Do not express yourself!

One of my more memorable job interviews was held in a rather posh hotel restaurant. It was for a Graphic Designer position in a Magazine. The interviewer who was the principal founder and editor of the magazine, was dressed rather casually. Jeans, shirt and a business jacket. He looks the very the bit of what I imagined someone in the editorial industry would look like. I approached him, gave him a firm hand shake and suavely landed onto my sit. I did everything that needs to be done to give the great first impression.

As he was browsing through my portfolio, occasionally giving me the nod of approval, he suddenly shoots a question that even after days of reading interview tips, I were apparently still not ready for. "Your designs all looks varied and polish. You might just be a good designer, but where is the you in these designs? It looks as if, all the pieces were done by different designers."

My brains shuts down. My mouth opens, but no intelligible sounds came out. I was dumbfounded. Shocked. After what seems like forever, I finally answered, albeit with much silliness and naivety.

"I don't think graphic designers should leave marks of their personality in their design." I didn't explain further.

After that shocking reply to the equally shocking question, the interview went downhill, and to cut it short, there was no way that I would be working for this magazine. I went home, sadly and without a job.

Months past, and I was still thinking about that fateful interview. I was on the treadmill, trying to run off the fats of the weekends when I suddenly hit upon an epiphany. Should designers, graphic designers in particular, express themselves in works for clients? It's particularly pertinent for graphic designers to ask themselves this question because in other design fields, self expression is a commendable quality. You would know a Philip Stark work, even though his design works are varied, ranging from shoes to calculators.

In other fields of design, the consumers or audience of the design wants to experience or be associated with the designer. In fashion design, industrial design, interior design etc, the designer is the celebrity. However in graphic design, the consumer just wants to experience the design itself. In fact, sometimes a graphic designer has to make the design transparent, and in effect, makes himself transparent, so the consumer can get to the point clearly and correctly.

Then we have to ask ourselves the most fundamental of questions. Why do we need graphic design? To me, graphic design allows the idea to be delivered in the most elegant and clearest fashion. Self expression in graphic design can only be allowed if it helps in this delivery. Adding noise of self expression to graphic design fails the design. Graphic design then fails its purpose.

And that ladies and gentlemen, was what I should have said during that damn interview.

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