Ryan Roberts

AIGA – Defining the Designer of 2015

Through interviews, focus groups, workshops and surveys AIGA and Adobe have laid out a set of essential competencies they believe attempt to define designer of the future. AGIA say the findings are not conclusive and the set of competencies are to be considered for the wider studio environment rather than for a single designer. Here are the top five:

1. Ability to create and develop visual response to communication problems, including understanding of hierarchy, typography, aesthetics, composition and construction of meaningful images
2. Ability to solve communication problems including identifying the problem, researching, analysis, solution generating, prototyping, user testing and outcome evaluation
3. Broad understanding of issues related to the cognitive, social, cultural, technological and economic contexts for design
4. Ability to respond to audience contexts recognizing physical, cognitive, cultural and social human factors that shape design decisions
5. Understanding of and ability to utilize tools and technology

I don’t think there is anything particularly surprising here or in the full list. These competencies are required now are they not?

Helvetica overdose

A couple of days ago I received my special edition Helvetica Moleskine notebooks by the Helvetica Project, they look lovely in red and black with debossed logos/type! I only wish I’d ordered more as I’m probably not going to use these two.

As well as the Moleskines I also bought the Helvetica documentary, I wasn’t too convinced it would be as good as people says - it’s a film about a font! - but I was very wrong. The film interviews various prominent designers and typographers on their views of Helvetica, not all of them are keen on the font and I have to say I liked their arguments.