refresh Project, Sappi Ideas That Matter is a grant program, but is specifically targeted at designers who want to donate their time and efforts to charitable or non-profit activities. The contest speaks of design having “meaningful ideas” behind it, not just being “slick typography” and “pretty pictures.” The subject matter of grants varies, some educate about medical conditions, while others advocate against child obesity; still others are a call-to-arms to professionals to consider social and environmental issues. The aiga Design for Good campaign is one of the 2010 grant recipients. It is a call-to-arms to designers to donate 5% of their time to social and civic causes, recognizing “designers who are making meaningful contributions to society…[ thereby reinforcing] the idea that design is integral to problem-solving” in daily life. Another 2010 grant recipient is Pratt Institute’s Design Corps, which provides non-profit organizations with “pro bono design services, while exposing [undergraduate] communications design students to professional experience” and socially-meaningful causes. Such programs confirm that design is moving in the direction of social change.

Somewhat in the design realm also exists Good magazine. Touted as a magazine “for people who give a damn” and who “want to live well and do good,” Good technically is not a design magazine; however, design is fully integrated into it. It is celebrated in the design industry for its infographics and layout. Good is a good (pardon the pun) reminder that design does not have to be design for design’s sake; it can have a greater meaning while still being well-designed.

Like Pepsi Refresh Project’s tagline, “changing the world, one community at a time,” we believe that affecting one small thing can create a greater change. And what better way to do that than through design? Of course, no one mind-blowing design solution will literally save the world; but design can make a difference by planting ideas into people’s heads. All it takes is changing the mind of one person and allowing the ripple effect to take place.

environmental responsibility

“A good design is innovative, gives a product utility, is aesthetic, makes a product easy to

understand, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long-lived, is consistent down to the smallest detail,

protects the environment.” — Dieter Rams (industrial designer)

The mere fact that B Corporations exist in today’s society proves how important social and environmental responsibility are. B Corporations “use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.” These two issues are at the forefront of the business world and are deeply considered in other design disciplines, such as architecture, but not as much in communications design. Yet our field is one that is paper-heavy. We decide what kind of paper stock is used on a print job and whether that paper has any recycled content. This is only one small facet of how design can affect the environment.

On the whole, environmental responsibility within communications designers should carry much more weight than it currently does. The earth as a resource is an important topic and it is necessary for everyone, designers included, to consider the ramifications of our actions and decisions. Why else would a company name themselves Seventh Generation? The idea behind the name Seventh Generation is the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy which states “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” Our environmental responsibility is not only about conserving the earth’s resources; it is about preserving the Earth so that it can still sustain life seven generations after us.

professional responsibility

The responsibility to live up to our name as Designers

Before we talk about professional responsibility, let’s discuss design as a whole. Design, especially Communications Design, is one of the only professions that can truly touch the lives of everybody. Design is something that is so all-pervasive, that we often don’t notice it. Every thing that we use daily upon waking is designed. Alarm clock? Designed. Toothbrush? Designed. Toothpaste? Designed. You get the picture. Think about how many things you saw today that were designed. How many advertisements and storefronts? How many were well-designed? How many carried a deeper meaning? Did someone carefully and thoughtfully place the typography and the imagery based on a particular concept or was it moved around until it felt right? Was there a meaningless cool-looking graphic?

Design is not about pretty. Not every pretty girl is a runway model; pretty can get you to a certain point, but there needs to be more beyond pretty, a certain poise, grace and talent. The same is true for design; being able to produce something that looks pretty is nice, but it’s not enough to make you a designer. These days it seems that anyone can call themselves a designer. Someone that can tweak an image in Photoshop or put together a PowerPoint presentation all of a sudden fancies themselves a designer, but what really is a designer? For that matter what is design?

We have a responsibility to live up to our name as designers. The general public expects doctors to know about medicine, lawyers to know about law, so designers should know design. It shouldn’t be about likes or dislikes; but about whether something works, has meaning and conveys the intended message regardless of personal taste. As mentioned previously, designers also need to know the proper terminology of our field and use it correctly (for example, typeface versus font). We also need to be able to speak intelligently about the elements of design and know that design is meant to convey concepts.

Although design doesn’t require licensing or membership in a professional organization, we owe it to our profession and to our peers for our work to sit at a certain standard. There may not be a specified curriculum of continuing education, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t seek out updates in our field and read books that further enrich our problem-solving skills.

If we all strive for our work to be at a heightened level, all design will be elevated and someday our names

can legitimately be placed among the celebrated designers, such as: Beirut, Scher, Rand, Vignelli and maybe even Le Corbusier, Gropius and Loos. It is up to us to challenge and hold each other accountable for our design knowledge, personal and professional growth.