I want my work to be everything to everyone... but I don't want to add anything...

I just returned from the seeing movie untitled at the esquire. It is a delightful satire of the art world that dryly, yet in a way reverently, points a finger at the absurdity and nonsense of modern art. I thought it was hilarious, probably more so than your average theater-goer would, because of the close proximity of art and design.

When people joke about Indiana I laugh my ass off. I understand the commentary; I'm not from Indiana, but I'm from the mid-west, and share many of the laughable traits that are commonly picked on. Similarly, designers may not be as overtly preposterous as our fine art cousins, but we're not all that different, and our industry is marked by generous amounts of bullshit and absurdity.

We do, after all, wave our hands about when talking about concepts, claiming that the tight radii connote strength and durability- which is brand appropriate because of x and y-and will thus build brand equity and meet the needs of the consumers of this strong and durable brand. Our hair may not be as unconventional as the typical artist's, but it's still overly styled and gelled, crafted to complement our tight jeans, interesting eye wear and pointy European shoes. We may not be dramatic, but we're certainly a wee bit ridiculous.

What is it that separates art and design? Both try to summon a particular reaction from the audience, be it a consumer's satisfaction in how "clean" the soap dish makes their bathroom feel or a gallery-goer's disgust at an art piece constructed of rotting food. The objective, in many ways, is the same: we want make people feel something particular and influence them in one way or another. We define which reactions we wish to arouse and go about arousing them using tried and true methods.

The difference is in the focus of the work being created. Is the creator focused on the user or on his or herself? Is it created as an outlet of self expression that goes on to influence the individuals who are exposed to it, or is it crafted, from the beginning, with that individual in mind? It's always interesting when designers go on to design products that seem less and less like design and more and more like fine art. Yes, Gehry is a designer, yet his goofy rock sofa strikes me as something that should be sitting on the floor of a gallery next to an ironically-titled plaque. I can't think of a single living room I've ever been in that would harmoniously accomodate that piece of furniture. Did he have an end user in mind? Was that product born from the needs of a demographic or from the need to create and express?

If it is indeed design, is it good design or bad design?

I wonder if design could learn a lesson from those bewildering plaques, sparse galleries, and the absurdly-dressed patrons that mosey about inside of them. If we infuse the products we design with a little more self-expression are we breathing life into the project or taking a step in the wrong direction?

Team Nachael, Part Dos

Every designer should have their own design "partner". Be it a friend, classmate, coworker, or professor who you can refer to often and consistently and you know will give you the straight-up truth. It's easier when you have someone who understands where you stand as a designer, so that you don't have explain things over and over and can be quickly understood. Our design decisions transcend our work; sometimes we need advice about where to apply for an internship, whether to take this studio or that, which business elective would benefit our career as designers, or even the wording in an email to another professional. Having an opinionated designer who truly cares about where you end up and how you progress is priceless.

Team Nachael

As I'm sure some who know me are aware, my boyfriend Nate is also an industrial designer. Being involved with someone in the same profession creates an interesting dynamic.The amount we influence each other as designers could easily be overlooked by some, but I'm always completely aware of the enormous impact Nate has had on my work over the past year. We have most certainly benefited from each other's skill sets; his existence as a surfacing ninja has launched my CAD abilities to another dimension, whereas he feels he's learned a thing or two from my graphic sense. We share a healthy dose of competition that betters us as designers, though I won't mention the havoc it can sometimes wreak on the relationship. Most importantly, I have 24-hour access to a talented designer who knows my style, methods, and objectives inside and out, and is fully invested in seeing me succeed in whatever design adventure I wish to embark on.

Nate is one of the only people I give an honest-to-god, blunt opinion to ("Jesus Christ, boy. Why do you insist on using sentence case? WHY? It is retarded and hard to read. TELL ME WHY), and he's one of the only people I can depend on for similarly blunt opinions ("The graphic on that air freshener looks like a bleeding anus. Sorry"). When I speak design with peers I give my opinion... if it's easy to give and will likely be well-received. If there's any possibility that what I say might be hard to hear or is a matter of taste, I'm often times guilty of telling someone I think something looks alright when I don't really think it does. When I'm looking over Nate's work, however, we'll battle it out. Even if we don't follow each other's advice, we feel obligated to give it honestly and completely.

At times I find myself wishing I was dating say...an accountant, so that I could come home from a long day at studio and design could cease to exist for a moment or two as I try to decompress. I think it's a double-edged sword; I really resent talking about design every hour of every day- like an obnoxious neighbor you just can't stop gossiping about- but I think the hyper-awareness that results keeps us on our toes.

It's a something shaped like a something!

One of my most recent criticisms I've had of my work is how literal everything turns out to be. We all know how handy the metaphor can be in design, but I've realized that almost everything I design is always shaped like something else (It's a bottle shaped like a flask! It's a flash drive shaped like a dog tag! It's a piece of chocolate shaped like spoon/ bean /sugar cube/ tea bag!! How original!!)

I've realized one area in which I could improve is form development and styling. I feel I'm competent at brainstorming and problem solving, but when the time comes to make something beautiful I tend to borrow from whatever first comes to mind. I'm glad that I'm headed off to Astro this coming spring. I think that experience will challenge me in this area and hopefully result in some improvement.

hmm... chocolate

Above is the first sketch page for my current design communication project. For this project I am designing a line of chocolates that are meant to be enjoyed with coffee. In addition to the products, I will be designing packaging, a logo, and any graphic design necessary. I've narrowed my ideas down to four products: a chocolate "spoon", chocolate tea bags, flavored chocolate cubes and chocolate shaped as coffee beans.

...

Blast. I have fallen so very, very far behind on my design blog. The poor thing began with such promise, but is now my neglected child (much like some of my school projects). It's difficult to keep up with such things when school work needs to be completed and tables need to be served. I suppose I'm currently suffering from a general lack of inspiration when it comes to design. Firstly comes rent, which must be paid, secondly comes school work, which more often than not this quarter is finished hastily and last minute, and lastly comes the pet projects I would so love to nurture; illustrations, graphic design, a website. I always have grand delusions of working on all of this while on co-op, but the money in my pocket and the bars across the street always seem to stand in the way.

Bah.

Anyways, I wonder how designers can maintain excitement about their work- or about design in general- even when they are overworked. Viewing inspirational work always kicks me into gear. Here are a couple of sites I generally reference when the need presents itself:

behance I'm sorry, but I'm a snob. I know core77 is an industry standard for student work, and I know it's better-known than behance, but in comparison it's the redheaded stepchild of the design community. Behance is just sleeker, the layout more legible, and the general quality of the work seems to be a bit more professional.

design21 design network with a focus on social design

thedieline the one, the only, the awesome collection of bomb-ass packaging.

ok, fine. If you can sift through all the crap: coroflot

I was scouring Hive modern today looking for inspiration for the furniture in my gynecological workspace when I came across the airia collection. The media storage reminds me of an old stove- the flared legs, inset doors- yet is refreshingly well done. I love the juxtaposition of the matte white and natural wood (a design cliche, I suppose, but for good reason).