Today design reform and revolution is badly concentrated on digital technology. Academicians are annoyed and worried due to growing inclination of students towards solving their problems, document their thinking on screen instead of sketching on paper or thinking on blank page. Learn to look at blank page before process of sketching to explore idea. An idea is a creative process of generating of new thinking with 'mental efforts.' Scribbling, sketching committed to paper has almost disappeared. Doodling and drafting on computers is a regular practice often we see. Classical training in designing is blindly shifted to digital technology, affecting the creative (designing) instinct and harming creativity as well as potential career in design.
In academic discipline students should aware with the importance of classical training in design and their application in digital technology in a balance manner. Have in mind the purpose and intent of design is to communicate the view of human values and digital technology is a medium to explore these human values and their visual voice in an aesthetical and adorable manner. Digital technology is a means of presentation and expression of design content. "As per Paul Rand American graphic designer, without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance, form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form."
Designer is a creative thinker, imbued with inherent unbelievable skill in his profession. He must have a deep knowledge of latest software programme accessible to excellence and ability to craft on screen the visual strategies for creative appearance to view. Someone said "Designer must design with technology but don't let the technology be the design."
In my opinion designing is an intensive process of solving the problem as well as it's a distinctive profession too. Being an optimistic and opportunist designer and habit to act as catalyst, I always critically view the problem, analyse and explore the possibilities, nurture the visual voice, present with distinctive appearance and communicate successfully in an unusual manner and insightful way.
In design ....... process of thoughtful assessment constitutes discipline to literacy level of visualization, develops creative thinking and enhances optimistic future of communication culture.
Always keep in mind carefully that the visual tone of a outstanding and remarkable design is a reflection of designers strategic creative excellence blended with succinctly articulate voice of innovative appeal, assessment of prescribe opinion, adorable style of representation, analytical taste of a aesthetic and aromatic flavour of perception.
Dutch designer Richard Hutten stated that "If a design is good you don't ask questions, you simply enjoy."
Now a day's beautiful graphic design hard to find due to absence of interdisciplinary collaboration of a aesthetical form with relevant content and respiratory functions of elements exposed in design without applying insightful visualization and cosmetic to design skill. The essence of functional values, aesthetical presentation and philosophical approach in design must be presented with harmony, emotion and modernity.
As per Paul Kepple, "It will be increasingly important for designers to prove their worth as conceptual thinkers, idea generators and visual communicators."
Definitely passion of any type of learning is transformative itself. Digital technology is a significant step taken towards development of digital skill for job potential. But without learning design studies, digital non-literate skill harming the market segment in the field of graphic designing. Today non-designers mushroomed overnight in design industry; polluting spoiling and infecting the pleasant atmosphere of classical design and harming the potential of literate designer. Their unpleasant entry suddenly growing and rapidly decaying the atmosphere of classical design.
Tendency of committing visual plagiarism and accessing internet for required things and using them without recourse is growing among digital non-liberate skilled workers (clueless designers).
Communication Arts published an article "Believe in Magic" Do our clients ? Do we ? written by D. K. Holland put into words the discussion of design community about visual plagiarism or copyright infringement and appealed to stand up and protest the ripping of a designer's work and stated it's a creative abuse.
International design community is also helpless to refrain and advice to learn from debacle. Only the clients who knows the necessity of good design, consultants who appreciates to design culture can help to eradicate the visual pollution created by non-literate skill workers or sometimes literate designers who draft and craft the design as per client's choice and pollute the design. But literate designer try to understand the quote of Robert Miles Runyan, "A good designer will educate a client right , do an outstanding job of visual communication in the process, sell the client's product and satisfy his own aesthetic requirements along the way."
The consequences of this catastrophe caused due to visual plagiarism and misuse of internet by clueless designers are unable to eradicate or change. But, let us hope for the CHANGE if it's possible...... as per Jimmy Dean : I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
Prof. Hemant Nagdive