Designing is telling a story by Tom Vanlerberghe
Posted: January 27, 2009 at 11.03 amPosted by in design
Guest Post by Tom Vanlerberghe
Follow Tom on Twitter - @KursaalTom
A story orders chaos
Ever seen a painting of Kandinsky, Miro or Klee without hearing a background story? How clever you think you might be… it just doesn’t make sense. It’s orchestrated chaos where only the painter has the key. Though the background story doesn’t necessarily has to be exactly what the painter was thinking about, it starts to make sense and we start to see the beauty in it.
Great design hardly ever speaks for itself. People don’t buy a Picasso only because they think it’s nice, they do it because they identify in some way the lifestyle of the painter (other than buying it as an investement or because you had some extra cash around the house, but you get the point). The story explains the design and creates a place where everyone else can ‘understand’ it. They still may not like it, but at least it makes sense to them, so you’re halfway there. A good story makes sense of all the noise.
A story creates passion
One of the greatest things you have to do is talk with a designer that is really passionate about something he did. I once had a designer who pitched something I didn’t like, but he defended it with such fire it made me respect him even more. Defending your work in that way must mean you thought long and hard about what you were going create for me, a complete stranger. I didn’t use his design (cause, it really wasn’t what I was looking for, but I still work with him on other projects)
A story makes you believe
Great sales managers are people who can fabricate great stories. Though a lot of them do it in an unethical way and force sales upon customers, the reasons they buy it is because the believe what they’re being told. I believe you can have a tird as a company logo but if you back it up with a great story it makes you a believer. (please don’t start designing tirds as company logo’s!)
A story gives you the ‘proper’ excuse
To do all the controversial things you ever want to do. People might shout, might condemn you, but at least they understand you. Belgian artist Jan Fabre once wrapped the columns of a university with thousands of slices of meat. He wanted to combine the mortality of the meat with the everlasting aspect of the university building. People thought using all that meat was a waste (look at third world countries!), when it started to smell they complained about health.
But the slices remained untill the end and in some way, the story made people see why he did it, how uncomfortable it may have been for a lot of people.
I really respect designers that can tell stories. They speak with such passion I have nothing but respect for them. I may not like everything they do (wouldn’t want to have lived near that university), but at least they make ’sense’.
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10 Comments
January 27, 2009 at 11.29 am
I am a believer! Didn’t knew that you like Miro!
January 27, 2009 at 1.26 pm
I fully agree, a nice design can spark a fierce reation, but the story behind can bring it to life.
January 27, 2009 at 3.37 pm
Interesting point you make here. I see myself more at the designer’s side then otherwise. A designer will always have a story, the longer he thinks, works on a project it will evolve, not only on the worktable but also in his way of thinking about it. If you been working for several days straight on the same thing you will see things the ‘customer’ will not. But to bad not enough ‘customers’ think like you Tom. I’ve come across a number of people who just don’t want to understand and sometimes push a designer in a corner he doesn’t want to be. Let the designer do his work, that’s why you hire him :). And let him explain so you too will learn to see.
January 27, 2009 at 7.51 pm
Everything is about the story! Could not agree more!
January 28, 2009 at 8.52 am
@Jeroen I reckon it’s not the customer who should ‘understand’, it’s the designer who has to spark (or at least try to) the same fire he had while creating it. So though designers have to design, they also have a need to communicate. Because a great designer who can’t communicate won’t get far.
I have some minor designing experience and it’s true that you’d rather strangle some clients than talk to them, because some people just don’t ‘get’ it. But I never really figured out who’s fault that was… I’d say mine, because I failed to inspire them by what I made (or maybe it was just crap :) )
January 28, 2009 at 9.08 am
@Mike I don’t really ‘like’ Miro. And I still don’t understand some of his work, but by knowing what he tried to do, I can appreciate it.
@Peter / @Thomas Thanks. Always great to find people who agree with me… (it’s a small ego-thing ;) )
February 3, 2009 at 4.04 pm
Web designers are available in varying degrees of cost and quality but it’s only if they give a damn and understand (if only for the length of time they are doing that particular job) about the subject and content they are designing about that I have ever had any joy in getting what I was looking for. Designs are improving and designers are becoming better at delivering quality work, I think @Jeroen makes a good point saying that the designer should be left to work and the site design and site itself will evolve; they key to that of course is spelling out what you want as a client and more importantly what you want to deliver to your site visitors (and potential customers). Like @Tom says, this can be the most difficult or frustrating part of the project, again speaking from a client point of view. Communication between designer and client is key or you won’t get anywhere but more than that it’s actually explaining to the designer so he/she understands. Remember, he/she probably has no idea what you are promoting or selling; NB: if this works then the designer will then tell you what the limitations are plus the can’s, can’t, do’s, do not’s..but at least you will have a far better chance in getting what you are looking for. A story can only happen when the designer knows where the client wants to get to and understands the subject matter. Btw never seen a ‘turd’ logo as of yet and can’t see that catching on.. I am sure there will be a site out there, somewhere, can’t believe I started searching for one!
February 3, 2009 at 9.02 pm
@Jason You’ve got a great point! It all starts with a decent briefing from the client to the designer. Because, as @woony noted, the longer a designer works on a project, the more it will evolve. Without proper briefing (guidance), chances are it won’t be what the client was looking for.
On the other hand. Even if that happens, there’s a tiny chance of creating something really amazing even the client hadn’t thought of…
February 4, 2009 at 10.39 am
Couldn’t agree more: each design/project/presentation should start with a story: who am i, where am i going, etc… This way you have a clear path when all around you is chaos.
Sketching a story first on a piece of paper is more effective (and i admit, more difficult) than starting right away creating out of the blue. The problem nowadays is people start off with just producing incoherent ideas from designers to marketeers…
nice pots
February 4, 2009 at 1.19 pm
@Peter Good point you got there. Maybe it’s because we all rush to get things done that we don’t take the time to think about ideas.
Even from a non-design point of view, I try to at least think about projects before I start fulling in all the details. Otherwise you get sucked into things that aren’t important and you won’t get a very coherent story.