The "Right Way" vs. The "Wrong Way"

[Zehna]

So... I go to Full Sail University. For those that do not know; one of it's biggest qualities is it's Digital Art and Design program. This is the program that I attend, and I will graduate in June. (FINALLY)

Now... in Full Sail, they barely teach you crap in the first... year and a half *coughs* about actual DESIGN. They more or less hand you a program (such as Photoshop, In Design, Illustrator, etc.) and say: "Here are some tutorials we made. Learn how to use this program in one month, and on the way, do two projects." So... we do. But they don't actually tell us if the projects are crap or not, we really just get passed along to the next class.

So... now that I am in the last stretch of school, I am beginning to hear: "Oh, that's not art." I created a logo recently (we had to brand ourselves. In one month. Lol.) and... I was told: "It looks too much like an illustration. Go back and redo it!" And I was sitting there like... "Are you frickin' kidding me!?" I mean... is there REALLY a right and wrong way to do something!? There is the 'expected' way... but is there really a 'wrong' way? I mean, if everyone followed the 'right way' rules, we wouldn't be progressing and finding new trends and things in design that people like. Plus, I suck at making logos... so, does that mean I have to learn HOW to make a logo like people 'expect' it to be, just to brand myself? Why can't I have something a bit different? Maybe it's 'wrong' to designers... but maybe it's 'interesting' to someone else. Maybe people will enjoy it because it's different?

It just makes me so angry. They showed us videos of people (such as the art director of Taxi, a large design company. [Sorry if I said that wrong]), saying they like seeing things different--out of the norm... and then tell me to change my stuff because it's 'not right'? That doesn't even make sense!

I was just wanting to hear everyone elses' opinions. It makes me annoyed. What about you? Do you agree, disagree or are you somewhere in between?

[Noah Bradley]

Logos are fairly specialized creations with a very distinct purpose. They should communicate clearly as much as possible about your brand, as quickly as possible. Their ability to be reproduced on any number of sizes/surfaces/colors is also essential.

So while I'd hate to say that there's "wrong" ways to go about things in design, I would say that a design doesn't work if it isn't fulfilling its purpose.

Want to show us what you made?

[cmalidore]

There are right times and wrong times to take chances on a design. Yes, creativity is good - but the last thing a client wants to buy is uncertainty. When a guy asks for something he wants to know it's going to help sell his product.... and if it's against the norm, it may not do that. Bad way to live in a commercialized setting. That's not to say, don't try new things as you go. Just figure out where it's appropriate.

[dose]

If you want to be professional, you owe it to yourself to learn the ins and outs of the areas you plan to work in. If you don't care about logo design, fine- don't put the logo from your assignment on your website or your business card (You don't necessarily need a logo, or brand yourself quite so literally- you brand yourself as an artist by having consistent, excellent work in a specific area). Focus on the areas you actually want a career in and learn as much as you can about what's been done in it before. Find awards books and shows and find out why the ones that are winning are winning. Learn about composition and design. Find out who influenced your favorite artists, then who influenced them. There's a line you need to tread between "I've done the research and know what's out there and here's my unique take on it." and "Why can't I do whatever I want and people will love it and pay me for it?"

If you want to just use a bunch of programs to poop out whatever you feel like without regard to centuries of development in picture-making and design, you'll be right in the mix with a million other Full Sail grads. You'll be far from unique.

[Zehna]

Logos are fairly specialized creations with a very distinct purpose. They should communicate clearly as much as possible about your brand, as quickly as possible. Their ability to be reproduced on any number of sizes/surfaces/colors is also essential.

I DEFINITELY agree with you for most of that; however... I feel that there are a few working logos which I think don't really show what the product is, just more of wanting to fill you with a unique emotion. And then there are just things like "Shell" Gas... Sure, you get the name from the logo. Shell. But you don't get what Shell is, if you couldn't see the gas station below it. I think it's a fine line as well. Not to argue at all! Just confuses me and makes me wonder where the line is.

There are right times and wrong times to take chances on a design. Yes, creativity is good - but the last thing a client wants to buy is uncertainty.

And that I most certainly agree with as well! I feel as if I should practice new and unique ways on my own time. See if people like them and if so... maybe others will. If that's so, I can try to put it in a client's work little by little and see what the client and others thing. If it's only a little at a time, it should be easily fixed.

If you want to be professional, you owe it to yourself to learn the ins and outs of the areas you plan to work in.

YES! Definitely! I browse around deviantArt and the web for really good website artists and websites themselves to see all of the different ones. I'll figure out why I like them the best, and try to remake them with my own style in there as well.

You don't necessarily need a logo, or brand yourself quite so literally- you brand yourself as an artist by having consistent, excellent work in a specific area...

Now see... this is where I am told I am "wrong" in school. I think the same, but them always telling me "this is how it's done" makes me second guess myself. I've heard from students that in the next class I'll have, that they are completely torn down for just not having their name in their logo. Apparently, you have to "brand yourself" and it has to be done "this way". ARG it makes me mad even THINKING about them saying that!

I will definitely do that; finding the award books and other things to look at and study. I am doing a bit of it already.

If you want to just use a bunch of programs to poop out whatever you feel like without regard to centuries of development in picture-making and design, you'll be right in the mix with a million other Full Sail grads. You'll be far from unique.

Yes, and it annoys me. They NEVER teach you anything, just programs. A lot of the people "we" try to work for, often say we are a bunch of droids that only know programs. That we have to know "what" to make, we can't think one up ourselves. I will NOT be that! Never! I will always wrack my brain to make something unique. It might be based off of something, such as the Diablo based website I'm doing. I'm always going to try making different kinds of websites and figure out why the ones I see are looking so good to me and why they are popular.

I refuse to be "one of those" Full Sail graduates. And, if someone thinks I am becoming one, I want someone to punch me, and then I'll just work harder. Haha.

But, now I sit here listening to my boyfriend arguing the teacher's side. It angers me but I am trying to listen. His argument is: "It's fine to not have your name on your logo when you get out there and you've made a lot of contacts and a lot of people know you... but when you're just going out there, no one knows you from a hole in the wall. So, if someone sees your logo and really likes it, they may remember it later but they won't be able to remember your name, and then there is no point and the logo does not do it's job."

I can understand that as well. But.. I am *so horrible* with them... I don't know what I'll do.

What I've done for the class...

[Elwell]

I think you've gotten a crap education. Because if you had gotten a proper education, these questions would have been asked and answered, and answered clearly and sufficiently, years ago. There's absolutely no reason why a bunch of strangers on the internet should do a better job of answering your questions than instructors at an institution you are paying thousands of dollars to.
On the other hand, in this case both your instructor and your boyfriend are correct. What you have designed won't do the job it's supposed to do.

[Elwell]

Does Full Sail have a library? If so, go get out every book by Steven Heller that they have.

[Baron Impossible]

Didn't they tell you why they thought it was wrong and what you should consider when redoing it? If not, maybe suggest to them that they do so, being that they're your teachers. Having said that I'm unclear what your logo is meant to represent, or even that it is a logo, so in their overall assessment at least they're probably correct. I've also just spotted that Elwell has written something rather similar and it looks like I'm copying him so I'm going to, like, stop now.

[Zehna]

Didn't they tell you why they thought it was wrong and what you should consider when redoing it?

Yes. The last teacher I did explained some of these things to me. She didn't disagree with me not having my name on it; however, she did have a concern that it did not much communicate anything. I want it to communicate energy and movement. So, I suppose I need to find a way to do that while still communicating my name.

...go get out every book by Steven Heller that they have.

Thank you.

[Dimension]

Design is more about visual communication than anything. Your logo isn't communicating anything right now. If you want to communicate energy and movement, you'd be better of using something mundane like a light bulb with little particles whirling around. At least when someone sees it, they'll know immediately what you're trying to communicate. It may be mundane and kind of boring, but it fulfils it's purpose, communication. Of course you can maybe bounce off of a simple idea like that and come up with something more original or get really designey.

Shell's logo works because you always see it on something associated with gasoline.

[Christian223]

I studied graphic design, let me tell you something that might help you.
Graphic designers are specially trained to communicate a message visually, not to make messages, thats the job of other specalized people, like the ones who create advertizements, marketing people, etc. So, the best way to communicate a message visually is to be as simple as posible, as clear as posible, when working in a company as a graphic designer designing logos you dont usually decide wich is the best message to communicate, you just recieve the message from others and you try to find the best way to communicate that in visual terms. There are companies called "branding companies" that do this kind of job.

Check these sites to see more info on branding:
http://www.adcracker.com
http://www.igorinternational.com/process/company-product-names.php

So, a logo should be analized in terms of what it tried to communicate, not in terms of just "do i like it?, does it look good", a logo is good if it effectively comunicates the decided message, otherwise its not a succesfull logo.

Your logo right now could be only reproduced succesfully at THAT size, on a computer screen, it could not work in print. It could work if you tried to simplify it much more. Try to see if it works at 30x30 pixels and simplify it little by little until its easy to see and does not look blurry.

Now, what did you try to communicate? whats the purpose of your logo?, that would be important to decide if its right or not.

Here are a few excellent videos on graphic design, im sure youll learn something from them:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/milton_glaser_on_using_design_to_make_ideas_new.ht ml
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/paula_scher_gets_serious.html
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/david_carson_on_design.html