What is Design?

What is graphic design? Well dictionary.com defines graphic design as “the art or profession of visual communication that combines images, words, and ideas to convey information to an audience, especially to produce a specific effect.” To me, the most interesting part of that definition is the words “convey information”. At its core graphic design must convey something to somebody; our trade needs clients and an audience to exist. In today’s post-modern art scene this puts us outside the realm of art. In modernist terms art cannot be for anybody, if it is it becomes a commodity and therefore kitsch.

So if we aren’t artists, then what are we? Well simply put we are craftsmen. dictionary.com defines a craft as “an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill.” We may not be artists, perhaps our work will never be displayed in the Louvre. However, what we do requires a special skill that makes us indispensable, we bridge the gap between the idea the client wants to convey, and a way to convey it creatively. It takes a special skill to create art formulated in someone else’s brain.

So next time you’re staring at your computer screen and question whether you’ve sold out, or the next time a pretentious artist looks down their nose when they hear you’re a graphic designer remember this. You’re not an artist you’re a tradesman. You’re doing something that very few people can do, be proud! Of course this is just one man’s personal opinion if you’d like to comment we’d love to hear from you. If you liked this look forward to another exciting post next week.

Written By Zachary Gatliff