Democratic Design

No doubt, the process of creating Graphic Design is collaborative. Sometimes it involves 2 people, other times 100, but each result is at least partly democratic. You could even argue the hired Designer(s) is an elected official responsible for the result of the work.

While understanding Design is collaborative and Designers are hired by someone else for a job, many take this as meaning the Designer should have no input or influence that would be interpreted as personal to the Designer. That, as is argued, would be selfish on behalf of the Designer and their role is to act as a conduit to the Client’s wishes. This is a Design dictatorship, and is it any wonder why projects don’t turn out well when the influence of those most equipped to create good Design have that power stripped from them?

Graphic Designers (and great works of Design) are not robotic, nor mechanical, and their work should not be reflections of Client demands.

The key to democracy is each person gets to participate in it and have an influence on the outcome. In the context of Design, good clients understand this and ask for it, but Designers, it seems not so much— though good Designers do seek it. They don’t work well in creative dictatorships.

If we can agree that Design is democratic in process then it is the responsibility of the Designer to bring a perspective and argument to their work that perhaps only they can. Great Design happens when everyone argues with their expertise and listens to the other. It’s vital to work together, not just take orders or command them.

Good art is well designed; good design is artfully done.