Comments on: Do designers need a personal style?

By: Kipp

Kipp — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:19:07 +0000

Effective communication is most definitely problem solving.

By: Are you a Chameleon or do you have a Signature Style? « cmanningdesign

Are you a Chameleon or do you have a Signature Style? « cmanningdesign — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:07:24 +0000

[...] found this article at http://webdesignernotebook.com/design/do-designers-need-a-personal-style/#more-1189 The question posed by the author is in response to A post by Darren [...]

By: Steve D

Steve D — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:39:57 +0000

Great post! As an artist turned designer myself, I know there are several fundamental similarities, as much as there are differences between art and design. A personal style in Art is often borne out of the need to express something in a certain way. Design has a personal slant when the designer enjoys a particular workflow and uses perhaps a similar set of typefaces and colour pallette.

I slightly disagree with a lot of the “problem solving” comments I see around the web, because to design is not just to solve a problem (though it is part of the process) it is to communicate effectively and that is most definitely not solving a problem. This is where creativity plays a big part.

This boils down to your final point about subjectivity. As we know everything is subjective, especially when a client questions our work. I think a good grounding in the fundamentals of design and visual communications will always be needed, especially in web design where so many lack visual co-ordination (that’s for another time though). The main thing here though is that even though design is subjective, we nee to be able to explain to a client why something is that colour, especially if we feel it should remain so. I think getting in the habit of knowing why something works, or even doing a reactionary piece and then explaining it is a good thing, as it helps train the mind to work creatively even when they juices are running low so to speak.

By: Kipp

Kipp — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:03:12 +0000

Design needs to be rationalized and that’s hard to do if you work within a single style. Inevitably you will receive a brief that requires a different approach. The true test of a designers talent is their ability to adapt and solve different problems, not rehash their personal style. Of course this depends on your definition of the word which I find to be fairly ambiguous.

By: Rita

Rita — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:11:07 +0000

Eu acho que é necessário um pouco das 2 coisas, sim todos os designers tem uma assinatura própria uma maneira de expôr de criar o layout o traço, que automaticamente consegue-se identificar-se com o resto dos seus trabalhos mas também tem que ter a faceta camaliónica porque estamos sempre a correr atrás das trends e os clientes assim o exigem e mesmo os clientes mais “malucos” aparecem sempre com aquelas ideias completamente doidas que tantas vezes nos tiram do sério e fazem-nos ir em direcção a algo que nunca fizemos, mas deixamos sempre um bocadinho de nós, no final incorpora sempre o toque de que fez.

By: Rogelio Cazares

Rogelio Cazares — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:08:14 +0000

Definitely, each designer has his/her own style, even though we do not necessarily have to show it all the time. There will always be a few projects in which we take a totally different direction that may not match our style, but I think that’s okay too.

By: CSS Brigit | Do Designers Need a Personal Style?

CSS Brigit | Do Designers Need a Personal Style? — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:36:58 +0000

Do Designers Need a Personal Style?…

“A post by Darren Hoyt caught my eye the other day where he asked whether designers needed a personal style or not. I wrote up a quick comment at the time, but I feel the question deserves a little more discussion.”…

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!