5 ms·

Unfortunately, for every competent artist/designer/musician out there, there's at least one (and most likely more) hack that can't cut it and isn't competent at

by Zev 18y ago

Unfortunately, for every competent artist/designer/musician out there, there's at least one (and most likely more) hack that can't cut it and isn't competent at their job. And for someone who's job doesn't deal with what is more traditionally thought of as needing creativity, it can be hard to distinguish the competent people who are good at their job from the hacks who imitate.

Gibbon 18y ago
You find competent designers the same way you find competent electricians, surgeons or programmers. Ask around, get recommendations, look at their portfolios and talk to them about their methods and processes.
- Zev 18y ago
  True, but: If you don't know what to look for, what good does talking looking at prior work or talking shop with them do? For all you know, they're completely making everything up as you go along in the conversation. Getting recommendations from people is the best thing to do, but people are much more likely to need a dentist or an electrician then a writer or musician for something. So solid recommendations may be slightly harder to get.
Confusion 18y ago
Lacking creativity does not make one a hack. As an example, take movie critics. Good critics are good at pointing out the strong and weak points of a movie. If involved early in the process, their advise can be used to improve the movie. However, most of them completely fail at coming up with movies by themselves. That doesn't mean they are incompetent: it just means that their expertise does not cover 'being creative'. The follow-up question than is: is 'being creative' a required skill for a designer. I venture: no. As the author points out, the sketches and ideas of the client can convey a lot of information about his business: not only factual information, but also the harder-to-express features that distinguish a business from others. It may very well be enough starting material for someone with less creative skill to produce an excellent design, completely covering what the client had in mind, while including all possible designer finesses. Of course, everyone has some creative skill and some may very well be enough. The very best can come up with original ideas out of thin air. We respect that and strive towards that ability. However, that does not mean that those that cannot do that are immediately demoted to 'hack' status. That would denounce many great artists and thinkers as 'hacks', because they were only capable of executing ideas to perfection, while not being able to come up with those ideas themselves.

by Zev 18y ago

Gibbon 18y ago

You find competent designers the same way you find competent electricians, surgeons or programmers. Ask around, get recommendations, look at their portfolios and talk to them about their methods and processes.

Zev 18y ago
True, but: If you don't know what to look for, what good does talking looking at prior work or talking shop with them do? For all you know, they're completely making everything up as you go along in the conversation. Getting recommendations from people is the best thing to do, but people are much more likely to need a dentist or an electrician then a writer or musician for something. So solid recommendations may be slightly harder to get.

Confusion 18y ago

Lacking creativity does not make one a hack. As an example, take movie critics. Good critics are good at pointing out the strong and weak points of a movie. If involved early in the process, their advise can be used to improve the movie. However, most of them completely fail at coming up with movies by themselves. That doesn't mean they are incompetent: it just means that their expertise does not cover 'being creative'. The follow-up question than is: is 'being creative' a required skill for a designer. I venture: no. As the author points out, the sketches and ideas of the client can convey a lot of information about his business: not only factual information, but also the harder-to-express features that distinguish a business from others. It may very well be enough starting material for someone with less creative skill to produce an excellent design, completely covering what the client had in mind, while including all possible designer finesses. Of course, everyone has some creative skill and some may very well be enough. The very best can come up with original ideas out of thin air. We respect that and strive towards that ability. However, that does not mean that those that cannot do that are immediately demoted to 'hack' status. That would denounce many great artists and thinkers as 'hacks', because they were only capable of executing ideas to perfection, while not being able to come up with those ideas themselves.