Comments on: Do designers need a personal style?

By: Michael Tuck

Michael Tuck — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:03:38 +0000

The answer is, of course, “both.” How much of either side informs our designs is part of who we are as designers. Web design is a strange and unquantifiable mixture of art and craft, aesthetic and technique. Matt’s note about “breaking out of your style regularly” is dead on; after a while, a “design aesthetic” can and often does become a rut.

The two sides of the equation inform one another. The better you are at your craft, the more fully you can develop and express your artistry. And you can more fully explore your aesthetic sense when you have a handle on your craft, and know how to create and implement your ideas.

By: Matt Bee

Matt Bee — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:54:19 +0000

I don’t think there is an answer to this question, however if a designer does have a style, they should consciously try to break out of their style regularly. This will allow them to stretch their design legs, and potentially open up new opportunities and skills as a result.

Even try a new style if the reason your client hired you is due to your style, unless it is the perfect fit already.

As long as it is a style, and not rehashing old design, of course. That’s just bad.

By: ashhad

ashhad — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:44:12 +0000

Really Helpfull!

By: Stu Robson

Stu Robson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:44:32 +0000

I don’t no about need but I just can’t do any design without trying to make it dirty (it must be what my geography teacher was on about when I sniggered inapropriatley on day). I can’t do clean and I can’t do minimal without wanting to make it look worn or cluttered…Great Article!!

By: Jens Bayer

Jens Bayer — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:43:05 +0000

Really good article! Spoke right out of my Brain. I guess that it is an unwritten word, most Designers are feel them selves as an Artist. Especially if they are saying they are not and they have to follow up on corporate guidelines, Rules of GUI and bla, bla, bla. But Deep in their Hearts they wish to be.

And what i am always wondering about: Why they give the Job the Name: Art Director? (i Know: Not everything Designer becomes an AD) – but should it be renamed to Design Director? Sounds not that cool, hm? No, i think the space between an Designer and an Artist are a Gradient from on color to the other;)

By: Birgit

Birgit — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:03:51 +0000

it’s funny that you named Jesse, he’s the one that sprung first to my mind when I started reading your article. Love all of his work.

Considering personal style in design, I tend to believe that being true to oneself results in a personal style (same as with clothing) and a stronger portfolio, although I think being versatile is a good thing.

By: nloureiro

nloureiro — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:44:57 +0000

i think it´s always the both (A and B), because a designer always have a personal style, due to his/her background (education, culture, degree, believes, etc) and when it comes across a new project has to apply this signature to the new briefing ( doesn’t matter is it´s graphic, web, object…).

we all have come across projects that are too specifics and dont’s allow much creativity and others that are like a blank page to work on, that´s the every day life of a designer, and when you refer to a portfolio has a example it´s some how wrong, because normally it´s a selection of the best works made by that designer, so by logic he/she will pick the projects that has more meaning to him/her and normally are the ones that have their signature all over.

By: Tom Hermans

Tom Hermans — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:53:19 +0000

I’d say a really good designer designs for the project. Form & function, but inevitably the designer will use his experience and his big bag of tricks he learned over time, to complete the job to the most awesome result. That’s the “signature” you’re seeing.

By: Rasmus Kalms

Rasmus Kalms — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:33:02 +0000

I’d say that Tim Van Damme is the perfect example of a guy who knows when to divert from his usual style (Take 24ways as an example).

And I actually think that the client has the right to know why the product turned out the way it did. The product needs a solid foundation – and why you choose blue might come down to simple color theory, like the choice of font and following typesetting should be based on solid research. I don’t see that as unfair; it comes with the territory. The client pays the bills, and they’re entitled to an explanation.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:06:36 +0000

Cameron Adams defines good design as the trade-off between efficiency and discoverability. For this reason a good designer is one that recognise existing patterns and implement them in new ways that are as simple as possible.