Pixelgawker

posted by chad reichert

Several years ago, my wife and I had purchased our first home. We were very excited to move in and make it our own. It was a 1933 Cape Cod with lots of “charm.” If you have ever purchased a similar home you know that charm can mean several things. It can represent unique character that only a house from that era can have including original wood floors, hand crafted staircases, oddly shaped rooms and cozy spaces. It can also represent non-operating windows, turn-of-the-century electrical wiring, peeling paint and a built-in security system – i.e. loose floorboards. And finally it can mean selling your soul to the devil, because that’s the only way you are going to be able to afford to keep the charm, well, charming.

Over the course of the following three years, we slowly transformed the house from an outdated dwelling into a comfortable home. We carefully balanced our desire to update and modernize with our respect for nuance and the character of the house. The process was arduous and time consuming. Being first time homeowners, we not only learned to do much of the work ourselves, we quickly learned how long projects take and the expense associated with the “DIY” experience. Along the way, we made just about every mistake possible. This so-called journey of self-discovery was a healthy dose of reality and reminded us of how valuable planning was to the efficient use of time and resources. We quickly realized that with proper preparation and a working process the final execution of our projects was stronger.

We also learned to anticipate problems and to allow for extra time when mapping out each phase of the project; in the course of three years, we encountered many unforeseen circumstances. It seemed as though every other day we made numerous trips to the hardware store because of a wrong purchase, broken tool or supply shortage. If we weren’t running to the hardware store, we were running up and down the stairs because a tape measure had been forgotten or a pencil left sitting on the workbench. Planning saved time.

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Graphic design is not home remodeling, but like hanging cabinets in a kitchen or laying tile in the bathroom, good design demands a level of discipline and a thorough process that will allow for greater results in a specific amount of time. Of course, there will always be surprises in the process that you did not foresee. Our house, for example: dealing with crooked walls and uneven floors was the norm. In design, for example: schedules, clients, teachers, directors, budgets and inspiration inevitably become the surprising variables. As designers, we must expect the unexpected and be able to anticipate problems before they happen. I don’t think practice makes perfect, rather I prefer that practice provides clarity. Over time certain patterns will emerge in your process; knowing those patterns and how they relate to the outcome of a project is crucial for every designer.

Before we go any further, it’s important that we define what a process is. Simply stated, a process is a series of actions or steps that help you to arrive at a desired destination. It is a mode of thinking that will frame your actions and focus them on an intended outcome. It is this system of thought we will focus on in the following discussion points. It’s not my intention to tell you what your process is, but rather how and why a process is valuable to a designer. So, let’s begin.

Process is Personal
Every designer must define their own process and working methodology. There are plenty of publications that show you how to address a type of problem, but what most of these resources don’t address are the different learning styles and attention spans particular to individual designers. When a designer gets a brief or assignment, they all respond differently. Of course, designers need to be taught (by a teacher or boss) how to appropriately address a problem and optimize their results, but it’s up to each designer to find out what method works best for them.

For example, I like to assign my upper level students a process project. They must document their life (by the minute) for two weeks. They are asked to document every moment from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed. Sleeping, eating, commuting, working and studying tend to be tops on their lists. Once the two weeks are up they have data that represents every waking moment. Naturally, patterns begin to emerge and they begin to see habits that inevitably occupy their life. For example, many students realize that when they get stressed they tend to compromise their healthy eating habits and succumb to the power of the vending machine because it saves time. Others will exercise less when a deadline nears because they believe that working on a project is more important than working on their physical being. When deadlines get tight or inspiration gets thin, making sure that your body is performing at a normal level should be a priority. Compromising your health or well being due to a lack of proper nutrition or lack of exercise will compromise your outcome. Awareness will help you to perform better during pressure situations because you know the strengths and limitations in your process.

Process is establishing rules to design by
Following a strict process, contrary to popular belief, is important to a designer’s development. Knowing where, when and how you work best will only yield better results. Perhaps most importantly, whether you are in the classroom or office, a process is successful when you know your limitations and strengths.

As a designer, my process entails taking photos, writing and going to the library to do my visual research. Of course, the web offers me speed, but going to a library, finding a particular section and scanning books for text and imagery, allows me to draw conclusions and open up avenues of thought I would not normally build. For other designers, surfing the web at a bar or coffee shop might be the stimulus needed. It’s important that each designer experiment with alternatives and arrive at a set of conditions that will help maximize their productivity and creativity. It always strikes me as odd when I hear designers working in an office aren’t allowed to go out and spend some time doing their personal research. If you need the noise and proximity of people in a coffee shop to help you think, then sitting at your desk in front of a computer doesn’t make sense. It’s the job of a teacher or creative director to teach a process, but allow for designers to execute it using methods that will permit them to be successful.

Process doesn’t inhibit, rather, it empowers a designer
Unless I wanted to get lost, I would never set out on a journey not knowing where to go. A map is a useful tool. It provides me directions to get from point A to point B. In some cases, it even provides me alternative routes in case of an accident or road closure. Why then would I set out designing without a plan? If I don’t know where I am supposed to go, then the chances of getting lost increase greatly. Maps aren’t foolproof, but they will minimize the chances of getting lost. Process acts as a map that helps a designer produce better results because they aren’t worried about HOW they are getting there, rather they are worried about WHERE they are going. As stated earlier, unless I had time to waste, I would always reference a map to provide me the big picture were I to embark on a trip: how many miles and what direction to travel. Without a map you’re lost. Without a process, your confused. A process gives you the foundation to explore. It tells you the steps along the way to be successful and minimizes the chance that something will go wrong. There will always be surprises and unexpected details, but with a process it’s easy to find your way back to the road.

What happens when you get a project brief? Are you initially worried about how to approach the project? Or do you start off working hard on a project only to realize that you quickly get in over your head as the work starts to pile up. Either scenario indicates a weakness in process development. If an instructor, client or boss does not give you a particular process, then it’s up to you to ask as many questions as possible and walk yourself thru the project to anticipate any problems. In my estimation, all projects are front-loaded. The more work done planning and researching, the less time is needed during the execution. Let’s revisit my house analogy for a moment. I often tell designers that good process is like using a spray gun to paint a room. I want to make sure I have enough paint to finish the room. If my goal is to get several layers on in one day, I need to be efficient and know that I have enough supplies for the entire day. If I do run out of paint, I can always go buy more, but that takes time and will slow the process down. In addition, there is always unknown variables like inaccurate paint tints or store hours; both will cause significant delays. Your process is the same thing. Knowing you have enough research to see the project thru to the end is vital. Thorough research acts as a safety net for the designer. If he/she starts the project and realize that their chosen direction is not strong enough, he/she can just return to their research and find a direction that will work. Again, a well-articulated process minimizes mistakes and unknown variables that wreak havoc on the final outcome of a project.

Process is Multiplicity
A process is only as good as the designer’s willingness to produce. There can absolutely be no editing in the beginning phases of a project. That means that a designer must be encouraged to explore everything. The meaning of multiplicity is simple: no prejudice or negative ramifications for the willingness to explore and the possibility of failure. Research inhibited by the fear that work will be criticized and/or be judged as tangential has no place in design. Curiosity kills the cat, but gives life to a designer. Getting beyond the obvious and cliché is hard enough when 1000’s of commercial images and messages are bombarding us daily. Without the encouragement and time to look in the less obvious places, designers will produce antiquated thought rather than inventive ideas.

Deadlines and budgets won’t always allow for such exploration, but if a process is strong enough, multiplicity and experimentation will be built into the results. The best designers have innovative process’ that will allow for innovative results. Multiplicity helps designers go faster further.

Process is juxtaposing the strange and seemingly unnatural
This is the hardest concept to sell to students and young designers. How does one effectively take “chances” in their process? Asking designers to embrace subject matters that they aren’t necessarily familiar with will allow for the greatest opportunity for success. The most successful students I have been around are willing to embrace tangential research, the possibility of failure and produce something that is unexpected and slightly silly. Students tend to be conservative and afraid of failure. Designers need to be encouraged to go beyond their realm of knowledge and look into subjects that are unfamiliar to them. This is not a new idea, but it is an underutilized method. Tangential research usually means two things: discomfort and unfamiliarity. These are the best ingredients for success. Not only does it challenge the students to tackle a foreign subject but it breeds interesting and unique results. Design needs to look outward and seek out multiple perspectives. Design that is solely introspective can inhibit outcome.

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After three years, we finally finished our home. We didn’t have time to enjoy our hard work because the day after we cut the final piece of trim and patched the last wall we put the house up for sale. Two days later we had a SOLD sign sitting in the front of our yard. We learned a lot from the experience. The house and all its’ charm was a good teacher. We understood a subject matter that previously was foreign to us. It provided us the opportunity to practice and hone our skills. Most importantly, it enabled us to achieve our desired results: we sold the home quickly and made money on our 3-year investment. Process kept us focused on the final outcome. Sometimes progress was difficult but because we were able to see the bigger picture, the problems we encountered were manageable and inevitably became valuable learning experiences. Like remodeling, design will provide challenges and present roadblocks that will force designers to reexamine their approach. A strong process will help anticipate those challenges, present new learning opportunities and help a designer to reach his/her fullest potential.

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