Comments on: Conditions (of process)

By: justinw

justinw — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:27:44 +0000

When it comes to these preset “conditions” or comfort zones, I really feel they can only work in certain scenarios. While everyone works and thinks differently, I personally feel to establish any sort of constant when trying to be creative is definitely something to avoid. I could maybe understand a sense of familiarity in order to create a “zone,” whether it be coffee, music or a peaceful location, but to maintain a routine or go out of the way to create one, will not lead to any new source of inpiration. I think the creative process exists through your interaction with the world and your experiences. So if there is such a thing as a comfort zone, it should only be a place to where your ideas and experiences can reside and come together.

I agree (with above). I definitely feel process relates the same way. I almost always value my process as much if not more so than the final result. Especially with graphics. Throughout the Viscom process I’ve noticed a new way to develop ideas and create design that is extremely helpful and beneficial; but I have become increasingly fearful when resorting back to that same process when taking on new projects. I feel there are many avenues of developing an idea and as creative people we should use the ones that make sense and work for us. No two designers design alike, so why should we all think alike? Design and especially any creative design process should be unique to the individual.

By: angbrown

angbrown — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:11:34 +0000

Yes, I agree that one should be challenged ever so often to break our of their conditioned comfort zone when it comes to the practice of how one tends to work when they are designing. But what if you have yet to discover your comfort zone—your design space nirvana, if you will. But what if you are still struggling to find the optimal conditions that will help you to create your best creations whatever they may be? This is the problem I am having; yet I know what conditions are not conducive to bringing out the best in me. I guess that is the starting point…

By: sBRK

sBRK — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:07:02 +0000

In response to the article, my process is a very scattered and unconscious thing. I don’t know what to focus on and easily lose focus within my process and then try to make that tangent work when a pair of fresh eyes could see that it should just be re-assessed. I feel this is a product of my environment because I tend to get lost in my work space and tend not to come up for air until its past production time. So I found it very accurate that you said “our process is our addiction” because I feel that my addiction is the process and getting lost in it and not being able to make sense of it like a reformed crack addict I twitch, shake way to the end result.

I feel that breaking form your confines of process can be a liberating feat in its own right. The idea that removing all your comforts and familiarities as a designer can always yield a new result. I found this out earlier this summer while I was working on magazine spreads and I was separated from my books (inspiration, clipart, text). I at first had a very hard time even beginning my process, without that safety net I focused only on the fact that they weren’t there and not the work at hand. Then I came to a point where I couldn’t wait any longer and with deadline rapidly approaching I needed to adapt and work around it. The work really benefitted from this forced situation, it was some of the most different work i’ve done.

By: thesean

thesean — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:03:40 +0000

Conditions (of process)

First of all, I thought that this article was really interesting. When I was reading about how someone can seem to get a lot more work done in certain environments with certain tools… I thought how lucky is this person. I have thought about and tried so many things to try and find how I can be more productive. I have discovered through time that there are certain things that can keep me awake. There are also certain places where I can think more clear. But to be honest with you I have yet to find a way to keep my mind from wondering, stressing, being excited, or worrying about things that are happening, things that I have to get done, and all the other things that people think about every day. I think that everyone has there own ways to be most productive, I actually know so from reading through some of the other responses.

“To perform with the highest degree of creativity?” When I read this quote the first time going through the article I thought that it made sense to me. Now I look at it and think that it’s not something that you can really make yourself do, but something that you can achieve when you are at a certain point in what you are doing. I think for me this is when I am working on something and finally get to the point where I know what I am doing or where I am going with the project. It’s getting the concept figured out that i seem to struggle with most of the time. I feel like every time is different, the light bulb finally lights up over my head and I get really productive. It’s getting to the point of this realization of what I need to do to get the project done the way I want to that kills me, but once I’m there I everything kind of falls into place.

By: mindrei

mindrei — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:08:52 +0000

Well to begin, I’ve loved the idea of process ever since Chad introduced us to his method of process. I can’t say that I’m still in love with the process but I think that it was fundamental to learn a process and then take away anything unnecessary to make a method that works for you. For myself, I never had a process and just kind dove head first into a project without the slightest clue of what I was going to do or where I was going to start. I think that by giving myself some structure I have been able to come up with more interesting and none cliché ideas from what I would have come up with. Although this may be true about me, there are times when I abandonee everything in the middle of a project and just don’t bother with process and just DO… that seems to work just as well as going through an entire process at times, but it can have its drawbacks. For instance I would hit a wall and have nothing to fall back to because I didn’t have a process to back me up.
On the subject of environment, I have found that I have trouble experimenting and just letting myself explore and have fun at work (Carhartt, Campbell-Ewald) but I have no problem letting loose at home and just doing the craziest of things. In the past year or so I have been trying to ” find my self” as a designer and have been a lot more open to experimenting at work. For example, I needed a background for a certain project at work (Carhartt) and so I took a piece of paper towel and pored my coffee on it and drew on it and made the marker bleed all over it! I probably would never have done this more then a year ago but I’ve been putting much effort in breaking this barrier I have between my comfort zone of my house and my work. Now Carhartt isn’t exactly the most creative or exciting place to work at and possibly isn’t much room for experimentation but just the idea of me being able to “play” and step out of my comfort zone was very fulfilling. So I do think it is very important not to have a certain comfort in a location or certain things or at least not to the point where you cant function without them.

By: kp

kp — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:30:19 +0000

My thoughts tend to wander into a more worldly, all-encompassing perspective when approaching this topic, and how it relates to the idea of work environments in general. It’s mind-boggling to me that there are careers on this planet that require a change of location on a weekly basis. Are they too swallowed by environment (even for a split second) and unable to perform to their highest potential? When their desired conditions are stripped away, how do they maintain focus? Granted, they are not doing “creative” work per say, but there is still a level of excellence and accuracy that needs to be met. I have yet to discuss this with someone of such a career, but I bet any of them would reply with some form of relatively the same response, “You get used to it.” I agree whole-heartedly with Aubrey in the idea that process (and the creative energy necessary to produce it) is directly built in to WHO we are, and less about WHERE we are. Yes, some conditions are favored, but I think ultimately we are able to surrender and let habit and dedication take over, and when it is absolutely necessary (as it so often is), probably sooner than one would expect.

By: admrwe

admrwe — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:54:11 +0000

Process is over-emphasized at our school. Thats not to say that I don’t enjoy the steps of ideation and documentation, in fact I think that it has made a world of difference in my work, but I think that there is far to great an emphasis put on it. When a teacher tells you that something is the most important part of your project, and that it is what you are being graded on, and then proceeds to tell you that in real life almost no one will ever see this work, you get a very mixed message. It should be taught, and it needs to be taught, but in the end, everyone works differently, and I don’t think that this one format of visual process should become the standard by which students are graded.

By: aubrey

aubrey — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:05:07 +0000

passion=too sexual for design. we should stop using that term. please read.

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2668

By: fd5daryl

fd5daryl — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:25:32 +0000

In response to rberesh:

Don’t you ever worry that overexposing yourself to anything will eventually render it dull and meaningless, even design?

I think that it’s important to be passionate about what you do. And yes, being passionate can lead to thinking about it more often than not, but the idea of constantly absorbing design at all times is an idealistic one at best. Sometimes, other things in life are more important.

While what you’re saying might apply to you, I don’t believe it applies to all designers, as I like to separate work and play, as I’m sure others do too. Can anybody else relate?

By: iroC

iroC — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 02:55:03 +0000

I just wanted to add this for thought…

I once read Stefan Sagmeister’s process developed from from a 1930’s manual titled “A Technique for Producing Ideas…
1. Think about the project from any point of view- your mom’s, yours, from the point of view of color, or form- and write each response down on a single index card.

2. Spread all the index cards out on a big table and see if you can find the relationship between the different thoughts.

3. Forget about the whole thing

4. The idea will strike you miraculously when you least expect it”

It just made me wonder, that by step 3, can you truly “forget about the whole thing?” or will step 4 be subconsciously influenced by steps 1 and 2 regardless? Either way, a lot of times I feel like I work like this. I lay down all my process work and feel like I’ve got nothing out of it. Out of frustration I throw it aside and go on to something else be it another project or watching TV or reading. Then suddenly it will just hit me. This is how the concept of the knotted Family Care Network logo was conceived too. It worked but I still feel like my process is haphazard and missing some kind of structure or form. Or perhaps I second guess myself too much until someone else accepts or denies my idea. I want the confidence to know if something is good and works, rather than being dependent upon everyone else’s opinion.