We are sometimes approached by people asking what we do and their initial impression is “so you’re a web designer.” This is a huge misconception as we DO design for the web BUT we are not confined to the box of your everyday web designers. This is not to discredit those veterans who have paved the way and payed their dues to earn respect. There is talent to be found on the internet but not everyone claiming to be a designer…. is a designer.
Long before the internet was the giant it is today, we were already artists. We were the kids in the back of the room with a box of crayons and content with smiles on our faces. We put long hours into honing our crafts and lived the life of the starving artist. A few old tricks of the trade were our paint brushes, airbrushes, acrylics and pastels. Today we still utilize these same methods, however we have more options to go along with it.
Before diving into a new project, we first break out the pencil and sketch pad. Notice how we didn’t say we run to Photoshop? Any design we create was first a detailed drawing in a sketch pad and that is how we plan to work forever. Sure we could skip this step and crank out more mediocre designs but… why?
For the younger designers looking to us for inspiration, maybe a little old school magic will push your new school designs to that next level.
We are artists first, designers second.