Last week was ace. Really very interesting.
Loads of stuff going on, not all of which I got to. But I got to enough to know it was an ace week.
Tuesday saw the launch of the NI Design Alliance, whose goal it is to promote professional standards and develop skills "that will keep NI design a step ahead in global markets". It's a noble cause and while cynics might be less than supportive, being at the launch got me all fired up; keen to be involved and optimistic about how things might develop. One thing was clear, no one was saying they had all the answers...actually, no one was saying they had any of the answers, but rather, the thing was kicked off with a kind of call for entries, a call for ideas. So if you want to chip in, head on over to the NIDA's website and tell them what you think. I have.
Of course, what made it a superb evening was a great buffet...er...no sorry, not the buffet...it was actually Elmwood's Jonathan Sands. He talked about skills, how they're nurtured at Elmwood and how it's essential we understand that learning doesn't stop when we're 21. He also talked about how globally, the UK design industry is becoming increasingly vulnerable as design education in developing countries, such as India, is improving at a greater rate than our own. I got a very strong feeling, from what Jonathan said, that the problem was deeply rooted and that our non-design education system(s) lacked a vital element that encouraged and nurtured any serious understanding of how good standards of design can benefit the economy.
This struck a cord. How often have we wished we could "educate" our clients? Many, many commissioners of design lack any fundamental understanding of what they're looking at...just the other day a friend showed me a brief that asked, "How will we evaluate the effectiveness of your proposal?", and it struck me that the person asking that question should know the answer. But I don't mean to knock our clients; quite the contrary, I want to sympathise with their plight. Because while we can and should strive to rationalise and persuade our clients that what we're offering them is of great value to them, what we are collectively up against is generations brought through the same education system(s) that has done little to prepare them for what we are offering. Of course there are exceptions; a few inspired individuals who have acquired a better understanding of our worth by some undefined good fortune. I don't know about you, but in my experience (although I actually feel that we get by quite well) we come across a large percentage of clients with whom the struggle to persuade is great, sometimes even futile. And from what Jonathan was suggesting, it's largely because of the way they have been educated. It's not a political issue, it's no one's fault, except perhaps our own.
Perhaps this is old news, perhaps it's not true or I've misunderstood what Jonathan was saying? On the surface, to me, it seems believable. If it is true, tackling the problem is massive but I'm encouraged too. So designers (or rather, our representative bodies) need to look deeper and get out there, into business schools and even effect the National Curriculum. Then gradually, with diligent and tenacious work, we could start to find more and more new businesses being run by even smarter cookies; the type that know how really good creativity could have a really positive effect on their business. And they'll be fighting to get the best, they'll pay appropriate fees and won't expect something for nothing. And if my children's children become graphic designers, they might start to feel the benefit because it's a biggy and it'll take years.
(And they'll have to find something else to moan about).
