Graphic Designers, Friend or Foe of the Web Interface.
I have finally solidified my thinking on why most graphic designers have no business developing interfaces for desktop or web applications. Of course, I am not speaking in absolutes here. There are those rare individuals who, without any formal training, realize a need to not only understand visual issues, but in addition have also chosen to augment their skill-set with human interaction and usability training. However, they are rare and in my opinion the mainstream of those designing web interfaces today are simply under-qualified. When I say under-qualified, I mean they do not posses the necessary skills to provide intelligent interaction design solutions. It is sad I have to point this out. Several years ago it was an accepted fact that a traditional graphic designer had no business developing a GUI. Today though it has become acceptable to erroneously believe a graphic designer is capable of producing an interface simply because they appreciate aesthetics.
Far too often, most graphic designers are artist first and engineer second. That is, they can produce beautiful content like a poet, sculptor or painter but when it comes time to design they are simply not suited for the task. When I say “design” I mean the ability to provide a functional product that is intended for widespread distribution.
Personally, I think this is a trait that most traditionally trained graphic designers picked up during the training process. Yes, I am blaming the education system for its inability to keep up with the web industry. Truth be told, I am not exactly sure were this deficiency comes from. What I do know is in my experience most interface designers, who are typically trained as graphic designers, really know nothing about visual communication or interface design. Don’t get me wrong, most graphic designers are well versed in color, space, shape, texture, balance, proportion, typography and so on. Yet, when it comes time to create an interfaced used by an actual person with a purpose beyond visual appeal, the traditionally trained graphic designer lacks the skill-set required for the task. That is, they approach the problem like an artist instead of an actual designer. This is obvious because people who consider themselves graphic designers/interface designers are typically required to work with interaction designers, usability engineers, and information architects. It is these people who actually help construct the finalized design/interface. This happens because typically the person responsible for creating the interface is only skilled enough to provide a color palette, visual art, typography, and possibly a decent layout that works as an interface.
In reality, I think a graphic designer needs to be both artist and engineer. What I am really saying here is a graphic designer should be versed in both function and aesthetic. Neither function nor form should become more important than the other. In fact, function and form (aesthetics) become requisite components for usable solutions. In their book, Designing Visual Interfaces Kevin Mullet and Darrell Sano state it like this:
“Communication-oriented visual design (interface design) views these forces (function vs. aesthetics) not as irreconcilable opponents, but as symbiotic components of every high-quality solution.”
NOTE: parenthesis were injected into this quote by yours truly.
In summary, if you are a graphic designer who has somehow fooled your employer or yourself into believing you can design for the web, I think you need to face the reality that you are not trained or skilled enough to deal with interfaces. Let’s face it, a web page is an interface. Having come to that conclusion, you should ensure that you receive the education necessary, whether means being taking classes or simply reading up on the subject. Acknowledge were you are lacking, and fix it. I recommend starting with the following books:
- Designing Visual Interfaces: Communication Oriented Techniques
- About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design
- Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
- Designing Interfaces : Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
- The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web
- The Design of Sites : A Pattern Language for the Web
- Defensive Design for the Web : How to improve error messages, help, forms, and other crisis points
If the mouse pointer changes to a hand when you roll-over an image associated with a story the image upon clicking either links to enlarged version of the image or a website associated with the image.
Wow, I’m first to jump on this post!?
Playing devil’s advocate, this is also the reason why the more technical-blooded have no business playing interface designer either (not to mention information architect). There is a fine balance between these roles and a need for more collaboration from all parties involved in creating interactive media. This is true of any colliding media. Should a broadcast advertising specialist be creating video for the web? Should advertising agencies handle web banners? As the industry evolves, there is room for job titles such as “interaction designer,� “interface designer,� or “information architect.� It’s a beautiful thing, AND, per your point, there is a need for more specialized roles. Right or wrong, web design has fallen on the shoulders of many graphic designers. Believe me, I know firsthand, it fell on my shoulders (and took years to scratch the surface of the finer points of the industry). I am by no means an expert, heck, I’m a lowly graphic designer…
There is a need for technical planning and information architecture before the interface design stage. I’m also an advocate of wireframing prior to the design stage.
You haven’t touched the marketing angle. The web is a branding and marketing vehicle. This opens up a larger audience as well (and a third dimension to the confusion of roles). As a whole, marketers are not necessarily known for spectacular design or smart use of technology. Heck, marketers are responsible for pop-ups and spam. The web is misunderstood by the marketing industry (and abused by many). Isn’t there a strong argument that solid interface and GUI design directly equals more clicks (and, therefore, a higher click-through rate)? Of course…
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty that get it (the Crispin Porters of the world). But, it’s a slow-moving industry overall.
As a Creative Director, I see a ton of resumes from the academic crowd you speak of. I wholeheartedly agree; the web design is abysmal. Also, many graphic designers provide web-based portfolios that are typically horrendous pieces of interface design. And, these folks are looking for jobs in the industry.
I’ll continue down this path, as I am passionate about this subject…
Why do graphic design publications award interactive work based on visual design? I’ve noticed many awards passed out to sites that may be terrible examples of interaction design. The business of interaction design is become more understood (and the industry more informed). It is coming around, slowly. I’ve attended the HOW Graphic Design Conference 4 years in a row. It is interesting how the industry is reacting to interaction design (and how many sessions there are on the subject). It is a topic of much controversy and differing views. I believe that there is a push/pull between graphic design and interaction design that is difficult for many visual designers. For instance, the web ruined the art of professional typesetting (it’s improving with CSS and more control). It kills me.
I’d love to see another article about content developers. What is your take on copywriting for interaction design and application design? After all, content remains to be “king� in all this.
Great post, Cody. You make many valid points that are well taken.
Cody, thanks. Now I know why it is that I get a sinking feeling in my stomach whenever I hear that I will be CSS-ing a design done by “one of our graphic design grad students…” (I work for Iowa State University and have to deal with that from time to time.)
@Paul – First off I’m not buying the lowly graphic designer bit…sell that to someone who doesn’t know you.
Also, I’m glad you were the first to respond. I think my message could easily be misconstrued into something its not, and with you’re feedback I think my point is made clear.
As for the content developers, or more specifically copywriters I think the issue is the same. Just because you have a Communications Degree, English degree, or several years of experience writing creative copy doesn’t necessary qualify a person for the task of creating content for web applications or simple interfaces (brochure websites). In this scenario, as well as with my dealings with traditional graphic designers its all to common in my opinion that the content developer who is not trained in human interaction communication (HCI) will resort to a creative reasoning model instead of creating content based on both creative aesthetics (in the form of writing, like a poet) and function (engineering type reasoning).
In a nut-shell, if a portion of what you do professional overlaps with the creation of interfaces (desktop software or web interfaces) a certain amount of knowledge about (HCI) is required. Or in other words, it will require you to not only think create/aesthetically but also functionally.
As for those programmer types trying to create interfaces…all I have to say about that is it would seem the engineer type minded folks have made a better transition into the HCI/UI role than a traditionally trained graphic designer. A simple look at the most accepted and usable web applications available today will reinforce this notion.
BTW – Great point about the awards bit, its sort of the same with the interactive communications art books. They can pick a great looking site, but some how can’t figure out the principle of only skin deep. Of course, I know this is directly connected to the individuals picking the sites.
Wish you were coming to SXSW, I think you might find this panel interesting.
Great article. People everywhere seem to be talking about this subject right now.
I think you bring up very good points. In my opinion, graphic design has shifted to a more art-centric approach since the 1960’s (ironically, an era of great design).
I wrote an article on a related subject – focusing on the web and typographic design. I’d love to get your feedback.
http://www.somerandomdude.net/blog/design/typography-on-the-web/
Here is a slightly relevant blog post I found today in light of what I was trying to write about.
interesting post. i understand the risks you’re alluding to, but i’m not buying the idea that people are meant to specialize. i’m not buying the idea that any human being can be put into a specific job description (“graphic designer”) and stay there.
i don’t think most graphic designers would hire a web designer to do their portfolio for them. neither would most web designers hire a graphic design firm to do their logo. in both cases, people would do the job themselves — out of sheer conceit, or the belief that they are reasonably competent enough to pull off something outside of what they were trained to do. you know what? in most cases, they ARE reasonably competent. in cases where they aren’t, that’s ok too. people learn by making mistakes. that’s why school isn’t much use. they don’t let you fail.
i think that anyone who’s going to work anywhere near the web needs to have a broad skillset. web design is something of a renaissance profession. you have to be smart and creative — an “artist and an engineer,” as you mentioned. however, people don’t come out of the womb (or out of college) knowing everything they need to know to do their jobs. people have to learn, and since they don’t really learn in school, they have to work on real-world projects. sometimes, they have to fail at that work. that’s ok — it’s part of the process. if someone is truly not qualified to do their job, economic/market realities, bosses, or co-workers will eventually correct the problem. if an interface was really that crucial, the company would have hired some consultant to do it for $200/hour. chances are, it wasn’t that crucial. besides, i bet every one of those $200/hour consultants made plenty of mistakes when they started out. they got better because they had a chance to work on projects that weren’t so crucial — projects where it was ok to make a few mistakes.
everyone in the fields that you describe — graphic design, IA, etc — is doing work that is part of a larger context. reaching out of your box (even if you stumble at first) is a crucial part of understanding that context. that understanding will improve your work, whether it’s your core competency or your ability to fill in for the art director when he goes on vacation. so next time you see one of these awful interfaces you’re talking about, consider the possibility that you’re seeing learning in progress. there are no automatic experts.
@some guy – I have no problem with the learning process, just a person’s inability to admit they are in fact learning instead of designing from experience. Also, I think you should re-read my post. My words are promoting the learning diversity required of those who professionally work on web applications and websites. In fact, this is my entire point! Traditional trained graphic designers need additional training in order to think like an engineer as well as an artist.
Cody, i read your post several times. your take-away message, as indicated in your first sentence, is that most graphic designers have no business working on web interfaces unless they improve their skillset. i feel that the issue is not specifically related to graphic designers. what is really needed are people who have broad skillsets. this is not a problem with graphic designers per se; engineers may also need to be more versed in aesthetics, and there are a variety of other fields that are at odds with one another. you can fault the educational system, graphic designer egos, or marketplace realities, but the overall problem is not specific to graphic design training. to quote the Garrett Dimon article you linked to for your definition of front-end architect, “When it comes down to it, we have a bundle of technologies that are inter-related with very few people really digging in to understand the relationship between them all.”
i do not take issue with the fundamental idea behind your post; rather, i was put off by the tone and language of your post, which took one part of the overall idea and made it seem like the root of the problem. your post, specifically the finger-pointing title (which presents a rhetorical question that is answered in the first sentence), took into consideration only a small part of the issue. if you were an ASP programmer who was ranting about interaction designers and their pedantic demands (“they just don’t know the reality of programming a web application! they need to read the following books…”), it would have been no less one-sided.
overall, i simply got the impression that you might have had a bad experience at work with a graphic designer who thought he knew how to design websites, and came home to blog about it. i feel like the post was a personal grudge wrapped in a series of pseudo-intellectual justifications.
then again, i don’t know why i even cared to respond, when people like you are only blogging to drive search traffic to your websites and massage other bloggers’ egos.
Sure, the issue is transferable to additional scenarios beyond that of my own profession. In this regard I think you have a valid point. As for the one-sidedness of my opinion, well ya, it’s my opinion so I guess that’s fair.
As to the obvious intentions found in the last two paragraphs of you’re most recent comment…using personal attack’s to drive home you’re opinion falls on deaf ears. My apologies if I said anything here that warranted such behavior. Be careful however, throwing flames requires burning oneself first.
Good article, and great book recommendations.
@Chris – Why thank you Chris!
As a recovering graphic designer, I completely agree. Graphic designers who haven’t made the proper shift to web design have no business designing for the web. It’s simple really.
I dont care how good you are at graphic design, if you dont understand the web and it’s unique challenges, you need to step aside and let someone else handle things. Whenever we hire a new graphic designer, which we have to because all the ‘web design’ courses I’ve seen students come from are utterly worthless, I ALWAYS look for a strong ‘personal playground’ website. I want to see that these guys are passionate about the web because that’s the only way that they will fully make the transition to web work.
@Pedro – Well said!
Hi,
I am a 3rd year student at Middlesex University (Cat Hill Campus) on Visual Communication Graphic Design course. I am myself partially deaf and I am writing my dissertation based on how graphics are interpreted by deaf people. I would like to develop this further by interviewing deaf professionals on their deaf perspectives of vision.
I would appreciate it if you could help me to contact any deaf professional (graphic) designers via email address.
Hope you can help me pls.
Hi,
I am a 3rd year student at Middlesex University (Cat Hill Campus) on Visual Communication Graphic Design course. I am myself partially deaf and I am writing my dissertation based on how graphics are interpreted by deaf people. I would like to develop this further by interviewing deaf professionals on their deaf perspectives of vision.
I would appreciate it if you could help me to contact any deaf professional (graphic) designers via email address.
Hope you can help me pls.