Week 4

How to be a Graphics Designer without Losing Your Soul Ch. 7-8
Adrian Shaughnessy speaks of clients in a rather enlightened tone. Since I have never been in any similar client-based relationships, I suppose I should interpret his words as Gospel for now. He seems quite sympathetic with the idea that it is natural for people to make false judgments about the relationship between themselves and their clients. After all, although the client and designer must interact and come to agreements, each of them is exposed to a distinctly different mode of experience. It is a common mistake, in perhaps all client-provider relationships (not just designers), to underestimate the value and significance of the client. Just as the success of a scientific invention will collapse if it doesn’t consider the public’s interpretation of it, the same rule stands for designers. No matter how “good” your design may actually be, the only litmus test that will determine whether it stands or falls is the client, and I think that to be the most essential point of this chapter. As Shaughnessy describes how to obtain, treat, and keep clients, I begin to realize that these actions are worthy of their own books.

Shaughnessy begins chapter 8 with a well-worded and much-needed “briefing” regarding the egoistic lens through which designers view their role in the world. Then again, if you ask anyone to provide an explanation regarding the value of his or her academic field, you will most likely be given a response that endures as long as you are willing to listen. Shaughnessy then emphasizes the fact that it is sometimes beneficial, in the long run, to work on a project that doesn’t have any apparent/direct utility. This seemed quote obvious to me, and the following sections seem to have illustrated something that is necessary for success in any field worthy of entry. That is, the more involvement we share with the design culture, the greater the chance of obtaining success within it.

Designing a Digital Portfolio, Chapter 4:
Although I found this section rather dry, it certainly eliminated a lot of guesswork that I would otherwise have had to do during the final stages of creating my portfolio. I can definitely understand why much of this information is important. If I was an employer, I’d doubtless want to avoid any frustration with poor navigation, file formats, etc. The section I found most useful was Doubling, on p. 72. I was under the impression that I would be able to separate drastically different types of artwork by putting the artwork into different sections, but I can see now why that wouldn’t make much sense.