Confessions of an awards juror
Stop worrying about craft and seek the purpose of design, says Nick Bell
Above: information graphic by Paul Davis for Jason Grant’s Awards madness in the Autumn Eye (no. 69 vol. 18).
Not because I was feeling unusually generous, but because I recognised an example of graphic design that was genuinely, extraordinarily good. I made an impassioned plea in its favour, which my fellow jurors will no doubt remember. It went something like this:
‘This company not only designed this book, they created all the image content, wrote it and edited it as well. All the images are photographs of truly arresting three-dimensional graphic interventions they’ve made and published in places we normally see commercial messages – in magazines and in the street. It is cleverly and beautifully put together, poignantly written and masterfully edited. The statements in this book resonate not just with designers but everyone. This is a remarkable and rare piece of authorship coming from anyone – let alone a designer.’
Were my colleagues swayed? Well, as has become the norm for D&AD graphic design juries in recent years, some were and some were not. The ones who wanted to see this book nominated for a Yellow (silver) Pencil were cancelled out by the ones who did not. However, all of them seemed quite entertained by my ‘performance’ prompting one to step forward and bestow on me a green Post-It note – ‘Here’s a badge for being so passionate.’
The judging experience, despite being immensely enjoyable (it is always good to meet other designers), underlined the reasons graphic designers in the UK have no single organisation they can call their own. No AIGA like in the States, no BNO like in Holland and no AGDA like in Australia. We Brits are a contrary lot. Too often we define ourselves through what we don’t like rather than what we do. With what isn’t matching our exacting standards. But if we can’t recognise the best stuff, where are we going as a profession? No graphic design organisation needs to have awards at its core.
However the quarrel over what we don’t like is a red herring, because it hides the fact that we don’t know what graphic design is for any more. We seem to have lost sight of its purpose. Is it because there are now so many different ways to practise it?
Craft – particularly the typographic variety – weighs heavily in graphic design. Craft resonates with designers more than ideas, much as we hate to admit it. The kind of debates that take place on D&AD juries bear this out – great ideas being passed over because ‘I didn’t rate the type’.
The point I’m struggling to make is that when craft dominates, then the vagaries of taste hold sway, and taste is harder to unite a community around than ideas. For proof of that look no further than D&AD, with its blooming constituency of those generous people from advertising who vastly outnumber that poker-faced lot from graphic design.
Scrap those graphic design craft awards categories. Let’s unite around the purpose of graphic design. Whatever that is . . .
Above: Theseus Chan from Work, and Stuart Price from Thoughtful, both members of the Graphic Design Jury, which also didn’t award a pencil. All photographs (except for thumbnail) by Christine Donnier-Valentin.
August 21st, 2008 at 5:18 pm | by Paul Harpin
I think all our lives would be easier if we reverted to the olde and ancient description – commercial art. Having started in the rarified atmosphere of design consultancy, I don’t miss it one bit. Ernest young men who never left the studio. The clock was a shadow projected onto the wall, adding the sense of unreality. The only human contact was with other designers.
The complexity started when the RCA invented the term graphic design, and the name took over. Add to that the creative freedom that the internet brings, with so much free stuff to see and read and it’s easy to get confused.
It’s sad to see this lead to the graphic design community starting to beat themselves up like the architects did in the sixties. Especially about giving out their little pencils, to each other, whether yellow or black or tangerine pink. They need to chill out, step back, get real and reward both good ideas and great visuals. Yes even both together. It’s simple.
Creative Review sent the design community out of control in the late eighties when it started confusing originality (being different) with ideas, judging it with the same criteria it judged advertising – where originality makes your ad stand out. It made originality the main criteria. Before then all the best work we admired either looked great or had a great idea. Sometimes both. Some of the best work was just clear. And made sense to clients and users and commercially (whether or not it was for a hospital or charity or bank). It wasn’t done to win an awards. It was done, it worked and then it would win.
Bring back commercial art!
August 26th, 2008 at 11:36 am | by Giacomo Cesana
I’ve read with interest your post and I can’t help but agree. Same thing with the first comment. Very interesting and to the point. Thank you.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:45 am | by Giacomo Cesana
… and now I’m asking myself: aside from the undeniable fact that we don’t know what graphic design is for any more, are there no more good ideas or are we plenty of good ideas set in ugly type?
September 18th, 2008 at 1:39 pm | by Alex Cameron
I remember years ago, on seeing Emigre’s T-shirt “Design is a good idea” wishing I’d come up with this concept. It fit perfectly with what I held to be central to the design process, it was beautifully self-concious too.
While perhaps not in so glamourous setting I am sure many of us have had a similar experience, whethere it be our day to day struggle with our collegues who see graphics as an add on - rather than as the best visual expression of content or see it in the work of celebrated designers – I’m thinking in particular of David Carson!
As a self-taught designer I felt a great need to read about the world I was entering – I thought thats what happened at University or Art school – I took from this one thing at least, and that was, that behind the best international graphics were great, identifiable ideas ‘from’ the content.
PS I liked your piece.
Alex
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