During our stint over at Fuel Your Creativity, one of our favorite parts was interacting with the community in the discussions we would have. We always valued those opportunities to connect and the insights that were shared, so we wanted to bring those discussions back to the forefront of what we are doing, as we also felt they were great ways to enrich the community through open and honest discussions about design and the creative process. Enter our new series, Arbenting Asks Aloud.
Because overall, as most do, we have questions. And instead of keeping them and the answers to ourselves, we have decided to once again engage the community, and ask the questions aloud.
The Question
Since this is the first question that we are posing on Arbenting, we thought we would take it back to the basics. The first area that designers are encouraged to study to truly be labeled as designers, the theory? So lets have it...
How important is design theory?
Do you think it's all bunk that you need this background to get started, or is it boundlessly beneficial? Go ahead and discuss.
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I thought I would go ahead and get the ball rolling. I think that design theory is extremely important. I’m of the mind that design is half creativity and half theory, you can’t create a great design without a good handle on both.
When it comes to things like UX, there is a standard that most people are accustomed to, and breaking out of that mold is usually not a good idea. You need to know color theory to know the feelings that are invoked by each color. That way you don’t use a red background on a project that is meant to feel calming.
There are tons of examples like these where knowledge of design theory is imperative.
I agree, Angie.
I’ll add that, to me, design is more about effective problem solving than just “making things pretty”– otherwise, it’s art in my book. So, in order to communicate solutions effectively, there needs to be an understanding– even at an instinctive level– of design theory.
Very well put, Rafael! The ‘communicating of solutions effectively’ is an awesome addition to the dialog. I really like the way you broke it down. Thanks for commenting.
Yes, design theory is important and there are many ways that it is is a vital part of design. It’s like building a house, you need to have a good solid foundation to build upon. My education was a systematic process of learning about design. History, color theory, visual communications, typography, design processes, photography and applied design to name a few. We (students) occasionally questioned projects and exercises we were assigned and did not understand that we were learning design theory: design process, positive and negative space, visual balance, typography and other aspects of design. I can look back and see how important those assignments were in the development of my design skills.
On the other hand, I believe there are some people who have a natural design talent and an inherent knowledge of design. Sometimes their lack of formal education allows them freedoms when they create where I might feel restricted by my knowledge of theory and processes.
Great comment! I really appreciate the insights you offer. I especially like the last part, where you consider the other side of the coin, and perceive the possibility of more freedom coming at it from that perspective. Very interesting insight, indeed! Thanks again.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I especially like how you have made allowance for those individuals who understand design and its intricacies but have never had formal education in that medium.
I have not studied design, all my life throughout my schooling I aspired to be a doctor, a neurosurgeon actually and honed my mind and skills accordingly. A twist of fate and one lousy mark landed me in Computer Engineering and I was flying blind as a bat on a busy freeway. So for 4 years I studied Electrical circuits, networking, computer architecture, robotics and a bunch of other subjects I still have no clue about. Once I finished my Bachelors degree, I got my first taste of the internet. I got hold of an HTML book, discovered Photoshop and set sail.
Over the years, I have learnt a lot about design but not from books and compendiums. Rather from observing things, people, the world around us, the light and shadows, the colors and elements. I don’t know where I would be right now if I would’ve studied design, but I feel free, untethered and unrestrained where design is concerned. Maybe I would be more enriched as a designer, but it wouldn’t have affected my creativity, cause that is inherent, isn’t it?
I feel that a passion for what you want to do, a strong will and absolutely, irrevocably loving what you do .… if you have these, it doesn’t really matter whether you have formal training or not because the sheer hunger to learn will take care of everything itself. :)
Well said Sneh! Observation can be a powerful tool for learning, and can aid in building a functional understanding free from the boundaries that structured educational settings can attach.
Hmmm I think it is good to read up on typography and usability etc however it is not necessarily essential. There may be a few designers out there to whom which design comes natural and anything they produce tends to agree with current standards whereas others may think they have produced a masterpiece but have not.
Design theory should be understood and but it shouldn’t restrict users creativity. If an article tells you never to use a textured background because they are deemed to be to distractive, you don’t have to abide by this rule.
However, opinion is usually overruled due to usability which involves detailed testing. You may feel using a textured background looks good and works well with the design but if the users who visit your site disagree than you should not use a textured background.
Hmmmmm I’ll stop my waffling :/
Liam McCabe´s last blog ..#23 Creative Logos of the Week!
Thanks for the comment, Liam. Very nice breakdown. I think as you said, design theory should not inhibit people’s creativity. Too often, I think we can find ourselves restricted by this without knowing it. I think more folks need to find this balance and ability to challenge what they think they know as ‘the rules’.
I have not studied design, just like Sneh, i even got Master Science degree on Faculty of Electronic Engineering, but never find it so excited as graphic and web design.
I have learnt a lot about deign just by watching what other people do. But then I think it would be much easier to me, if I have knowledge about design theory.
Nikola Lazarevic´s last blog ..Creative Web Form Designs: Ideas And Realizations
Thanks, Nikola, I am thinking that like others have said, this background can be helpful, and as you said, make things easier throughout the design process. It seems as though it may have both ups and downs. It can make things easier, and also possibly tie our hands a bit creatively.
Design Theory is vital in connecting with your audience. While artists’ work usually derives from personal experiences and is a reflection of themselves, designers create art for the masses.
Our job as designers is to create an infrastructure that allows users/viewers to interact socially or professionally for a specific demographic. So, design theory tells us to consider our audience…are they younger or older? Male or female? Are they using your design infrastructure for business or pleasure? What is the mood you want your user/viewer to receive? What action are you trying to drive from your user/viewer?
Design theory also guides us in considering usability, color choice, and overall layout — all in all it must achieve a successful end result and connect with your audience.
Wow, Lauren, that was a fantastic answer! Thanks. So many great points, all bringing us back to the ever important audience. Knowing not only your audience, but also how to connect with them is crucial, and why clients hire designers in the first place. So this background that can make it all happen is a vital element that our design arsenal can feel lacking without. Thanks again for the insight. :D
Design theory is key to creating great websites. When designers apply theory, you create visually attractive layouts, user-friendly interfaces, and you COMMUNICATE. The goal of a website is to communicate some sort of idea, thought, etc. By using design theory you communicate to your websites visitors the message you are trying to convey through color, shape, etc.
From personal experience, I don’t think you need a lot of experience in this background to get started, I didn’t. While an artistic background is definitely helpful, it is certainly not a requirement to get started, a lot you can pick up on the way by creating, revising, and changing.
Awesomely said, Chris. I love the way we keep coming back to theory helping the design to communicate with the viewer. That is an element beyond necessary to keep your work from falling flat. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a few thoughts with us.
Well, I would say, ‘Design Theory’ is the basic foundation for the creation of any object. It is the planning that is done before actually trying to realize any product/art. I think it bridges the gap between what we can perceive and what we can produce.
Design and creativity are quite different from each other. The reason simply being, design has a theory(as you aptly put); whereas creativity on the other hand, just comes from within. It is not controlled by rules.
As for the answer, I would say, ‘Design theory’ sometimes plays a crucial rule in achieving the exact results because most of us are bred with it. As Angie says, it is a ‘Standard’ and we are prone to ‘accept’ it. Thinking beyond ‘the theory’ is what is important. Creativity comes into picture when we experiment with the different ways of executing the ‘Design Theory’
Very well put, Richie. I like the differentiation you offer on design and creativity. That the latter is the experimentation of the execution of the theory behind design. I had never considered it from that line of thinking, and I really appreciate you taking the dialog in that direction.