Beyond the love of our own crap

effective design is driven by insight, strategy and purpose.

In this time of induced uber-individualism, our day to day has been invaded by herds of people who “trust their own style”. What a perfect risk avoiding position, as anyone can both be author and critic of its own creation! How equally rewarding for the would be guru which can make a living of celebrating any new fad of fashion, art or design.

Submerged by layers of styles, pressured by their peers, subjected to the average crowd demand, how could a vast majority of “creative people” resist morphing into “stylists” and reiterating whatever the latest fashion happens to be. And the rest maybe tempted to evolve into “creative geniuses”...

We all fall in love with our own creation. This has probably something to do with the lovingly instilled early suggestions that all our expressions of creativity must be deemed significant. Nevertheless, these expressions can still suck.

Coming up with design solutions effective at reaching a broad audience is in no way less difficult or creative than making work that is personal in nature. In fact, as it requires keeping personal perspectives in the distance, in an effort to understand the situation from a wider standpoint, it soon becomes much more challenging,

Clients and designers alike fall into the trap of bringing personal aesthetics or style to projects. As that has usually nothing to do with the task at hand, the result is an enormous quantity of pretty but ineffective “design” out there.

Like for every other business, I believe effective design must be focused on results. Although it can use a multitude of instruments, it must not be personal in nature, nor follow degradable styles, unless this is really necessary. Effective design is driven by insight, strategy and purpose. It is about taking away the stylish and fashionable stuff in favor of what is actually accomplished.