Learn, Unlearn, Design, De/sign.
Designers today are more empowered than ever to design beautiful things, and to get results quickly. We have just about every tool we could possibly need at the tip of our fingers. We’ve come so far, yet I came to the realization just this past weekend that maybe we’ve taken a step back too.
After 2 years of having worked in Adobe CC, on Saturday, I stepped back into the world of Cs5.
And I have to make a slightly embarrassing confession–– I was a little lost again without all the “tricks” I’ve become accustomed to in newer versions of the software––Now this is not to say that I couldn’t accomplish what I needed to––but why was it so uncomfortable for me to re-enter a world in which I didn’t have auto-filleting tools for my corners and all the other “fancy” things I’ve gotten accustomed to?
It was only 2 years ago that I was working with cs5, and before that cs4, and even before I learned any of it, with good old fashioned pencils and paper.
So what was my problem?
This quick rant may not seem like a big deal to most. But, at the very foundation of my education as a designer, I was taught that design is tool-agnostic––that there are no bad tools, only bad designers. At my first job, I had to create high-quality “cinematic” design in PowerPoint of all things. (yes PowerPoint, that thing that most designers resent with a passion.)
Over time, I’ve actually found PowerPoint to be an incredibly powerful design tool.
So my discomfort was not only with the fact that I’d lost touch with an old tool, but with the feeling that I’d become tool-reliant, and design-complacent. And, if you knew me, you’d know what that feeling was in the pit of my stomach.
The night after this tiny turning point, I sat down and made a list before I went to bed. And, here it is :
- Long before there was you, and there was Adobe CC, and auto-filleting tools, there was still good design.
Good design, like good designers aren’t dependent on the tools, rather how the tools are used. Technology has definitely allowed us to be more efficient, but as designers, we should never lose sight of how to survive our skills sans-technology. - Make yourself uncomfortable more often.
You’ve become too comfortable. Every now and then (and by that I mean once a week at least), challenge yourself to design something or make something by means you’re not already comfortable with. There are so many different mediums to play with. Gluing yourself to your screen isn’t helping anyone. - Give yourself constraints
Design something new within a consistent set of parameters for a set period of time. Maybe it’s only lettering with a rapidograph for 30 days, or designing 100 iterations of a logo with seeds and glue. Push a constraint so far to its edge, so you know where the “edge” is. - Finally, Constantly Learn and Unlearn
Keep up with software advancements and don’t fall behind. We live in a world that moves so quickly––don’t stop moving with it.
But also, constantly push yourself to unlearn the things you’re becoming comfortable with. Try to do something the “old fashioned” way every now and then, just so you never feel “lost” without the “new fancy stuff.”
“Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude.”
––Ralph Martson
