What is 2012 design going to look like?

My clients are still demanding fax numbers in their ads - so I doubt anything would alert them if I were hopelessly out of touch.

one of the best ways to avoid being "dated" is to not be "hip" in the first place. classic stuff almost always works and rarely goes out of style (and if it does, it's not gone for very long). so if you never do the "in" thing, you'll rarely do the "out" thing.

;)

Trends are good. Even the best of logos will require an update someday. Eventually. And those successfully updated marks will generally give a nod to the previous incarnation.

Let's say I'm buying a new suit for myself. Sure, I might know what I like but since I'm 44 years old, I may not know what is in fashion today. What to do?

Look at what the younger generation is doing.

I'll probably figure out a Miami Vice salmon colored suit isn't very fashionable today. I may discover other details such as a 3 button blazer is a more modern look than a 4 button blazer. The length of sleeve needs to be a half inch longer than I'm used to.

So, you'll want to look at designs by younger folks. Award winning stuff. The stuff that makes you go "ohhhh!". Keep abreast of whats going on in the design world. Then, take a second look at all of your art history and things you already know and find ways to mix it together to make it your own look.

on some level i don't disagree with you, cao. but on other levels, i think you can minimize your investment in trends and still stay relevant.

to keep in your fashion example (and to stay personal and anecdotal, since i'm talking about myself), i've always worn wayfarers. they look good on my face and fit me well. they're not always "trending," but they're never completely out of fashion because they're classic. they are sometimes more in than out, but rarely just out. whereas some trends will look out of place when the trend fades.

the same holds true for suits. there are some classic jacket styles that have looked good for a long time will continue to look good as the trendy stuff swings back and forth around it. i would very much consider a 4 button jacket to be trendy and would not buy a $500 4 button suit jacket because i want to still be able to wear it 4-5 years from now (i don't go through suits that fast) and look like i'm wearing severely out-of-date fashion.

there are trends that hit in the graphic design world that will date your work very quickly. that whole "web2.0" stuff is already becoming passe, to an extent.

but i do agree that you have to look at what's current, what's classic, figure out where you fit in, and carve out that place where you belong. just keep in mind that the closer you are to what's hip/trendy/current, the more you will have to continue to change to keep up (i.e., buying new suits every couple of years). and if that's not really who you are, i think you're safer looking more toward what's classic and timeless and plant yourself in that vicinity.

Design work shouldn't necessarily be limited to current trends (or avoiding them).

I think a good design takes into account the unique selling benefit of the client and speaks to the client's demographics. If that demographic needs a retro look, then retro design is what should be applied. If that demographic is cutting-edge and trendy, then cutting-edge and trendy should be considered for the design.

A good designer will know how to evaluate this and know when to apply a certain look to something and when not to.

I don't think it's as simple as "don't use neon pink paint splashes in your design." Because neon pink paint splashes just may speak clearly to a specific targeted audience.

Great thoughts -- good topic ;)

I wonder what really young designers presently consider to be "classic." Is there a definition of that for every generation? Keep in mind that these days, generations can be separated by only 5 years or so. I'm recalling some nameless Valley Girl du Jour whose signature put-down was that it was "so five minutes ago."

Classic is classic. Salmon colored suits? Not so classic.

Sure, there is common thread of 'classic' that resonates no matter the age. Truth is, you have to discover 'classic' yourself by looking at the new and the old and synthesizing it all over again. If your lucky, it becomes 'cool' and 'cool' (if it's lucky) becomes 'classic'.

Still, even if I could define 'classic' (and I doubt I could) I would never be able to communicate it in a way that could be understood -- much in the same way I couldn't define 'God' or 'love of anchovies' or 'Lifetime for women specials' in a globally understandable way.

Kill it all. Rip it all apart. Sew some parts back together. Shoot a few gigawattes of electricity through it's lifeless body...

And when that wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, well you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Kevin always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Kev?"

"Yessir, the check is in the mail."

All your designs I've seen on here so far have a few things in common - boxy polygonal linework, thin Avant Garde-style fonts, and lots of teal & yellow. That's how you get the 80's reputation.

There's all sorts of tutorials online about "How To Create Cool Shiny Effect X in Illustrator". Read and try as many of those as possible. While the results of some may be cheesy, learning new techniques and tools & branching out into new software always helps make you more versatile.

What put you on this new kick, Mara? Personal business cards aside (cuz we all know how that goes ;) - I like your work. Maybe that makes me out of fashion - but who cares? We're privileged to be artists in the first place - if we're making a living at it - that's gravy. Personally, I'm not concerned with what the upstarts think about my work - I'm concerned with what my clients think of my work.

Art D -- thanks! :) The new kick probably comes from re-doing my website, which has needed updating for a long time. I wouldn't have bitten that bullet if it hadn't been for the insights gained here. Periodic reality checks are healthy.

You are so right about what a privilege it is to "do art for a living." Count your blessings -- or hire some PC grunt to count them for you while you hop on the train to check out the new exhibit at the Met and do brunch with an artsy friend. It's tax-deductible, after all.

ps: I'd love to have a look at your portfolio. Care to share a website?

Wow... I thought I was the old timer around here.

hehe

What? Making it up as I go along... Now, why didn't I think of that?

:)