Responses for 10/06/10 Readings

"Professionalism, Amateurism, and the Boundaries of Design" - Gerry Beegan & Paul Atkinson

This piece from the 'Journal of Design History,' addresses the line between professional and amateur practices of design. The two terms 'professional' and 'amateur' and thought of to be on opposite ends with no real relation to one another. However, the two are connected and both have been looked at with positive and negative connotations. Professionals are ideally those that have studied at a university and also have taken the role of an apprentice. Amateurs are easily more in number as it has a wide range. Do-it-yourself, or DIY, projects are one example that technically anyone can do. Another similar amateur project could be something from the Ready Made magazine where one takes ordinary objects and reuses the, thus recycling, to create something more useful and practical. The amateur arts and crafts all give the creator a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction. In fact, one designer in the passage thinks that DIY can be seen as a sort of first step towards a future career in design. As for professional designers, the definition of their profession seems to be ever-changing with many new technological advances such as Photoshop, which even an amateur can self-teach themselves.

• Turner Rahman describes design as a pastime, not an ccuptation.
• The Arts & Crafts movement near the end of the 19th Century inspired both men and women to make their own furnishings and decorative objects.
• Professions used to be only in the upper class in the 16th century, such as law, medication, and divinity professions.
• In the 19th century, more professions were added and recognized.
• Both professional and amateur can be viewed with a positive or negative connotation.

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"We're Here to be Bad" - Tibor Kalman &Karrie Jacobs

This article addresses an issue to all designers in the world. The problem is that everything in the design industry is slowly becoming the same. Is being good the new normal? The question is asked in the beginning of the article and the answer is that to surpass good and become great is to be 'bad.' By being bad, designers will be able to show that difference in their design. Design is crucial to the marketing industry and designers are slowly giving in to consumers by doing exactly what they request. Many designers do sacrifice some of their own creativity so that it stays within the guidelines of what the consumer is asking for. The article suggests that designers should really remember that they can create 'inappropriate designs,' to force viewers to rethink why they like a product.

• Schools generally teach young designers in training to create work that resembles 'professional' designs. 
• Schools also generally teach students to be prepared with a portfolio with designs similar to designs that are already popular. Thus raising the question, is good the new normal?
• Many designers who are accused of selling out and giving in will most likely not mind because they are in fact making money.
• Designs on packaging can become more important than the product itself because it becomes the symbol that people buy. People may end up buying it for the symbol/brand rather than for the product.
• Design plays a big part in everyday life, however the role of the designer themselves is lessening.