STOP FOCUSING SO MUCH ON THE LOOKS

 

Art and Design, to most people, is something that is very neat and beautiful. That is something I'm sure everyone has thought at least at one point in their lives. The thing is, I realized over time that it is completely not true. Even more than the actual visual of the piece, the function and whether it is actually viable to use is what's important. 

Let's say you are tasked with making a building and sketching a design for said building. You spend all your time making it look nice. It's very modern, with popping colors and a creative but elegant shape. However, since you spent all your time making it look as pretty as possible from the outside, you don't know how it is from the inside. The weird and modern shapes can make living there very hard and uncomfortable. You neglected the actual function of the building because you were too focused on the aesthetic. 

Another thing you should know is that your creativity is always shackled. You have to abide by the budget and the set time requirement. It's just something you have to accept unless you are a part of a huge corporation or you won it. If you want to go down this field, this is something you have to live with, no matter how frustrating it is. It's not all doom and gloom, however, since you have limited time and supplies, it really makes you use your brain creatively to effectively use the little you have. 

Probably the most important thing you should think about is that what you're designing is not for you but for other people. You can't just think for yourself, but think about how the others will feel about the design and how people might like living and being since what you're designing. Just because you like it doesn't mean everyone else will. That is why you have to add your own twist to your design, but also keep it within the comfortable boundaries of your employers. 

The main takeaway from this should be that art and design are something you have to work hard to be good at. It doesn't just come to you naturally, and you have to put in hours to see the fruit of your resolve. The more art you make, the more you understand.