Vernacular Design

"We're Here To be Bad"

So, there IS in fact an impending doom in a Graphic Designer's career according to Tibor Kalman and Karrie Jacobs in their article We're Here to be Bad. The point at which the perfect balance between creative intuitiveness and the ability to follow instruction becomes swayed. The point at which designers fall into the cracks of so many other designers and produce only "good" work in sake of the client's pleasure, rather than "great" work that relays a message to the client.

What sets these designers apart from other designers? Individuality gets thrown out the door. This is where the field becomes competitive and "great" designers either become rare or impossible to find. In any case, the point of this article is to serve as a reminder to what power you have as a Graphic Designer. Become "bad". It means that you should realize that design is what usually sells a the company rather than the product, and that designers hold this power. 

There are companies that hire designers or people in general who look for designers, and these clients are numb to "good" design; in tune to the belief that imitating big named companies and professional designers is the key to success,. Switch it up. Create bad, but efficient and functional, design. Something that hits home to the audience and makes them sit uneasy. You'll come to understand  that "bad" design such as this turns out to be the equivalent of "great" design. You stand out as a designer with skills and awareness of his/her audience and the effects of your design on them. So keep in mind:

• Lack of creativity = Lack of great work
• Graphic Designers run shit, in actuality. But only when we create "inappropriate design"; design that goes      against professional standards.
• Realize your job as a communication designer, and not as a slave graphic artist

"Professionalism, Amateurism and the Boundaries of Design"

What is deemed "professional", and what is deemed "amateur" in the world of Design? Technically speaking, professional is classified as work done by a designer who has gone to school and served as an apprentice under another "professional" before his/her time. This makes sense because it is a process of gaining higher level of experience to strive in the field of design. But, why is it that some "amateurs" who self teach themselves the dynamics of the field, who have the capability to produce work that equals the work of a "professional"? 

Technological advances, leaks, and learning tools available in the most inexpensive acquirable locations, make it possible for any and everyone to pick up on the practice of design. So what sets the bar from Graphic Design being more of an occupation rather than a hobby? Mentioned in the excerpt, there was a movement called the "Morris' Arts and Crafts Movement" which tried to push "accessibility, democratization, and ambiguity" into the practice of design during the 19th Century.

Nevertheless, "professionalism" sticks with its definition in design, and is acknowledged as a separate entity from "amateurism" still. However, some qualities of being an amateur should not be overlooked.

• Given the accessibility of designer tools and knowledge the whole aspect of professionalism in design can be re-thought.
• Amateurism can give way to creative intuitiveness within professionalism. So it serves a significant purpose.

Vernacular Design is the visual slang of the design world. To truly understand, you must know the in's and out's of the "visual language".