Making Final Marks
Posted by stevestpierre on January 13th, 2010
Often times, I’m convinced I was born in the wrong time. Maybe it’s because I watched a few too many episodes of Mad Men over the last couple years (yep, I’m an industry cliché), or because my stereo really only rotates Sam Cooke records (ok, and Counting Crows). But it’s safe to say I have a passion for the past, and believe it or not – that bodes well for design. Knowing where you came from, both personally and professionally, is a surefire way of keeping you grounded, and something that’s often lost on these young whippersnappers using every Photoshop filter in the book and calling it ‘good design’.
(Don’t get me wrong, I love bevel and emboss as much as the next, guy – stick with me here.)
Take a look at ‘Final Marks‘ , an incredible documentary from 1978 on lettercutting. There’s no filter for that! That’s dilligence! That’s focus! That’s passion! There’s no rushing when you’re carving someone’s name into a gravestone. There’s careful planning involved and then the task itself, getting in there with the right tools, getting dust in your eyes, knicks on your hands, all sorts of good stuff – it’s all part of the process.
And that has put me into a decent mindset for the year. I’ve already read a Chapters (or Borders) worth of design books, trying to get whatever edge, but there’s more research to be done into how I (and all designers, for that matter) can become better at what we do. Yes, the focus is always on the finished work, but I think it’s about time we take a step back and focus on the process.
Craftsmanship. Attention to detail. Design is more than choosing colours and typefaces. It’s how all the shapes fit together. Every little pixel communicates something. We’re no different than these guys cutting into stone – except for, you know, the cushy chairs, widescreen monitors, and tablets the size of a kitchen table. Appreciate the process more. I’m not saying that consumers need to think about the poor letterspacing on their taco menu – but that designers and account people alike should understand ‘good design’ rarely comes from a snap of the fingers and the “create logo” filter in Photoshop.
These days, we can’t live by the adage of ‘slow and steady’ – but I think we can make ‘brisk and steady’ work.
January 13th, 2010 » 11:02 am
Couldn’t agree more… Brisk and steady!
January 13th, 2010 » 11:28 am
How about brilliant and steady? Good to see one taking great work so seriously, but able to poke fun at oneself.