Comments on: What they don’t teach you about identity design in design schools…

By: Daniel Braxton

Daniel Braxton — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:43:30 +0000

Paula,
I read this several years ago when first in design school and I remember focusing specifically on the points you make concerning the multiple demands of a high-end designer. I appreciated the advice, knowing that as a designer - my training in the design process often leads to larger picture system-oriented thinking. This served as inspiration. Six months out of school and into the market - I find your piece again, at the behest of a former teacher, and gladly so. This time it means even more to me, having spent the time (albeit just beginning) making design decisions for clients at a new more rapid rate, learning to trust the instincts that your professors told you you were building, and not getting the luxury of the long critique on every project. This pushed me to focus on being an even more salient communicator - an inherent part of the process of becoming a competent (maybe someday very good) designer. I look forward to reading it again in the future and finding yet another layer of truth.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:06:01 +0000

Hi Paula, what you wrote is very interesting and so true. I do believe that one of the reasons why sometimes design students at school find themselves stuck in producing logos which finally does not have that memorable impact; though beautiful, is due to the lack of time spend on developing a strong concept, to the time spent on the design process. This unbalanced process often makes it difficult to come forward in producing that simple approached and memorable logo; like the swoosh logo of Nike. A success-story, the swoosh logo mark of Nike holds a strong concept and philosophy behind, which contributed to make it not only memorable but also powerful. My main approach when developing a logo for a company or product is to focus on the main characteristics and philosophy, with the aim of finding the focal point.
Last year, I did a logo for a security company. I customized a bull head that illustrated the company’s character of being very hard and on alert. I tried to make it as simple as I could, but still had to put some details so that it could reflects the appropriate temper the client wanted. - Jeremy

By: Derrick Harvey

Derrick Harvey — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:18:16 +0000

Great article! I would have to say that a designer with multiple disciplines or knowledge of, can make them strong. I think a strong designer like that can adapt into any firm.
As a student who is currently in school, I do not understand how some students do minimal construct on their projects, and during presentations, student and instructors alike will commonly accept the lacking by saying things like, “well you’ll have someone doing that for you”. I think its absurd and takes from what a really good designer can become.