Questioning “Graphic” Design 04
Questioning “Graphic” Design 04. 03 02 01
On Design atheism
By Admin I: as this blog grows, things change. Some of our so called beliefs dramatically shift to take different aspects, and in the end, we’re not world saviors, even though some graphic designers think they are. We previously wrote about the fact that “Graphic” Design, in the traditional sense of the word, died a long time ago, yet even then, it was nothing but a basic form of ‘commercial art’, a tool.
So we used to believe that ‘Design’ is the wholesome concept, the roots that we should all refer to, but let me cut it short: even ‘Design’ is dead, whatever, you know what? Call us ‘Design atheists’.
Wait, this is not another dark post that will make you yawn, or it might be one, but what is left for us to stand for in today’s communication field is nothing but 2 main tools that we can indulge in: literature and talent, and by talent, I mean illustration.
Who cares if you can photoshop a head onto a donkey’s body, properly use or abuse typography, or unethically intimidate whoever tries to shake your design throne, no really, who cares? All visual aspects feel out of context, out of value, but the genuine connection between head and hand, writing and drawing. It is mainly what scares designers in this country, that they try to shut it, to outshine the hell of it; why do you know a kitsch couch designer and you fail to know David Habchy or Fouad Mezher or Jorj abou Mhaya? Why do you drool over an internship at a reputable agency, while you lack the brain to buy a 5000 LBP Samandal issue?
You know why? Because language and hand intimidate those flamenco birds, they cannot fight it back but with a cheap weapon called channeling, dissecting and layering. They made ‘illustration’ a detail in design, a course in education, just like the split that happened to activism, it got channeled into specific directions (gay activism, feminism, etc..) to lessen the impact of the whole mass, and this was when activism died.
Design has been butchered, flattened and split into layers of specificity, making you write less, say less and do less.
I don’t believe in design, if you’re a student, drop your major, go and write, collaborate, illustrate and don’t use their weapons.
Brofessional Review 
Sorry, I’m really deceived by this post. It feels like a random rant that’s full of gibberish. I have no idea what you’re trying to say. I’ll just assume you were high when you wrote it.
It’s an opinion, just like every other post on this blog.
Sometimes this blog confuses me, I kind of get what you’re trying to say here but it’s coming off pretentious and pretty condescending. Design is dead yadda yadda yadda, this post was obviously written by a ‘rebelious’ design student.
I would blame it on 4/20, but this was written a day before.
There’s nothing pretentious in expressing a mere opinion on design, proven by the examples stated all along the post.
I happen to believe that illustration and literature (narratives) are the real deal, while design is the pretentious package.. Feel free to discuss the idea, not the personal attitude.
I agree with Patrick. Very pretentious indeed. Design students take one, two or max three courses in illustration only to know the basics of illustration and to know how to communicate with illustrators who are other people who specialize in illustration and are paid to illustrate. Illustration is one of many mediums of design. Designers are NOT illustrators. Great designers might not even know how to draw a stick man. It is not their job to do so.
Your assumption alienates the greatest graphic designers, and probably the founders of this field/major.
You love illustration, great. You are talented enough to graduate with a BA in Graphic Design and pursue the life of an illustrator like Fouad did, even greater. If not, I suggest looking up universities abroad that can give you a degree in illustration rather than graphic design. *gasp* Yes, they are two different things.
No, they BECAME two different things, because one field is in direct relation with money, money gives authority, authority gives monopoly over other fields that depend less on that same economic cycle, like illustration.
If you’re really convinced that we can find ways to alienate “the greatest graphic designers, and probably the founders of this field/major” please guide us, cause in my ‘humble’ opinion, they alienate human intelligence with every single work they do/course they teach.
Last time I checked, majors or field separate is because they mature enough to become two seperate fields. Medicine was one general major once upon a time, now it’s like hundreds of different majors. Same thing with design.
And please elaborate on how all “graphic designers/design teachers alienate human intelligence with every single work they do/course they teach.” You can go write a blog on how naive or ignorant I am, but I really didn’t get how that is possible.
Dear, the problem is that the 2 fields did not become separate as a result of maturity, the thing is that one ate the other and smashed its existence!
It’s indeed an insult for human intelligence when graphic design is promoted as the world changing phenomenon, as a socio-political field, as a problem-solving practice. Dear, graphic design is a damn profession, just like a cashier in a grocery store, no more no less: she smiles at you, you pay her, the end.
and again, this is JUST AN OPINION.
I would suggest you wait for the 05 sequel of this post, it’s a rebuttal by another admin 🙂
I know some good illustrators who can’t even create a logo. Case closed.
If they’re good illustrators, they shouldn’t know. Branding is the shittiest aspect of design, so I cannot see your point.
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