Design is very subjective. Some people can interpret one design as “good design” while others may look at it and see nothing interesting. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The two great minds of Paul Rand and Steven Heller both looked at the concept of advertising from two different angles, with each coming to a conclusion about the relationship between design, corporations, and the underground mainstream.
From the point of view of Paul Rand, design is less a business than a calling. Rand brings up culture jamming, which is a form of protest used to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. An example is a designer creating a Coca Cola variation that instead states “Enjoy Capitalism”. This design uses the same typeface and colors as the original but has a different meaning. He also believes that ideas are the lifeblood of any form of meaningful communication. An open mind is required in this field of work. Narrowmindedness doesn’t create room for growth. While some other jobs and career professions are factual based, referring to a set of information obtained from reading books and research, design is subjective and must be designed for the audience. The design field is an easy profession to get into however, it requires constant adaptation and improvements. There is no “perfect” design. Every piece of work will be judged critically by others, but it is an opinion based profession rather than a factual one. In the text “Good Design Is Good Will” it states, “There is no set body of knowledge that must be mastered by the practitioners… What a designer does is not limited to any particular idea or form… It embodies visual ideas…”
Mainstream design, however, leans more towards profiting and political change. It is sometimes even used to alter the opinions of viewers and change their mindset on a certain topic. This is manipulation. A perfect example is the political cartoons. These cartoons were made for the purpose of conveying editorial commentary on politics, politicians, and current events. It has become easy for political cartoons to shape and set forth a certain narrative about someone or something without giving much information. In today’s society, companies and industries prefer to use design to create propaganda and promotional advertisements.
Good assessment and example. Your point says a lot about this class, “There is no “perfect” design. Every piece of work will be judged critically by others, but it is an opinion based profession rather than a factual one.” Here, you are developing your ability to communicate your opinion through the written word!