Photoshop Ain’t About the Filters

There’s a running gag amongst graphic designers that some people think anyone can be a designer — all they need is a copy of Photoshop and, voiá, they’re a designer. This belief by many is based upon a few false precepts:
1) Photoshop is a design program.
2) Knowing how to use Photoshop will make you a designer.

The first problem with this is that Photoshop is not design program. It’s a tool. A tool that when used effectively CAN create stunning designs. Think of it as a paint brush. Just because you have a paint brush and know how to use it doesn’t make you a great painter. It’s the skill and talent of the designer using the tool that makes them a designer. Photoshop (and for that matter, Illustrator, Indesign, and any number of other computer applications) is simply a tool at the disposal of whomever has it but simply having that tool does not a designer make.

What’s missing is the Art (with a capital “A”). The designer (graphic ARTist) brings with them a wealth of intangible skill, insight and vision. Using Photoshop just makes it easier (usually) to bring the artist’s vision to life.

Take Photoshop. Learning the ins and outs of the program is key to accessing the program’s strength but it doesn’t mean diddly squat if you can’t create the desired image because of a lack of basic understanding of art and artistic principles. This is where the I-got-Photoshop-so-I’m-a-designer crowd falls short.

So much of creating an image in Photoshop is observing and understanding the world around us. Like the painter, how can one create an a believable image if they don’t understand how lightness, darkness, color, hue, proportion and perspective play upon an object. Sure, you can plop an apple into a still-life in Photoshop but if you don’t understand how and where to render the light on the object so that it conveys the waxy surface or how it matches the light source that is upon all the other objects then the viewer won’t be convinced and won’t “buy” the illusion.

My best advice for becoming a good designer and using Photoshop is to actually go to school. Even if you don’t get a degree but simply take a few classes. Take a drawing class, a painting class and, even, an art history class. In those classes you’ll learn how to observe the 3-dimensional world and then how to use the understanding gained by that observation to create images in Photoshop that “sell” your vision.

To repurpose Einstein’s famous quote about creativity, becoming a great designer using Photoshop is 10% application and 90% observation.

So, look closely at the real world. Get to know it BEFORE you attempt to render it in a grid of pixels on a computer.

Advice for the Young at Art

It’s hard to believe that I’m no longer a young, up-n-coming designer, fresh out of school. I’ve got 17 years under my proverbial designer belt!!!

Thinking about my students at Watkins College of Art & Design got me reflecting about my own days as a young designer starting out and what I did right, what I did wrong and what I wish I knew then that I know now. So, I thought I’d add some pearls of wisdom gained through successes, failures, good advice I received from others and just plain old dumb luck.

So, for those of you preparing to start a career in graphic design here are 4 tips to aid you in getting work and growing professionally.

1] GET A JOB
It’s never too early to start working as a designer. I encourage all graphic design students to get a job that is somehow related to the field, even if you’re not involved with design directly. Although that would be the optimum situation. One never learns as much as they do simply by doing it. By working in the field during college you get access to wiser, talented people who can help mentor you. You get to see how the business actually functions. And you get access to some great equipment that, assuming your boss isn’t a jerk, will let you use during off hours. This will give you a chance to experiment and learn and gain experience that most academic programs just don’t have the money to provide and you can use it to your advantage on school projects.

For example, I worked for a screen printer in college. While I didn’t want to be a t-shirt designer I did get to design real-life pieces, learn how to manage my time and deadlines and learn more about the production side of design. Although this will date me, I also had access to a stat camera (remember these were the days just before the Macintosh really came into play) which allowed me to produce professional-looking comps for class. And I learned the theory behind plate-making while working there.

So, instead of just partying and sleeping late during college, find you a part-time job designing. It will improve your work in class and put you a few steps ahead of the competition upon graduation.

2] BRAINSTORMING
Learn about brainstorming. Read books, blogs, whatever to learn how to use brainstorming to improve the efficiency and breadth of your creative thinking. My simplest brainstorming technique is what I call “The 50 Words.” When starting a new project I put down on paper 50 words that I associate with the project. These words could be adjectives, concepts, synonyms, “competitive” ideas, etc. This helps you discover themes and get the clichéd, obvious ideas out of the way as quickly as possible so you can work on the REAL creative ideas. Keep some of your brainstorming on file to show potential employers how your creative processes work. Many times employer like to learn HOW someone thinks and not just the end product.

3] NETWORK
Based on my experience the adage of “it’s not what you know but WHO you know that counts” is true. Nearly all of the jobs I have had came about through some connection I had with someone. From simple connections as a friend showed me a job listing to a friend referred me to some company to a friend worked at a place that was hiring. That doesn’t mean to say that you can get by without talent, skill and hard work but it does mean that opportunities are easier to come by to get a chance to show off your talent, skills and hard work. Join professional organizations while in college and upon graduation such as AIGA, AAF and online groups. Get on committees. Volunteer to help with industry events. Remind your friends occasionally that you’re looking for work and encourage them to remember you when they come across an opportunity.

4] PIMP YOURSELF
Nobody is going to be as big of a champion of you as you are (with the possible exception of your mother but I doubt she’s all that influential in the design/ad/marketing biz). Find simple, inexpensive ways to promote yourself and get your name “out there.” Business cards are still effective even in this age of electronics. Barter your design for something. See if a printer will print you up some postcards in return for you design them something. Design something that will get seen by many people such as a program from a theatrical troupe or charity event. Putting your logo on the back of something that the mover-and-shakers will hold in their hands for an evening could possibly open some doors. Create a presence on the web. Find some kind of feature and/or gimmick that will attract people to your site who may not be coming for design but will get your branding message when they visit your size. It could be something as silly as taking of photo everyday of your dog wearing a different hat — you never know what will become the Next Big Thing on the web (one word: LOLcats — need I say more?).

A dingo stole my baby!

Early on in my career each design I created was like a baby to me. I conceived the idea and then allowed it to “gestate” by developing and refining the concept and executing the design. Then finally the design went into labor whereby I sent the files to production.

I was like a proud father when I would walk in, say, a bookstore and see my design up there with all the other book covers for all the world to see.

Then one day a dingo stole my baby. I don’t remember the particulars too much but I had designed a logo that I was very proud of for a construction company and I couldn’t wait to see it. I was horrified when I saw the logo on some of the company’s stuff. They had changed the colors, horizontally squeezed it and added a big, ugly slogan in some hideous font that almost dwarfed the logo.

Even though they paid me and officially it was no longer my project, I still felt ownership of the logo and the changes they made were akin to someone stealing my hard work and vandalizing it.

That’s when I learned to separate my emotional ownership over what I created with whatever happens to it once I finished the design. In essence, every design you create is like a baby that you give up for adoption. In most cases it’s in capable hands but occasionally dingos steal your creation and do something to it that makes you indignant, angry and a little bit hurt.

What brought this topic to mind was my visit last week with my surgeon at Vanderbilt for a post-op check up. While waiting for my appointment, I noticed these very nicely designed signs all around the the waiting area. Nice, simple, classic, clean design. The problem was not with the design but the fact these signs had been put on the walls with bits of blue painters’ tape. Clearly “dingos” had stolen someone’s baby.

I thought what a shame. Such a nicely executed design ruined by someone who clearly didn’t care much about how they looked. The crooked signs and their blue tape completely negated the effort put into the signs by the designer.

I still have a sense of pride about my work and love to see it out in the world but I know now that once it leaves my hands anything can happen to it. I do my best to keep the dingos at bay but when one does steal my baby I don’t take it personally.

Afterall, dingos are only doing what dingos do.