Unique Style: A Designer's PerspectiveListThumbs
Unique Style: A Designer's Perspective
One of the greatest challenges when you are starting a design career is the pursuit of your own unique style. As designers, we sometimes think that having a unique style may be the only way to achieve success in the design world, but is that true?
In my opinion, having your own style can help, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the only way to succeed in the design business. However, if you want to be known as an artist or a digital artist it might be the best way to go.
My idea of a designer is a professional that has the skills to interpret the necessities of an audience, and the goals of the project; to create efficient products. This professional has to be very versatile and able to create all sorts of styles depending on the target audience his design was created to reach; but also able to add a bit of his own style to this mix.
This question still lingers in my head without a clear answer and I know that lots of designers have the same doubt. Because of that I decided to ask the real pros in the field this difficult question.
In this post we will hear from designers and digital artists such as James White, Tom Lane, Jonathan Wong, Rik Oostenbroek, and many others their point of view on the importance of having your own style. Also I’d like to ask you to leave a comment with your own point of view. Your opinion will help us to understand our profession a bit better.
A BIG thank you to Justin Maller of depthCore and superlover, without whom this article would not have been possible.
Tom Lane - www.gingermonkeydesign.com
I think it's important to be known to do something well; like working with type, championing products, drawing beautiful people, photographic montage/manipulation etc. so that you're recognisable within the industry. Have a stand out approach that art directors and other clients can be confident in. Have confidence that you can fulfill their requirements with experience and a proven track record. Additionally, your unique talent is something you can monopolize so you can see increased financial gains from your whole skill set. However, I think it's important to not have a style that simply gets applied to a different product, brand, person or whatever. When that happens, regardless of the quality, I feel all the pieces just become too much of a reincarnation and they loose their power to communicate as I can't see past the style.
James White - www.signalnoise.com
Style should not be about the destination, but rather the journey. I think it is more important for artists and designers to try new things and follow their own path in terms of evolving their work. Touching on something unique happens naturally through trial and error, so I think it is more important for designers to push themselves to get better at what they do, and how they do it.
Guilherme Marconi - http://marconi.nu/
I think it's important for designers/artists/illustrators to have their own unique style. Thats why clients, agencies and the people that buy art always choose you. You have created a style that they want for their next ad, or on their walls at home. Besides that, there are more advantages. People see your work and they recognize that it is yours. Magazines want to publish your work because it has a unique style. That's my opinion. "Go and find your style because that will define your position in the market".
Radim Malinic | Brand Nu - www.brandnu.co.uk/
There seems to be a think line between understanding of styles and work signature. One can find themselves using tool 'invented' by someone else and developing that further. In
the tutorial generation, people are hungry to know how this or that is done, striving to know the technical solution to the visual outcome. Designers are like musicans. They
play by scales, we work by CMYK. If you love Jimmy Page it may inspire you to play guitar and but somehow differently. Later on you're developing your own style. Same could be
applied to the designer's styles. When you learn to walk the designer walk, you might look around and absorb the finesse lurking out there. It's then up to you how deep you make
your own mark. You could mimic others or just invent your own. Inevitably, if you wish to be successful it's essential to stand out from the crowd ... that's the most important
factor.
Jonathan Wong - www.artofwong.com
It is important in that is pays to be original and to be able to design something in a style that is completely distinctive to you.
Eric Sin - www.projectsd.net
Not important to have a consistent "Style", so to speak, but a good flow of unique ideas and a bit of distinction within your work.
Brian Smith - www.skynerve.com
A designer's style being important is totally irrelevant. The importance of the designer to express his or her self supersedes any particular style he/she chooses to adopt.
David Mondou-Labbe - www.m0oo.com
I believe it's the whole point of being a designer, giving perspective by showing different avenues of the same medium.
Karan Singh - www.wakeupmrsingh.com
It's essential to have your own style. Whilst it's cliché and marginally corny to say everyone is unique, your style translates this and sets you apart from others.
Christopher Haines - www.neondistractions.com
An artist's style is important in the sense that he or she doesn't fade into the background with every other artist out there. That being said, being able to constantly innovate and try new things is also the sign of a great artist.
Ehren Kallman - www.nnuvo.org/
I read somewhere that perfection is a cheap rip off of style? This is true.
Perttu Murto - www.perttumurto.com
I don't really believe such things like "style" when it comes to designers. I think designers should try to produce something what looks good to to them in that time of their life. It might be same "style" in some time period. However what's more important for designer is to produce designs which follow the client style/brand more than designers own style. That is a important skill. I am talking about designers here, not illustrators. It's bit different when you are going to produce personal artwork.
Kai Isselhorst - www.dopaminart.com
Its important to be able to adapt anything to the clients wishes. Sometimes that can be harder than being original in style. So in my opinion its both equivalent.
Rik Oostenbroek - www.secretshowcase.com
I guess the feeling for style is more important, the flow, feeling for composition and colours are the major things I care about whenever making something for a client or for someone else, most of the time they tell you what kinda style they want ( if it's your own style or something they saw somewhere else. )
For Personal works is your style really important I guess to show off( on your online portfolio ) a bit. To show people you could give them something unique, to be different from all the other designing people around.
Alexander Radsby - www.aeform.net
To be stuck with one unique style is for the most part a bad thing. I think that a good designer should be able to express his thoughts using the style that you've gained through experience. Always be open minded, open to new ways of thinking, new ways of working and be adapt to the current situation. If you are open minded, your ideas and influences will change and you and your style will change with it. It's all about experience. Versatile designers are the interesting designers.
Mike Harrison - www.destill.net
It's not too important, reason being that after a while a designer will achieve a style that they enjoy creating the most, and that is unique to them. But it's also important to experiment with many styles to keep you on your toes so you don't get too comfortable in one area.
Kervin Brisseaux - www.brisseaux.com
I'm starting to discover more and more these days that for the designer in general, the concern should be less about style and more about the concept. If you have an innovative way of thinking, the style shows through via the conceptual process.
Nick Delaney - www.vandal.nu
I feel like a unique style is important, but the way people think they develop one is completely wrong. A unique style in my opinion comes naturally when the designer has a unique concept/idea. A lot of designers feel the need to force a style, by trying to approach their design differently and non-traditionally after the concept has been decided. This however in my opinion is the wrong way to go about it, a unique style typically comes naturally and subconsciously when the designer has developed a unique concept/idea. If the designer has what it take's he or she should be able to develop that unique idea into a a visual which in turn takes on its own unique style. All in all though, having developed several unique concepts and styles makes being a designer easier because if not you'll be just another fish in a small pond which is already packed - and instinctively competing to be the best and most recognized of all the designers using and repeating that specific style.
Leigh Flurry - www.fontdeli.co.uk
To create something that is unique and has come from the soul and mind, means the world of difference in this ever evolving industry in which competition is stiff.
Ee Venn Soh - www.behance.net/vennsoh
I do think it is important for designer to have their own distinct style. The designers can try different approaches and techniques when experimenting. But eventually, the designer will find something he likes best and create something that can uniquely identify himself from others.
Bruno Fujii - http://illustplosion.com/
Reaching a level where your style becomes unique is very important. When the designer reachs it, he end up being a reference and he got known by it - that's a good thing, but it can be a tricky thing at the same time; since it's important to be versatile and able to analyze the project and create something good, regardless of the style.
Editor: David Parrott
About the author
My name is Fabio Sasso, I'm a graphic/web designer from Porto Alegre, Brazil and I'm the founder of Abduzeedo. I hope we can share lots of information, tips, and ideas through Abduzeedo. Also you can follow me on Twitter or my personal site at http://fabiosasso.com.
20 Comments
As I replied on Twitter... Why should a designer have their own style? Designer's should design what a client needs.
Nice article,
I think every designer needs there own unique style, otherwise all design would be the same, like you fabio your style is unique to you with the spacey theme and lighting effects that you achieve, whenever I see something like that I always know it's you that has made it...
Interesting Read..Thanks :D
Hmm difficult area, but i think to be a good designer having your own 'style' and sticking to that can really hold you back. Its your job to give the client what THEY want, now that may be not what YOU want.
This is why i envy artists!! You guys are awesome!!!
I think this depends. On the artsier side of design, I certainly admire unique style among artists. However, I've also heard a very successful agency say that one of their largest clients was pleased most when the agency adapted their style to match the company brand instead the other way around -- an ongoing problem this client had with previous agencies.
I think there's some truth to that. I think wanting a "unique style" can sometimes interfere with serving the client. So style's importance depends on the situation.
"dont try to be original, just try to be good."
paul rand
thats a quote that works very well with young designers.
sorry for my language im from uruguay
I think for some artist, it is an advantage to have a particular style, for a particular audience. Each designer may have a particular way of visualizing a given task, but I think in the long run Graphic Design is all about communication and if your style is communicating the given message, that is great!!..if not just switch the style up and make the money pile up!
simply put it..design for the given audience :o)
Copying someone else's style will create an inferior outcome. You simply can't reach the original author's level of experience without going through your own stage of personal experimentation. And once you do things your way, according to your style and based on your experience, people will identify that type of design to you. Thanks for emphasizing originality, Fabio. Good round-up.
I agree, that for start designer just needs to be good and try to do everything so client is satisfied. Of course in future You'll get Your own style automatically because of spending years in one sphere.
I love abduzeedo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do not imitate other designer's style just learn from it... if you can do good its better... ^_^
Nice read...
Designers are for audience not for clients. Not all clients are your audience!
Nice article, I also follow your tutorials.
Thanks for the post!
One more addition, www.secretshowcase.com.
I'm not a graphic designer... yet.. i just use photoshop and illustrator for fun and hoping to go to a art college soon, but I guess you shouldn't focus on having your own style. You should just do what you do and your "style" will just occur through trail and error and it will grow in time with your art. You shouldn't worry about being original, you should just do what you think looks good and beyond.
Style = Fart
I´ve visit you guys at abduzeedo about a year ago maybe more and i just wanna say congratulations!! we need people like you in the world, profesional and worry about make thinks right.
About this topic i think you are right, as designers we need to think about our client and our client´s audience and have the skills to make design for every one, however there is always a part of us dealing with this, it´s our way of working, our "style", we can focus on the target but there is something inside us in a very personal way, (our background or education), thats always in our work.
We need to be objective without loosing our subjectivity, thats our trade mark.
I just read something that made me think of this post and the question that was asked here. It's a quote from Chip Kidd:
"I've been described as not having any recognizable style and that's one of the greatest compliments I could hope for. I want each book to have as much of its own individual personality as possible, based on what it is and what it's about."
I believe in this statement. As a designer you should be able adapt to a clients need and the need of the project. It challenges you to learn new things, which helps you become a better designer.
I see a lot of the portfolio's that are profiled on this site and the work is amazing but it's always a specific style. We all know that styles come and go and if you don't diversify you'll get left behind. For example, take the beautiful works of Scott Hansen (www.iso50.com). I love them! But they are a very specific style, and there's only so many times that he can repeat this style before people start saying "ok I've seen this already, what else can you do?"
The same thing goes for musicians. If you look at the major bands that have lasted for more than a couple albums you'll notice that they evolve and change their musical style. Sometimes it's little by little, sometimes in a big way.
Thank You very nice topic
Nice work ,great collection. Thanks for the share.
Jacob says:
"As I replied on Twitter... Why should a designer have their own style? Designer's should design what a client needs."
I disagree with that in multiple circumstances.
There are multiple ways to convey a single message. If a client hires you to design a particular thing, you can convey that message while still doing it in a manner that you are used to and best suits your taste (a.k.a. your style). Saying designers shouldn't have their own style implies that there is only one way to communicate any single message.
Some people are also hired based on the look of their previous artwork to create something in that particular style. While this may be closer to a commissioned fine art piece rather than design, having a personal style is the only way you will get asked to do this.
In addition to what I said, people can also have multiple styles...
I think the major problem is that many people see things online and copy them so much that they think it becomes their style. In reality it becomes an overused trend. For example, a lot of things on Abduzeedo the same although created by multiple people. Don't get me wrong, I think Fabio is great at what he does and is the pioneer of his own great look. He really does great work.
It's the hundreds of people that copy that look and expect others to think it's original and great that is annoying.
I'm really very useful to follow a long-time see this as a blog here Thank you for your valuable information.
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