The power of design thinking – be curious and solve problems.
Although many years removed from my art school days, it was in those stressed out, boundary pushing, creativity tapping years that I learned some of the most important skills that I continue to use today. And no, these skills were not how to draft an impeccable straight line with a rapidograph pen or how to perfectly mask an image in Photoshop. Actually, these lessons were far more fundamental and continue to serve me well today, decades later, even when the task has nothing to do with art and design. So, thank you to my art school instructors, and in the spirit of sharing here are 5 of the most time honored and valuable skills that I learned in design school.
“Good design results from the ability to analyze and solve problems by organized thinking and imagination.” ~Florence Knoll
Most great ideas, visual or otherwise, come from thoughtfully and methodically solving a problem. By looking holistically at a problem, breaking down the components, and taking the time to analyze what you find, you allow creative solutions to rise to the surface. But it’s not enough to have the “bright idea”. Now comes the hard work. Building a strong foundation from which a great idea can flourish takes dedication, organized thinking and imagination.
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” ~Ken Blanchard
In art school there’s always a critique. As you learn to hone and communicate your ideas, you have to test your creativity and thinking with the wider world. As hard as it can be at first, opening yourself up to the ideas and observations of others will undoubtedly make your finished product that much stronger. In today’s collaborative world, this concept is more important than ever.
“Styles come and go. Good design is a language, not a style.” ~Massimo Vignelli
Being trendy only gets you so far. You can make something ever so pretty and stylish but if the underlying idea or concept is weak it’s doomed to failure. Great design, ideas, concepts are great because they have substance and on some level solve a problem or communicate ideas with people. They resonate. If the idea is all surface appearance then it’s not a good idea.
“If you steal from one author it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many it’s research.” ~Wilson Mizner
One of the first things you learn in art school is the difference between borrowing and stealing. There’s not much that is new out there so the likelihood that you’re going to come up with something utterly fresh and momentous is pretty rare. But that doesn’t make it okay to just copy another’s idea verbatim. What you need to do is acknowledge and respect the source, even admire it. Then research some more and process it all through your own filter; your visual or writing style, experience, observations etc… Then you can create something new, it may pay homage to the source but it is uniquely yours.
“Curiosity about life in all its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.” ~Leo Burnett
Couldn’t say it better myself. In art school you are always taught to ask why. Being curious and pushing beyond the ordinary is generally encouraged and rewarded. The most interesting people that I’ve had the pleasure to work with whether in sales, finance, design or in any position for that matter, are those who aren’t afraid to be curious and challenge the status quo.