I think it’s fair to say that I’ve developed the reputation as one of the more nervous graphic design seniors at CCS. I know that I am not alone, and that things are not all peachy for some of the rest of you as well, so I feel like it is my duty to take a look at things from this angle. Call it a sacrifice.

It is becoming quite clear, through personal discussions and the writing on this blog, that some students are having an easier time at school than others. Some of us are struggling to remain motivated and positive down this final stretch, while others claim to be breezing by in a state of pure design bliss. I’ve decided to expose this gap because I don’t want the rest of us to feel alienated or lose hope. I want us to share our anxieties, and I want those of us who are able to handle them better to offer advice beyond “just relax.”

One might think that the anxieties that I am experiencing are just my own personal problems that should be left to my own sorting out. Some may dismiss them as universal anxieties held by most college seniors. I do not think this is the case. I believe the confusion and pressure we of the nervous persuasion feel are uniquely attributable to the field we are trying to crack into and the overall weirdness of our chosen path. If you disagree, try relating this stuff to your friends studying accounting at Eastern Michigan University. Exactly.

In other words, we have come together at CCS in a very unique situation. We’ve taken a brave leap that few could even come close to being able to handle, and we should be damn proud of that. We are a privileged and intelligent bunch, genuinely in search of “something more,” and we have been given free reign to express ourselves in a cozy and nurturing environment. This is our time to get into ourselves and have some fun before the “real world” comes crashing down on us in May. For some of us, quite frankly it just isn’t fun anymore.

So what is it about this field that is so damn terrifying? As of this moment, I do not have any answers, and I can barely articulate the questions. I want to open this up to everyone to use this space as a place to work some issues out for each other. Where do the blockages exist that keep some of us from enjoying design? How have some of you fought through The Fear? What gives you confidence? What are some of you afraid of?

Please, let’s help each other out.

In our contemporary culture, advances in technology have granted everyone with something to say a means to be heard. This forward movement has given people of all ages, race, and sex a powerful voice, and an accessible means of expressing their ideas. I myself am only being heard, like it or not, thanks to this this blog, something that would have been impossible just a short time ago. We’re a generation unafraid to talk openly about things in a public forum, and we’ve established these weird kind of digital families with others who share our views. We exist in a society that’s granted us the opportunity to speak-up, be heard, and make a difference if we so choose. Right?

Many of you have probably noticed the blinding array of Type One studies, that currently grace our third floor walls. Seeing this vast display makes me think of two things: 1) I’m glad that we’ve all made it past the days of rubber cement coated black paper squares and 2) When so many different “voices” are displayed in such close conjunction, is it possible to recognize any particular voice above the rest? Each 8×8 square, now matter how unique it may be on it’s own, looses it’s prominence when placed among other squares communicating a similiar message. The individual designer’s voice is being lost among a sea of other screaming voices.

Compare this now to these advances in technology: when everyone is given an equal chance to speak, is anyone really heard?

Blogs are everywhere. They’re inescapable communities that establish themselves anytime someone or a group of someones has something to show or say. They’ll grab ahold of their participants for hours, whether one is mindlessly scrolling, or thoughtfully engaging within the conversation. These portals of user-generated content are becoming an especially popular tool for designers and design students, as they’re employed for a myriad of different purposes. Whether establishing an arena for design discourse, or being used to simply document a personal or group process, blogs will continue to rise in popularity as a viable means of communication.

What interests me, however, is the role of blogs as a means of critically discussing design issues, and in what ways, if any, blogs may challenge the relevance of the printed page. Are critical design publications no longer necessary? Will blogs be the only source for critical dialogue to unfold in the future? What does this mean for design students?

First, we must look at what blogs allow us to do. The obvious advantage to blog communication rests in the equal accessibility of content to anyone, so long as the individual is well armed with a computer and a connection. For many well known blogs, (think Design Observer and Speak Up) this accessibility allows for a wide range of user responses to surface, providing readers with multiple viewpoints and insight towards a particular topic. In addition, blogs allow for ideas and responses to be published, quite literally, at the click of a button, drastically increasing the speed at which users receive information. Compared to traditional publications, which can take between four and six months before a story reaches the printed page, blogs become “instant transmitters of thought.” (1) This immediacy leads to a consistent evolution of content, with each new contribution leading to the blog’s reinvention. The reader is placed within an information race and it becomes their responsibility to keep up!

But with it’s accessibility, immediacy, and kinetic nature, blogs still have their downfalls. Everyone with a word processor these days can become publishers. With this craze in self-publishing and swarm of blogs in creation, the user faces the challenge of choosing which blogs obtain the most valid sources of information. It would seem that one is required to spend an abundance of time sifting through irrelevant content, rather then actually contemplating important issues. More time is spent in “search mode” rather the “process mode,” leading one to question how much knowledge is actually being scrutinized and retained. (2)

The immediacy of blogs means that writing is often less refined and/or historically situated then it may be if it were going to print. (*note, this is a broad generalization, as I would imagine that many seasoned writers do indeed take the time to properly edit their writing before publishing) For many, especially design students, this may seem like an irrelevant concern, especially if one uses blogs only as a venue for casual design dialogue. However, if blogs are to become a major source for critical writing, I see this rawness and “editorial oversight” devaluing the writer’s ideas. (3) If young designers are to learn to write critically, attention must be given to the contemplative nature of the traditional writing process, a quality lost within the immediate demands of blogs. Further, we must recognize that what we say on blogs often has been discussed before, and should be properly situated within the correct context. Without documentation or footnotes, blogs make no reference to the past, making it seem as if the current discourse on design has developed from a blank slate. (4) It’s as if no designer or design critic has said anything relevant to contemporary issues before the turn of the millennium. By not properly citing our sources of information, students or other “bloggers” are depreciating their own arguments. We must begin to adequately recognize the context from which our ideas stem, so as to provide grounds for a richer, more informed dialogue to develop.

So what does this mean for students? For most of us, blogs have become the most efficient way to expose our ideas and concerns, while generating valuable response and conversation. It is crucial that we continue this habit, engaging our peers with a critical dialogue. However, just as the advent of the Macintosh did not create designers, nor will blogs create writers. Like the personal computer allowed designers a greater control over their production processes, so to will blogs grant individuals the power to control their own content publishing. Yet we mustn’t let a “tool” inhibit our creativity. Design blogs should be used as a vehicle for instigating discussion and informally examining design issues, but we must take the responsibility ourselves to examine those issues deeper and more critically outside this mildly fatuous platform.

1. Heller, Steven. “Blogs vs. Mags.” Voice: AIGA Journal of Design.10 Dec. 2004.

2. Lupton, Ellen. Thinking wit Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students.(Princeton Architectural Press, 2004)

3. Bierut, Michael, and William Drenttel, and Steven Heller. Foreword. Looking Closer Five: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.New York: Allworth Press, 2006. x.

4. Wild, Lorraine. “Castles Made of Sand.” Looking Closer Five: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.New York: Allworth Press, 2006. 154.