One of the issues that currently concerns me is that students don't get too much involved with the digital side of design. Nowadays digital skills are a must for designers, as more and more companies demand this kind of knowledge from creative graduates.
Out there, there is a huge appetite for all things digital in design but unfortunately new graduates seems slow to grasp innovation and put on-line communications on their agendas, failing to develop these skills that would accommodate a new demanding market. The reflection of this new trend is the demand and consequent pay structure for digital designer in comparison with traditional design. Higher wages are paid to designers that are able to translate their creativity into a digital outcome.
The main problem in my view is the approach from students to all new technologies in which due to the lack of understanding and interest are failing to familiarize and get involved with this area of design. Students often see digital as a not so cool "must do" in order to complete their education without understanding the potential that these technologies could offer.
As creatives, students, should be able to produce work for a variety of outputs, understanding that digital is just a part of the design proposition. The question to pose at this point is; why do students see their portfolios just as a collection of printed material spanning from advertising and branding to typography or copy based graphics? Surely any of these areas of design have a place in the digital market and should then be reflected in a student's own portfolio.
New graduates, should be more concerned with the communication aspects of design and embrace digital as a medium, not to replace, but moreover to complement all other traditional outcomes. If designers feed their creativity from knowledge and understanding of current trends and issues why digital design isn't adopted in their learning, and developed as a "must have" skill? Do students really understand what digital is all about?
I guess, most students differentiate the kind of learning according to the outcome and fail to see digital as a tool to stimulate their creativity. If it isn't studio based, it is not design, if it isn't taught in a seminar or lecture it must not be part of the design process. I wonder what students really think about their approach to digital and why this discipline isn't part of their main focus as a designer.
Photo
5 years ago
55 comments:
I think that we should have more digital work and skills to offer and personally feel restricted by the lack of skills i have for then outputting my work. When i look in magazines i want to look at the work and think i could do that, not how do you do that.
I agree that the pressure to go digital is massive in the design industry, especially as many experienced designers need to employ new creative people, fluent in digital media as they are not always upto speed with current software themselves. This emphasis on new media is therefore becoming a vital component of students portfolios. However throughout current students lifetimes, technology and software has been rapidly changing, most students will have initally been taught how to use a BBC computer and are now grasping the technology of Mac's etc... So although we are the 'technological generation' we have lived with being expected to grasp the everchanging software, thus perhaps to some current students paper based design gives more freedom to explore ideas and gives less predictable results. In other words to students that have grown up with new digital media, paper is to them what computers are to their parents. I realise however that for economic benefit computers are the only viable way of completing design briefs, thus employers expect students to have a portfolio showcasing excellent digital design skills.
In my opinion, students see the traditional Graphic Design skills as an easier option to the contemporary digital skills. It isn't forced upon you to use digital medium so it is mostly only those who seek further understanding of this by themselves that use it. It is a shame because as Fabio mentioned, we are in the digital era and it is what is demanded now. BUT, the traditional menthods of design will be around for quite a while so there isn't the pressure for everyone to be digital. I would like to expand on my digital skills but don't feel that I can do it by myself.
Whether its looking at an ad in a magazine, catching a glimpse of a unique billboard or watching an impressive title sequence to a film, i seem to find myself looking in awe rather than identifying with all the techniques and methods of creation. As fabio mentioned we are in the digital era and a demand for digital skills is only going to soar over coming years. Our generation has seen such vast technological advances that makes keeping up to date near impossible. Due to this i think sometimes the temptation is to stick to the more familiar traditional methods to channel creativity. Greater emphasis should def be put on digital work encouraging students to take risks. Hopefully this will help us to push ourselves in order to develop these valuable skills.
I am sure most students have heard that companies are increasingly favouring those with digital skills and awareness. I can understand the viewpoint of the author, and have to say I largely agree with what he says in that we have to adapt ideas to form a variety of outputs. It is a very demanding market we are working in, the only way to fully compete in that is to be both innovative with the designs that we produce and the medium, be it digital or print.
However the main reason that I can see which is stopping people doing this is as follows:
As students working in a design area you are faced with incredibly tough and challenging competition from others studying in the same way. Having seen a few of my friends graduate from related degrees, I have noticed people try and differentiate themselves in different ways.
As the article highlights, one way to get an advantage over the next applicant is to have a wide knowledge of industry/digital trends and reflect this in your portfolio. Another is simply to play to your creative strengths and aim to build a range of things you feel you are best at. It is this that in my opinion is often can prevent design students from branching into the very software based digital market.
Not everyone enjoys working within a digital medium, this could particularly be true if the designer has a specific talent elsewhere; hand illustration for example. Although it is possible incorporate both, my experience has been many students choose still to stick with what they know they are good at. This is usually under the philosophy of; ‘I don’t want to work for someone where I have to sit at the computer all day, I don’t enjoy it and my talent is wasted’. Although it may come across as very single minded, it is done so that they get the type career that they desire and not simply a job in any design agency.
Overall I agree that students need to adapt to the changing industry. However, employers need to consider that the lack of digital design in portfolios may not just be a naive omission, and could be a deliberate move to ensure that they get the kind of job they desire.
I sort of feel the opposite in the sense I think my traditional design skills are lacking, such as drawing and paint work, So I've tended to attach myself to these new programs we've been introduced to and run with them. I think it stems from not carrying on a creative subject for my A-levels, I did Design but this was more focused on product design and it introduced the use of computers in the design process to me. I'm always looking at any graphic device I see and piecing together the steps in my mind as to how they accomplished it, what software they would have used etc, and if I can't see how I'd look it up. There's some fantastic software reference material available online and in the library on tricks and tips to use in design. And when I'm in WH Smiths I always have a peek at the computer art magazines monthly how-to guides for inspiration.
When someone mentions the words 'digital design' to graphic design students it seems to cast a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty in the designers ability to achieve a good piece of work in that format. Students tend to feel that creating ideas on paper stimulates the best of their creative abilities and doesn’t require the added challenge of learning new software. Digital design to many is going into the unfamiliar and many feel unconfident about taken a step into new territory. How do we overcome this issue? Design students should be set step by step guides initially in order to familiarise themselves with the software and also build up a degree of confidence within the student so that they can see how results can be achieved. This is similar to what Adobe has done with their guides to learning Photoshop, Illustrator etc. Once this has been accomplished, the creativeness within each student should be unleashed so that they can expand on what they have learnt. In year one and two, digital modules should be compulsory so that students are forced to look in the world of digital design. People in and out of design like to play safe, and not risk going on challenges that bring about the unknown, as they don't know if great results will be achieved. The mindset of students shouldn’t be focussed on results, but what skills can be achieved and how many different avenues they can explore. If design students want to live a life of mediocrity then stay safe and don’t explore new opportunities just be good at what you know your good at. However if you are prepared to make the sacrifices to become great, you should embark upon new challenges that might bring out abilities that were unknown before. This is what I feel should be the mindset of design students towards digital design.
Chris i do partially agree with your thoughts however I'm concerned about your statement that there are no compulsery digital modules on the course. Basic digital skills are given to the students in year one and two as an introduction. It should be up to the student to practice and develop the skills even further in order to apply the new found knowledge to their creativity.
Fabio, I totally agree with the fact that students should take full responsibility for practicing and exploring digital design further in there own time.
I miss phrased what I was trying to communicate about compulsory modules. Students should perhaps be made to embark on a digital design brief within the 'graphic and communication media' module in year one and/or two. Having completed 'professional digital skills’ one and two, students have been given a step-by-step guide to how to use the software and have also completed relevant tasks. In order to develop there skills further, and influence more creativeness within digital design, I feel that the graphic and communication module is ideal to allow this. I know this opportunity is already available, however it would seem that not many people choose this option. By making it compulsive it might just give the student that extra push to really involve himself or herself within digital design so it becomes almost like a second nature skill. By not being compulsory however, the students that do embark in a variety of medias such as digital design show creativeness, innovation and a degree of risk, and will eventually separate there portfolio from the rest by having an experience and awareness through a variety of medias.
I agree fully that as a student coming into the design industry, it is important to be as well rounded as possible. Which means in this day and age being completely computer literate.
I however disagree with the idea that students should go out of their way to create digital work for digital works sake. I believe that the initial concept should be the main driving factor with the execution of an idea, not the latest thing we've discovered in Flash. I think it would be better to encourage people to come to a computer with the idea and then figure out how to do it.
Maybe a module that runs in a similar way to our 1st year typography briefs could solve this. We can only come to the computer once we have an idea and know how we want it to be executed (in theory).
Interestingly though, current trends in advertising feel very analogue (Orange/Skoda/Innocent). This puts the emphasis on what happens in front of the camera, not the skill involved in creating it behind the scenes. This is mirrored by the digital work at the D&AD awards. If this work is being celebrated, where is the drive for students to create more computer based work?
I totally agree that students should focus more on honing their digital skills. It's all very well coming up with an exciting and unique concept but without the ability to translate this in a digital way how can you produce a professional looking design solution. Personally i do struggle with the digital side of things, focusing more on the generation of concept and illustration of ideas but i know that i would achieve much better marks if i could grasp these skills. Good digital skills allow you to be more free with your design work, it opens up infinite possibilities.
This summer i had a meeting with the creative director of JWT Specialized Communications and i now know first hand how much employers in the industry value graduate's that possess good digital skills. He has been giving me advice on my design work and consistently emphasises how much i must focuson my digital skills. If he was to employ someone they would have to be highly skilled in this area otherwise he wouldn't even bother considering them for the job. Advertising and Marketing companies would employ people specific to creating digital work however even if you are more concerned with the concept side you must still have a good understanding of digital technologies to know if your idea is viable.
In terms of the digital skills modules we have undertaken they are very useful and i feel that tutors do emphasise the importance of digital skills to us. However the only thing i feel could be made different is the fact that the marking scheme for briefs does not place much emphasis on the final outcome. Maybe if more marks were to be applied to this category then it would push students to achieve better digital results. After all, in the design industry the solution would have to be of extremely high quality and proffessional finish.
Students (in particular me!) have to stop being scared of digital technologies and realise that if you put your mind to it you could create amazing digital outcomes that you would have never thought possible.
I disagree with your point about "students often seeing digital as a not so cool "must do"" because during both the 1st and 2nd year that was one of the main areas that I was interested in. I think maybe the reason why students might not prefer digital to other areas of graphic design is because the ideas that we need to create have to be more innovative and challenging, and this was one of the reasons why I believed I struggled in this area.
The design industry is so competitive that it has once again propelled itself forward, by having designers produce more digital work. Portfolios have to exceed demonstrating basic graphic design skills because I believe not just employers, but any audience thrive on new material and new innovative ways of interpreting graphic design. They might not understand how it is created but the way it appears to them is what makes something like digital so demanding. I know that we have learnt to create digital work in both the 1st and 2nd year but without the attention of it in our spare time it will in affect, as you say, fail to stimulate our creativity.
I strongly agree that digital design is extremely important these days, with the internet and computers having such an important role in our day to day life.. but students tend to move towards the easier way of solving a problem.. if they can create something in print, they usually prefer it than having to use unfamiliar softwares. i believe that we need to get more into the digital design aspect, because it is the future in this business.. and a designer has to be ready to embrace any new technology that might take a while to get used to, but when mastered, acheives results not seen before..
I think sometimes digital design seems out of reach. When I look at print design I can see how it was constructed, which perhaps gives me an air of confidence that I posess the skills to create something similar - I'm in a safety zone. With digital work, however, I have a lesser knowledge of software and the processes that a designer would go through. I seem to think 'flat', rather than in sequence, even though often an idea can be portrayed more successfully as a series of events.
As students we should leave our comfort zone and be experimental and try things out that are less familiar to us...but as humans we are scared of failing.
I would love to become more digital as I am convinced it would make me a better designer - and definately more employable. I know from completing the web design module there is a strong feeling of pride on completion of something successful (and perhaps the frustration along the way contributes to the pride at the end!)
The fact you have raised this now is interesting as I am sure I recently read a comment from someone in industry on the recent D&AD New Blood exhibition stating there was far too little digital talent displayed. This only highlights what you are saying further.
I think there are several reasons students dont engage with, explore and challenge the possibilities and limits of digital media as they should perhaps do:
Laziness-It's always easier to do what you know than struggle with new challenges, learn new skills and overcome the knowledge barrier that we often face when considering digital media.
Familiarity-Print work is more likely to be in a students 'comfort zone', it's what you learnt first and in many cases, what you know most about.
Failure-Many students feel digital work is more likely to go wrong as they are not as competent in this area whereas we should, engage with our mistakes as a way of learning and exploring the possibilities of digital outcomes.
Lack of Knowledge-I dont think we expose ourselves to enough digital work in order to become more aware of what we can acheive. More of a commitment outside course time needs to be made to explore this area of communication.
Bad Habits - Perhaps the worst ? I know I personally do it. Once we read a brief, our first instincts are how am I going to advertise/communicate/present this and paper-based media are considered first - billboards, ads, d.mail etc.
Executions in any other medium seem to follow second.
And although many of us will be guilty of the above, the recent surge in digital media use, feedback from the industry and the current creative industry jobs market all indicate we, as students, need to avoid the above and engage with new technology in order for our generation to push design and communication forward.
I know that I originally became interested in and admired design that was print based and this may be a reason why students tend to stick to it, as it is a skill they have probably been continually developing through art and design for several years and is one they are probably happy with, as opposed to digital skills which they may have only have been introduced to in the last two years. I was aware of some digital software before I started the course, mainly Flash, and I still find myself trying to keep up with the programs, especially where codes and scripts are involved, but I try not to let it put me off and I try as much as I can to find tips and tutorials online to help me solve a problem that I come across so as I can create a digital outcome as close to the one that I intended, but fortunately/unfortunately this is something that I have only recently started doing proactively. There is no question that such digital skills are required, but as someone else commented I don't think portfolio's should include digital for digital's sake. I think that as students we should strive to learn as much as we can about every possible outcome for our creativity and if a digital outcome is the best suited and most effective for a brief we should be willing and able to experiment with it. So I'd say digital design may not have an automatic right to be in our portfolios, but it definitely shouldn't be omitted for lack of understanding, and the decision to not include it should only be made on the grounds that it was not suited to the outcome of the brief.
I am often fascintaed by digital outcomes. I would love to know more digital skills and to be able to look at these digital outcomes I come across and think that I could do it myself. However, I find digital work quite daunting. Maybe this is because I am more familiar with the traditional graphic design skills. I realise that the only way to gain confidence in my digital skills is to practice using them more but when working on a brief I personally feel that I could produce a better outcome using these more traditional skills. However, I do realise that I am limiting myself and maybe staying in my comfort zone. I know that we have compulsory digital modules but I thought the sessions organised at the end of last year that we could sign up for about the digital programmes were very useful. However, because it was only one long session, it was a lot to take on board at once. Maybe a few more of these optional sessions would be useful. I know that students should be doing independant learning and therefore should be practising in their own time but I personally find that with the digital programmes, the demonstration followed by copying technique that we use in lessons is the most effective way of learning these skills. As they are not assessed you do not feel you should stick to what you are good at in order to get good marks.
I totally agree with the end bit of Heidi's, i think another reason alot of us are daunted by it is because we dont know enough (which we need to do something about) but wen the grades are effecting your degree alot of pressure is on to come up with not only the idea but a professional outcome and with many lacking confidence on the digital side we shy away. It's just one of those things, you need it so you have got to put the tie into it, because its not just restricting your work it risks your potential jobs for future life.
I believe students need to be a bit more proactive in gaining an understanding of digital in terms of what is out there, how to use software and overcome technical challenges.
If you get a job in a small to medium sized agency the chances are they will expect you to push your skills forward, some places neither have the time or money to send you on training courses, they ultimately want people who are motivated and can pick stuff quickly.
Speaking from a personal point of view the best way to learn something is by having a project, which requires its use. I've never been formally taught any of the software I know, everything I know about them is gained from experience of using them on projects (either personal or commercial projects). Too many people restrict themselves by thinking that they are not capable just because they have never been taught something, who cares if you've never been taught it sit down and have a go. Yes it might take hours to get over some stupid technical thing because you don't know something, you have the advantage of having tutors who know a lot of technical stuff and are always happy to help with small technical issues you should use this resource. When I say use it, don't expect them to sit down and teach each and every one of you the software, but if you come with specific problems and show you have exhausted your resolve in overcoming it they will be happy to help.
A problem I see is that students seem to forget their design skills and loose their creativity when producing a digital outcome. So many projects with digital outcomes seem to be badly considered in terms of layout and type, there is no excuse for this as these are not technical challenges. In terms of creativity I’m going to be quite harsh here and say that there is no excuse either, if you know how to make one simple technical thing work then why is it that you cannot push this to your creative limit and see what is possible with the most basic digital knowledge. When a child begins to paint they don’t expect that by painting they should produce something on the level of an Italian Renaissance painting, they do it for fun and creativity. Your not going to know everything when you just begin, but this doesn’t mean that you cannot be creative. I think this comes back to Fabio’s point, which was about the need for students to embrace digital as a means to producing a creative solution to a communication problem. This to me seems sensible in this day and age where digital is an important means of communication that needs to be considered in every project.
For me, Digital media has the potential to communicate a message much faster, more efficiently and far more effectively than traditional design outcomes. Digital media can provide interactivity, a sense of involvement, and therefore reach to the audience in a much more unique way. Bearing this in mind, why is there so little digital work by students? By reading some of the posts above, one reason seems to come to the forefront- a lack of skills and understanding of the digital medium. But surely we possess the skills to find the library, locate the digital software section, and check out the numerous books available on the subject? You'd be surprised at the number of software manuals that are collecting dust on the library shelves, having never once come into human contact. I think its time we stopped neglecting our Flash icons sitting on the dock, and started embracing digital design with much more enthusiasm.
I completely understand that it is up to us to challenge ourselves as designers and take on projects that may be a little outside our comfort zone as now is the best opportunity we have to do it.
I don't think people should feel resticted by digital design. There is so much more opportunity and development to be made in this area. I feel that motion and web are becoming more closely linked everyday. There is a big increase in video streaming and internet connections are becoming more advanced (most homes now have broadband). A good place to look for innovative web design using motion is www.hi-res.net in particular their website for diesel heaven and the film The Fountain. The diesel heaven site is a brilliant example of how pre-recorded film can work on a website to enhance the level of interactivity.
I think there is something interesting in your comment about interaction within digital design. I would argue however, that there is more interaction with something you can physically, rather than digitally control. For example your symmetrical picture profile. A similar illustration is in one of Dan Browns Novels (either Angle and Demons or Da Vinci Code). A greater sense of discovery is achieved by physically turning the book, rather than having the item revealed on screen.
Is a sense of creating something physical rather than visual the attraction of print over digital? From the audiences perspective; is there something more personal in receiving something physical rather than electronic and therefore a greater sense of ownership over the item?
I think this is an area of real contention at the moment; especially with the increasing awareness society has to global warming. As designers are we responsible to find digital, greener solutions where possible?
I agree people stray from digital because quite frankly it's harder to understand and therefore more work. So obviously as students many will opt for the easy route. For example compare the simple workings of Illustrator to that of Flash, complex to say the least.
Another reason is becuase a typical portfolio is thought to be a leather bound folder with visuals inside, thus making print images gives more impact than stills of a motion piece. Obviously people are fogetting that as the new tech generation we can now put alll our portfolio work online.
However I feel the blog was implying all students are the same shy digital types. I'm aware of many people who enjoy specialising in digital media, including myself. Even if it does take triple the time.
Its funny you should post such disscusion as i recently posted a review of the d&ad new blood exhibition written for design week magazine. In this review it raised such issues as 'only a few websites on display' and 'only a few even worked'.
I think to some people (including me) the idea of a digital outcome is exciting yet quite scary. For me i still do not feel 100% comfortable producing digital work, this is no ones fault but my own. I have always tended to go for advertising briefs which are print based as to me (and some will agree) it is a 'safe' option.
I am unsure why the prospect of digital is such a scary option however im sure lack of knowledge of the software is a key factor. This issue is no fault of our lecturers as thay have taught us and helped us beyond extent, it is our own fault. We need to be more proactive!!! We need to get over our fears of digital and get invloved! Looking at job applications careers in design nearly always ask for web based design experience, it is essential. After all the world is turning digital and soon print based design will be a thing of the past which will leave many designers behind.
As you may know I was at the D&AD and I can say that I partially disagree with the comment made in the article you've mentioned. In my view the article was only the result of a frustrated individual as the organisation of the event wasn't as good as it should have been. Talent was there however digital wasn't in abundance, this is why I've raised this discussion to see what "you" the students think about this issue.
Generally I hear a lot of talk on this discussion on how "you" feel about digital but the question I'm asking myself now is WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
If the tendence of the industry is to embrace new technologies the I guess it would make sense for you all to act now before you graduate.
thats why iposted it to see what the people who went to the awards thought of it. From the article i got the feeling too that it was just from a frustrated individual and these were not the thoughts of others! in response to 'what are you going to do about it' i intend to use the summer productively and bush up on my digital skills and with the software especially as the final project is in the not so distant future and i have little digital work in my portfolio.
I think that all of us understand the need for more creative digital outcomes and are interested in developing our skills. The majority of people that take courses such as this have used traditional methods to express their creativity from extremely young ages. We have been encouraged since being children to paint, draw, make collages and sculptures and experiment with every material possible. We come to this course with ideas and an almost instinctive knowledge of what looks good but we only have experience of how to present our creativity on paper, through photography, or experimental material. The main stumbling block I feel for digital design is not the lack of creativity and understanding of what digital design can do, its the sheer amount and type of extra knowledge that is needed to create a successful digital output in comparison to print based media.
Nobody on this course is afraid of using programs such as illustrator, photoshop and quark because these are programs that allow us to express our creativity in a way we fully understand. Programs that allow us to create video and animations require creativity but also a different type of knowledge. I find that you cannot use these programs in the same way as you would work through a creative idea on a piece of paper. In order to create a successful outcome you must know exactly what you want to achieve and research how to achieve it. you must also be highly organised as in flash. For me I find this process of digital design highly restrictive and disappointing. The outcomes I create can never live up to the ideas I have. This is largely because I have little knowledge of how programs such as flash work. This is a problem that people have recognised as programmers are continuously trying to create programs that bridge the gap between programming and design. Photoshop and illustrator have managed it, motion design created a whole new set of problems as it still requires the designer to have a knowledge of coding. These are not excuses for laziness, I am currently learning actionscript from scratch and experimenting with flash in order to become more competent in a medium that fascinates me. I have taken the digital option in one of the graphics modules before specifically because I find it difficult and wanted to tackle it, I was still however unsuccessful and would be unwilling to take the risk again until I am more familiar with digital design. After all marks are important to us as we are trying to come away with degrees that have value and therefore, unless in the first year, digital design can present too much of a risk.
One way to begin to overcome some of these problems and make the whole experience less daunting would possibly be to introduce more technical knowledge right from the start in the first year digital modules. I also feel that the digital modules should be worth more than 10 credits so that we are forced to become more familiar with the software and how it works.
I agree digital design is a very important part of design today. The term ‘paperless society,’ although very unrealistic really! Is a key sign that the digital world is beyond dawning on us, in fact it has been here for awhile.
Whilst doing work experience I realised the ability to design a ‘website’ probably the most common of all digital design is a necessity of a skill. Nearly every business wants a website of website ad, therefore there is a lot of business out there for this skill. An advertising/ graphic design company would be stupid not to offer this service, therefore an employee is far more valuable and employable who can build a website rather than not. Not only websites for companies are important, but through every element of design, digital design can evolve.
E.g Advertising = TV Ad’s
Illustration = Animation
Story Boards = Film
… and so on.
Although it is pretty much obvious that digital design is important, there is a lack of students getting involved. My personal reasoning of why I stay further away from digital is the grades despite ‘portfolio pressures.’
It’s important for me as a student to get a good grade, your CV is more than likely the first thing an employer sees, and I want them to see a good degree grade on it. Perusing a project digitally I feel there is a stronger likely hood of getting a lower grade, and more things could go wrong which in turn makes it more stressful.
However this does not mean I am scared of the programs, and I feel within time everyone can become a genius on certain packages, however this does not come over night. I am afraid I would take too long discovering the package rather than developing my ideas. Nevertheless I do believe we all need to take risks, and if an idea lends itself well to a digital e.g. needs sound, movement or would work great within a website, more of us should take this opportunity. However if the idea does not lend itself well we should have the common sense not to use it too.
Personally I think a major project based in digital design, in year one or two is needs to be forced rather than optional. Within such a project skills can be picked up and can be picked up better than being taught formally.
As much as no one would like to admit it, perhaps laziness is an issue too. I hope to make a more conscious effort in learning digital practices to a higher standard in the forthcoming year.
Let me try to respond to the last three comments simultaneously without making to much of a mess. In response to you hannah I think that you're showing the right attitude toward something that at the moment isn't your real strenght, however as part of this module and til the end of the first semester you will be presented with three different projects, two of which will be competition lead briefs. This will allow you to select something with a possible digital outcome that could well be part of your portfolio. In response to Claire, I would like to go back to Paddy's comment in which by comparing children's drawing skills with creativity, explains a fundamental point which is important to this discussion. You're all thinking about on how to deal with the technical aspects of digital design as soon as you are presented with a digital brief. By doing so you are limiting your creativity and consequently generate something that is restrictive and disappointing. When dealing with a digital challenge you should try to push the boundaries as far as possible in a creative sort of speaking, and then, and only then try to deal with any technical issue. In response to Rachel, I think that you are right in saying that you should take risks. University is the right place to do so. Here you have enough time to develop you skills and to challenge the unknown without forgetting that you can always ask for support and guidance to any member of our team.
After reading all the posts on this topic, I feel the only real answer to this digital 'dilemna' is for each one of us to find a book of Flash tutorials. Once we get one, we should lock ourselves away for a few days, religiously working through the tutorials. It would almost be like the period just before your A-Levels where you are pretty much working from dawn till dusk. And when you emerge, bleary eyed, you will be reborn as a Flash expert, giving you the chance to flex your creative muscles freely, using any digital media. To reinforce Fabio’s point, our problem is that we always start by considering the limitations of our technical knowledge, rather than starting with an ambitious and creative idea. As we all know, learning software is tough, but if you put the hours in now, they will most definitely pay off when you start job hunting in the not-so-distant future.
i have spoken to designers much older than me, and they have all mentioned how much design has changed up until this point, twenty years ago designing on macs wasn't an option for university students,so i believe it is inevitable that we can expect a similar rate of development in the disciplines of design.
it makes sense to try and broaden your knowledge in the digital area, to help cope with change. i also think this will expand your potential for creativity, but in order for this to happen, we have to understand and experiment with digital media, and not just learn techniques.
I couldn’t agree with you more Fabio. As a graphic designer it has become more and more vital for us to show our prowess in not only design, but also in communication and innovative thinking. As more and more amateurs realise that the software used to create design is not as advanced as you may think, we must adapt to offer more services than just the standard design work.
For many students the lack of knowledge in the digital area lies within the simple fact that they do not posses the skills required to use the software. But that is not the problem. (Of course it’s vital you need to be able to operate certain digital software and to have a basic understanding of what you can and can not do.) The problem is that students avoid the digital side of design because they let the technical bit hinder them in their creativity.
In reality, the most important bit is the idea – that is want wins you the yellow pencil. Any monkey can sit and programme a flash animation; the more important bit is to come up with a solid and innovative idea. THIS is the key, my fellow co-students. Do the difficult bit, the idea, and then you talk to someone who knows how to put it together and then you let them help you.
Case solved.
There seems to be a similar trend in showing in the comments which is refreshing and quite reassuring to see as it is my main concern when it comes to my design work. This is the fact that often great and inspirational ideas can formulate in your head and even in scamps in your log book, but there is always a fear that you will not be able to recreate it digitally, a fear that in my case if often realised.
I agree with what the Oddmonster said, how it would be good to HAVE to embark upon some more digital based briefs in the 'graphic and communication media' modules as this tends to be seen as the 'main' project, and I can say with some confidence that it is these projects that me and my fellow students put most effort into.
Obviously it is up to us as students and budding designers to choose these briefs ourselves and take these risks in order to improve our skills and have some quality digital work to show for our degree, but when the 'digital side' of design seems so daunting it is often off-putting to take this risk on these 30credit modules incase it goes tits up.
I often dont enjoy the digital modules, for the simple reason that I feel this is my biggest weakness in design and therefore am quite intimidated by digital projects. However, in my opinion the more digital work we get the better. Having done two work placements at design agencies in the midlands, for the majority of which I was sat in front of a mac, it can only be a good thing to improve my digital skills.
The more I think about this debate the more I realise there is only one real clear answer. Unless your looking for a very speacialised career, in which case, might not be that beneficial, especially at the point in your career where the 'worlds your oyster,' there should be no reason why digital design should be left out of a portfolio.
It clearly is very important in todays design society. I have decided to get some digital packages and to make an effort to choose a digital design brief within the next year. I agree with Fabio, now is the time to learn the package as when your working in the industry you may not have time to pick up these skills.
This is my first post on this blog and I have come to the conclusion:
‘If you can come up with an excuse, then you will try to use it to justify why you choose the easy option’.
I don’t even think you understand what digital design is. You are all talking about learning Flash and producing websites. You all need to OPEN YOUR EYES and start to look at the world differently. Digital is not just about web design and Flash! Try considering interactive TV, Mobile phones, Games and the list will go on and on.
Fabio, Paddy and myself did not suddenly have the knowledge of all the software packages, we had to spent time learning, as Paddy said ‘with no formal tuition’. Once we had the knowledge then we had to learn how to use it within design, I guess I am saying we have been in your situation, but we decided to motivate ourselves to become better designers.
Tom made the statement ‘we have to understand and experiment with digital media, and not just learn techniques’. I think you all need to remember this statement.
To refer back to Martins comment:
‘In reality, the most important bit is the idea – that is want wins you the yellow pencil. Any monkey can sit and programme a flash animation’
Yes the ideas are important, but if you can’t visualise them you will not get the job. As for any monkey can programme an animation then you are sadly mistaken. How many of your fellow students can programme Flash. I guess you are having a go at those who can’t? If your aim is to get a job simply based on your ideas and have a permanent monkey sat at your side then I would consider getting a job in a zoo.
Basically, if you want a job when you graduate then you need to have technical/digital skills along side everything else.
Relating this comment to what Paddy posted about childrens drawing skills, does this pose the question as to whether some people will just not grasp how to create a fantastic piece of work in flash etc... as some children wont grow up to be able to paint a master piece? Maybe half the problem is a talent issue, if you are talented in using computers and thinking in sequence or 3d rather than flat, then you are probably more likey to persue it, if your talents lie in drawing you are more likely to play to those strengths. Obviously this again relates to the laziness issue, however personally speaking I just find digital media so hard to grasp, and when surrounded by people who seem to be able to produce fantastic outcomes its rather dishartening. Perhaps graded groups when teaching this subject could help.
I'm refering to Alans comments on my post.
I enjoy this debate and I appreciate the staff taking their time to give an opportunity to discuss issues - it's great!
Alan said:
“As for any monkey can programme an animation then you are sadly mistaken. How many of your fellow students can programme Flash. I guess you are having a go at those who can’t? If your aim is to get a job simply based on your ideas and have a permanent monkey sat at your side then I would consider getting a job in a zoo.”
A witty reply, but nonetheless I need to clarify what I meant. First of all I’m not having a go at my co-students, quite the opposite. What I was trying to make clear to my co-students, is the fact that if we start to think about good ideas for digital media (yes, we know we are not just talking about Flash) the motivation to learn the programmes will come by itself.
We have all learnt the “easy” software, Photoshop, Illustrator etc, but why did we bother? Why did we even go that far? Since we are such lazy slobs why didn’t we just stick to drawing with our fingers? Because we had an idea, and we wanted to visualise it. There was a price at the end of the journey and something worth the time /effort. So ideas first, knowledge later in my opinion. (To know what is doable, you need to read some blogs/ journals /magazines that deal with the topic and have imagination.)
By the way, I was joking about the ‘monkey’ bit – it was something I put there to stir the pot a bit, nothing to get too excited about. I respect and I’m in awe of the programmers out there who know their stuff. I was merely trying to emphasise the point I was making. Further more, the ‘monkey’, was a symbol for the person who is completely into his programming, sees nothing else – an excellent guru for learning how to produce your idea.
Fabio said:
"When dealing with a digital challenge you should try to push the boundaries as far as possible in a creative sort of speaking, and then, and only then try to deal with any technical issue."
Similar to the point I was trying to make.
I agree with Hannah in that ‘does this pose the question as to whether some people will just not grasp how to create a fantastic piece of work in flash etc... as some children wont grow up to be able to paint a master piece?’. I do sometimes feel that some people are just generally more talented in this area. I sit in class and notice some people have the ability to produce amazing digital results where as I personally never know where to begin when I have an idea I’d like to create. I guess laziness could be argued though I think in order to become literate in these programs; you have to enjoy them as a hobby. In the example of Flash (and I know its not just flash that we’re discussing), I know plenty of people who do not study design or anything related that take this up as their hobby. They can sit for hours on end enjoying the wonders of creating their own animations. I have, however, sat for hours on end getting more and more frustrated that my idea was not working out. Maybe as many have mentioned more forced practice within the course is needed and maybe if things did work out and I gained a greater understanding of it, I would actually enjoy it and use it effectively within our briefs.
I also have the same opinion as Heidi in that the most effective way of learning these skills is the demonstration followed by copying technique in the digital classes. More of this kind of un-assessed/ non pressurized learning should allow us to understand and enjoy it more.
Alissa, to say that "some people are generally more talented", is to simply give up on making something happened for yourself. Maybe some people are more tolerant and demonstrate that virtue called patience in the moments when things don't work out straight away. I must admit, I am not one of them. I can only imagine what drives these people is the eagerness to see the idea come to life with the finished result. Like Martin and Alan have mentioned the idea is the key, seeing it to the end is walking through the door.
I agree that sometimes we are lazy, and reading a tutorial book on After Effects can be daunting, and on occasion flat out boring. Yet, if we are to find things out for ourselves we are bound to remember them for longer - and if the circumstance doesn’t allow there is always the option of chatting to the digital lot - so why not use the opportunity that we all have at the moment and experiment with the outcome…?
With regards to monkeys, a good hotel manager knows where the salad fork goes, so that he may be able to correct the waiter if needs be. A creative director (I presume that is what a few of us aspire to be) should be able to guide the digital man is the right direction or at least speak the same language.
In reponse to Alexei's post. I am not implying that because one has talent in certain areas that they should give up on other approaches. For example I know that my talents lie in drawing and more traditional areas of design however I have opted to take on digital media briefs (much to Paddys despair!) however as I said in my post this has only emphasised to me how some people are definatly more talented and grasp how to digitally produce design much more quickly than myself, which at times is very dishartening when your work will inevitably be compared to theirs.
People are different and people should be allowed to be different. I think, in the end, that what the Digital team is trying to tell us, is that we overall need to be more aware of the digital bit of design. That shouldn’t mean you have to be able to do everything that everybody else can do in terms of programming etc, but it means we should be able to understand the techniques and be able to perform certain tasks ourselves.
Hannah, you say that you are less talented in the area of design and therefore find it disheartening. That shouldn’t stop you from thinking about digital media and the possibilities that lie within the area. I think we all need to improve within this area, but that doesn’t mean we need to learn how to operate software (but it helps).
I liked what Alexei said:
“With regards to monkeys, a good hotel manager knows where the salad fork goes, so that he may be able to correct the waiter if needs be. A creative director (I presume that is what a few of us aspire to be) should be able to guide the digital man is the right direction or at least speak the same language.”
I am reading and writing as I work my way through the new comments so this could be a little messy.
Martin: You seem to have to clarify quite a lot of what you talk about on this blog so may a suggest you think before you write (I am thinking of your dissertation, so take this as advise and not a criticism).
According to Alexei: ‘a good hotel manager knows where the salad fork goes, so that he may be able to correct the waiter if needs be. A creative director (I presume that is what a few of us aspire to be) should be able to guide the digital man is the right direction or at least speak the same language.’
This seems to be a perfect way to sum everything up. If you think you will all become creative directors as soon as you graduate then let me say ‘wake up’. You will be doing the ‘dull’ jobs for some time.
The overall point I have been trying to make is, if you know the principles of digital/interactive/film etc then you will have a better idea of what is possible. You will find that the technical people (monkey’s) will say ‘you can’t do that’, but if you have the knowledge to say ‘no you are wrong it is possible’ you will get more respect etc from the studio.
Hannah made a comment about children and painting (I don’t know if the original comment came from you). You seem to be commenting or saying, if you can’t do it then you never will be able to do it. There is a lot of research based on this topic and the majority seems to suggest that people forget how to learn, but everyone can learn, it just takes longer with some.
My last comment is, don’t be afraid to learn something new (technology), if it’s the correct way to target the audience then learn it and don’t stop until you have. The team will always help
Basically nowadays it is going to be compulsory to have a strong understanding of digital design-recognising and connecting with it as well as having the ability to create it. The digital era is just going to extend and get stronger and it is so important to connect with it.
One of the main reasons for not 'connecting' with the digital element of design I suppose could be people's familiarity with the programmes used to create it and understanding terminology behind it. A lot of digital design is absolutely amazing and there is always that feeling of 'wow-I could never create something as good as that' and therefore will put people off trying, but there is nothing wrong with at least having a go. As creative people we are more likely to learn though 'doing' and visualising what went wrong and what we can do to put things right-so experiment!
Don't get me wrong-there are so many other elements to design obviously and it is so important to connect with these too but technology is only going to get stronger and web based advertising is growing rapidly.Basically there is no avoiding it-if you strive towards a career in design-digital is going to be the way to go!
I chose the digital brief in the first semester of the second year. I spent many hours with aftereffects and finalcut, and I learnt an incredible amount. Yes, it was daunting, I made mistakes and everything took 7 times as long as it should have, but I gained valuable skills.
However, because this was the joint brief, Im not sure how I did! I would like some feedback on whether I used the technology apppropriately and what I could have done differently- until then, I won't be confident in choosing a digital brief again because, as has already been said, grades matter.
I wonder if any other students have used this reason/excuse?
I don’t really want to make a sweeping generalisation to illustrate my point here, so I’m going to try and illustrate how it is that I fail to properly engage with digital design. Most importantly, I am not necessarily looking to gain a career in graphic design which is something that often gets overlooked. Therefore, from a grades point of view, it makes sense not to dabble in the unknown but to play to your strengths. I know this will probably infuriate the teaching population of every learning establishment everywhere, but grades talk, loudly. If graphic design was my chosen career path I would be likely to be more of the opinion that the more applicable skills you possess, the more likely it is that you will excel in the industry, but even then, people may choose to pursue more challenging aspects of design (possibly digital) outside of the graded environment, which may explain poor take-up of digital briefs.
However, this does not fully explain why digital design escapes from the portfolio of the graduate designer. People often tend towards the tangible; something concrete, definite and easy to understand, something which digital media perhaps isn’t, or doesn’t appear to be to the newb.
Contrary to the author’s original post, I would like to stipulate that graduates possibly do have their career in mind rather than the opposite when steering away from the digital side of design. Perhaps this avoidance is a reflection of a career preference among graduates. Maybe the higher earning potential of digitally fluent designers isn’t enough to sway graduates into incorporating it into their career-plan. Still unanswered is the question “why?”. Much of the software is undeniably complicated but obviously masterable. Have graduates progressed with it enough to be confident to show examples of their work to a prospective employer? Perhaps not. This is undeniably something that can be overcome but it may be worked upon later in a designer’s career, when confidence has grown also. Finally, not wishing to offend digital designers who may be reading, but I can identify with those who would rather not rely on complex and sometimes unreliable programs and equipment as part of their daily work. Again, possibly a confidence issue, but one that could lead to an inclination to prefer other aspects of design.
I personally wouldn't go as far as calling digital programs 'unreliable'. With some of these programs costing hundreds of pounds, reliability is offered as standard. And contrary to popular belief, these programs aren't as complex as you'd imagine- once you spend the time learning them.
I think the whole issue eventually comes down to interest. If someone has a genuine interest in digital design, then they will put their time into it and learn about it. Whereas, on the other hand, it is hard to instill a digital interest in someone who just isn't bothered.
I think that the problem here is that most of us are too concerned with the grade we will receive at the end of a project. Therefore, we tend to stick to our comfort zones and play to our strengths. This shouldn't be how it is, we all know that this is the time to experiment and learn new things, but there is no escaping the fact that grades are important. This is why, as mentioned here by others, (attempting) to grasp an understanding of digital media in unassessed situations is so important. Whether this is through attending the extra tutorials, getting a friend to help you, following step-by-step instructions in magazine/online or just sitting down by yourself and seeing what you can do. Do it for fun (?) not just for the grade that comes at the end of it!!
Having said all that I do, on the whole, prefer working away from digital outcomes. I prefer a more 'hands-on' approach to design, but realise digital media is desirable to employers and so should not be ignored. However, I am in the same boat as Charlotte (see post: 22nd July) and do not want a job relating directly to graphic design, so whether or not being digital is important to employers actually doesn't concern me too much. Despite the fact that being able to use digital media is not as important to my chosen career path I still have the desire to learn how to use it competently now, to know that the final outcome of a project will not be restricted and that the final execution will not let the rest of the project down.
It is my personal opinion that the debate about digital design is a question of passion. It is an undeniable fact that a knowledge of digital software is crucial to any designer, whether they are about to graduate from university or if they have been working in the industry for years. In my opinion, and at a risk of sounding judgemental, I think too many undergraduates are very naive; this is not to say we aren’t creative, risk-takers or passionate about what we do. However, I do think that we have a romanticised view of the industry, where we hope that confidence and respect are earned through the production of an idea rather than the digital outcome. While this is an opinion that both Alan and Paddy seem to suggest in their comments, that many of us misunderstand or choose to ignore the gritty world of design, I do think that the course is partly responsible for these views we have. A vast amount of marks for our briefs are placed on the production of a log rather than the very digital outcome itself- it is not difficult to see why students place so much emphasis on ideas rather than the digital production that they feel often lets their concept down. I personally have never been a great fan of the creative logs, and although I cannot deny they are a necessary tool for our overall assessment as designers I do think too much emphasis is placed on them at the expense of our digital skills. The time consuming task of producing a successful log in my opinion would be much better spent in digital workshops where I have enjoyed learning and developing new skills.
In summation, I think students need to re-address where they invest their passions. I think it is naïve to consider oneself purely as ‘thinker’ or a ‘do-er’- I have never met anyone in a design firm that began their post in an area that they thought their strengths lay. For me, a good designer is someone that can identify their own faults and deficiencies and improve these weaknesses until they have many different skills that make them attractive to employers. Digital design is an area that I think most students view as a weakness and I think it is time to get rid of our romanticised views of this ‘ideas industry’ and start to get our own hands dirty.
In light of your comments fabio, i firstly agree that it is paramount for us as students to 'go out and play' with all the digital software that is now available, and to be honest there is little room for excuse if you don't experiment. In addition, this is "one" of the many ways in which we can communicate an idea to our audience, however, i must also stress that there are many other ways as we all know, verbal, hand drawn scamps etc.
I have just spent four weeks working for AMV BBDO and Rainey Kelly Campbell in London, and this was my first real experience of working within a creative advertising agency. What surprised me somewhat was the fact that some of the team didn't need digital skills at all, for example the creatives and the copywriters don't use computers a lot at all to communicate their ideas. There seemed to be a food chain where the approved ideas get passed down eventually to the designers/typographers who then use their digital skills to compile everything. This is my first point: if you work in a leading design firm you won't necessarily need to use digital skills, there are people there whose job it is to do that.
However, let me contradict myself somewhat: in order to get into these design agencie,s a broad grasp of all the elements that go into design will benefit you greatly, as they will see that you are capable of doing a bit of everything, and then you can find your niche.
To conclude i think that a firm basis and understanding of digital skills is useful and necessary, but depending upon your end goal i don't feel that you need to be an expert by the time you finish your university career, as you may not use them when you find your particular niche.
"if you learn only methods, you'll be tied down to your methods, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods" - I read this quote and it made me think of this discussion.
Digital design indeed increasigly in demand from graduates, I agree with everyone that has stated they feel intimidated by examples seen in current publications and on sites, I myself am forever wondering 'how did they do that?', however, there are people on our course that have produced very high standards of digital outcomes that I have been in awe of. I noticed that it was down to personal efforts to put in a few extra hours in the cluster, using their own initiative and throwing themselves in at the deep end when it came to choosing the direction they wanted to take within the core module. Having experienced huge difficulties in my first attempts with flash, I felt disheartened and faced with an 'impossible' barrier to overcome. Practice makes perfect, and its reassuring to know that I am not the only one concerned for my lack of confidence.
I'd definitely agree with this post, and admit that I, too, tend to shy away from digital and new media based design.
It's not because I'm afraid of technology or digital design. I'm very computer literate, having (yes, geekily...) built several PCs myself. I've been using Photoshop for around six years, and started working with Flash around that time too. I think the problem is that it's simply harder to get your head around new media design, and I find that a big stumbling block here is the difference between the print design programs and the web design programs.
Print design programs tend to be pretty WYSIWYG - everything's quite simple to do, and you can easily see the outcome. With Dreamweaver and Flash though, you get the added complications of HTML/XML/XHTML/ActionScript/FTP servers etc. etc. and the programs are more difficult to learn.
Also, I think there's a stigma attached to digital work in that it's more intangible than printed stuff. You can only view it on a computer, and I think students psychologically like something that they can pin on the wall.
Additionally, most students come from an artistic background, and are not usually very computer literate, but in my case this can be proved incorrect.
Lastly, I think the age of digitial design also counts against it. The internet has only reallly been established as a public medium of communication for the past 10 years; whereas print design has its roots back in the 1400s with Gutenberg's Bible.
I think its basically just a matter of time before new media design becomes more accepted and more widespread among graduates. Time will tell.
I find the computer stuff quite hard because i get bored. It is much easier in my opinion to draw something and then transfer it to the computer where you can then add colour and perhaps manipulate it.
I am much more creative on paper.
In terms of web design the task of learning the software is so daunting. I didnt do the module in web design so i have bought a teach yourself flash book that to be honest is difficult to follow and requires step by step learning, so i get impatient. However i know that Fabio is right, i need to learn these skills in order to get a better job and higher wages.
I found that an understanding of digital helped me in my year in industry. Aside from actually doing it, the main benefit of having the knowledge and ability is that it makes the work process more efficient. If each member of the production team, from creatives to the guys on the mac's knows exactly what is required then they can pass on the work in a suitable format or size for the next person and the whole process runs smoother. Another thing I learnt was that essentially anything is possible given the right resources, time and money so if a creative has no idea of digital and wants something almost impossible then although it is a pain for the designers who are under time contraints, it is only a good thing at the end of the day because it pushes boundaries and forces the industry to investigate the future. Plenty more to say on the subject but just wanted to add my bit.
Post a Comment