Design is not art, but do not forget the artist within you

To be a good designer, you must enhance your inner artist and showcase it in your proposals through emotional and visual design to connect and infuse soul into your proposals.

This is probably the topic I most enjoy discussing design. I go back to my university years to recall the first time I seriously considered this issue. At that time, it was a trending topic and the design community, aiming to get closer to business strategy, set up an intense marketing effort with the slogan “Design is not Art”.

My academic program included three years of Art History, one of the subjects with the most weight in the first cycle, which immersed us in that wonderful world and the transition from figurative to abstract art. This generated mixed feelings in me.

Obviously, I saw that they were not the same, that is undeniable, but I did not understand the reason for that dividing line and the intention to clearly separate both worlds. I thought there were many things we could take from artists and incorporate into design processes. 

Over the years, I started to understand it and see the reason more clearly. It was not about creativity, but about the specific label of “artist.” In a corporate world, it makes sense to separate processes from subjectivity, freedom, and consequently, lack of control. Designers and studios ran the risk of being labeled or boxed into a particular aesthetic, turning them into a trend. 

In the last decade, the sector has evolved a lot, consolidating its position within the business jungle and taking on a much more dominant and strategic role. As a result, several specialized roles have emerged, such as UX Researchers, UX Designers, Service Designers, or Interaction Designers, which lack that “artistic nature”, despite still being creative in their solutions. And that debate no longer makes sense.

And yet:

• Writing is an art, we craft content.

• Photography is an art, we use images.

• Film is an art, we apply animation and motion.

• Music is an art, we use sound.

• Sculpture is an art, we model in 3D.

• Painting is an art, we design interfaces.

My point of view is that both design and art are necessary to a certain extent. Art can be designed, and design can be artistic. There is always a percentage of each in the products that move us and that we perceive as high quality. The well-known and meaningless label of “design product”.

As far as art is concerned, I am a faithful defender of the abstract movement. I believe that the value of a piece acquires much more significance and soul if it reflects individuality, personal thought, and critical perspective. That is precisely what abstract art brought by breaking with the figurative, it added passion, emotion, and subjectivity. Taking the ideas to a deeper level where the inner world was being shown. Do you see where I'm going?

In a figurative painting, we see a faithful representation of reality, technique, and talent, but nothing that your eyes cannot already perceive if you can look at the portrayed scene. In an abstract painting, we see a way of thinking that comes from the artist's mind and is shown on the canvas. This gives the painting its own uniqueness. Another issue is whether you connect with that perspective or not, which is a separate issue. 

Art is there to evoke emotions.

That's what, from my standpoint, we are losing in the world of design. That personality, that soul, that imprint of whoever creates it. And by this, I do not mean merely visual aspect or technique or tool used. The inflexibility in following the rules and breaking them, following defined standards, affects creativity and uniqueness.

As designers, we must know the rules, best practices, and standards, but that does not mean we cannot reflect and evolve. Use our design approach to obtain a different solution, with substance, and equally valid.

Sometimes I have the feeling that visual design is being underestimated or devalued, and it is a tremendous mistake, since it is one of the most powerful skills of a designer. Due to its ability to communicate messages effectively, attract and retain user attention, visual design plays a fundamental role in how we perceive and interact with products, influencing our understanding, appreciation, and choice of products, services, and brands. 

It is very important to understand that it is when we connect with the senses. Colors, shapes, and movements generate emotional responses. Through subconscious associations rooted in our experience and nature, such as symmetry or repetition, visual design can evoke specific emotions and trigger curiosity or attraction stimuli in us. 

Perhaps we should re-activate our right brain hemisphere. Understand that we can go further, that besides creating a functional product that meets user needs, we can add a bit of each to that product so that it has individuality and remains functional and usable. Add soul, something that makes it unique for users and enhances brand recognition while still contributing to business objectives.

Work on emotional and visual design to stir hearts and connect minds. So that you can look proudly at your work and see yourself reflected in it.

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Design, make mistakes, and contribute with your point of view.

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