I recently was asked "what do you LOVE about design?" and I was reminded of a designer statement I wrote 4 years ago. I find myself continually modifying this, year to year, as I get deeper into the industry, grow as a designer, and have my perspective widened through conversations with other designers. If anything has been steadfast in my career, it has been my hunger to better myself as a designer through the study of the art of design, research the cognitive physiology of consumer behavioralism and human-computer interaction. My best learned lesson is that all things designed can be simultaneously resolved and incomplete for design is a organic, fluid, and ever changing.
Designer Statement
“Every object tells a story if you know how to read it.”
-Henry Ford
Creating art has allowed me to develop my values in life. It has shaped my character. Studying the works of others has allowed me to discover my means of meditation. Through creating and studying art, my peace, joy, hope, encouragement, anger, frustration, and fears are embraced and energized into a source of productivity and motivation. Without creating art for myself, friends, family, commissioners and clients, my mind grows distracted. Art keeps me grounded and pushes me to enhance my knowledge and skill in my field.
As a designer I utilize my skills of the fine arts to create a design with which companies or individuals can identify and appreciate. I value the principles and theories presented by fine art. I believe the knowledge and appreciation of the arts is vital to creating good designs. Throughout my undergraduate study I have worked with a variety of mediums. In two dimensional art I have most enjoyed drawing, painting, print, and watercolor. Three dimensionally I have worked with glass, plaster, and wood. I work digitally by utilizing After Effects, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
I am a firm believer in creating a design more elegant and functional for the consumer. A world without designers would be confused and unproductive. When I am confident a piece is strong in composition, contrast, repetition, harmony, and unity, I believe it follows my core beliefs and I consider in each design align my personal style.
As a designer, I enjoy creating work that has a clean appearance. My designs focus on utilizing solid positive and negative space; design should live in a powerful matrix. My work appears strong independently and fit the other elements within my portfolio. It includes the fundamental principles of fine art. All of my design work clearly projects the theories of my personal design practice. Because of my love for design research, I feel it best to quote the documentary Objectified, which has guided my design direction:
Good design should be innovative.
Good design should make a product useful.
Good design should make a product understandable.
Good design should be aesthetically pleasing.
Good design should be honest.
Good design should be unobstructive.
Good design should be consistent in every detail.
Good design should be environmentally friendly.
Good design should be as little design as possible.
Hustwit, Gary, Objectified, Film, Geissbühler, Luke (2009; Detroit: Plexifilm, 2009.) DVD.