Are Designers resistant to change?
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- neue75_bold0
there are many types of designers...
there are those that blindly see a redesign as personal opportunity/gain, the chance to make their mark, and often equally as blindly, follow mapped out business objectives and client briefs without question. I'd generalise and say these designers 'believe' in the future and also 'believe' there's nothing wrong with the present... [they also usually have no clue about typography]
there are others who realise that rebranding is a waste of time, money and energy if the only concern is to change public perception, unless it's following a shift or change in business practice.. but often you wouldn't see these designers working in the corporate sector because art school and a year of corporate experience made it abundantly clear that they would be wasting their time...
there are others who know what they're doing is misguided, purposeless and ultimately wrong. they do the best that they can and have real passion for design and communication, but for one reason or another threw in the towel years prior so they could make a living and sleep 'decently' at night...
what's my point? I'm not completely sure, but I do know that's it's the first group that I have the biggest issue with as agents and advocates of change...
- Agreed.
Sort of.
But which pigeon-hole do you cram yourself into?pylon - I lay limp somewhere between 2 & 3, but I've not given up yet...neue75_bold
- otherwise I would've stayed in toronto ;)neue75_bold
- sorry, didn't mean that as any offense, but I reckon you know what I'm getting at..neue75_bold
- lolpylon
- Agreed.
- D_Dot0
I think that some designers are scared that if they don't like a new style and it does well, they may have to start re-creating it for their clients. So they poo-poo all over it in an attempt to cut it off at it's ankles... so to speak.
- Douglas0
I was just reading this and found it relevant.
http://bokardo.com/archives/the-…
- ian0
I quite like these, get rid of all the shitty grapical shite that gets thrown at a design and you're left with simple elegance:
Also, are these real, cos they're pretty cool.
- agreedjayoh
- I love the new coke stuffkelpie
- Agreed, except for the word "zero". I like the idea, but it just doesn't work for me.BRNK
- those aluminum cans are real...I had onemonospaced
- jfletcher0
From what I've seen, most designers whine or are highly critical for little to no reason, rather than resistant to change. I see most people discuss change like it's bad, but as ESP mentioned, design DOES have a shelf life. Designers create designs that are socially and culturally relevant, which means they would need to change over time. Very few designs are really timeless. Most need to be changed based on relevant cultural changes.
btw - dig the topic. I'd love to see more like this on QBN :)
- totally, most of the time. Change is bad, at least is what you read here..Meeklo
- Meeklo0
WeLoveNoise
no way
i design something - then a month later - i wana do it again...................................
I'm the same way! but it's different, cause when I'm responsible for the change, then it's ok, (for me of course). With either brands conceived by me, or client brands that I consider absolutely hideous, but when I work with an established brand that I really like , its almost an honor to have their mark on my work, its like a trophy for my portfolio you know?
It's a good opportunity to bring up Media Temple, which had a great strategy, associating themselves with top designers (that most likely will re-sell/ or recommend the company in their networks) by sponsoring them in return of having their mark on their site.
1000s of designers started to add the MT mark on their own sites, because of this "status" feeling that you get from MT strategy.
- brandelec0
i think change in general is welcomed as long as it's a good change and not just for the sake of change. I see the same reaction to a new brand as i do to a revised brand. but i think the reaction to change is more profound because there's something automatically to compare it to.
- chuparosa0
Unfettered by wonky design briefs, designers will produce great work. A rebrand is a great project if you are allowed to bring your best and showcase your finest.
- but all re-brand has to respond to previous target study, it has to have an objective, its not just about being prettyMeeklo
- and I'm not saying you said that.. Im just saying :)Meeklo
- Totally agree. Designers inherently understand the need for strategy in communication in a rebrand.chuparosa
- The note before this sounds nice but is far from true. Many designers I've met are only concerned with prettyvoiceof
- centro0
I use PageMaker
- Meeklo0
Regarding Ian's post above with the new coke bottles.
I like this too a lot, maybe because like he said, some graphic elements were eliminated, so in a way its cleaner, but the color and iconic type stayed the same, so in a way the change is not as bold as the one on the Pepsi brand.
Could this be the reason we like it more?
In a way, coke (like it or not) has always led the battle against coke, so in a way it might be good that their rebranding is not as drastic.Pepsi on the other hand needs to stand out, with the recent change they did, I think it will get attention because it looks so different, personally (and like most people here) I don't like it, the new typeface looks ugly to me, but maybe its because its so different from their previous look, and I can't accept that.
(and I don't even like pepsi that much)
- SigDesign0
designers are picky but love change... so maybe not everyone likes what somebody else designed... maybe it's just the fact that everyone wants to change it...
- Fariska0
If you go on K10k >about and then the question named
"Why do these web zines all look the same?"the k10k crew answers
"When you look around on the web you see many similar sites, running more or less the same concept as K10k.
And, no, the idea is not new, making a forum for designers blah-blah-blah. And yes, the so-called design community is an inbred, achingly narrowminded and very conservative one, in the sense that everybody borrows ideas off each other and get inspired by more or less the same things - in fact look the same (read: Swedish - 20-something - likes skateboarding - used to win all these competitions back home - in the village, saunas, obscure t-shirts, Mogwai and Aphex Twin, all WARP, talks about "the importance of content" and "anti-web") - no wonder everything looks the same ... there's not much out there yet and everybody is just finding their feet. It is OK we think."I still think that the above point is valid nowdays.
- anxiousarms0
i think as long as a design is GOOD, especially if it's a brand, that any GOOD designer will recognize that it's a good design and support it.
however, if something is bad most designers are going to jump on it and beat it to death based on the fact that it's what they base their lives and careers on.
i don't think it's a mater of change. it think it's a matter of taste and talent.
- Meeklo0
Here is another example I liked:
in a way, its a refined version of the original, the tilt on the head is now on the background, color update, and more definition on the character, type is the same, but more prominent.
So in a way is not a drastic change from the last one, (kinda like with the coke bottle).
- is this technically a re-brand or just a refresh of the current brand? is there a difference?anxiousarms
- also he's got an apron... so less formal. he's getting his hands dirty with the people7point34
- kfc now endorsed by adidasbrandelec
- good point anxious, maybe there is a difference..Meeklo
- ETM0
The problem is corporate always thinks a rebrand will fix their problems, and often end up replacing a strong branding or campaign with an inferior substitute.
- nateb0
Designers are resistant to losing control.
The business is about reasoning, process, organization. Change causes a shift in that organization which can be difficult for the mind to handle. Everybody is susceptible to stress from change. The designer's mind is just a little bit more so.
- Meeklo0
Here are some examples that I remember received mostly negative feedback:
Maybe its because the changes are stronger, the Discovery logo has a bit of connection left with the previous mark, but there is a big change on the typeface. The animal logo is totally different, they look like 2 different brands, the change is big on both of these.
I actually like them, the discovery one specially, animal planet is growing on me.
- Fariska0
How much of it is "eal substantial design change and how much of it just a change of style?
- Fariska0
How much of it is "eal substantial design change and how much of it just a change of style?
- jfletcher0
There are few things from my past conference talks that I'll pull up.
1. If you accept design as a process that includes socially relevant content, then change is almost alwasy nessisary over time.
2. In response to the K10K comment, I encourage designers to look for inspiration outside their field. If people always look to inspiration *in their field, they'll simply do what's already been done. Look outside and find something new.
btw - if anyone is attending IXDA09 in Vancouver, I'll be speaking there on 2/8 around 2:50pm I think. Sign up :)