Difference between a designer and those who like to design...

What makes a designer, a designer?

I sometime wonder about it, what make us so difference to those who learn to use the same tools/softwares? With the advancement of internet, a lot things are dealing with web. Web is so common now. Even now in secondary schools, teachers are teaching student to use web programs like dream weaver, flash, fire work.Even in polytechnics, students studying IT or computing stuff are learning those web softwares too.

Me, in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, studying Multi-Media Design, a designer training-to-be, is learning the same kind of softwares too.

SO, WHAT IS IT THAT SO DIFFERENCE FROM THE REST ?

Well, what my lecturer teach us is, we as designers are to be radical, dare to change the logic way of doing and thinking. Knowing where to put more and where to put less in designing something. Be conceptual, not concentrating on just technical part of doing, have a conceptual reason in your own design. Knowing how to present your concept of your design verbally.

Amateur design often have this week point...
Eager to impress, leak of impact.

To my lecturer, there are only three kind of design...

1st kind...
Design that carry meaning, reason and concept. A design that carries a message to bring across. Not always impressive but impactful. Always remain in the viewers mind.

2nd kind
Very good and impressive, nice looking, good graphics but leak of concept, meaning, no reason beside it looks nice. Very impressive work but don't last long in peoples mind.

3rd kind
Design for the sake of design, don't bother about impressive or not, not even impactful. By chance that it's good.

Well... I want to be the 1st kind, i'm working towards it. My way of design is like this, I don't wana do something beautiful but something meaningful. If it must be beautiful, there must be a reason.I don't want people to question my design.

And the most important thing is, a designer must accept others critics and comments. Be humble to learn from them no matter if its good or bad. Critics and designer goes side by side. Design that can't accept critics are just mind-less vandalising.

Next time when you see my design, don't tell me "it's not bad", "nice" if u don't mean it...

Give me critics instead...