In reality designers are never really independent. Not even if they have their own studios, because they work on projects for other companies. They are corporate designers, since they follow the corporate rules. Not their own, but the ones from the company that ordered the designs. Designers are independent when they make things just for themselves. Then they don’t need to explain anything to anybody. If somebody else likes the things they do, than that’s great, but it’s a coincidence. But that’s art. Not design. It’s not a conscious problem-solving process. I am not saying that there is no freedom in the work of the designers. There is a certain amount of freedom, but there are much more restrictions then freedom. There are always restrictions that apply. Weather they are in the manufacturing process, the target market, environmental issues, the price, the user-friendliness... And that is what makes a product successful on the market or not. A careful balance of all the restrictions and guidelines provided to you from the brief. But, only if the brief is really well done. When it comes to that, why shouldn’t designers be integrated in the concept development as well? After all, they are the ones executing the work. In my opinion, designers lack certain knowledge in other areas to be fully competitive. Areas that are not in the general design education. And that is what I will try to introduce in this book.
TO BEGIN WITH
*1 Corporate Identity (CI): The uniform image of a firm, from an intrinsic and extrinsic perspective, intended to clearly distinguish the firm from its competition and to give it instant recognizability. The CI incorporates the design of all products, buildings, and means of communication–e.g., company magazines, advertisements, and letterhead. It might even dictate the design of the uniform clothing (or determination of a dress code) and social behavioural norms toward customers. A related term is corporate culture (CC), which refers to the efforts of a firm to create a respected cultural image, forexample, by sponsoring cultural events and social benefits for employees. Hauffe, Thomas; Design –An Illustrated Historical Overview; Barron’s Educational Series Inc; 1996. (Pg. 63)
In an age, in which many products are technically mature, distinctions in quality no longer exist in certain market sectors, and the determination of prices for products with approximately the same wage and material costs, can hardly vary. As a result of that, design becomes the ultimate difference in competitiveness. Nevertheless, design means more then just forming individual products. The image of the entire firm, in everything from the letterhead to its company buildings, from its uniforms to its advertisement – it’s so called Corporate Identity*1, is designed. Even the manufacturing, the transportation, distribution and the waste management can be, and should be incorporated in the design strategy.
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