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Kamarupa speaking at GetCRAFT Creative Meet Up
posted on March 12, 2018
There is some kind of a division of graphic design industry players between those who strive for idealism and those who are more business-oriented. Which side are you on?
A handful of curious minds gathered at ReWork fX Sudirman last March 8, 2018 for GetCRAFT’s latest event to find out the answer.
The theme was ‘Design Thinking: Idealism or Business”, and acting as speakers were Fandy Susanto and our very own Christian Kustedi (CK). Each seemed to be chosen to represent each opposing aspect of the discussion.
Let’s take a look at what they had to say regarding the topic.
Team Idealism
For many of us, design is a religion in which there are ‘laws’ to abide. It has strict principles. It reaches inward, towards the soul. It should be respectful to humankind, society, and design itself.
That was Fandy’s view which he shared during his presentation and was evident through his work as an art director at a design agency as well as his role at ADGI Jakarta.
One example was Seek-a-seek, an exhibition that aimed to raise awareness about the holistic process and important role of graphic design in the community and across industries by showcasing projects that as functional as they were artistic.
Team Business
On the other hand, a lot of industry players take a more pragmatic approach to design. It is a means to an end, which is ultimately good business. It is an investment that should have a good return on the clients’ perspective.
If increasing sales were the objective, design should serve that very purpose by using its own principles and elements. Designers are consultants who not only create, but also keep the process on the right track toward the objective.
Our co-founder CK also noted the importance of applying business thinking in managing a design agency. Owners should think of how to structurize their teams and how to scale up their businesses.
Where the two meet
Our take on the matter is that there is no right or wrong. Both sides actually have something in common: a belief that graphic design works should not be viewed as trivial nor insignificant, but rather, functional and impactful.
The difference lies solely in the perspective. While some view graphic design as creating works of art that matter, others set their sights on working toward a business objective using the very unique art form that is graphic design.
By the end of the session, it appeared that each speaker actually value the ‘opposing’ view and how it could contribute to their own. It was noted that certain internal business situations require putting idealism aside and that certain projects with too much compromise on design principles might not make it to an agency’s portfolio.
We try to keep ourselves and our audience updated on the newest happenings and conversations in the design and creative sphere. Read our past articles on:
• Type Design Conference 62 Jakarta
