The Artist Designer Spectrum
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ม.ค. 2024
- Is graphic design art?
A debate in the creative community for as long as I can remember. I think the two worlds are not mutually exclusive and more on a spectrum, let’s talk about it.
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#graphicdesign #art
I hope you enjoyed this video, I had a lot of fun making this one! If you agree with some of my thoughts on this "artist designer spectrum" where do you think you land on the spectrum?
thank's jesse !!!
ive been saying "good art is well designed; good design is artfully done" for 15 years. and i think its now more important than ever for designers (and agencies) to embrace their unique creative qualities. there is too much competition in the world to only be a problem solving service provider.
this rocks
love this quote!!
quote goes crazy makes so much sense
make it a triangle and add content creator at the top and that’s my dilemma
Def something to consider, especially with so much of my workflow (and other artists too) revolving around content creation these days.
great video btw jesse :) should have said that in my comment too@@JesseNyberg
“The artists way” made me realize we’re all artists!
This was perfectly worded! Up until about a year ago I was creating graphic design solely for myself and using it basically as another art form, to express my feelings and emotions, and now I'm combining the two as my own brand. Artist/designer.
Absolutely loved this video!
3:01 this is amazing, like a friendly therapeutic chitchat about everything I've been thinking about all my life. I've studied graphic design at uni and then a fine arts master's degree, and this is the perfect mix for everything you've explained ❤ thanks for this video - We'll continue creating (edit: and working) without actually caring about grammatical names no more, but more understanding the importance of intertwine disciplines and trying to not feel like a misfit in both of them!
From my perspective, artist create art, while designers structure it which in-itself is a form of art. All in all it’s visual art
So glad you spoke on this topic. I’m an artist at heart but I’m in my 2nd semester of graphic design school and I often question where I fall on the spectrum. I’m taking it day by day though and letting myself explore my style 😊
appreciate the extra effort you are putting into these vids
I have been thinking about this since I started to pursue a creative career.
I started to think about it this way: graphic design is a toolbox/a structure which provides us with (basic) tools (typography, image, layout, photoshop,etc) & maybe certain rules. The real work begins when we’re trying to fill this structure with life, which is where ‘art’ or creative expression in general comes in.
Does that make sense or is it all in my head? :D
I really enjoyed watching or better listening to your thoughts here! I'm currently almost done with my media and computer science degree. The question whether I am a designer or artist is keeping me busy for several years now. But I finally see it as a kind of spectrum as well! For me personally what brings me joy is the fact that I can choose where I want to be creative on this spectrum, sometimes more on the artist side sometimes more on the designer one. Love your content and thank you
I feel you! My undergrad year allowed me to explore A lot of my concepts and ideas from an artist perspective. However in grad school it was more client and industry focused. Less of what we felt was unique and artful and more of “is this indicative of a graphic designer in the industry today?” I almost lost my artist side, this was an excellent video! Much love Jesse🙏🏾
thank you
I've been waiting for these videos for so many years and had no idea. Thanks, man.
I have struggled and suffered a whole lot of imposter syndrome around this conversation. And for what lol. Def agree that the distinction made between artist vs. designer in college courses plays a role. Learning to honor both sides of me these days :)
Jesse, I understand and feel every word you said.
thank you for making this one because it's so necessary! amazing video
I appreciate the different scenery in this vid, made it a bit more engaging than the usual office/studio
I feel opposite, that if he would be in the well decorated room with stylish interior, this might suit more.
Thankyou for making this video! I feel more designers need to hear that there is not only one way to be a designer. It so important follow a path which is authentic to ourselves and makes us happy. Thankyou :-D
thanks so much for this, jesse. i’m a student pursuing a graphic design degree, and i found this video extremely insightful. it’s great to be able to learn from creatives like you.
I really appreciated the breakdown of reasoning of why it’s a spectrum. I’ve always been an artist and tried very hard to make my own style that I could apply to design. Although I think when new designers first start out, and don’t have a clear understanding of the industry, it can seem as though most established designers are solo collaborative? Which can be a goal for some- but I never thought i’d be doing more cooperate work. I think sometimes the jobs you pick start to shape your professional ‘spectrum’ separate from your personal ‘artist’ life. Does that make sense? lol
I think I see the words in more technical terms - with the 'art' in artist I think of using painting, illustrating traditionally or digitally, anything with free hand expression, and for design, more of the digital way of doing things. so personally, 99% of the time I'm working with photoshop to MANIPULATE images, but I don't call that equivalent to being an artist, I'm totally a graphic designer still. It makes sense then for someone who paints or draws and incorporate that work in their digital poster, to call them 'graphic artists' a combo of both. With that said, call it whatever you want, who really cares! Also love the changing of scenes for your monologue, makes it so engaging to watch!
Great video Jesse! I'm an artist educated as an architect and I like to do all sorts of different works. The labels in the art/design world are not doing us a favor, I think in general it needs to become more open-minded. Example: for me who works across all different mediums and spectrums, it's hard to apply for grants and scholarships tho I don't fit any specific category. Love/CFE
love the production style of your videos.
I've been thinking on this exact topic for a little while now and found it difficult to voice how I feel about it - cause I'm the same, I don't know what I do. You did a great job with voicing what you think and I think it alligns a lot with me. Thanks man
Cheers Jesse! Great topic, thanks for your input :)
Jessee my mann, you told me something i didnt know I needed at this exact moment!
this is probably your best video yet
While there are alternative disciplines that place a stronger emphasis on the artistic elements of design, it's worth noting that the study of graphic design is often oriented towards the practical applications in the business realm.
Nice insight mr. Jesse good job keep up the good work!!!
This was a great video Jesse, and the quality in the editing and content has been on an insane growth. On the topic of being artist vs. designer, I feel that I am in the same boat as you, and as my career continues, I find myself wanting to take on the title of artist as an evolution of myself as a designer. I entered the corporate design world to out-of-touch, older white men in that same helvetica meme you posted and have reflected on that time as a point I never want to see again. I'm not sure if that means I have to take on being an artist solely, or if part of me still loves the structure and swiss-ness of it all. I have been walking a fine line and will continue to do so as I settle in. However, my little sister who is 7 told her friend in front of me the other day that I'm an artist... and it felt like those moments where you turn away from the camera and go "yesssss" and shake your fist. :-) Thanks again for this commentary Jesse, you aren't alone!
Thanks for sharing your journey Gina! I wish you the best in whatever you wanna pursue/be called in the future.
super relatable, still figuring it out myself but I'm glad I'm not alone
I think we are all artists but each in their own category or maybe multiple. I do graphic, web design and illustration. I've always loved art but once I found a passion for design, I wanted to pursue it also. My professor has been very good about not putting us in a box and letting us go down whatever artistic path is right for us. Loved this topic, great video as always Jesse! :)
Great video man! That was one of the reasons I dropped out of design school 😅 it wasn’t as creatively fulfilling and I thought it would be… now I’m a muralist/illustrator/ wannabe designer sometimes 😋
Thank You for doing this video! Thank You 🙏🏾
you are so underrated!!!!!!!!!
love tehese conversation style vids
Your shirt bro, that's what got me here! 🔥' Then I stayed for the knowledge.
Yesssir, Pain of Truth!
i think one of the things that i struggle with is design being entirely co-opted by this immense productivity, tech oriented, capitalistic mindset. particualry with the rise of "UI/UX" (which is just a buzzword really), there's a precedent that design is almost related to datapoints and patterns, systems and structures that you follow to just get things to "work". after working in both big tech and in an agency environment, there's a lot of designers who don't see people as people but as data. this is opposite to art, in peoples minds, and why so many are affronted by the associate with something as "inaccurate" as making art. i think there's a personability that is being lost in design, an empathy, as we see dark patterns live and breath every day despite being told how bad they are.
i think a designer who isn't at least partially an artist isn't a designer, but just an engineer who knows how to make things look serviceable. having that artistic side, that empathy and flexibility and desire to explore and put some of yourself in your work is something all the greats do, yet so many designers seem to think this is an outlier or a bad thing.
Great video Jesse! You inspired me to make my own channel! and I am a Artist myself keep up the good work!
Goodluck with your channel!
interesting dilemma. it is so cool to see art in real life through design. you see something every day and it is beautiful. sometimes i think cool design affects more people than just ones who are specifically interested in visual arts, but that is hard to pinpoint and maybe meaningless to compare
@jesse nyberg yo great video man. 100% have felt that feeling of rejecting the artist label. reminds me of a book recently read, The Shape of Design (by Frank Chimero(sp?) where he talks about the intersection of art/design and how important it is to put your own identity into your craft. keep making these kind of videos ✌️ ty
Every creative people are called artist no matter what you are (singer,music producer,dancer,designer,film maker,actors,architects)... They’re all called an artist... The personality of a designer is they care what people think of their art.. So that's why they do their art in such a way so that no one can complain and say anything bad about their product... For example apple products
I mean it is like ballet (I have done that all my life). As a ballerina, are you an artist? Are you a sportsperson? I guess both. A type of work can be two things at the same time. Ballet on stage is more of an art form, ballet daily is more of a sport…
I was once described as a UI Artist. I didn't know how to react to that.
This is exactly how I have been feeling of late, not a skilled toolsman alone, but someone with a voice, especially in regard to digital art
Pain Of Truth!
Yessir!
I love this video. The notion and idea that "design isn't art" to me is the biggest pile of BS I've ever seen, so your telling me if you were tasked with making a poster for a movie about Iron Man, you simply add the stars with top billing, make the stars according to size and just slap some noise and filters on it, because it's what the client wanted and if it doesn't work, it's not you?
A poster can't convey mystique? It can't convey fear? That it can't convey excitement in an artistic way that makes it exciting for the client & the people exposed to the graphic at the theater? Being yourself and having your own identity is the best way to go about this, because at the end of the day, people who say that design isn't art, are the same people producing the same work that have no soul, have no identity and can be created by anyone with the design system/template available to them. You can design in however which way you want, but having your own sense of self and style shine through, is better than having something that looks like anybody can do that. The best work that we take inspiration from had this element when they made that, for me it's design thinking with the artistic creativity to make it your own.
That's why I will always proclaim that "designers can be artist" even if you do or don't name layers.
The edits, the props, everything in this video show an "artistic" touch for sure. As someone who never went to design school, I don't see a difference between design/art. Great design can be considered art, especially when the designer has enough clout to dictate what the final product is even if its for a client.
Yah i always think about this but it really does seem arbitrary. Labels are great up until one point and then it starts getting constraining. I feel that insecurity comes also like the label has to come first before creativity. But creativity is first. That’s all that matters
Great vid, Jesse!! Love the jitter on the titles hehe
100% I think it's just human nature that gives us or others around us the feel/need to label and categorize everything. When we cant quite put something into a box it makes people "uncomfortable". Glad you enjoyed the video though brotha and thanks for the tips on the title jitter!
Nice video! I really liked this talk. Something that was on my mind recently. As an artist I didn't want to be called designer because I didn't want to be associated with the office worker which I'm totally not. But yeah design should have bigger artistic touch.
this is so important
Thanks!
Man I'd love to just chill and have a conversation with you. I feel our thought patterns are very similar for two people that haven't met. Also, I too am a monotone man haha.
I'm going through this right now. I keep getting called an artist, which I am, but I don't want that when I say, "Hey, what do you think of this design?" I have always said the two bleed together from separate ends of a spectrum, but I've lost a lot of confidence in my ability to design because of a year long job search of minimal interviews and little feedback. I have technical skills and the know-how, but somehow I rarely align with what people are looking for.
I'd love to start collaborating with similar folks, but I can't seem to find a network of designers.
I'd love to show some of my work if you have a minute to look at it. I can't seem to find traction in the design world despite my continuous growth and increasingly large portfolio.
As a computer engineer with professional experience in both hardware-centric disciplines and frontend software-centric disciplines, there is similar tension between the terms “engineer,” “programmer/developer,” and “designer.”
Frontend disciplines are a particularly odd space to work in because people view the engineering aspect of the job as mutually exclusive from the design aspect. While not every frontend engineer has knowledge of nor interest in design (and vice versa), this belief is a limiting and, arguably, harmful one that needs to be regularly challenged.
While I have always has an appreciation for visual art and desired to create my own, imposter syndrome got the best of me every time. Frontend engineering led me to UI design, and UI design gave me the courage I needed to study and experiment with graphic design.
In the absence of a distinct, personal style, I have a hard time claiming the “artist” or “designer” title (not that you need a personal style to do so). That said, in spirit, “artist” feels like the more fitting place for me on the spectrum.
Damn I’m 23 and just starting and I was asking myself if I was a graphic designer or an graphic artist but my mind basically went to that it doesn’t matter that’s not how I should look at it because I do art for me if I want to show that I’m an artist I’m trying too hard everything that I’ve done that ppl like it’s things that I’ve done exclusively for me so yeah anyways thank you for this video
I think it also doesn't help that artist seems more "low pay" vs "Designer" due to the techification of positions and the starving artist stereotype. great video over all, definitely wish i had something like this when i started my journey in design.
Amazing, Jesse
Much love Doron!
sick microphone!
You should do fit check vlog
Hi, I have a question, how do you put up the grids before you start working on a poster? Thank you for the answer
I am an artist as an artist i can tell which one its good art and which one its great art, and i think normal people can too, but i always confuse about "design" because i feel like design its more about taste, i mean art also about taste but design its more complex, sometimes i see people like the design or the logo but i dont like it at all. And sometimes when i really like the design some people just hate it. So iam tryna understand whats the different between good design and great design.
Sorry for bad english
I went to fine art school and I think it’s because the main ideology there is that art shouldn’t be functional otherwise it’s considered “craft” and will be looked down upon.
Artists are like high level pro athletes 99.9% of people are just emulating art don’t overthink shit it doesn’t matter
When i was deep into graphic design for a high school class i hated being a graphic designer because i didnt feel like an artist. I mainly took the class because I wanted to learn how to use photoshop and illustrator like other artists were using the most at the time. When i was finally free of the class all the art pieces i made felt very graphic. I didnt feel like i was making art i felt like i was making posters. During this time I didnt know where i felt on the spectrum either. Now i completely gave up on those programs but sometimes when i draw on my ipad i still get into graphic design mode but im not as deep as i was 6 years ago. Its definitely not separate things but when ppl say one or the other i get a very distinctive feeling with both. Id perfer artist versus designer but even though im an artist i can still design but am i artist designer? eh not feeling that title lol
(Creatively speaking) I’ve never related to a video as much as this one! 🤍
As a graphic designer, who also loves to make art, I too was taught the idea that Design and Art are different things in University. (In some cases this can be true, but I too wonder why design can’t be art and why art can’t be design.) With this kind of thinking, it honestly made it difficult to know what to call myself too. But thanks for this video! Real thought provoking. ☺️
When I put type on something and consider how to present it - kerning and all, but it’s combined with my art / illustration - is this not both art AND design? I think it is!
Same here, I am both.
I would say there has to be a reason why so many artist chose to study graphic design
Feel totally same dude. Wanna collaborate with others, not always be behind the scene
I think it's a term - Designer Artist.
hell yeah speak yo shit playa
I think what you want to be is an art director.
art and design aren't the same, personally purpose distinguishes which is which, because art can't really be narrowed down to one specific type of thing, a lot of things with technically aren't art are called art
Other thing I've notice is many designers call themselves 'Artist' when they haven't read a single book of art history or philosphy of art in their lives (it just happens that their 'designs' are not functional at all and they just move and call it 'Artwork') smh
I believe there is no spectrum
Id like your videos a lot more if you shaved your mustache
it's weird that i just had a deja vu of this video 🫥🫥🫥