The Artist vs. The Designer

I was reading an article “You Are Not A Designer” and it stirred up some feelings in me on he subject that I have been wanti9ng to explore. This was the catalyst I needed for me to get writing.

I think what’s going on here is that we have “The Artist” vs. “The Designer” and the way applications are used. The Artist is only concerned with the look and feel of the creation whereas The Designer is concerned about both the look and feel as well as the technical details required to make the creation work. The Artist is someone who uses these applications to only create what Designers build. Is the ability to create something Boolean? Yes. You either created it or not. But to design something such as a UI is to have an understanding of “how” or the “purpose” for creating said UI. The path to understanding design is not found in the “tools” drop down menu.

Not to take anything away from those who use applications to get the job done. I designed my first web site back in ‘94 using Photoshop and wrote the HTML by hand using Pico. Today I use the Adobe Creative Suite to build sites, however I also know the code and can do it by hand. But as projects grew and time lines shrunk these tools proved their usefulness.

I feel those Artists who use applications and wear the “Designer” badge can be classified as either: Novice, Advanced User, Expert.

The Novice is just starting out. They will most likely use some WYSIWYG because it helps speed up the process. They may be doing this as a hobby or it could be a career move for them as some point.

The Advanced User is not all that new to the game and is very good at using the applications to achieve their goals like the “Painter” Stevie mentioned. They may have a formal background in the arts but don’t “waste” time with learning things outside of their box. “Just let the application do it for me.”

The Expert is the person who knows what’s going on up top and under the hood. They know why the code is behaving a certain way, they know why it’s best to use a certain technique in Photoshop over another. They may be formally trained in the arts or computers but have taken the steps to learn or become familiar with the details outside of their box.

In any case, to be able to create something takes initiative and talent. Does that mean the end result is any less important? Not if serves it’s purpose.

My Mother, Pat Gaines-Mills is a very accomplished Artist who went to school to study Art and now has work hanging all over Indiana and abroad. Me, I’m an accomplished Designer who went to school to study Psychology and has sites all over the web.

My Mom is great at painting anything from abstract compositions to the endangered Black Rhinos in Africa. But if you need an interactive presence I’m the one to call. Love you Mom